"If I'm a bad person you don't like me Well, I guess I'll make my own wayIt's a circle, a mean cycleI don't wanna feel your painWhen you swear it's all my faultCause you know we're not the same (no)"-Ignorance, Paramore
*****
"School is going to be a bit different this year, darling."
"I know," Harper grumbled as she looked out the window of the car, on their way to King's Cross.
"Harper. You need to listen-"
"The Dark Mark at the cup wasn't a mistake," Harper mocked her father as she sighed. "I get it! We didn't even go to the ruddy cup," she grumbled. She had wanted to go and her father had promised to attempt to get tickets but he was unsuccessful.
"Please listen to us darling," her mother sighed. "This is important. This year...this year is going to be a big test for you and you need to be prepared."
"What kind of test?" Harper frowned, remembering Snape's words from last year.
"The kind...the kind where the past comes up," her mother commented.
"Oh now you sound like Sybill," she snorted slightly, watching the train station come into view.
Her parents gave each other a look and nodded slightly, "you'll see when you get to school."
"Mmmm maybe I should skip this year....barely surviving the end of last year and all...." Harper mumbled to herself as they arrived at King's Cross. Her stomach doing flips.
"Just focus on why we're at this school and focus on yourself....maybe no more boys?" Her father gave her a knowing look, Harper averted her gaze as she tried not to blush.
Her parents gave her quick hugs, leaving Harper to travel to the train platform alone, her mind completely on the weird conversation and mood of her parents.
"Oi! Here!" Harper chuckled as Alicia appeared with a big box wrapped in red, Harper grinned before immediately opening it and revealing a beautiful ruby red cardigan that reached her knees.
"Oh I love this," Harper grinned, rubbing the fabric between her fingers.
"You could use it for your dates with George," Alicia winked.
Harper's face flushed, "dates? I don't really know...I'm not sure where we stand."
Alicia's smile fell, her jaw dropping, "don't you dare say that! Things were finally good last year!"
Harper shrugged, rubbing her neck as she pulled her legs onto the seat, leaning her back against the window. While George and Harper had left things amicably and they agreed to continue seeing each other, George's letters were far and few between and when he did write, they came off as distant and detached. Her stomach did nervous flips as she picked at her nail bed around her thumb.
"My parents also said no boys this year...."
"Boooooo! We just won't let them find out," Alicia giggled as the rest of the group slowly appeared. George smiling as he sat across from her.
"How's it going, Harpsichord?" Her stomach did a flip at the pet name, a smile crossing her face.
Harper shrugged, "really vague warnings from parents. So as good as it can be with looming threats?"
George raised an eyebrow, the two not noticing that everyone funneled out of the compartment.
"I didn't realize we were doing a 'don't know what a haircut is' look this year," Harper laughed.
"Don't like it?" George ran a hair through his shaggy hair, smirking.
Harper shrugged, giving a smirk, "never said that."
George grinned, "I was thinking about us this summer."
"Me too," Harper smiled, her pulse was hammering in her ears. Out of the corner of her eye she saw everyone with their faces pressed against the glass. She waved her wand and the shutters fell.
"Screw you, Harper!" Joy's voice bellowed on the other side.
"I wanted to be together, but then I started to worry about how I'd distract you again from...everything," George looked at his hands, his smile gone. "So I'm not as certain what to do anymore."
Harper felt her heart stop and drop into her stomach, a cold pit forming in her chest as she took a deep breath. George's ears heated up, leaning back in his spot, Harper turned her gaze to the floor.
"Personally I was excited for us to be together..." Harper's voice was so soft and quiet she wasn't sure he'd heard her.
"I wouldn't want to distract you from...things." Harper looked up at him and smiled, even while her heart shattered, George was trying to think of her. "but I swear if our new Defense teacher is some Vampire. I'm not letting you anywhere out of my sight. I'm going to be an honorary prefect just to keep you in my sights 24/7."
"Couldn't you just use the map?" Harper couldn't help but laugh.
"Nah...passed that onto Potter last year actually," George smiled.
Harper gave a small smile, "oh? When did that happen?"
"The...Hogsmeade trip before the holiday....I think?" George's ears were scarlet as he gave a sheepish smile.
Harper nodded slightly, "so...where does this leave us?"
"I'll leave that up to you," George gave a small smile.
"Oh...." Harper frowned slightly, her eyebrows knitting together.
"I'm afraid of mucking things up again, our track record isn't the best....I think it's better if the choice is left to you, Harpsichord."
