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Nayeli Madris was strangely peculiar. Ever since she was a child, she craved to understand everything and everyone. Her parents were enthusiastic about it, encouraging her with potion creations and poetry. The poetry was her favorite part. It fascinated her in ways she couldn't comprehend. And if she were to state an opinion on it, she would say it's one of the most beautiful things in the world. At the age of 16, she still found it incredible. Those stanzas had gotten her through all the school years in Hogwarts, which were tedious if asked.
Now that she was starting her 6th year, everything became hooked with deprivation. She found the world looking at her in anticipation, sacred in psalms and writings. With its swift compromise, award to be no notion. There would be war. Indications led only to fathom the terrible, broad, and stationed. It was stagnant, set in stone for the world to see. A prophecy etched from Seer. No one had a clue as to what it was, dipped in absolution. There would be no sins, only pain.
Dipped into the back of a leather-bound cream-colored seating was Nayeli Madris. Her curls feathered across her delicate shoulders with grace and beauty, rimming her eyelashes. She traced the lines of the poetry in hand. The thin paperback copy of 'Songs of Innocence and of Experience' had interested her. Although out of kindness for her mother's gift, she decided to read it thoroughly. It was a book she had bought on her trip to the Americas. Nayeli loved it and made sure her mother knew. Her father, on the other hand, was a worker for the Ministry. The duty of being one meant never having time to spend with your family. At least Nayeli had considered it that way. Caelus, her older brother, was the enthusiastic kind. Well, he was very blue. He had told her that their father was just a busy man and would come back when he had the time.
"How can you read a new book every day?" Caelus sat in front of her in his yellow robes. She paid no mind to the boy in front of her. "Yeli, are you there?"
"No, Caelus." She bluntly stated. "I'm clearly at home with mum burning the kitchen." Caelus gave her an unamused stare. "Now that I think about it, it has happened before..."
"I remember you crying while running into my bedroom." Caelus stifled a laugh. "If you could've seen yourself at that moment, dreadful, I tell you." Nayeli rolled her eyes.
Caelus was always the first person to humble her. Their relationship had always been that way. If she were allowed, she would send ten hexes so he could have a taste of his own medicine.
"Don't you have some Gryffindor to fawn over?" Nayeli closed the book she was reading. Caelus's brown eyes bored into hers. She crossed her arms as he crossed his, mimicking any movements. "Is this a staring contest?"
"It is." Caelus's gaze didn't falter. "How do you know about the Gryffindor?" Nayeli wanted to roll her eyes, but due to the staring contest, she couldn't.
"Rumors go around." She muttered. "And as your wonderful younger sister, I must defend you." Caelus blinked.
"Do you know who it is?" Caelus questioned with a wary tone. Nayeli shook her head promptly. He heaved out a sigh. "Good. I would bury myself if anyone found out."
"Aren't you a bit blue today?" She smirked. "By the way, you lost." Caelus scoffed while leaning his head against the wall. "But do tell, who is it?"
"Like I would ever tell you." He mumbled. Nayeli gave him a look of pleading. "Don't give me that look; you know how difficult it is to resist." She continued to stare at him with the same glint in her eyes. "Okay, fine. You won me over this time."
"I knew you would give in." She gave a triumphant smile. "Who could've possibly gotten my brother's interest?" Caelus went silent. "Caelus?" His cheeks brightened red.
"Sorry..." He trailed off while rubbing the back of his neck. "Promise not to tell anyone?" Nayeli nodded, holding out her pinky. Caelus latched his pinky with hers. "It's, well...his name is Remus Lupin."
"Remus Lupin, as in the Marauders Remus Lupin?" Nayeli whisper-yelled. Caelus nodded while trying to hide his face bashfully. "Doesn't everyone in the school fancy that bloke?" Caelus stopped hiding his face.
"He's attractive; of course people would be fawning over him," Caelus muttered without meeting her eye. Nayeli hummed. "For Merlin's sake, if you don't stop doing that humming thing!" She stopped humming. "Sorry."
He threw his hands out in frustration as if he were strangling someone. Nayeli fought back a frown at the sight of him.
"Look, you don't have to apologize for anything," Nayeli reassured. "People won't understand us, and that's okay, you know?" Caelus merely nodded. "It will always be them against us. But you know what I like to think?" Caelus arched an eyebrow. "I like to think they're jealous that we embrace ourselves and our identity. Without shame and fear, they become angry that we can be who we are."
