A month had passed since Y/N went to save Harry with Ron, the boy had stayed at the Burrow for a month, now ending as the summer break drew to a close.
Y/N had already given Harry the phone Amaryllis bought for him. It took Harry quite a while to figure out the mechanics— and a few instances where Y/N's temper snapped at his slow understanding, but he had managed to get the gist of the basics.
Instagram DM's
Gilderoy Lockhart Hateclub
@ronnieboy : you two excited for school?!?
@no1crimson : ecstatic
@hairypotter : Yes.
@no1crimson : hairy potter?
@hairypotter : Stop. Don't Talk About It. I Was Typing My Name And It Suddenly Turned Into "Hairy" 🙁
@no1crimson : you can change your username, you know that right?
@hairypotter : What? Ron Told Me That It Wasn't Possible.
@no1crimson : OH MY GOD TURN OFF AUTO CAPITALIZATION
@hairypotter : How?
@no1crimson : what has ron been teaching you?
@hairypotter : Well, He Told Me About This Orange And Black Website.
@no1crimson : RON
@ronnieboy : WHAT I DDINT DO ANYTHING
@no1crimson : whatever bye see you 2 at the station, we're almost there
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Y/N exited the car as Amaryllis parked it just outside the station. "Now, dear, I'm in quite a rush so I won't be able to see you off. Take care, okay?"
"Yeah, Mom. Love you," Y/N replied. She closed car door behind her. Suddenly, Amaryllis' rolled down the windows, Y/N turned around with a confused expression in her eyes.
"Forgetting something?" Amaryllis teased, a mischievous glint in her eye. Y/N looked at her with a blank expression.
"Mom, I'm thirteen. I'm not doing that anymore," Y/N retorted sternly. Amaryllis playfully rolled her eyes, holding out her arm and gesturing with an exaggerated open-and-close motion, her lips mimicking a kissing motion.
"Mom!" Y/N groaned in embarrassment, her cheeks flushing. Passersby stole curious glances at the mother-daughter exchange.
"Come on, give your Mommy a kiss!" Amaryllis cooed, "Do it or you're not getting your allowance for a whole term's worth!" she warned. Y/N grumbled under her breath, prodding her head inside the car through the window and placed a kiss on Amaryllis' cheek before she stormed away angrily. Amaryllis wore satisfied smirk.
"So embarrassing..."
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Y/N navigated through the bustling station. She asbentmindely pushed her cart forward as she headed toward the familiar pillar marked 9 3/4. Just as she was about to pass through, she heard her name being called.
"Oi, Y/N!" Ron's voice exclaimed. "You're not leaving without us, are you?" Y/N turned around, seeing the Weasley family and Harry approaching.
"I was waiting for you," Y/N replied.
"Well, we're here—" Ron declared.
"Oh, shush and hurry up! The train leaves in 5 minutes!" Molly quickly interjected, ushering the Weasleys through the invisible barrier. "Come on, hurry up! Go on!" she urged, giving Y/N a gentle nudge.
As Y/N passed through the barrier, she expected to stumble back a bit as usual. However, this time she collided with something—someone. She turned around in surprise, her eyes widening as she took in the sight.
"Y/N?" A young girl, roughly a year younger than her, stood before her. The girl had short blonde hair that fell to her jawline and a pair of strikingly mismatched eyes—one blue and the other similar with a mix of— red?
"Agil," Y/N murmured. Bitter memories washed over as she recognizedher her half-sister. Her jaw clenched involuntarily at the sight, memories and emotions rushing to the surface.
"Oh, it's so lovely to meet you finally! I've wanted to meet you ever since I was—" Agil started to speak, her eyes lighting up as if she had met her lifelong hero.
"You've mistaken me for someone else," Y/N said coldly, brushing past the girl.
Her expression turned dark, and she began to walk away with short, bated breaths. Panic started to rise within her, and her eyes darted around the station. She picked up her pace, distancing herself from Agil. Her heart raced, and her mind seemed to spiral.
Suddenly, a hand touched her shoulder, causing her to jump and her panic to intensify.
"Don't fucking touch me—!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and anger. But then she stopped abruptly, her breath catched. Hermione stood before her, her concerned gaze fixed on Y/N's face.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, her voice gentle and empathetic. Y/N's breathing began to normalize as she calmed down at the sight of her 'friend'.
"It really doesn't concern you," Y/N grumbled and pushed Hermione's hand away as she gathered herself and stepped onto the train.
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Y/N slumped onto an empty compartment seat, feeling a mixture of relief and frustration as she found a space to herself. She let out a sigh, her fingers absentmindedly tugged at her collar as she tried to shake off her annoyance. And she buried her face in her hands, she groaned softly, her head tilted back in exasperation.
