𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕊𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕡

31- Just Friends

"Teach me how to be okay
I don't wanna downplay my emotions"

To love something so much that you'd risk it all for it, that was something Andromeda didn't know she understood until now. A great epiphany had hit her upon the head, just as easy as a leaf might fall off its tree in autumn. Of course, the thought was something that might've made its way into her mind a while before this, yet it had just made its way onto her radar now.

Watching Henri skip a little ahead of her on their way to watch—or spy on in Henri's case—the Hufflepuff quidditch trials, had triggered her brain to wander enough to come across something great in its depth. She had realized on that cold, end of September Saturday that Henri was the first person she cared for enough to risk it all for.

This was a bold and brash statement—she had sisters! What about them? Andy wasn't saying she had never loved or cared for Narcissa and Bellatrix, but the amount of care she felt she had received back wasn't enough to inflict this deep kind of feeling.

Henri was the first person to reciprocate the love that Andromeda gave her, which made their friendship all the more special.

In fact, Andromeda reckoned that Henri was quite literally the only person she'd help spy on some boring quidditch trials with. Although, Ted did look good in his quidditch uniform so that was also something.

Stop thinking like that! He's a friend!

There had been an ongoing cycle of Andromeda admiring Ted flying through the air and then promptly scolding herself for it. She was probably flushed at this point because she was only embarrassing herself.

Andromeda would've normally flicked her gaze over to Jack to avoid looking at Ted, however, the other beater was absent due to earning a detention from Flitwick. He had "accidentally" hexed a Slytherin's chair away from them after they had stolen it from Andy.

"Can we leave yet?" Andy asked, growing bored as another chaser missed the hoops completely.

Andromeda was sure the keepers trying out hadn't had to touch the quaffle once because it simply hadn't been thrown in their direction.

"I need to spy, Andy!" Henri reiterated, taking a note on her clipboard.

"You two being captains is going to become my problem, isn't it?" Andy groaned dramatically, holding her face in her hands.

"Well, I'd say so," Henri mused as Andy rolled her eyes. "I'm your best friend and he's your-"

"Don't you dare say it-"

"-boyfriend."

Andy glared at Henri.

"How many times do I have to tell you-"

"It's not like that," Henri mocked Andy, causing her to shove Henri over. "Whatever you say."

...

Ramadan—the Muslim holy month—started that year on Halloween. This meant Henri would fast everyday from dawn to sunset while increasing the amount that she prayed. It was a time of celebration and reflection of one's relationship with Allah, and this year Henri did not want to spend all of it at Hogwarts.