The next few days went into a blend like the brush combing the paints together on an empty canvas; firstly, it starts out as an angry red but then slowly it turns into a peaceful purple. The angry red started with Luna rushing towards the bathroom during our usual research sessions, her hand over her mouth, the verge of vomiting. I exhaled, placing my elbow on the table and let my hand fall onto my forehead. Once she gets back, I’m going to tell her to go to the hospital wing, just like I’ve told her the last three times. Grabbing another book about time-travel, I flipped through the pages, scanning the words as if I could just find a solution in only a few seconds. I hate this. I absolutely hate this. I hate being stuck in the library for hours to find a way back to an era where the reminder of death is hanging around everywhere. I didn’t want to be reminded of Hermione in everything, I didn’t want to see my sisters’ faces, I didn’t want the last words I said to her before her decisive moments to be hanging in the air I breathed in. “I wish you were never my sister!” My eyes started flooding, I didn’t fight the feeling. Burying my face in the book, my tears hidden from the rest of the library as they dived onto the words of the pages. ‘Hey’ the parchment slipped in through the now-tear-stained pages like a shot. I looked up to see Harry, except without glasses. Wait, no. It couldn’t be Harry. We’re in a different era now. There is no Harry Potter. So, it could only be one other person. Jack. I looked him dead in the eye, my own red from the tears. Oh god, why do I look so stupid right now? He probably thinks I’m weak right now, burying my face in the books and crying over something I should’ve gotten over weeks ago. ‘Is everything ok?’ he mouthed slowly, slipping into the seat Luna was sitting in. I nodded, even though I only understood half of what he said. Jack gave an understanding look and scanned the books, absorbing all the titles into his brain. He looked back at me with the expression that said, “Is this an obsession?” I swallowed hard, shaking my head violently as I snatched the quill and notepad from him. ‘It’s for a research project’ I lied, trying to make my handwriting look neat. Jack looked convinced enough that I did not have to push more to make him believe me. He just gave an amused smile as he started writing. ‘Is Professor Maganti making you write a five-foot essay about time travel?’ ‘Yeah, exactly that. How can you read my mind? Are you a Legilimens?’ I wish there were no lies behind those words. It was so hard to lie to his face. His perfectly unblemished skin and eyes the color of clear skies. But the thing is, I’m so good at telling lies. ‘I feel you; she made me write a four-foot essay about how dark magic can cause muggle cruise ships to sink once. I spent two whole nights researching and revising. I basically slept through the whole class after that’ he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, ‘Enough of that, anything fun planned for the weekend?’ ‘Not really’ I wrote, completely forgetting about the party I promised Regulus that I would attend to. ‘Same, I’m planning to stay in my dormitory and just chill. No James and his gang members pranking me, no rats eating my homework, and defiantly no Lily asking me if I could tell Severus that she’s not going to forgive him for the hundredth time’ I laughed at his words, forgetting all the worries that had ever come to me. ______________________________ The first thing I saw when I reached the Slytherin common room was Regulus holding a note saying “Your late” “I forgot” I mouthed as I brushed past Regulus to the party. I didn’t need to have the ability to hear to know it was loud. The music playing was so loud that it caused the whole room to vibrate, causing people to dance to the bursting music like maniacs. ‘I want you to meet someone’ Regulus handed another to me as he tried to catch up with me. Then he grabbed my arm and pulled me deeper into the common room. I raised an eyebrow but decided to struggle against his grip. His grip felt like he was trying to squeeze my bones into something smaller but at the same time, it felt like he wasn’t even trying. Maybe he plays Quidditch... He stopped in front of a dark-haired boy. He was tall, maybe even a foot taller than I was with fierce blue eyes that darkened with mood. He looked about Regulus’s age except his face told stories that his maturity was fa beyond his peers. ‘Meet Evan’ I raised my eyebrows even more, my confusion deepening. ‘Why do you want me to meet him?’ I asked, snatching the pen from Regulus like a toddler would get their crayon back. ___________ Continued in n/c
Regulus just shrugged as his expression changed to something that screamed “Because why not?” Then he got up and left the two of us alone. No explanation, no “see you laters”. Just got up and left to go do whatever the hell thirteen-year-olds do during these days. We didn’t say anything at first, just stared at each other like we hadn’t seen each other for several years and basically forgot every memory of each other. After a few minutes, Evan looked down at the notepad and quill Regulus left and then back at me, then back at the notepad and quill again. ‘Aren’t you the girl who jumped off that cliff?’ I froze at the sight of those words. It was true, I was that girl who jumped off the cliff. The grief was too much back then; every second I felt the need to be with Hermione. I slowly nodded. ‘Well, you were dramatic. Do you know how fast that news spread? People wouldn’t stop talking about it for days’ I was going to write a response—maybe even an insult—when Evan continued writing. ‘Do you wear makeup? You look like a Gizzelle who just went through some traumatic experiences’’ My eyes froze at the words written on the notepad. Then, slowly, I looked up. Evan’s face was calm, as if he was used to saying insults. I will punch him. I will make sure he regrets what he said. Oh god, this could be a disaster. it was already turning into one. Cracking my knuckled, I glared up at Evan. To him, I probably looked like a child whose lunch had just been taken away, but my fist would make sure he regretted all his life choices once it kissed into his face. “No, Inka” a voice in my head whispered, stopping my fist in mid-punch, “You're going to be labeled as violent. You already are violent. What if McGonagall is secretly watching? You could go to detention” I sighed, pulling my hand away from Evan. It was right, I am violent. There was no need to prove I was extremely violent. Instead, I just mouthed “Wow, you’re so nice” in the most sarcastic way possible as I got up and walked to anywhere but next to this kid. Pushing through the students, trying to find Carlene, or Barty, or anybody other than Evan. I already want to stay as far away from him as possible. The smell of firewisky wasn't helping with anything, it only made me start to feel dizzy. I finally found Regulus with Carlene near the drink tables, laughing over a joke. Their faces lit up when they saw me. Regulus waved at me before he grabbed my arm and yanked me towards them at full force. I stumbled a little until I caught my balance and looked up at Regulus dead in the eye. ‘Well?’ Regulus mouthed, smirking, ‘How was Evan?’ ‘Why are you even friends with him?’ I mouthed back coldly as I tried to go to my dormitory to catch some sleep. But Regulus caught my arm to prevent me from moving any further. Regulus smirked and took out an extra notepad he had in his pocket. ‘I have my ways. Anyway, do you wanna play spin the bottle?’ Sighing, I nodded reluctantly. I didn’t really feel like sleeping anyway, I just didn’t want Evan to find me. Though I doubt he had any in me anyway. __________________ Part 2: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1173547101/
