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The walk back to the castle after what they heard was not in any way pleasant at all.
Carina and Harry had both broken away from Ron and Hermione to get back to the Honeyduke's cellar, and back through the tunnel they went. It didn't take ages this time, probably because the both of them were lost in their thoughts, their heads still pounding and were still quite in a great deal of sorrow. The strong grief taking its toll on them by resting it's weight heavily upon their shoulders.
It was starting to give Carina a headache, a doom of migraine grasping at her mind.
Crawling back up the slide and muttering the spell at the hunchbacked witch, crawling out of it and setting their feet down on the cold hard stone floor of Hogwarts. Harry hastily folded the invisibility cloak, tucking it in under his arms and mindlessly walked back to the Gryffindor common room. He stopped in his tracks though, when he realized that Carina was walking in an opposite direction.
"Where are you going?" Harry questioned. His tear stricken and bloodshot face looking at her.
"For a walk, in the forest. I need to clear my head." Carina curtly said. Picking up her pace, not sparing Harry a glance.
He only just nodded his head, His swollen green eyes looking down at the ground beneath him. They both needed their space right now and some time alone.
Going back to the common room alone the boy quickly ran up the staircase, and into his shared dormitory. Throwing the invisibility cloak on his bed, he pushed his books aside and grabbed what he was looking for. A leather-bound photo album that Hagrid had given him two years ago, which was full of moving photographs of his parents. He jumped up on his bed, sat down and drew the hanging curtains around him for privacy and began turning the pages searching for a specific picture.
And he found it.
His parents wedding day.
There was James Potter, his father, waving up at him. His face was shining with blinding happiness, practically beaming. His curly, untidy hair— much like Harry's, standing out in all different directions.
And then there was his mother, Lily Evans - Potter, also beaming, arm in arm with his dad on one side and... Carina's mother— Artemis Scamander and Lily's maid of honor on her other side. She too was glowing with serene happiness. Harry thought she was very beautiful.
And then his green eyes landed on the best man. He didn't give him much of a thought before. If he didn't know it was the very same person, he wouldn't have guessed that the man standing next to Artemis holding her waist, with one hand, the other hand holding a glass of champagne up, was in fact Sirius Black.
Black's face was no doubt, very handsome, and full of laughter. His black luscious shiny hair framing his sharp face that looked like it was carved by the gods themselves. His stormy gray eyes were gleaming, alight by cheeky merriness.
And as Harry stared into the man's eyes he felt as if they were rather familiar.
Scarcely similar to someone he knew. Someone he held dear to his unsettled heart.
No...— He shouldn't think like that. Black was a distant relative to her, she said it herself. After all, she does share similar genetics with the fabled, pure-blooded family seeing as she's related to them, along with her aunt. The voluptuous, raven black hair. The long nose. The pointy lips. The face, taking shape similar to either an oval, or a triangle. The pale skin that rivaled the whitest marble there is. The infamous ashen gray eyes that either encased a hint of blue, or a splash of hazel to them, the language of the universe concealed in their pupils. How they had the tradition of naming their offspring after either constellations or stars. Yes, He remembered the clear description of this particular family from what Carina had told him sometime around their first year. The girl had tried her best to educate him about the sacred twenty-eight families. British families widely known in the wizarding world to be,"fully and truly pure-blooded" —
"Widely believed to be a bunch of maniacs the lot of them." The young, small voice of an 11 year old girl rang in his ears. He saw the scene play out crystal clear right in front of him. "That suits them best, don't you think?" She had cockily said as she scribbled away inside the copy of the book. He let an amused scoff escape him at the memory.
Carina wouldn't lie to him.
She would never. He shook his head to clear it of the disturbed thoughts he was having and stared yet again at the best man. Had he already been working for You-know-who when that picture was taken? Was he already planning the deaths of three people standing next to him? Did he expect that he will face twelve long years in Azkaban, that'll make him unrecognizable? The Dementors probably don't affect him, Harry thought. He's sadistic. He doesn't have to hear two women screaming—
Harry slammed the album shut, having had enough, not bearing to stare at the picture any longer and chucked it far away from him.
He turned around in his bed and pulled the covers over himself, desperately trying to hide himself away from the world.
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Carina strolled aimlessly around the forbidden forest, her eyes dead set onto her feet. The snow covered ground, crunched faintly beneath her black boots as she walked, leaving foot-prints into the snow. Her head was still pounding endlessly and she was extremely tired of it. She was sick of it. The girl ruggedly pulled out her hair-tie that was holding her hair up in a ponytail and quickly ran her hand through her hair to smooth it all out.
Why did her mother marry him? What did she even see in him?
How'd she even fall in love with a prick like Black?
Her mother was a supposedly, a fairly intelligent woman from what she heard.