"What happened to being a lovesick git?" Her frown deepening.
"Nothing at all, I'm just trying to be better for you," George gave a sympathetic smile.
"Well....I would-"
"Harper!"
George groaned as Cedric Diggory burst through the compartment much to the group's protests.
"Sorry! We told him you needed a moment," Joy huffed as she glared at Cedric who grinned.
"We're needed for our meeting in the front carriage."
"Right, right," she looked at George and frowned, "I um...erm, George? I would like to-"
George got to his feet and kissed her cheek, "go on Miss Prefect or you'll be late."
Harper frowned as Cedric pulled her jacket sleeve and she was hurried toward the front of the train.
"I was trying to find out if I'm starting off the year with a boyfriend or not, Ced!" Harper hissed as Cedric continued to pull her.
Cedric snorted slightly, "it's urgent, you know we're needed up front." He looked at her quickly, smirking slightly, "and if he decides not to continue seeing you, it's his loss."
"Would've been nice to find out." Harper scrunched her face slightly, allowing the Hufflepuff to continue pulling her up the train. When they got to the prefect compartment, McGonagall sat smiling amongst the other prefects.
"Now that everyone is here, I would like to make some very important announcements. This year, there will be no quidditch, instead we are going to be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Two other schools will be arriving to stay with us for the duration of the year, during that stay I need all of you to make sure students are minding their curfews as well as making our guests feel as welcomed as possible."
A small prickling sensation traveled down Harper's arms, suddenly nervous as she listened to the rest of the instructions. Her mind wandered back to George and their conversation, barely registering the outside conversation.
"Professor, when will the students arrive?" Marcus Turner, the Slytherin prefect asked.
"They should be arriving during the welcome feast tonight," McGonagall nodded, her gaze fell on Harper. McGonagall continued to go over the information they would need, emphasizing that this was going to be kept a secret until they arrived at school.
Harper pursed her lips, slowly connecting the dots between her parents' warnings and McGonagall's announcement.
Fuck
"Which schools are coming here anyway, Professor?" Celeste asked, she was the Slytherin prefect along with Marcus. One of the rare tolerable students from that house Harper had met.
McGonagall sighed as she fixed her spectacles, looking directly at Harper as she pursed her lips. Harper didn't even have to hear the name to know what was coming.
Harper bit her lip and nodded, the room began to spin as she focused on her hands. She didn't even register Cedric as he prodded her arm.
"Nonemacker, we can go back now. Find out what lover boy had to say," Cedric shook her arm slightly.
Harper gave a tight smile as she nodded, her mind racing, her legs brought her back to the group's compartment without a second thought. She sat down beside Lee and pulled herself into a ball, leaning her head on Lee's shoulder.
"Harps?" Alicia poked her cheek, frowning at her friend, the others all with similar concerned expressions.
"Oh, erm....sorry, how was your break?" She smiled slightly, untucking her legs and sitting up.
"What did McGonagall want?" Fred asked across from her.
Harper paused for a long time, "if you don't want to tell us that's fine," Angelina put in.
"It'll be a surprise," Harper's voice was quiet.
"We should get changed, boys go across the aisle," Joy announced. The boys left the compartment without another word, Harper stared at her shoes and frowned.
First she's told her boyfriend is unsure if they should be together and now the ghosts of her past are trying to rear their ugly heads. This was all too much for Harper to take.
***
When they got to the Great Hall, George noticed Harper stopped at the entrance, clearing his throat he pulled on her robe.
"Come on, Nonemacker," he smiled when she met his gaze, pulling them toward their table.
"After dinner, can we talk?" Harper whispered to George.
George nodded with a smile as Dumbledore took the podium at the front of the room as the final first year was sorted.
"This year, there will be no quidditch," Angelina clamped a hand over her mouth as she gasped, there went her first year captain dreams. "Instead we are hosting a legendary event known as the Triwizard tournament. Two other schools will be our guests this year as a selected champion from each school participates in the three tasked event. I present the schools of Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic."
At the latter name, George noticed Harper stiffen, her eyes huge and her breathing began to become erratic over time.
"No no no no no no. No it's fine...it's fine....they aren't here, none of them can be," Harper whispered, pulling at her hair. The doors burst open and in walked a small group of boys and girls clad in light blue outfits with matching hats, followed by another group of boys and girls clad in red fur coats.
