RUN - James Potter

Chapter 4

She did not join her friends as she rode into Hogwarts, instead she took the prefect carriage next to her fellow Ravenclaw prefect, Thomas McKinnon. They sat in silence as the younger fifth year prefects asked questions, What were their roles? Do they really get to dock points? Are they allowed to give detentions to other prefects. All their questions, valid, were nothing to what Antonella was watching.

Her eyes drifted to the dark matter in front of their carriage, the so-called-invisible led carriage was pulled by darkness. At moments it was nothing more then a void of condensed winds, and seconds later it displayed the sharp jawline of a horse; a thestrals. Those touched by death saw them as winged birds, those who ran from the game of tag with death saw this. Nothing but gushing tenebrosity, it wasn't perfect, nor was it imperfect. It was death, and it was life. It was not alive - but it moved the carriage.

She've seen the black matter since her first year, were they rode the carriages for the first time back to the Hogwarts Express for summer break. She asked Asterin if she could see them, she could not. Antonella spent years trying to figure what it was, until Matilda told her it was a thestral. The supposed bringers of death, at least that was what Matilda's father would say.

Arriving at the castle, she couldn't but help but smile. She was home, truely. Walking past the many other year grades, she manages to push through into the great hall where Antonella couldn't but be in awe - just like her first day. With the floating candles causing the flickering flame to dance, the banners of red, blue green and yellow, and the forever old bricks that were tiled in such ways... it was art itself. With still so many students roaming across tables, talking to those friends in different houses, it was still a struggle to make her way to the middle of the Ravenclaw table where her friends waited. 

A seat between Matilda and Asterin waited for her.  

"Are you alright?" Asterin whispered to her ears, "I was ready to practice this no-trace-thing."

Antonella stiffen a laugh, of course Asterin would make such threats. She was the oldest in their year grade, unluckily being born on September first meant she had to wait another year to attend - meaning she was seventeen when everyone else had just turn sixteen.

"Who are we trying this no-trace-thing?" Matilda questioned, drawing her attention to Asterin, "Please say it's Dalton... I swear if he comes up to me-"

She was interrupted by a small cough. Antonella's smile dropped as she saw who stood behind Matilda, she could feel Asterin's palm squeeze her leg above her knee... a warning that if she tried anything, that there would be no escape with this many witnesses.

"You miss me that much, darling?" He purred. 

Dalton was an art piece, which Antonella would never admit openly in front of Matilda, but in her Ravenclaw dorm with Asterin they spoke about his features. His jawline was sharper then the knives in her mothers kitchen, his eyes a dark emerald, and boy... his height rivalled the likes of James Potter. She could hear Asterin say how beautiful Matilda's and his babies would be, with Matilda's striking legs and black hair, and his tan complexion and green eyes... even I would fall in love with that monstrosity.

Matilda did not miss a beat as she turned sharply to glare at him, "The only thing I miss is watching your sorry ass fail in transfiguration."

A smirk appeared to take over his face, and with his high cheekbones... there wasn't an aspect of him that she could flaw, given the exception of his entire personality. She could see his tongue roll in his mouth as he looked Matilda up and down, "I see you've grown into your body over the summer."

Asterin choked on nothing, she was now gripping Antonella's thighs, and she knew that her friend only did that to ensure she did not fall off the seat. The tension between the two was overwhelming, Asterin liked to joke saying it was completely sexual, but Antonella disagreed.