Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.
*
CHAPTER XIV.
Reia's Patronus was a Barn Owl.
It took so long to learn how to conjure it, but in the end, Reia decided that it was all worth it.
Because the animal was beautiful.
***
Apparating still made Reia feel sick.
That only made Platform 9 ¾ even more dreary than it already was.
For Reia, anyway.
There were still happy First Years and Second Years and Third Years, laughing and happily running around the platform with their friends.
"Oi, Remus' little sister," James said teasingly as he ruffled Reia's hair, "Have a good year at Hogwarts, alright?"
"Just because you like messing up your own hair, Potter," Reia said without the bite that she'd intended, "Doesn't mean that everybody does."
"Yeah, Prongs," Sirius said with a grin, "Some people like their hair the way it is, you know?"
She was too distracted by the task of trying to find her friends on the platform to pay much attention to James and Sirius' antics.
Remus had brought James and Sirius along, and Reia hadn't bothered to argue with him about it.
The older students on the platform were all more solemn and serious, despite the fact that they tried to make conversation with each other.
It seemed that they had all realised just how soon the Wizarding War with You-Know-Who was going to come, and it had ruined any motive to be happy today.
"Bye, Remus," Reia said, hugging her older brother, and she gave him one last smile before she turned and disappeared into the crowd.
And when Reia boarded the Hogwarts Express and went into the compartment that she and her friends usually boarded—it was strange to see it so empty, without Narcissa, or Regulus, or Lucius, or Josie...
With a sigh, she sat down on one of the seats.
And she felt alone.
But then, a moment later, there was a hesitant knock on the door of the compartment.
Reia got up from her seat and pulled open the door, and found Josie Nott.
She was already dressed in her Slytherin robes, her hair tied up into a ponytail. She looked paler than normal, and despite her smile, Reia knew that she was nervous from the way that Josie was fidgeting with her wand.
"Josie," Reia said quietly, opening the compartment door wider so that her friend could enter, "I wanted to talk to you."
Josie seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as she strode into the compartment and sat down in the seat opposite Reia's, right by the window.
"Reia, I'm sorry," Josie said, meeting Reia's eyes, "I didn't mean to...I didn't mean to—I made a mistake, Reia. And I'm sorry. I-I'll try to be a better friend. I'm sorry."
Reia shook her head, "I'm sorry, Josie. About what I said to you."
Josie sighed, "You...I'm not just apologising about that, Reia. I'm also...apologising about..." She met Reia's eyes, "what my parents want me to do during the Winter Break."
Reia saw Josie shudder a little at that, her face turning paler than it already was at the thought.
Reia immediately knew what her friend was talking about.
What else could Josie Nott be talking about?
"Did you choose to do it?" Reia asked softly, not breaking eye contact with the girl.
"They didn't give me a choice, Rei," Josie said with a quiet sniffle, "They didn't. And...and the others..."
Reia slumped over with a sigh, "I've been suspecting."
Josie shook her head, "We're really sorry, Rei. I know that all we've been trying to prove in our lives is that Slytherins and pure-bloods aren't evil, but...I just, I'm sorry, Reia."
Reia shook her head and pulled her friend into a hug, "I'm sorry, Josie, for what I said. And just because you..." Reia shook her head again, trying to clear her thoughts, "What you are about to become does not define you. What you had no choice in does not define you. Because your choices do, and in this matter you had none."
Josie sniffled a little, and Reia noticed tears welling in the girl's eyes as she pulled away from the hug.
"Can we be friends again?" Josie said in a small voice.
"Of course we can," Reia said with a smile.
Author's Note:
Thanks so much for reading! If you liked this chapter, leave a vote and a comment, and let me know what you thought about it!
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks a load for reading ;)
Cya <3
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RISE OF THE FALL | R.B.
Fanfiction[COMPLETED] REIA LUPIN IS A SLYTHERIN. But her House does not define her. * Her name fell from his lips; the sweet, smooth sound carried away by the wind. But she did not turn to him. She stared, into the distance, her eyes stormy as she said, "The...
