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CONTENT WARNING: this chapter contains mentions of blood
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Unsurprisingly Zinnia woke up the next morning in her robes. Zinnia wasn't the kind of person to take care of herself regularly, and that's why she thought her dorm dynamic worked. Hermione would remind Zinnia to actually get ready for bed and Zinnia would remind Hermione that straying from routine is okay sometimes. Luckily since it was the first day, Zinnia actually had a clean change of uniform in her trunk.
She jumped out of bed, almost tripping on the shoes she left askew on the floor, changed into her wrinkly top, of which Hermione straightened out for her once seeing the state of her friend. Zinnia cheekily grinned at Hermione as she placed black eyeliner in her waterline, something she had become accustomed to in her daily routine.
"Come on Z, we're going to be late. We can't make a bad impression on Umbridge" Hermione shouted from right outside the door.
"Coming!" Zinnia sassily shouted as she stuffed her quills and ink in her satchel and headed out the door, braiding her hair as she went. She hopped down the stairs with her hair in her hand and a hair tie in her mouth to be met by Ron, Harry, and Hermione at the end of the stairs.
"Took you long enough, you missed Breakfast," Ron said as they all headed out of the common room and to their first class of the day.
"Ron I reckon you could count all the times you've seen me at breakfast, on one hand, I'm not waking up early for some measly eggs on toast" Zinnia defended as she tied up the end of her hair, the curls falling and framing her face. Ron gave her a disgusted look and poked his tongue out at her. Zinnia laughed and turned her head towards Harry, who was a few steps further talking to Hermione.
"How did he sleep last night?" Zinnia asked Ron in a hushed tone as she nodded towards the boy, he looked anxious and strung out this morning.
"Honestly not great, he's been having nightmares almost every night" Ron told Zinnia with pity for Harry.
"Explains the mood" Zinnia said with a strained smile. Ron looked at her and shook his head. "What?" she asked Ron, curious about his reaction.
"Just go easy on him," Ron said with worried brows. " all this you know who stuff is getting to him, plus his feelings aren't making it any better" He muttered the last part.
"What does that mean?" Zinnia asked as they turned the corner of the castle, almost at the classroom.
"Just that he's head over heels for you, but won't let himself near you because one he can't control his anger and two he thinks he's protecting you or something" Ron said as they stopped right outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Zinnia opened her mouth to say something back but couldn't find the words. Ron headed into the classroom as she stood there for a bit thinking about what she had just heard.