"What did I ever do to deserve a sister like you?" Caelus gave her a toothy smile while standing up. Nayeli shrugged her shoulders. "Could I get a hug?" She stood up and opened her arms. He embraced her tightly. "I love you so much."
"I know." She smugly whispered. They departed from the hug. "Now, go back to the Hufflepuff passenger car and tell your friends I said hello." Caelus ruffled the top of her head. She swatted his hand away, trying her best not to laugh.
"Will do." He opened the door to the compartment. "Adiós." Caelus saluted her goodbye and walked off. Nayeli shook her head with a smile. She went back to staring outside the window.
"The meeting would've gone well if you didn't say anything!" Someone whisper-yelled as they walked by. Nayeli quickly whipped her head to the source. The only thing she could see was the back of a boy. "What would your family think of you?"
"I obey them." He said icily. "If you knew anything about them, then you'd know they're content with me." She couldn't see his face, but she knew from his body language that he wasn't in the mood.
"Fine then." The other boy muttered. "It's your funeral." He shoved past him. Nayeli observed the interaction with curiosity. The boy that had his back against the wall of her compartment shook his head. He looked around to see if anyone heard, finally facing Nayeli. She quickly glanced away at the sight of his piercing gaze. He opened the door to the compartment in haste.
"Were you overhearing my conversation?" His voice sounded much more sultry without the door in front of them. She continued to stare at the floor. "I asked you a question." His voice was also silky, which sounded pleasant to the ears.
"Well, it so happened that you were in front of my compartment." She finally gathered the courage to meet his eye. "I couldn't help but overhear what I didn't want to know." His face was of stone, but his gaze was steady.
"It's improper to stare." He bluntly spoke. Nayeli merely blinked. "If I must inform you, I was coming back from the loo." She blinked again. "With a friend..."
"You're an awful liar." She leaned back against the cream-colored seating. The boy furrowed his eyebrows.
"You're awfully nosy." He retorted. Nayeli crossed her arms. "A private conversation is a private conversation."
"Not if you're having the conversation in the Ravenclaw passenger car." She briefly glanced at him up and down. "What would a Slytherin be doing here?" The boy's lip twitched slightly.
"As I said, I was coming from the loo." He restated. She found amusement in riling him up. "With a friend." His gaze wasn't as steady as before. "He just decided to have a careless conversation, which has no meaning, in the corridor of this passenger car."
"You're strangely defensive for a meaningless conversation." She mumbled. He let out an aggravated groan. "Oh, don't get fed up. I have no interest in your endeavors." The boy sat down on the cream-colored seating in front of her.
"It sure seemed like you did."
"I am quite curious."
"I have no intention of continuing with this banter." He stood up and went toward the compartment door. "Nice book, by the way." He made his way out, shutting the door behind him.
"Peculiar..." She trailed off. "Awfully looks like someone I've seen before." Nayeli shook her head.
The boy was, in a sense, beautiful. His hair was the envy of a winter's bark, rich as the soil. It was chopped haphazardly a little under his ears in a boyish attempt. A boy he was, fog lining his pupils like a lone tree in the middle of a park. He had an elegance to him, like classical literature. A flow that reminded her of a melodic tune played at a ball. The fingers of a musician. He wore the look of disdain, cold and steady.
Unlike him, she had a look of curiosity. Her brown eyes shimmered like bee honey in the sunlight. Autumn leaves speckled across her iris like a festive party. Her skin was warm with color and vibrancy, a gold as rich as the God of sunlight. She had the art of eye contact. It was careful, unwavering like a spear pointed at an opponent in war. Her fingers were slender as if they could wilt away the evil, the corrupt. With those hands, she could have the power to still breeze. Ease the sea of its hatred and anger; let it rest after a long journey.
Even with the interaction, his stare had said more than his words. It was menacing. Unspoken, with the indication of underlying confliction. Nayeli Madris was curious.
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Authors Note!
thank you guys so much for reading!
i have been so excited to finally start this,
and let me say that this chapter was fun to
write. i have never been more enthusiastic
about a story, and i hope it shows that with
the effort i put into this. can't wait to show
you all the next chapter. until next time!