Silent Riot | Regulus Black

THIRTY NINE

Gemma ran as fast as she could across the platform, not daring to stop for a single second, even when she knocked shoulders with some Ravenclaw boy, making him drop his book. She didn't stop until she caught sight of Ted. He saw her too, and waved, a massive grin on his face, at which point she practically attacked him with a massive hug.

'Hi,' He laughed.

'Hi,' she mumbled into his shoulder.

'Bad week?'

'Mhm.'

'Want to talk about it?'

'No. But it was lonely. And boring. And there was too much studying and too little fun.'

'Damn.' They pulled away, and she hugged Luke and Iz, who were smiling at her. Iz's bruise had yet to fade, but Gemma barely noticed that, because Iz had changed her entire look, yet again. Her recently bleached hair had been reverted back to its original mousy brown, and her dark and bold makeup had been drastically reduced to the point where it was barely there.

'I know,' Iz sighed once she caught Gemma staring. 'But after... Easter... I had an epiphany!'

'Epiphany?' Gemma questioned, as she began to haul her trunk onto the train.

'If you could even call it that,' Luke muttered, somehow managing to lift his own trunk onto the train effortlessly, despite his skinny arms.

'What was your epiphany?' Gemma questioned, finally succeeding in her strenuous task, and dragging the brown suitcase to find a compartment, her friends following.

'I don't know,' Iz groaned, 'and that's the problem. I really thought this would help, but now I'm just confused and ugly.'

'I don't think your ugly,' Ted said immediately.

'Well, I wasn't talking to you.'

Gemma finally found a compartment that was relatively empty, spare for one small Hufflepuff boy. They were quite content to share with him, but his eyes widened in fear the moment he saw Ted, and he bolted out.

'Wait!' Ted called out, 'I'm a nice guy, really!'

'You weren't very nice when you were hexing his housemate half to death,' Luke pointed out.

'I genuinely don't know what came over me,' Ted protested. 'I mean, I barely even remember half the spells I used... and I felt so bad afterwards, I swear-'

'He had it coming,' Iz said, placing a soothing hand on his shoulder, as she saw a brooding mood coming over him.

'Yeah,' Gemma agreed. 'We all get annoyed sometimes.'

'Best to take it out on Hufflepuffs who hurt your friends,' Luke agreed.

'Or Hufflepuffs in general,' Iz shrugged. Ted laughed, and so did Iz. Conveniently, the Death Eater squad chose that moment to swagger right in.

'Izzy-poo!' Avery said, as he, Mulciber and Snape intruded on their peace. Mulciber winked at Gemma and she made a face at him. Never again with this guy, she thought, shuddering at the idea of it.

'Hello,' Iz said, looking Avery squarely in the face as he stood frozen in shock.

'I- you- what happened to you?' He asked. He seemed aghast, but not quite that, Gemma reckoned he was only in shock.

'What do you mean?' Iz asked calmly. 'Do you not like it?'

'I-' Avery gulped, not quite knowing what to say. 'I do. You- I- you look.. nor-re-normal, I guess?'

There was a steely silence.

'Idiot,' Snape said sullenly. 'Even I know better than to say that.'