George gently pulled on Harper's arm, she was shaking from head to toe as she continued pulling on the edges of her hair. George pulled her into his side and held her close, the shaking lessened as the girls in a familiar blue dressed walked by.
"Hang on just a minute," Fred muttered, he turned around and met George's expression as Harper continued to panic. "That dress looks oddly familiar, my dear raven haired friend."
"Surprise....." Harper whispered.
"Harper....is that...is that the school you transferred from?" Angelina whispered across the table. Harper met her gaze and nodded slightly.
"There's no way that any of them were from your year. You heard Dumbledore, you have to be seventeen," Alicia frowned.
"Yeah...yeah," Harper nodded slightly, taking a deep breath. George continued to hold her, "sorry," she looked up at him, her eyes huge as George slowly let go of her. She took his hand in hers and interlaced their fingers together, George smiled slightly.
"There's no need for apologies, Harpsichord," George smiled. He turned toward the food and began to pull things toward himself, noticing Harper staring at her empty plate.
"H, come on and eat," Angelina tossed a roll at the girl.
"They have your favorite chicken!" Alicia added.
"There's Brussel sprouts....you know, your like favorite thing?" Lee offered, trying not to look disgusted.
"Come on, you need to eat after riding a train all day!" Fred bumped Harper's shoulder.
"What's everyone tossing food at me for?!" Harper huffed.
"Because you're spiraling and we're trying to divert your attention," Joy smiled, pushing her glasses up her nose.
Suddenly Joy and Angelina were pushed aside from their plates. Two girls sat with mischievous grins on their faces as they stared at their long lost friend, George recognized them from the memory Harper had shared last year. "Spiraling?! Ooooooh is our little freak here having a crisis?"
"I told you I saw her when we entered!" Their thick French accents were already grating on George's ears.
"I'm sorry, I doubted you. I didn't expect her to be allowed in civil-"
"What do you want?" George looked at Harper beside him, her voice was cold and clipped as she glared at them.
The one with dark auburn hair leaned across the table, quickly grabbing Harper's face in her hand and twisting her face here and there.
"How dare you speak that way to us," the second girl with long blonde curls hissed.
"Look at how much she's grown, Marz," the auburn hair called, moving Harper's face all around as her manicured nails dug into Harper's skin-leaving pink marks. "So pretty, no imperfections...makes me sick that lady Aphrodite would be so kind to a freak like you."
"Look at how much she's grown! Remember how she was the tallest girl at the school?! Should've been an indicator that she meant no good." The two girls began giggling.
"Seemed to fill out a bit too, I see," the auburn haired eyed Harper's chest for a moment, lifting her chin up-putting strain on Harper's neck.
"Look at their robes, is that a lion?" The blonde scoffed, "should be with the blokes in green....they have a...snake? On their badges, that's more you, darling. A twisted, conniving, no good dirty snake of a girl."
George, finally having enough, grabbed the girl's wrist and pushed her off Harper, "we haven't introduced ourselves. But I can tell from Harper's attitude you aren't very welcomed here. So please-"
"-leave," Fred finished, his voice dry and cold.
"Oh this is adorable," the blonde leaned forward, putting her chin in her hands and grinning. "Now, how far are you twisted round her fingers? This little weirdo doesn't deserve your protection in any right. She's nothing more than a menace."
"Oh she's shaking like a leaf, Marz!"
"Darling are you scared? What's to be scared of?"
"I think I know...."
"Hmmm? What could it be, Astrid?"
"Possibly the truth of her transfer and the ramifications of her idiotic actions finally coming to light. I doubt she's told a soul here!"
"Shut up, I'm not like I use to be," Harper snapped. Her voice had a warning tone in it.
"Still seem pretty pathetic to me," Astrid gave her a withering look, her accent making her words sound deadly.
"Has she told a single one of you why she transferred? Why she was expelled from our school? It's a thrilling tale!" Marz giggled.
"Oi, it's time for you two to leave, I suggest you get away from this table quickly," George interjected, he was getting hot now. These two were immediately trouble and not the jovial kind. Astrid looked at him with piercing grey eyes, she smirked, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"You're not wanted here," Fred added.
"The second you find out the truth about that monster you're protecting, you won't want her either," Astrid's eyes sparked, her smile wicked.
"I'm just having fun catching up with my darling Harpy here, no need to be so tense," Marz winked.
"You two should leave," Fred added. Joy and Angelina silently nodded.
"It's no matter, we are just so excited for our little reunion!" Marz clapped her hands together.
