𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 | golden trio era

xi

Luca's body ached in pain as she limped back to Hogwarts. She was completely numb and frozen from the cold, and the cuts on her cheek burned as salty tears ricocheted down them.

All because she was too afraid to fight back. She was weak. She was a pathetic little girl.

That's what her mother said, anyway.

"Fight back, you coward!" Bellatrix had snapped at her, laughing maniacally. "Are those tears? You're pathetic. You're weak. You can't even complete a simple task!"

Luca was afraid. She knew a fight with her mother was coming, but she wasn't at all prepared for the hell that she rained down on her.

She clutched her left arm close to her chest, relief washing over her when she stepped into the warm castle. She breathed heavily in and out her mouth, whimpering a little as she fell against the wall.

"Luca?" Hermione spotted the petite Slytherin as she walked out of the Great Hall. She rushed over to her, a small gasp falling from her lips when she saw how beaten up the sixth year was. "Luca, what happened? Who did this to you?"

"I-It's nothing." Luca flinched away when Hermione reached out to lightly touch her cheek.

"You're bleeding." There was concern in the seventh year's voice. "Let me see it. Where are you hurt? Maybe I can help."

Luca choked out a small sob. Her shaky hands pulled up the sleeve of her robe, revealing the words weak and disappointment, which Bellatrix had cut into her arm with her dagger.

"Oh, Luca..." Hermione put an arm around her waist, the other on her shoulder. "Come with me. Let's get you cleaned up. I have just the thing to help with those nasty cuts."

Luca allowed Hermione to lead her back to the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ron were confused at first when they saw the Slytherin with their friend, but when Hermione explained the situation, they understood

Luca sat on the floor in front of the warm fireplace, a cup of steaming cocoa sitting in front of her. She winced in pain as Hermione pressed a damp cloth to the carvings on her forearm, and tensed when Harry did the same to the cuts on her cheek.

Why were they being so nice to her after the way she's treated them throughout her time at Hogwarts? She wasn't a nice person, and her vicious words had hurt them more times than she could count.

Ron was afraid of her. She used the cruciatus curse on him one time during her second year. Harry never liked her. His rivalry with her was similar to the one he had with Draco. Hermione always bitched at her for using spells that could get her expelled, and even threatened to turn her into Mcgonagall if she kept it up.

She never did.

Ron came back with a bag of marshmallows – the big ones, not the mini ones that she'd been using for hot cocoa the last few weeks. He opened the bag, and Luca watched with a blank face as he put 5 into her cocoa mug. He held one out to her, and she hesitantly reached out to take it.

"How did this happen, if you don't mind me asking?" Ron asked as he ate a marshmallow. Luca only blinked in response.

"She won't say," Hermione told him as she wrapped the younger witch's arm with gauze. "We already tried."

"You won't get in trouble for telling us, Luca," Harry reassured her. "We just want to help. Maybe we can go to Dumbledore."

Luca shook her head. She took a small bite out of the marshmallow and chased it down with a sip of cocoa. "I-I'm okay, really. No...No getting the adults involved. It's nothing I'm not used to."

Hermione inhaled sharply, her eyes widening. "Did she do this to you?" she asked gently, exchanging an uneasy look with Harry. "Bellatrix?"

Luca remained silent. Tears burned in her eyes, and her jaw locked as she stared at the crackling flames of the burning fireplace.

"Luca, she tortured you." Hermione put a comforting hand on the curly-haired girl's thigh. Luca's bloodshot mocha eyes looked up at her, and the older girl reached out to gently wipe away a tear with the pad of her thumb. "You have to tell someone. This is abuse."

"I can't," Luca whispered. Her bottom lip trembled. "Hermione, please. Y-You guys can't tell anyone. Cause if you do, she...she's gonna hurt me again." Her voice broke as she spoke, and the Golden Trio exchanged worried glances.

They'd never seen Lucatrix Lestrange so broken.

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Hagrid had been surprised when Luca showed up on the front porch of his hut the afternoon of the first day of classes after the break. She's never come down to visit him before. He made her some tea and listened as she retold what she was comfortable sharing about her visit with her mother.

Hermione had agreed not to tell Dumbledore, but insisted that Luca should at least talk to Hagrid.

"I'm just...I'm torn." Luca sighed and leaned back in her chair. She traced little stars on the surface of the table and watched the steam as it rose from the cup of tea. "I don't know what's right and what's wrong. All I know is what I was told growing up."

"There's no rule that says you have to be like yer mum, Luca," Hagrid told the anxious teenager. "Ya know what's so great about being an individual? Yer in control of writing yer own destiny."

"Write my own destiny?" Luca frowned.

"The only one in charge of yer future is you, Luca. Ye gotta remember to listen to yer heart. There's only so much that we can do to help ya. You have to be willing to accept the help and choose who you want to influence ya."

"Listen to my heart," Luca whispered to herself. She took a sip of tea, breathing slowly as she let Hagrid's words sink in.

─── ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ ──

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a/n

hagrid 🥹

hermione >>>

thoughts?