𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 {𝙘𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜/𝙤𝙘} ⚢

vii.

"i know, i know. 對不起 (i'm sorry)," lian apologised, her fingers caressing the back of her head where the intricate clip laid smug in her now-strewn hair. i smiled and nodded as we continued to bimble along the vast coast.

there was no reason to blame lian.

"so, what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

"oh," lian started, her voice hitching. "oh, cho!"

"what?" i gleamed, no longer doctoring my emotions. i was ecstatic to be away from home, and that was a fact.

"i was wondering if you could come by the east edge of yalong (lian pointed her finger to the far, far east corner of the bay) tonight?" i knew she was asking me as a question, but everything sounded like a statement with lian.

in china, they didn't separate wizards and witches into houses or different groups. they all studied under a very strict (in my opinion, cruel!) regime. i recall lian saying they didn't believe in the western wizarding world's way of teaching magic. it was far too empirical for their taste. they preferred theory-based education.

i'd recoiled (almost cowered!) in disgust when she'd told me. my mind had gone straight to umbridge-- her devout beliefs on magic, how she'd tortured me with veritaserum when i'd refused to speak up (even though, at the time, nobody had believed that i'd been pushed beyond my will), professor trelawney being fired in front of everyone, and so much more.

the houses, in spite of their faults (prejudices against all of slytherin house, hufflepuff belittling, ravenclaw's arrogance, gryffindor's overwhelming pride), were amazing. they gave like-minded wizards and witches a way to express themselves amongst each other. i'd met some lifetime friends in ravenclaw.

either way, i knew beyond a sliver of a doubt, that lian would have been a slytherin. she was quick-witted and intelligent, yeah, but more than anything she was coy and determined and blunt (at times, too much so!).

i'd forever looked up to her for that. it was something i deeply struggled with. i had a tendency (one that went far beyond bao) to let wizards and muggles alike walk all over me. cedric said it was because i was too kind, but that wasn't the truth.

he only projected such goodness onto me. it was another reason of many i'd loved cedric so, so much. i wasn't always kind, though. i could be brutal and devout in my beliefs, too. the difference was, i turned that pain (anger, sadness, and everything in between) inwards.

lain didn't, at least not to the same extent i did. sometimes, she let it loose. she let it run.

"cho?" lian waved her hands in front of my face. her eyes were perplexed. this was the second time i'd completely zoned out of our conversation.

i needed to get better at this.

"the far east of yalong tonight?" she asked, hopeful, her finger again pointing to where she wanted us to meet up later. "can you come?"

"eh--"

"c'mon," lian pushed. "we're only supposed to start around eleven or midnight. i'm sure bao will be fast asleep by those hours! he never goes to bed past ten, doesn't he?"

"yeah," i croaked, uncomfortable (evidently not because i didn't want to go. of course i wanted to go!).

"plus, doesn't he have you every night?" she pressed again, a grin on her lips. her teeth were brilliant white under the sun's rays.

"true," i avowed.

"is that a yes?" lian urged.

"yes," i replied, slumping my shoulders in defeat (had i mentioned she was a slytherin, yet?).

lian jumped up and down like a child after santa had left all his presents under the sitting room tree. she kissed my cheek.

"finally, i get my 最好的朋友 (best mate) after hours!"

i rolled my eyes and avoided the clench in my stomach. i had no idea how i was going to slip from bao's reach during the night, but i'd just have to figure something out somehow.