Summer Holiday

Chapter 10

****TW**** this chapter contains physical and emotional abuse. Please don't read if that is triggering to you****

Sophie
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The exam period was over, and Hogwarts students would be taking the train back to Kings Cross tomorrow morning. Most students were eager to begin their summer holidays, but Sophie was dreading the departure from Hogwarts. The relationship fostered between her and her father was less than ideal, and she knew the holiday would be excruciatingly long. It would be difficult to be away from her friends for so long, but they had all agreed they would write as often as possible, with the exception of Theo since his parents would disapprove of his new friends.

The Daily Prophet continued to report the murders taking place in plain sight, but the topic was off limits. Nobody wanted to think about war until it was absolutely vital. The five of them never spoke of war after that dreadful day when Theo told Sophie about Bronson and Quigley's blood status. They continued to live in their naive bubble and hoped that they would all go unnoticed throughout the war. Part of their unwillingness to discuss war had to do with the fact that they were returning to their homes for the summer, and there lied a possibility this could be the last time they would see each other if the war took an unexpected turn.

They had all agreed to meet one last time before they left for the train in the morning. Sophie was the last to arrive to the lake.

"Evening!" Sophie shouted as she walked across the pier.

The four of them turned around and all flashed smiles in her direction. She approached them and sat down completing their circle. Quigley had his arm around Cho, and she was nuzzled up against him. After their little game of truth or dare, they had been stuck together like glue.

"Quigley is trying to claim that he saw an octopus in the lake a few minutes ago, but I have a hard time believing that." Bronson teased as he gave Quigley a shove.

"I don't know man, I've seen some weirder shit in this lake." Theo said putting his hands in the air.

"Yeah, well I'll believe it when I see it." Bronson said as he chucked his potions textbook into the lake. The group stared at him with wide eyes. "What? School is over for the year." Bronson shrugged.

"I can't wait to relax all holiday. No studying, no homework, no exams. What a life." Quigley smiled to himself.

"Agreed." Bronson said as he nodded along.

Sophie felt herself growing increasingly nervous for the morning train, she felt a knot tying itself in her stomach.

"You alright Soph?" Theo asked noticing the tension.

"Brilliant." Sophie pressed her lips into a fine line.

"What's wrong?" Bronson asked as he sat up and watched Sophie try to mask her uneasiness.

"It's just.....nevermind. It's stupid." She didn't want to worry them with her own problems.

"Oh come on. Don't do that. Just tell us what's wrong." Quigley said irritably.

Sophie let out a sigh and glanced at each of the group. "I know I haven't known you guys for very long but, I'll miss you guys during the holiday. That's all." Even though she wasn't telling the full truth of why she was nervous for the summer, she wasn't lying. The relationship she had with them wasn't very long, but she enjoyed their company and the way they made her forget about the war. She wasn't ready to return home.

"Awwww, did you hear that Bronson? She's gonna miss us." Quigley turned his lip into a pouty frown as he hit Bronson on the chest.

"I'm pretty sure she was referring to Cho, and Theo and I. You're kind of a tosser." Bronson sucked the air in through his teeth as the smile dropped from Quigley's face.