The compartment door slid open, revealing a familiar Gryffindor who peeked her head inside. "Is this compartment taken— oh," she started to ask before her gaze landed on Y/N.
"Hermione," Y/N murmured, her voice tinged with a mix of resignation and annoyance.
"Nevermind," Hermione muttered, her cheeks reddened slightly as she quickly moved to close the door.
"You can stay if you want," Y/N said bluntly, arms crossed, head high with her eyes out the window as if she didn't care.
"I don't want to intrude," Hermione replied with a hint of defensiveness.
"Suit yourself," Y/N retorted with an eye roll, her irritation not subsiding.
A few moments passed in awkward silence before the compartment door opened again. Hermione walked in, her expression a mix of reluctance and awkwardness. She glanced around the compartment, clearly not finding another empty seat, and finally took a seat on the other side, far away from Y/N.
"I didn't sit here because I want to," Hermione quickly spoke up, her words tinged with a hint of defensiveness.
"I don't care," Y/N spat back, her frustration evident in her tone.
The compartment was filled with tense silence, the air heavy with unresolved tension. Y/N stared out of the window, her mind a whirlwind of conflicted emotions. Hermione fidgeted with the edge of her robe, her gaze fixed on the floor as if trying to find the right words.
"Look, Y/N, about what happened..." Hermione began, her voice hesitant.
Y/N turned her head slightly, her expression guarded. "What about it?" she replied curtly.
"Nothing," Hermione grumbled, her gaze averted to the side.
"You know, this could all be resolved if you just apologized," Y/N interjected, prompting a stern glare from Hermione.
"I haven't done anything wrong," Hermione asserted, her tone unwavering. Y/N rolled her eyes in response.
"You betrayed me. I might have forgiven you, but seeing you cozying up to Malfoy only confirms my suspicions," Hermione stated firmly.
"Am I not allowed to have other friends?" Y/N retorted with a scoff.
"Not when those friends promote prejudice. Your choice of friends reflects your character, Y/N," Hermione spat out.
"It was a simple misunderstanding!" Y/N burst out. "Draco's actually a decent guy, he's just—"
"Quit defending him. What has he ever done to deserve your defense?" Hermione interrupted sharply, causing Y/N to pause mid-sentence. "You're never like this, Y/N. What's happened to you?"
"He's alright," Y/N said quietly, her voice holding a hint of frustration.
"I've seen enough to know what he stands for," Hermione retorted.
"And I've seen enough to know you're being rude," Y/N shot back, her tone sharp.
Hermione's eyes flashed with anger. "Rude? Me? That's ironic coming from someone who only knows to be rude. I can't believe you're defending him after everything he's said and done!"
Y/N's hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white. "You don't know him,"
Hermione scoffed, a bitter smile on her lips. "And I suppose you do?"
Y/N's voice trembled with a mixture of anger and hurt. "More than you think."
The compartment fell into a heavy silence, the tension between them almost palpable. Hermione's glare didn't waver, and Y/N's defiance remained unyielding.
"I'm not going to apologize for standing up for what I believe in," Hermione finally said, her voice cold.
"Then neither will I," Y/N retorted, her gaze unwavering.
Y/N's eyes narrowed, her frustration reaching a boiling point. "You just can't stand anyone who doesn't fit your narrow view of the world, can you?" she shot back, her voice dripping with anger.
"Oh, that's ironic, coming from you." Hermione's lips tightened into a thin line. "At least I'm not running around with people who openly despise Muggle-borns," she retorted, her tone sharp and accusatory.
Y/N's face contorted with a mixture of disbelief and hurt. "You really think that's what this is about? You think I'm some puppet dancing to Malfoy's tune?" Her voice quivered with a mix of anger and hurt.
"Actions speak louder than words," Hermione bit out, her eyes flashing with frustration.
Y/N's jaw clenched, her fists curling at her sides. "You know what? Fine. Believe whatever you want. It's clear that no matter what I say, you've already made up your mind about me." Her voice trembled with suppressed emotion.
Hermione's expression remained unyielding, her eyes narrowing. "Maybe I have," she replied coldly.
A tense silence hung in the compartment, the air charged with unresolved tension. The train's rhythmic clatter seemed to emphasize the growing distance between them.
Y/N stood up abruptly, causing her chair to scrape against the floor. "Enjoy your compartment," she spat out, her voice laced with bitterness before she stormed out of the compartment and down the corridor, leaving Hermione behind, her heart pounding in her chest.
TO BE CONTINUED...