The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was red.
Anna groaned as she roused, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she righted herself, pressing her feet to the cool wooden floor in attempt to focus herself - wondering why she felt like she had slept for 100 years.
What happened...She thought to herself, rubbing at her temples. We were at the DA meeting, and then Dobby had come and then…
“Hey!...are you doing?”
“-oes it hurt?”
“You aren’t poisonous….you-”
Flashes of close-up silver eyes, holding something more. “I..I lov-”
Her eyes widened as the previous night came back to her in pieces. “Bloody hell.”
- - -
“Mind explaining exactly why you are acting like a wanted criminal?” Ginny deadpanned as Anna ducked for the umpteenth time with no apparent reason.
Well it wasn’t her fault there were so many bleach blondes at their school.
“You know why.” She snapped back, still eyeing the crowds warily. “I completely humiliated myself in front of Draco yesterday. I have to give him a day to forget.”
Ginny scoffed. “As if he’ll just forget you called him beautiful.”
“Shut it.” They slumped into their usual seats - Anna taking an aggressive bite of her toast. “I still can’t believe Marietta snitched on us. Though I can’t say I’m surprised. Any friend of Cho Chang’s is bound to be as messed up as she is.”
“Speaking of,” Ginny subtly nodded over to the left, directing Anna’s gaze to Cho Chang herself - sitting at the Ravenclaw tables, appearing ridiculously pissed off. “Be careful today. She looks like she’s about to go feral. I think Harry must’ve said something to her.”
Anna scoffed. “Harry? As if. He practically worships the ground she walks on.”
“Maybe not him, but I know someone in our friend group said something to her. Either way, she’s not in her right mind today and that’s something I know you and I aren’t going to want to deal with.”
And like a hawk, Cho had caught her eye - an evil glint shining brightly.
Well, I guess that’s my cue to leave.
Anna acted as if the two had shared gazes by mere coincidence, sending a warning look to Ginny that they had to go now, picking up her wand and croissant as the two girls began walking into the Hogwarts halls and out of the Great Hall.
The second Anna heard the clicking of heels behind her, she knew she hadn’t gotten out fast enough.
“Oi! Potter!” Cho exclaimed as Anna sighed in disbelief, turning around to face her.
“Hi, Cho. Good to see you this morning.”
Because as much as I’d like to throw this pastry at ur head, I don’t think our fight would end with just a ruined lunch.
“Don’t bother with niceties.” Cho glared. “What your friend did to Marietta was cruel and heartless.”
And here we go.
“What Marietta did was cruel and heartless.” Anna returned cooly. “Do you know how many students would’ve been expelled, had Dobby not warned us?”
Cho laughed humorlessly. “Well at least she isn’t a murderer.”
Like you. The words were unsaid, but both heard them.
Anna stiffened, her fists becoming tighter. She could already feel her nails digging into her palms. “What happened to Cedric was a tragic-”
“An accident? Am I supposed to believe that?” Cho shot back. “You were there when he died. You could’ve done something, anything to help him. But you didn’t. I bet you just sat back and watched it all happen.”
“Shove off!” Ginny interjected in Anna’s defense. “Like you could’ve done anything more. You don’t know anything. Now leave us alone before you say something you’re going to regret.”
“You’re glad, aren’t you? That he’s dead?” Cho continued, completely ignoring Ginny’s previous statement. “Did you even cry as he laid there - lifeless at your feet? All the life sucked out of him because of you.”
“It wasn't my fault.” Anna hissed again. Though this time, it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself. “There was a killing spell-”
“Don’t you dare tell me it was the killing spell.” Cho spat. “You know as bloody well as I do that Cedric has never missed blocking a spell in his life.”
Anna’s throat ran dry.
Because Cho was right, wasn’t she? Everything Anna been telling herself was true. Cedric wasn’t dead because of a killing spell - he was dead because he was distracted by her.
