𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓 𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍

❃ penelope

❃

𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒆

"Things have been too quiet, it's making me nervous," Theo exclaimed as we all sat in the compartment, the train chugging along the tracks through the plains now filled with spring wildflowers.

"Something's going to happen soon," Luna exclaimed, finally back in Pansy's arms, having replaced my spot on her lap.

"How do you know, love?" Pansy asked, twirling a strand of Luna's curly blonde hair between her fingers.

"I can just tell."

"I hope George is alright, his hearing in one ear is still damaged despite how long it's been," Theo exclaimed, running his hands through his brown locks.

"He's doing well, Theo, don't fret about him. Still annoying as always," Ginny smiled from across the way, sitting with Neville and Naevah in the compartment to the left of us.

"I hate having to be on two sides of this war. It's stupid," Blaise huffed, toying with the bracelet around Daph's wrist.

"Imagine how I feel," Naevah rolled her eyes at her brother, "Slytherin death eater with the king of Gryffindor,"

"I'm not the king of Gryffindor-"

"Don't even deny it Nev," she snuggled into his lap, "you protect nearly everyone in the school. May's seen it with her own eyes when she's working in the hospital wing."

"She's right, Neville," I exclaimed, distracting myself from the cold seat beneath my thighs. I missed Draco's warmth, and seeing everyone else together again made my heart hurt. At least I had Theo to relate to for now. If anything he was in more pain than I was. He hadn't seen George since they'd snuck out to see one another during Christmas break.

The train came to a stop outside of Hogsmeade station, trudging our bags off of the platform and through the front gates.

Luna gave the Thestral a pat on the nose as we boarded the wagon, trudging along the long dirt road back to the castle.

"I'm so not excited to sleep in those stupid hammocks again," Neville slumped over, the bowtruckle on his shoulder climbing into his jacket pocket.

"Just sleep with me. The Slytherin commons haven't been changed at all," Naevah exclaimed.

"Filthy rich slytherins," Ginny huffed under her breath, "sorry."

"It's alright Naevah, I don't want to leave Gin,"

"Draco isn't here, you can stay in the dorms with us if you'd like," I offered to Ginny, her eyes piping up from the ground.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer," she smiled, gripping her suitcase handle as the wagons pulled up to the bridge, dropping us off at the main entrance hall.

After dropping our bags in our dormitories, we were immediately sent to dinner where Snape droned on for thirty minutes about new safety procedures.

I'd grown accustomed to his lectures as I'd experienced them myself two days a week for an hour and a half during our private potions lessons.

He no longer bore me as much as he used to.

"Off to your.. dormitories," Snape's speech finally ended, the time past dinner by the time it was over.

Rain began to pour outside the windows as we reached the Slytherin common room. It was practically one large sleepover by the time all of us had piled into our dorm room.