And she had a kind personality. Was quite the shy one. Your classic, cliché introvert.
So how could a girl like her fall in love with an asshole like Sirius Black? They were complete polar opposites the both of them.
She also didn't understand why her mum hadn't told her. Was that what she meant by only time will tell? She tried to forget that she ever saw her. Wanted to believe it was really just a hallucination, her mind playing cruel tricks on her, but she had her suspicions. And she desperately needed answers. Carina had stopped walking by now, instead she opted to stand in the middle of the woods, her head turning upwards. The sun was setting. It was starting to get dark.
SNAP !
She whipped her body around fast, her wand raised and at the ready, taking position in a defensive stance. Narrowing her stormy eyes at a couple of ice snow covered bushes, she silently waited with bated breath ready for whatever was out there to charge at her.
A large paw slowly emerged out from behind the bushes, landing on the snowy ground.
She furrowed her eyebrows and then suddenly...— !!!
A humongous shaggy black dog that was almost as big as a bear stepped from between the bushes, running towards her at such an incredible high speed, his tail wagging vigorously behind him. She didn't have time to pull herself away before the huge dog tackled her to the very cold ground, burying her into the snow, sending the wand flying out from her hand. Since when were dogs allowed onto the school grounds?! Then again it is the forbidden forest. All sorts of things lurk around here.
She tried to cover her face when the dog leaned his big mouth towards her, thinking he was going to maul her face to shreds. He technically did maul her face in a way.
"Shit!" The dog kept licking her all over the face, as she desperately tried to push the big canine away from her with her hands on his furry chest, but it was no use. He just wouldn't budge.
And finally after a few long seconds, the licking had stopped as the big dog pulled away from her and sat on his hind legs in front of her his tongue lolling out from his mouth, panting and watching the girl intently with his glossy, emotion-filled silver eyes that glanced at the leather jacket she was currently adorning.
Gross! Carina quickly sat upright and tried to wipe the sticky slobber away that was all over her face with her long sleeves, grabbing her wand that had fallen on the ground in the process.
And as she wiped off her mouth, she glared at the very friendly shaggy dog in front of her whose tail was still wagging uncontrollably, but after a second, a grin had betrayed her. She let out a small laugh escape her mouth at the comical situation and reached her hand out to the weirdly affectionate dog who hadn't waste a second more and immediately flung his head right into the palm of her big, boney hand.
Her other hand began graciously patting him too starting to scratch behind his long fluffy ears and he closed his eyes in pure bliss, seeming as if he was in heaven. A wide smile was visible on his muzzle. She wasn't sure if that was possible for dogs?
The dog licked at her hands and she pulled away wiping them on her jeans. "Where did you come from, huh?" She raised a brow at him. His gray eyes were shining with amusement, tears brimming, the smile still set on his face. Was she imagining it?
He answered her by only giving her another lick on the cheek, burying himself closer to her and laying down between her legs. Carina let out a giggle at the long, matted, black fur that was tickling her. He smelled of wet-dog, pine, sweat and dirt. He was absolutely foul-smelling and probably filled with lots of germs, but Carina was having such fun petting him that she didn't mind at all. She loved dogs after-all even begged her aunt, Andromeda for one, but unfortunately the woman kept refusing her. The girl tried to convince her and change her mind, but her aunt kept saying that — dogs were wild and hard to care for. Not to mention, they wouldn't be allowed at Hogwarts.
She resented her a bit for that.
Hugging the dog close to her beginning to feel better and happy, stress-free, her spirits finally lifted forgetting about her thoughts and the headache for a while. However, the dog suddenly grabbed her wrist gently with his mouth, his teeth nipping lightly at her. He stood up and pulled her into a standing position.
She frowned as she realized that he wanted to take her somewhere, trying to guide her towards a different direction. It was completely dark by now, the stars were lining and lighting up the sky above them, constellations taking formation. Dinner must've passed and Hermione was probably waiting for her at their dormitory.
She glanced at her watch and her eyes widened. She was right.
"Fuck!" The dog let out a bark at the curse word.
"Sorry," She just apologized to a dog. He merely huffed at the apology. "But I have to leave now!" She exclaimed. Pulling her hand slowly and gently out from the dog's mouth who was very reluctant to let her go. She gave him a one final clement pat on the head, as he whimpered loudly at her seemingly begging her not to leave him alone.
"Rina!" She and the dog jumped, both startled.
She looked to the direction to find the source of the voice and there she was.
Hermione, in all her glory, marching up right towards her with her wand lit with light, illuminating the angry expression that was set on her face.
Carina gulped.
"I've been looking everywhere for you! From the Library, to the Kitchens, to the Astronomy tower," Hermione scolded her. Raising her voice with each word. "I've searched every corridor! 'Til I heard from Ron who was told by Harry that you were taking a stroll here!"
