Chapter 26

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"Cheer up, Har. You've been looking glum all night." Y/N frowned as she and Harry walked side by side, letting the cold breeze hit them as they were now walking around the courtyard, the music from the Great Hall could be heard in the distance.

"I'm fine," Harry responded lowly, earning a scoff from the Ravenclaw, glancing at the raven-haired boy unbelievably as they stood against the walls, looking out to the horseless carriages in the distance, "I'd have to be blind to believe that you're being honest. Har, I get that you're jealous and upset but, you know, some things in life, you can have and some things you can't."

"You'll find someone in the future, maybe someone better." Y/N comforted, earning a weak smile from the raven-haired boy as the Ravenclaw chuckled and swung her arm around his shoulder, "Well, if this cheers you up, Potter. I'll willingly be your rebound."  she joked in attempt to enlighten the mood as she earned a chuckle from the raven-haired boy in response, "I'll pass on that, but thanks, Y/N/N."

"Anytime, Har." Y/N beamed, though it soon faltered as a faint voice could be heard, a voice of whom she nor Harry liked.

"I told you before, Igor. I see no reason to discuss it, Lumos!"

Instantly, Y/N and Harry froze, eyes widening as Snape and Karkaroff walked into view, Snape sprayed his wand onto the backseat of the carriage with his wand's light, a couple were now caught snogging each other, to Y/N  it was no surprise that Snape didn't seem too happy about it.

"Ten points from Hufflepuff, Pawcett! And the same for Ravenclaw, Stebbins!" Snape scolded as the two of them fled away. However, Snape and Karkaroff continued to walk on, Y/N felt a tug to her wrist as she was now hiding behind a stone gargoyle with Harry, listening intently.

"It's a sign, Severus! You can't pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroff warned, though Snape was left unamused, "I don't have to pretend, Igor. Can you say the same?"

Y/N peered her head out just slightly, so she could make out the scene that was going on, though it seemed their conversation has ended as she watched Karkaroff turned and storm away from Snape, watching as he headed back toward the light of the castle.

"Karkaroff's gone." she told in a hushed tone as Harry glanced around before nodding towards the empty corridor, Y/N got the signal as the two quickly motioned towards it, letting out a sigh of relief for not being caught.

Though as Y/N glanced around she noticed a glint of blue light on the far side of the courtyard, squinting her eyes slightly to get a better view, quirking her eyebrows at the sight, it was Moody, whose eye was shimmering in its socket, apparently he was watching too.

"That's what you think, it is?!"

Instantly, Y/N wheeled around towards the sound, immediately recognizing it as she exchanged a knowing glance with Harry, "They're at it again."

Just like that, the two were off, dashing through the courtyard as they made their way towards the Entrance Hall. She was right, it was Lizzy and Ron once again, though both of their faces were flushed with anger, Lizzy looked extremely disheveled as her beautiful done hair was now poking out and slightly lopsided.

"That's what I think!" Ron countered back, the Ravenclaw was about to step in before a hand had stopped her, quizzically she looked over her shoulder, Harry was giving her a disapproving shake of his head.

Reluctantly she nodded as she stepped back, her lips pursing together as she didn't like where this was going, though as she took a short glance at the doorway, she noticed that the two's loud argument hadn't just caught her and Harry's attention.

Aidan, Caleb and Hermione were stood at the doorway, watching worriedly, though none of them had the intention or the nerve to chime in as all they did was watch.

Y/N managed to share a short moment with Hermione as they both locked eyes, both sharing the same concerned glance before the bushy-haired girl began to mouth a few words, 'where were you.' the Ravenclaw could make out, she gave her a signal with her hand, 'later'. She mouthed back as she shifted her gaze back to Lizzy and Ron's heated argument.

"Well, you know the solution, don't you?" Lizzy scoffed, earning a challenging glare from Ron, "Go on!"

"Next time, pluck up the courage and ask me yourself! You had quite a few opportunities to do so!" Lizzy snapped angrily to which Ron frowned at, "Well, that's...i mean..completely off the point." he spluttered before he glanced over to the side, his attention now shifted from Lizzy to the raven-haired boy.

"Harry! Where have you been!" he quickly changed the topic to which only enraged Lizzy much more, though the raven-haired boy only stared at Ron, not saying a word as he wished he could just apparate away.

"Fine then! Off to bed! Both of you!" Lizzy scolded as Harry quickly took it as he cue to leave, Ron trailing beside him as they ascended the flight of stairs, "They get scary as they get older."

"I heard that!" Lizzy retorted as the Ron took a final glance at Lizzy before disappearing down the corridor with Harry. Y/N felt bad for Lizzy ,she watched tears now filling her eyes and slowly streaming down her face as she slumped down onto the stairs kicking her heels off miserably.

The Ravenclaw couldn't just stand there, she quickly dashed towards Lizzy and immediately wrapped her in a hug as the blonde-haired girl sobbed onto her shoulders, instinctively, Y/N began to slowly rub her back, in attempt to comfort her slowly.

