A Trek Through Worlds- HARRY POTTER X OC

34.

AN: ANOTHER CHAPTER. I am so happy to update and I hope you are all excited for the next chapter because things are finally picking up speed. As always, thank you for all of the votes and comments. I can't believe I'm almost to 30k views. I was editing a past chapter and I had said something along the lines of "thank you for 4K views." Oh how times have changed. I love you all!!!
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"Hey boys. Is there any way you'd be willing to leave the door open to the quidditch cupboard after practice today?"

"Nope. Sounds too sketchy."

"Hiya fellas! Wanna get me a few brooms?"

"Too forward. Try again."

"Well hello, hotties. Care to supply a dear friend with some magical pieces of tree?"

"Now you're not even trying."

Effie threw herself onto the couch in the common room with a huff. It had been half an hour since the group sat down to finalize the rest of the plan and her eyes were beginning to droop. They had set the signal for Neville—three knocks on the paining from next to the Fat Lady—and helped him practice his acting skills. All that they had left to do was ask Fred and George for a favor.

"Oh Godric! When are they even coming back? We could be waiting here all night," Seamus complained.

He dropped his head onto Dean's lap and stared into the fire with tired eyes. Dean rubbed his back comfortingly, neither boy seeming to notice their actions, while Effie and Neville smiled at them then each other softly.

At Neville's yawn, Effie rose to her feet with much struggle.

"Why don't you guys head upstairs and go to bed. We really only need me to wait up for them anyway."

"Are you sure?" Neville asked with hesitation.

"Positive—now go to sleep. You are always grumpy in the morning when you get less than 8 hours, princess."

Neville smirked then moved to the couch to help pull Seamus off of Dean. He had let his body go limp to make transporting him more difficult for his friends. While Seamus pretended to sleep, Effie could see the smile hiding in his face when Dean and Neville were forced to drag him up the stairs into bed. Effie sat in an armchair facing the window and prepared for a long wait.

It had been a long time since she'd been left alone with her thoughts, a feat that was not easy to accomplish. She'd been constantly surrounding herself with people during the days, homework in the evenings, and sleepless dream potions kept her company at night. Her reflection stared back at her now from the window. The candle on the table beside her flickered, shifting her image slightly in the glass. She made eye contact with her likeness, a cloud of unease drifting over her. The blue eyes she was all too familiar with now sparkled back at her.

Effie had finished that god-awful book days ago. In a night where insomnia was winning, she decided to finally stop pushing off its reading and got through the entire dusty book in one sitting. It had gone through the basics, the identity of Morgan le Fay, her family tree, her heinous crimes, and the many theories surrounding her disappearance. There was no mention of a relationship with Merlin— in fact, he was barely a footnote—and therefore no mention of any child the two made together. Their love was erased from history, likely by Arthur. Oh the privilege of being a white, pure blood man in society.

Effie reached into her pocket and pulled out the worn pages. She opened the cover and a singular white feather fell out. A smile spread across her face in remembrance as she twirled the soft pillow stuffing between her fingertips. She was pleasantly surprised when moments later, she heard the sound of poorly muffled whispers and the creak of the portrait opening.