THE RAVENCLAW PRINCESS

chapter 7 - fears

Fred was the first to break the silence, "So, cockroaches?"

Charlotte's eyes widened, "Weasley I swear if you try anything-"

"You're a prefect, Picquery, and we're in the same house. what can you do to me?"

"What can I do?! I'll tell you exactly-"

George pulled Lyra aside to allow Charlotte and Fred their space to bicker. He cracked a smile, "so.. they're annoying."

Lyra laughed and George joined in, "tell me about it."

George asked, "I didn't know- I mean- were those Demir's parents?"

Lyra frowned, "Yes, I've known them my whole life. But- I just- I mean I've never seen them- I don't know George. I've only ever seen them as nice people."

George frowned then too. He wasn't as close to Iliana and Mieko as Lyra or Charlotte but he still cared for them. He didn't like that they had been so negatively impacted by the boggart.

Lyra continued curiously, "I don't know about Mieko either. I know he's afraid of the dark but I think there was something more than that."

"Lupin wouldn't have asked him to stay behind if it was just the dark." George agreed. Lyra looked worriedly at the door now.

"I think something was talking in the darkness," Charlotte offered as she walked a little over to where George and Iliana were standing on the opposite side of the closed doors. "He seemed pretty shaken up and I could hear muttering from the boggart, but I couldn't make out what it said."

"Chinen probably could though," Fred said.

None of them had any more classes that day and waited patiently in the hall for Iliana and Mieko. After exhausting possibilities of what Lupin was discussing with them, they retired to sitting down in the hallway to play a game of exploding snap.

Finally, after two hours of waiting, Iliana and Mieko exited the classroom soft smiles gracing their faces. The four waiting immediately stood and assessed the two nervously.

Mieko spoke first, "It's a nice day. Why don't we sit by the lake and talk."

Wordlessly the group walked to the Black Lake. Other students looked at them suspiciously.
George and Fred especially are usually not this quiet for a long period of time, but sensing the worry of everyone else they remained quiet for the short walk to the lake.

The group sat under a beech tree near the dark lake. Mieko and Iliana sat directly under the tree facing the lake while the other four turned their backs on the lake facing their friends.

Lyra put her bag down and attempted to remain calm as thousands of negative possibilities for the meaning behind the boggarts entered her head. George and Fred sat down not doing a very good job of hiding their impatience. Charlotte seemed much more put together and calm, reassuringly smiling at Mieko and Iliana. Mieko looked at Iliana who had begun picking at the grass by her feet refusing to look up.

"So, obviously I'm scared of the dark," he started cracking a smile.

Iliana looked up then and graced them with a smile echoing the others facing Mieko in the sort of trapezoid shape they had formed.

"Wait," Charlotte said as Mieko opened his mouth. "I'm sorry but I don't want you to think you are forced to tell us anything. Obviously we want to know and perhaps help you if we can but we just don't want to force you to say anything if you absolutely don't want to."

Lyra smiled at Charlotte appreciatively, the girl always knew what to say and do. Iliana immediately looked ten times more relaxed than she had since she sat down and Mieko smiled at her gratefully.

"Thanks, Char. I-" Mieko fumbled. "I don't know about Iliana, but I suppose she can tell you herself later if she chooses, but I do want to tell you all. It's- it's not a super easy thing for me to talk about. I- well you know I'm the youngest of my family and my parents- they mean well but- but they constantly put pressure on me to be the best. They compare me to my siblings on a regular basis. I- they don't hurt me or anything and I know they love me but- but the constant pressure- it- I just- I don't want to disappoint them and I feel like everything I do isn't enough for them."

Mieko sighed and felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Relief quickly turned into panic as he nervously glanced at his friends' faces which all looked at him like he was a pathetic looking infant incapable of taking care of itself. Quickly he said, "You don-"

Charlotte had quickly gotten up and engulfed him in a hug. Lyra didn't move but she maintained eye contact with Mieko, "You are enough, Mieko. More than enough."

"You're pretty perfect, Chinen," George added.

"We will probably fail OWLs if you didn't offer to help us study." Fred grinned.

They all cracked smiles now as everyone kept adding more and more things about Mieko. Fred said he would have crapped his pants in front of the boggart and Mieko was brilliant for using the charm to get rid of it so fast, Lyra noted his super cool ability to read people, George said he was the best at helping with potions for pranks, Charlotte added how his punctuality was uncanny, and Iliana stated he gave the best hugs.

Iliana cleared her throat then noted wryly, "My turn I guess." She took a breath then began, "And I know I don't have to tell you lot, but I actually really trust you all so I'm going to. Also I kind of already told Professor Lupin so- but anyways okay so um I guess the story starts over summer break. I went to a party with one of my old karate friends. The one that you couldn't come to because you were grounded, Ly."

Lyra nodded when Iliana looked at her to confirm while the others all looked at her curiously.

"So, um at Kate's house you have to know we had both drunk a lot and done lines so I was kind of out of it. Right but um I- we- I kissed Kate." Iliana looked up momentarily but quickly looked back down at the grass and continued rapidly, "and we sort of had a summer fling. And so I don't know if this makes me gay or bi or what. I just- I know that I liked her and I liked being with her over the summer. And my parents well they- they don't know yet of course. So I guess my boggart was just them finding out and hating me because of it. I just I don't know if- Well my cousin, Emir, I- he came out as gay and my parents didn't seem very happy. I didn't- I don't know entirely how- how they feel. I- I just- I don't want to lose them. I don't want to lose you all too but- but I understand if you don't want to be my friends or-"

Lyra stood now and quickly came down to pull Iliana in a hug. Stunned, she sat motionless as Mieko, then Charlotte, and finally the twins piled on her engulfing the hufflepuff.
Even though everyone was trying to radiate how much they loved Iliana, she didn't seem to respond until Mieko spoke, "In case it isn't clear we still very much want to be your friend Iliana."

She sighed happily, then laughed and laughter continued to ripple amongst them.

"Okay, I love you all and this is great but I can't feel my fingers."

Laughing again they began to pull apart and sat back again much more relaxed than when they came down to the lake. Iliana cast her gaze from person to person internally thanking the gods for giving her the best friends a girl could have.

Mieko had heard part of the story before, with Lupin, but was incredibly happy and so thankful for everyone's positive reactions for Iliana. Lyra gave Iliana a huge smile when the two made eye contact. She was incredibly happy for her friend and began thinking about talking to George about setting her up with someone. Lyra usually didn't meddle but it would be simply returning the favor for last year.

As the group began talking, Lyra's eyes drifted to the top of the Clock Tower where she barely made out the figure of either a really tall lanky seventh year or Professor Lupin staring down at them. She smiled up at him then returned to the conversation between her friends before they headed to the Great Hall for dinner.