"It'll be like old times! Except now we know you're a two timing, gossiping sneak with no talent whatsoever." At this Harper's hands turned into fists, knuckles turning white. "So it'll be better! Because this time we know not to trust a single word from your mouth." Astrid leaned across the table again and poked Harper's nose.
"Yes, we can't wait to meet your new....friends. I'm sure they have many questions," Marz winked before the two got up from the bench. Laughing as they went to join their own classmates at the Ravenclaw table.
Harper pressed her palms into her eyes and started to laugh, taking her cup and a shaky sip before gagging and dropping the goblet on herself. "That bitch changed it to pickle juice!"
George wordlessly handed her his goblet, Harper looked at the table of food and shook her head. "I wish I could just leave but I have to take the first years to the common room," Harper groaned.
"It'll be fine, Miss Prefect," Fred nudged her shoulder, "you love walking the first years."
Harper sighed, looking down the table at the new group and nodding with a tired smile. "They do look really cute when I take them through the castle...."
"There's a smile," Fred nudged her.
"Harpsichord, eat something," George said as he pushed a bit of salad onto her plate.
Harper smiled, pushing the salad around, "Harps, I still have your birthday present and I'll take it back if you don't eat," Lee cautioned.
"The chicken is your favorite and I'll eat it all if you don't take some," Joy said in a singsong voice.
"Why is everyone on my butt suddenly?!"
"Like we said before: we're not going to let you spiral," Angelina answered with a frown.
"You have friends here, Harper," Fred chimed in. "So eat up, you know they have your favorite pasta out, those twats are going to be here all year so just forget about them for tonight."
"Freddie and I can handle them," George gave a wink. "There's no need to worry."
With a small smile Harper nodded as she slowly ate, each of her friends shoving more things on her plate—much to her protests and laughs.
"And if there's even a whisper of gossip about you, we'll handle it," Angelina smiled.
***
"I really miss this view every time we go away," Harper mused as they leaned against the railing of the astronomy tower.
George nodded, watching Harper out the corner of his eye. Smiling as he thought of how beautiful she'd gotten over the summer. "Will you be alright with everything?"
"Yeah, yeah...." Harper cleared her throat, gripping the railing and leaning back on her heels. "Who doesn't love reliving a traumatic experience over and over for a year? Certainly I do." George snorted, his mind thinking of a few pranks he'd love to pull on them. "Don't be surprised if I start testing out those candies you and Freddie have been working on over the summer on myself a bit more....I see a lot of missed classes this year."
"Harpsichord," George frowned, she shrugged sighing deeply.
"I can keep my grades up while not attending classes, just you watch."
"Sometimes I think I've been a bad influence on you," George laughed leaning on the railing as she smiled at him. In the candle light, the gold flecks of her eyes shimmered like tiny suns as she tried to keep a light mood.
Harper bumped his arm with hers and grinned, "just the perfect amount."
George grinned, his heart did a flip at the contact, he wanted to ask her what they were-could they continue an actual relationship. But it didn't seem fair, not with the ghosts that haunted Harper staying a few feet away in gilded carriages.
"George?" He looked over at Harper, she stood biting her bottom lip as she played with the edges of her hair. "I'm really terrified."
"It'll be fine, Harpsichord. None of us are going to let anything happen to you," George smiled, his stomach sinking slightly as he kept his emotions at bay.
Harper gave a small smile, "I didn't mean about them...."
George chuckled slightly, "I'd give it a go if you're willing to, Nonemacker." Harper flashed a big grin, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "You missed."
Harper chuckled slightly, George made to lean forward but Harper stepped back and averted her gaze. "We're a bit chaotic together....and I don't want to go through it all again unless you're absolutely certain."
"I'm certain," George smiled, "are you?"
Harper bit her lip a bit nervously, George leaned his cheek against his hand as he watched her. Harper stood messing with the edges of her hair, beginning to stutter as she tried to speak.
"Harpsichord, there's no rush to answer that," George shrugged as his entire body screamed in protest to his words. "I can wait." George whispered.
"I'm...I'm certain," she whispered in response.
George smiled, his heart lifting, taking a step closer he pushed a few curls behind her ear. "Honestly, Harpsichord. Take all the time you need," his heart was screaming in protest, not wanting to put off being together another time.
Harper bit her lower lip, his breathing hitched as he studied her face, at the very least they were talking and that's what mattered to him right now. He would just have to wait for her to decide on things.