Cho continued to shake her head in disgust. “You are a monster. Cedric and I could’ve been happy. We could’ve had a future. And you took that away from us.”
Chatter began to fill the halls as students began to return from lunch, and anxiety bubbled in Anna’s throat as the sounds of footsteps began coming towards the 3 of them.
“Cho. Listen to me. There are hundreds of students coming down these halls right now. As of today, they know Cedric as the man he was - are you really going to let them know how he cheated on me?”
Apparently, this was not the right thing to say.
Tears began to stream down her face, all for the hoards of students around them to see as they stopped in their tracks to witness the drama that was about to unfold.
“Cho please stop-”
“Do not tell me to stop!”
Tired and agitated, Anna threw her arms down in exasperation as she turned on her heel quickly - hoping that removing herself from the situation would get Cho to shut up and hopefully save her dramatics for later.
“You killed him, you know that?”
This caused Anna to pause.
Because while Cho had already implied it before, hearing it aloud felt so much different.
It made it feel real.
“Not just when he stopped breathing - before that.” She continued. “It hurt him so much to be with you - you completely ignored him and shut him out your entire relationship. He would come to me - sobbing because of how broken he was. How broken you made him.”
“Anna-” Ginny attempted to interrupt, but Anna had already turned around - her glare going straight through Cho’s soul.
“Excuse me?”
Anna’s voice was cold - filled with nothing but icy fury as she faced the girl who had dared say anything.
Her anger rose as Cho sniffled, her almond eyes red and puffy.
As if she was the victim.
“We would’ve finally been happy if it weren’t for you!” Cho continued - louder this time. The crowd was thickening, whispers swirling around the girls standing in the middle.
Cho let out another sob. “Cedric and I - we were perfect. I’ve known him since we were kids. We were going to live the rest of our lives together until you came along!”
“Do you think what you’re saying is appropriate?” She said quietly - though her fingers were beginning to tremble with rage. “I’ve tried to protect his memory. So shut up before you say something you’ll regret.”
“No - it’s my turn to speak.” Cho interjected. “Why couldn’t you just let us be happy together? Ever since last year - you were the only thing preventing us from being together!”
Silence rang throughout the halls - though it seemed deafening.
They knew. Everyone now knew that Cedric cheated on her.
“You’re so evil!” Cho hissed. “He just wanted a simple life. Cedric was one of the brightest souls I knew, and you snuffed. Him. Out. Do you even know how broken he was when he was with you?”
“Are you delusional?”
Anna’s head snapped up, and from the anger pulsing behind her eyelids, it didn’t seem entirely impossible that if she looked at Cho long enough, she could burn her with just her gaze. “I wanted him to break up with me if he was unhappy. I did everything I could. But in the end, it didn’t work. Sometimes it just doesn’t, and that’s neither of our faults.”
Her fists tightened. “But Cedric was the one who never told me about you. He cheated on me with you. And I’ve done nothing but protect his memory.”
Anna laughed darkly. “But if you want to start pointing fingers, why don’t I start with from the first second you found out he stopped breathing, you made it all about you. How much he loved you. How much he cared about you because you were secretly in love?”
“Face it - you only care because you like victimizing yourself. Why else confront me here - in such a big hall with such a large amount of people?” Anna narrowed her eyes. “You want people to villanize me and feel bad for you. And you don’t even care if you have to come clean about your secret relationship with Cedric and damage his memory.”
“Go to hell, Potter.” She snarled.
But Anna only grinned darkly as she began to walk away. “Don’t worry - I’ll save you a seat when I get there.”
Cho glared at Anna’s indifference.“He would hate you, you know that? He’d never forgive you for what you did to him.”
Finally, Anna stopped.
She looked back behind at Cho - her emerald eyes dull, her smile broken. “Believe me - no one will ever hate me more than I hate myself.”
And with that, she finally left the hall with her chin held high and her eyes triumphant.
It would’ve been impossible for anyone to notice the little girl inside shriveling up further.