Ineffable - Regulus Black

twenty-one

"You don't need water to feel like you're drowning."

-

Cordelia skips the back to term feast, not particularly wanting to be seen until she could sort the bruise on her face. She hadn't had a chance to sort it yet due to underage magic not being allowed outside of Hogwarts. She decided to head straight for the prefects bathroom after dropping her trunk off, knowing it would be the best place to hide out for a while- getting back to the dormitory without being told to go to the feast would have been a much harder task. 

She sits down against one of the walls and wraps her robe around her for warmth noticing how her clothes feel much bigger on her than they had the previous term. She must've lost more weight over the holidays than she thought. She felt weak and fragile and she hated it, it was more apparent to her than ever that you don't need water to feel like you're drowning. She sits there in the silence closing her eyes,  trying to rid the anxiety bubbling in her stomach like a boiling cauldron about to explode-- she should have probably gone to the feast. Her friends were probably super worried and not to mention she was one of Ravenclaw's prefects so her absence would be noticed. 

She was so caught up in her own thoughts during this time however, she hadn't noticed the door to the prefects bathroom opening and footsteps walking in. 

"Cordelia?" A soft male voice calls out and her head shoots up in an instant. 

Looking up from the ground she can see Remus, Odessa, Sirius, James and Peter. James was holding what appeared to be a large map like piece of parchment, his wand in the other hand. The five of them had sad looks upon their faces as they looked at their beloved friend. Not saying a word they sat down next to Cordelia. Remus and Odessa sat either side of her and as they all huddled together- Cordelia couldn't stop herself any longer and she let it all out. The tears she'd held back on the train and most of the holidays all came out at once. Odessa rubs her back softly as Remus grips her frail hand, soothingly rubbing his slightly calloused thumb back and forth on hers. Sirius and James sit opposite her laying their scarfs across her legs that had only her slightly ripped tights on. Peter sits rather awkwardly next to James fiddling with his hands as though he didn't know how to act but wanted to be there for her still.

"How did you guys know I was here?" Cordelia asks after a while, her tears now no longer running down her face but her voice sounding still pained. 

"Well dearest Delia, we created a really super cool map and it's taken us a few years to perfect it and it's finally done and well it's so bloody amazing, we should get awards or-" James begins to go off on a tangent rather excitedly before being interrupted. 

"Prongs just show her." Sirius says just as impatiently excited. 

James opens up the piece of parchment to reveal a huge map of Hogwarts with foot steps accompanied by name tags walking across it, the majority of names were crowded in the great hall at the feast (with the exception of a few loiterers and Filch wandering around the school). She spotted her name and the four Infront of her in the Prefects bathroom. Cordelia gaped at it in astonishment. 

"This is just, wow. I mean what an invasion of privacy but wow." Cordelia utters out in disbelief much to the now joyous faces of the Marauders. 

"I personally think it's a bit stalkerish what if I have things to do that I don't want you boys knowing about." Odessa huffs pulling her arms from around Cordelia and folding her arms frustratedly eyeing her brother in particular. 

"Pfft. What are you going to be doing other than studying and Quidditch" Remus scoffs as the pair continue to bicker across Cordelia. 

"Well...." Sirius cheekily remarks winking, James and Peter double over laughing as Remus chucks his scarf at Sirius's face. 

Cordelia can't help but finally smile, she was home, 

they were her home.

- 

Short Chapter, but the next one is already nearly written, it just flows better to separate them <3 

Lots of Love 

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-Cerys