She hated to see her friends or family like this, she'd always feel guilty despite it having nothing to do with her, she never liked to watch people she care for break down, though she knew it was natural for somebody to just explode from time to time.

She could hear soft footsteps began to approach her, she turned around slightly, still keeping Lizzy in her hold to be met with the sympathetic expressions spread across Caleb, Aidan and Hermione's face.

Hermione hadn't think twice as she sat next to Lizzy's empty side, slowly and comfortingly rubbing her back as she shared a concerned glance with Y/N to which she shook her head at, 'She's okay..' the Ravenclaw mouthed in assurance.

"Liz, I'm sorry about what happened, Ron can really be a dick sometimes." Caleb voiced out, earning scolding glares from both Hermione and Y/N as he shrugged up defensively, "It's true." he retorted in a hushed tone as Lizzy began to pull away from the Ravenclaw.

Y/N's frown only deepened as she noticed the reddened eyes from the blonde girl, the Ravenclaw broke out a small smile as she took adjusted herself in her seat on the stairs, "Believe it or not, Caleb's right, Ron can be a real sod at times but he only does it out of emotion, he doesn't really mean those things."

"He isn't the smartest when it comes to situations like this... I could help you tell him off if you'd like me to," Hermione suggested sincerely as Lizzy shook her head in response, "No..It's fine." she sniffled as she shot the group weak appreciative grins.

"Thank you...all of you, but honestly, I'm fine now. I'll just let this go.." Lizzy stated genuinely as she motioned to pick up her heels that she had kicked off, "Well, don't let me keep you from the busy night, I'll just be heading off to bed now, a little tired."

She then stood up and began to descend the stairs, though the Ravenclaw quickly grasped her wrist and sent her a genuine look, "Liz, don't be silly, I can be in the dorm with you-"

"No, no..it's okay, I just...want to be alone for awhile." Lizzy interjected, earning a knowing look from the Ravenclaw, though Lizzy only sent her a weak smile in return as she loosened the Ravenclaw's grip around her wrist, "I'm serious, Y/N...I'm fine. I'll see you later."

Y/N eyed the girl debating to herself before she let out a deep sigh, hesitantly nodding as she retracted her hand to her side, "Take care, Liz. If you need anything, just call okay?" she reassured sincerely to which Lizzy nodded at, "Okay."

She turned towards the rest of the group, she grinned and waved a 'bye' at them before she disappeared away into the distance. The Ravenclaw lips pursed together as she stared at into the distance where Lizzy had disappeared into, the feeling of guilt still building up on her before she felt a hand intertwining hers along with a chin being placed on her shoulders.

"Love, are you alright?" the bushy-haired girl questioned softly as Y/N let out a deep sigh before shaking her head, "No..I just feel bad that's all." she mentioned as the bushy-haired girl cupped the Ravenclaw's cheeks with her empty hand so that they were now facing each other.

"It's not your fault that this happened, you know that right?" she reminded to which Y/N nodded at, "I know, it's just..I wish I could've helped in some sort of way."

"You did everything you can love, but this is between Lizzy and Ron, we can't quite do much." Hermione reassured, earning a sigh and a hum from the Ravenclaw as she sent the bushy-haired girl a small smile, "Yeah, your right.."

Just then, footsteps were heard approaching them, causing the two girls to turn around to the sound, "We'll be getting some drinks back at the Hall, want to join us?" Aidan questioned as the Ravenclaw exchanged glances with the bushy-haired girl before turning back to the two boys with a grin, "Sure, I don't see why not."

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In the dark and snowy night sky, off to the distance a hill appeared as the weeds tossed in a gentle breeze. There was a cottage placed on top, which seems to be a gardener's cottage, though further up was a derelict manor.

The manor seemed vacant, though it was unusual as only one window on the second story was lit up, gliding down the gloomy passageway into a room of shadows and towards the back of a chair, circling it slowly.

"You must begin to make preparations, Wormtail. Nagini will need milking. The journey will not be easy." A voice stated in a low devilish tone, this voice sounded familiar but it can't be can it?

Ding!

Instantly, Y/N shot her eyes wide open to the sound of her phone, she didn't know why but she was gasping for air, slightly drenched in sweat but not as bad as the time she dreamt about her father.

She shook her head as her fingers ran through her hair, attempting to calm down from the sudden shock. Taking one last deep breath before she looked to her sides, noticing Lizzy and Padma were still sleeping soundly which relieved her, she didn't want any of them questioning or worrying about her.

Wiping off the sweat on her forehead, she reached out to the bedside table to grab her phone, squinting her eyes to adjust to the brightness of her phone before she scanned through the notification.

A small smile broke out on her lips as she read who it was from, without another thought she unlocked her phone and read through the message.

Hermione Granger

Hermione GrangerMorning, love, when you're awake, would you like to accompany me to the library? I'd figure it'll help with the drowsiness from last night's event.

The Ravenclaw let out a soft chuckle at the message with a playful shake of her head, "Typical." she murmured softly to herself before her fingers began to tap on the screen for a reply.

