Luca's back was close to the wall as he backed away from the three boys in front of him. His blonde hair was messily swept over one of his eyes, and the one that was visible was slightly bruised.
"L-Leave me alone!" He yelled, and the boys snickered.
"Who's going to make us? Your little girlfriend is in class, and your brother isn't around to help you." The brown haired boy with a green tie tie incorrectly on his neck taunted.
Luca bit his lip, then smiled slightly, "My bodyguard will be here any second! S-So you should run away before any trouble starts, Hadeon!"
He looked at his friends and they laughed, "A loser like you doesn't have a bodyguard. Who would waste their time on you-"
"Luca!" An older girls voice called from a little bit away. As she approached, the blood from the bullies faces drained. Epona looked at her best friends little brother, then at the boys, "Luca, are these boys picking on you?"
"N-No, Potter! W-We were just trying to tell him about how mean bullies can be! N-Nothing bad here." The middle boy laughed nervously, and Epona leaned down, whispering in his ear.
"if you're going to be an asshole, don't be a coward too. now scram before I decide to do something rash. also, straighten your tie, you look fucking stupid." And with that, the boys ran away.
Epona sighed, "Sorry about those Slytherin boys, Luca." She then smiled as she walked him to class, "What was that about a girlfriend? Don't you think you're a bit young?"
His cheeks turned bright red, "They're just being asshats. There's this girl who introduced herself to me. Her name is Juliet, but I call her Bugs. She always seems to have some sort of insect on her, and she's always talking about herbology and magical creatures. She's my only friend." He smiled, "She's really nice."
Epona smiled, "Well that's good. You've already made a friend. See? It isn't too bad."
He nodded, "Yep! I'm gonna sit at the Gryffindor table with her at lunch today! She said usually she'd spend it outside, but Umbridge is a bitch-"
"Oi, no cursing. You're not an angsty teen yet. Wait until you turn thirteen to be cursing like that." He pouted at her, "Also no girlfriends until you're older. Young love is a dangerous thing, my child."
She laughed as his cheeks turned bright red, "S-Shut up! Bugs isn't my girlfriend. We don't view each other like that. We're just best friends."
Epona nodded, "Yeah Yeah, kid. That's what Ron and Hermione thought-" Her expression darkened when she said their names. Luca gave her a worried look.
"Effie? Are you alright?" He asked, tugging at her sweater sleeve. Like snapping out of a trance, the light reentered Epona's eyes.
She cleared her throat, "Mhm. Yep, I'm fine. Now get to class. I can't have you being late." Luca smiled, waving goodbye as he walked into the classroom.
As soon as he left, Epona clutched her forehead, her thumbs digging into her temples. She stumbled across the hallway, and into a storage closet. Swiftly, she closed the door behind her, and felt like screaming. Her throat felt like it was filled with a bunch of tiny scratches, and her vision got cloudy.
"No, please, no no no! Not again!" She whisper yelled, and she was back in that dark place.
Epona hugged her knees, her chest stuffy. The unnaturally cool, dead air hit her skin, making her hair stand on end. She looked up, her face looking straight at a foot in a black high heel. The skin of The Woman was a pale grey, nothing that looked human. She had on a black dress, typically melting into the background with her long silky flowing black hair. The Woman's face was covered with a black veil that fell from her broad rimmed black hat. Her entire face wasn't ever visible, but her body, that veil, it terrified Epona.
"My Dear Dear Epona Potter...Why don't you ever learn?" The Woman spoke calmly, "You know you aren't the hero, so why do you keep lying to yourself?"
"You're not real. You're a figment of my imagination. I-I just need to face my insecurities. That's all you are. Not real-" A clawed hand reached out, grabbing Epona by the throat.
Her eyes widened, feeling the claws dig into her neck, "Does this feel real enough for you now, Epona Potter?"
The Woman dropped her, and she coughed. When she reached up to her throat, drops of blood appeared on her fingertips. Epona stood up, hair falling in her face, "What do you want from me? I did what you asked me to. I abandoned Harry. I embraced the flames, what else do you need?" She screamed, tears at her eyes.
Although Epona couldn't see it, she could sense the crooked smile dancing on The Woman's lips, "I need you to give in. Be the monster everyone calls you. If they want a monster, why don't you give them one? Why do you need to prove anything to any of them? They all already think you're the bad guy. So just be one."
For a moment, it sounded tempting. The desire to be noticed as something, to show them what a monster really is, it felt nice. But only in the front of her mind. There was something deep inside of her that told her that it wasn't right. To think about all the times with the people who love her, who believe in her. The people who it's worth being good for.
Her head hung low, and she spoke at last, "You know, it sounds tempting. It sounds nice. But I don't want to be like the man who killed my parents." Epona stood up straight, "Like the man who killed so many other people. Like the man who ruined peoples lives, and the potential of having those lives differently. Like the monster I want to kill myself."
She smiled and laughed, running her hand through her messy hair as The Woman backed away slightly, "Hear that, Voldy? I know you can. Once I get my hands on you, I'm going to make sure I send you back to the hole in hell that spat you out. DO YOU GET ME, VOLDEMORT?" Epona screamed, and The Woman hissed.
"Just you wait, you insufferable child. I grow stronger and you know it. Soon enough, there won't be an Epona Potter anymore. Just a skin suit as a vessel for me!"
And with that, Epona was sent out of her mind. Her hands were shaking from a mix of anger and fear. She didn't know which one was stronger. There was just one thing on her mind, though.
She needs to talk to Harry.