Yearning | Hogwarts Legacy

Chapter Forty-Two: Hate

TW: Mentions of LGBTQ+ discrimination and name calling.

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"I have thoughts."

Aurelia snickered when she felt her girlfriend plop next to her on the deep blue couch. A second later, Anne had laid her head on Aurelia's lap, like a cat begging for attention. This caused the red-haired Ravenclaw to lift her arms up so Anne wasn't laying on top of her book. "When do you not have thoughts?" Aurelia joked. "And how did you get into the common room?"

Anne raised her eyebrows. "I have hands but I cannot touch you, a face but I cannot see you, what am I?"

Aurelia thought for a few seconds. "A clock?"

Anne reached up and poked Aurelia's nose. "See? I told you, your doorknob needs better riddles."

This caused Aurelia to fully laugh. "You know, it's normally not an issue. Not many students are trying to break into the Ravenclaw Common Room."

"I see that," Anne replied, turning her head to look around the near empty common area decorated in white marble and blue and bronze constellation curtains. "It also looks like not many are wanting to stay in the common room either."

Aurelia frowned. "Our common room is just fine! It's light and airy and open, not nearly as dark as I'm told the Slytherin common area is."

"That's because we're underneath the Black Lake. You know, you can actually see mermaids swimming outside the windows."

"Really?"

Anne looked back at Aurelia, smiling at her curious look at this new information. "One day, come down to the dungeons and I'll show you."

Upon seeing how happy that made Aurelia, Anne felt her chest warm at the small bit of joy she was able to bring to her girlfriend. Merlin, she's so pretty.

"You said you were having thoughts," Aurelia said, changing the subject suddenly.

Anne had completely forgotten. She cleared her throat. "Well, Valentines' Day is this Sunday, and the Slytherin versus Hufflepuff quidditch match is on Saturday. I was thinking that when I win–"

"Don't you mean 'if' you win?"

"Aura, we're playing Hufflepuff. There's no 'if' in this conversation. Anyway, I was thinking that when I win, maybe the day after you and I could go for a little picnic."

"In the snow?"

"We'll have all the privacy."

"Yes, and we'll be freezing."

"Not if we're doing what I want to do."

"Annabeth!" Aurelia exclaimed before playfully smacking Anne with her book.

Giggling, Anne sat up and leaned over to kiss Aurelia's cheek. As she did, the Ravenclaw common room door opened, and a few seconds later Everett Clopton walked in. When he saw the girls, he gave them an obviously annoyed look. "Keene, I thought they told you no more letting students in from other houses."

Anne felt Aurelia's body tense underneath her touch as she looked at Everett.

"Don't make me tell the prefects," Everett threatened.

"She didn't let me in, I solved the riddle," Anne told him firmly. "And why is it a big deal if I'm in here?"

Everett's gaze turned towards Anne. Something about it made Anne shiver, but she didn't divert her eyes. "You are not a Ravenclaw. If you want to be inappropriate, go back to your den."