Hermione Granger

Hermione GrangerMorning, love, when you're awake, would you like to accompany me to the library? I'd figure it'll help with the drowsiness from last night's event.

Y/N Y/L/N Sure, I'd love to, give me a minute to get ready, see you later, Angel

The dream she just had was no longer occupied in her memory as she was now smiling widely towards the bathroom, she never knew why but everytime if she'd receive a text, a letter or even just see the bushy-haired girl, all her worries would just vanish, it's like she's some type of stress reliever antidote, Y/N wasn't complaining though.

Down to the back of the library were seated two girls who were both buried in their own books. They had been there for about an hour not needing to create a conversation as each other's company was already enough to fulfill their needs.

The bushy-haired girl seemed to have just finished the book she'd been reading as she let out a deep sigh before shutting the book, glancing to her side, a smile curled up to her lips at the sight of her girlfriends concentrated state, the Ravenclaw's eyebrows were furrowed together as her eyes scanned through the book in her hold.

Hermione couldn't help but just admire her every feature, taking in every curve and every dent of her girlfriends face. After a few seconds of silent admiration she decided to start up some conversation, "How's it going?"

Though, she was only returned with a curious hum as the Ravenclaw's attention was still stuck on the book in her hold. The bushy-haired girl softly chuckled as she motioned her hand to intertwine it with her girlfriends, "The egg, made any progress?"

The Ravenclaw took a short glance at the bushy-haired girl's pleading look as she let out a sigh before gently shutting the book in her hold, averting her attention to her girlfriend as she sent her a reassuring smile, "Almost.." she lied, she didn't want to disappoint, despite the fact that no, she hadn't figured out a single thing about the egg except for it's high pitched wailing everytime you open it.

"Well, you still have a month or two before the second task, I trust you'll be able to figure it out by then." Hermione encouraged, earning a thankful smile from the Ravenclaw, "Thanks."

"The second task is on February 24th, correct?" Hermione questioned to which Y/N nodded at, "Yeah.." she responded, though a sudden curiosity flash through her eyes as she quizzically glanced at the bushy-haired girl, "Why?"

"Do you remember what else is on February 24th?" Hermione smirked with a hint of playfulness as the Ravenclaw squinted her eyes, trying to remember what else was on that date.

Just then the thought came back to her as she let out a soft chuckle, "Right, my birthday." she muttered out to which the bushy-haired girl hummed knowingly at, "That's right my love, is there anything you'd like to do? We could do it after the task.."

The Ravenclaw thought for a moment before she shook her head, "No, not yet, I hadn't even realised the task would be on my birthday until you reminded me." she replied groggily, earning an understanding nod from the bushy-haired girl.

Though, her smile quickly faltered into a frown as she just noticed the darkened circles around her girlfriend's eyes, her face was slightly paler than usual and her lips were looking slightly dry, concerningly she motioned a hand to cup Y/N's cheek as her thumb slowly and comfortingly carrassed the skin, "Did you sleep well, last night?"

The Ravenclaw took in the concerned look of her girlfriend, having a mental debate whether or not she should tell her, though when she remembered the main cause of their breakup and argument, she didn't have to think twice to know what was the right thing to do.

"Not really..." she trailed off lowly, noticing the pursed lips on the bushy-haired girl's face, "Another dream?" Hermione questioned softly to which the Ravenclaw nodded at, "Yeah..but I can't quite remember the events that happened, I just remember hearing his voice, Voldemo-"

She quickly shut herself up as she noticed the cringed look on the bushy-haired girl's face, "Sorry, but yeah, I heard his voice, he was talking to a snake...I was the snake? I can't really remember, it was all a blur."

"Maybe you should tell Dumbledore, It might be a sign of danger." Hermione suggested though Y/N only shook her head no in response, "I don't think it really means anything, I think it was just stuff from the past that maybe still haunts me." she stated nonchalantly, though the bushy-haired girl didn't seem to be satisfied with her answer.

She let out a sigh before hesitantly nodded, "Fine, if I have another dream, or if it gets worse, only I'll go to Dumbledore, sounds okay?" she told as the bushy-haired girl sent her a small smile along with a nod, "Okay, but you know I'm only suggesting this because I care for you right?"

The Ravenclaw let out a chuckle as she nodded knowingly, "I know, Angel and in all honesty, If I were you, I'd do the same." she affirmed genuinely before letting out a sigh, "Thank you, Mione. Honestly, for everything."

"Of course, you are my girlfriend after all." Hermione countered knowingly to which Y/N snickered at, "Right." she responded before she glanced out to the snowy window, "It's Christmas today, you want to do anything? Or go anywhere?"

Hermione thought about it for awhile before she responded with a shrug, "Not really, I think the Yule Ball was already enough of a Christmas celebration." she stated, earning a hum from the Ravenclaw, "True."

"Maybe we should just stay at the library awhile and later we could take a stroll around the castle, just relax today?" Hermione suggested as the Ravenclaw nodded in agreement, "Sure, anything you want."

Just like that, the two girls were now back in their books, enjoying each other's company and warmth throughout the cold and snowy day.

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