"Listen, 'Mione. I—" Hermione cut her off. "In the Forbidden forest! Do you know how dangerous that is at night? Especially with Black on the loose!" Carina flinched at the name. "I lost track of time.." She spoke quietly.
Hermione glared disapprovingly at her.
"I also met this dog!" A grin broke on Carina's face as she remembered the dog, wanting to change the subject. She gestured with her hands to her side thinking the dog was standing right there. Spoiler alert, He wasn't. "What dog?" Hermione asked raising a bushy eyebrow at her and crossing her arms.
"Oh." Carina looked to her side only to find that the dog was indeed gone. Vanished. He must've ran off when he heard Hermione's voice.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the girl who was looking all around the trees and bushes surrounding them in pure confusion, and grabbed her wrist pulling her along towards the direction of the castle the bushy-haired girl still scolded her along the way not knowing that the dog was still nearby watching them closely as they made their way inside the castle.
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They had made it back to the common room and into their dormitory safely. Thankfully, none of the prefects or teachers had spotted them walking the dimly lit corridors.
The two girls they bunked with, Parvati and Lavender, were fast asleep on their own beds as Hermione and Carina were laying down on their backs on Carina's bed, the curtains drawn, and their sock covered feet resting together on the headboard.
"There really was a dog, you know." Carina spoke.
"I believe you." Hermione sighed out.
"You don't sound like you do." Carina poked Hermione's side with her finger making the girl let out a small giggle. "I do!"
A comfortable silence fell upon them as the two girls snuggled closer, holding each other.
After a while, Hermione broke the silence. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Carina knew what she was referring to. "No."
Hermione nodded and bit her lip.
"Just know that I'm here okay?" Hermione told her. "I know." Carina smiled.
"Just like how you've always been there for me." Hermione said remembering first year. Carina smiled, a fond memory coming to knock respectfully upon the door to her mind.
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"Hermione?" Carina hesitantly called out knocking on the bathroom stall.
"Go away!" Hermione cried out from behind the stall.
"Please, let me in." Carina said softly. A sniffle answered her making Carina sigh in frustration and turn around sliding her back down the stall door, sitting down on the floor. "I'm not leaving, y'know." Carina said. "He's right..." Hermione stuttered out her small voice shaky. "I'm a nightmare.. and— and so ugly." Her voice cracked at the end making Carina's little heart break as she grimaced.
"That's not true! Ronald's an arsehole! And he's a piece of shit," Carina briskly stated, "I could punch him for you if you want. Just say the word!"
Carina heard a choked laugh come and the opening of the stall door, making her suddenly fall on her back, looking up at Hermione upside down. Hermione's bloodshot brown eyes looked down at her. "I'm sorry!" Hermione said eyes wide and brows furrowed in concern.
Carina grinned up at her.
"'s all right!" She got up quickly and brushed herself off. "Listen," Carina put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "You aren't ugly!"
"But I am. I'm not beautiful like you."
"Hey! I have my bad days, okay?" Carina said, "And you aren't ugly. Your glorious bush of a hair is so unique! It's so, so curly each curl has their own unique pattern! And your eyes! your brown eyes turn into little pools of honey when the sun focuses on them! You are beautiful." Hermione's eyes were wide and her tear stricken face, was almost as red as a tomato at what the girl in front of her was saying. "And... He's just too simple-minded to see it." Carina finished shooting the bushy-haired girl the biggest smile she could muster.
Hermione dove forward into Carina's arms, surprising the black-haired girl with the instant embrace.
Carina slowly wrapped her arms around Hermione rubbing her back comfortingly, as the girl cried into her shoulder, hearing her mutter out a thanks.
After minutes had passed, of consoling the muggle-born girl the two walked out from the stall hand in hand, only stopping when they saw huge, disgusting feet of a green ogre who merely stood looking down at them.
All hell broke loose that day...
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"Since that day, for as long as I can remember you have never left my side. You have protected me, defended me, comforted me, stood by me. We always stood together." Hermione said.
"And we'll continue to stand together." Carina said.
"I think of you as a sister, you know that?"
"I do. We're family." Carina began. "Its not who you're born with. It's who you die for." She finished. Hermione scoffed, "Stop with the dramatics." Carina gasped in mock offense. "But it's true!" She lightly pushed at her as Hermione giggled. "Sure." Hermione hummed, "Friends are the family you choose." Carina smiled, "Exactly." — And after a while, the two girls slept together on the bed. Still cuddling, holding each other in their arms, their legs tangled together. And in the morning, when Parvati and Lavender woke up and saw the two girls sleeping together, they didn't pay them a mind. After all, it was a normal sight for them seeing the two best friends— who were practically sisters by this point, sleeping on the same bed together. The tradition had begun in their second-year after all.
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14-9-20