it all ends with us: ruins

014

Chapter Fourteen:

"I love you, a thousand times over."

Ren was the first to run in jumping onto the bed next to Atlas. Kiera and Eli walked in next followed by Apollo and Draco. Pansy and Blaise walk in too holding bottles of fire whiskey. Theo and Lorenzo strolled in last with the biggest grins on their face. Theo walked over to Atlas high fiving the girl and Lorenzo pat her on the back. They all made themselves comfortable around the dorm.

"You were so badass." Ren says first, sighing in admiration.

"You looked like you were about to murder him, Sel." Apollo had sounded like his mother when he said that.

"I wanted to." Atlas muttered.

"Don't say that." Apollo scolds.

"They branded her." She says in disgust. And the room fills with gasps.

"Mudblood burned across her skin." Atlas had a few tears slip down her eyes.

They didn't go unnoticed by anyone. Ren gently wipes them away holding her friend in a close embrace. No one could believe what had happened. Even though most Slytherin's in the room had been raised with the same pure blood beliefs, they were all smart enough to teach themselves that it was wrong. No one would dare harm another witch or wizard like that.

"I can't imagine what she's going through." Pansy whispers. She lays her head on top of Apollo's shoulders, shuddering at the thought.

"Did you get into trouble?" Kiera asks and Atlas shook her head.

"Dumbledore let me off, told me he would suspend Avery and Max." Talking about the situation had gotten her angry again.

"Here," Blaise says sympathetically, handing her a bottle.

Atlas takes a huge gulp of it before taking a second. She went to take a third but Theo pried it out of her hands worried that she would drink too much. He drinks from the bottle before passing it down to Lorenzo. Atlas' hands shook and whether it was from the anger or the alcohol, she couldn't tell. Ren grabs her hands and encloses them inside hers.

"Wandless magic huh?" Lorenzo says.

"That was pretty impressive." Pansy giggles.

"You're going to have to teach us some day." Eli says.

"It's not that hard." Atlas laughs.

"I can barely do regular spells love." Theo scoffs.

The nickname had made Draco grip the bottle of fire whiskey in his hand tighter. He didn't know what it was about the two but seeing them together made his blood boil. He couldn't get Atlas' face out of his head and that annoyed him. There was nothing special about her, why was he so obsessed about it.

"We should do something tomorrow." Blaise suggests.

"Like what?" Atlas mumbled.

"Let's ditch, go to Hogsmeade. Get butter beers to make Aara feel better." He explains.

"That's a good idea, don't you think we'll get in trouble?" Ren says.

"Does it matter?" Theo laughs.

"Okay, it's decided. Atlas you wanna ask Aara if she wants to come?"

"Sure."

"Great, we'll leave while everyone's going to their first period." Blaise states.

The group decided against going to the great hall for dinner, already comfortable squished in the dorm. Instead, Theo had roped Draco and Eli to go to the kitchens so they could take some food back to eat. While this happened Atlas left to go invite Aara, so she can take her mind off the incident. It didn't take long for her to agree. She was already planning to miss lessons tomorrow. This meant that she wouldn't have to be alone and could be with people she cared about which eased the girls' anxiousness.