𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓂'𝓈 𝒜 𝐵𝓇𝑒𝓌𝒾𝓃'

February 6th, 1995

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎-𝒪𝓃𝑒

"Iris do you think you could help me with the Dark Arts essay tonight?"

Iris looked up from where she had been lacing up her boots, blinking a bit as the silent morning was broken up. Looking as if she had forgotten anyone else was in the room. The other girls all equally jumping a bit in their routines. Looking between Iris who had hummed a moment and Valeria who halted in all motions as she blandly waited....

Only one of these girls fully aware of the tensions that had taken over this room the past few weeks....

Iris was back to lacing up her boots as she found her answer, head shaking, "I am helping Cedric some more tonight, have to make sure—"

She paused, furrowing her eyebrows and looking straight back to Valeria as her every action stopped, this time Valeria the one to carry on as if nothing was wrong, "What did you mean by that?"

Valeria hummed nonchalantly. Denying Iris any further explanation as she just carried on.

And so Iris could only turn her gaze to the other two girls in the room, Sally-Ann equally as nonchalant. But Tracey... yeah Tracey would break. She gaze nervous as it jumped between her reflection in the mirror and Iris staring holes into her head.

So Iris took advantage of that, "What do you all mean by that?"

Tracey flinched and burned a bit red as she realized they had all been caught in similar feelings. The that being that snide little "of course" Valeria had muttered under her breath.

"We just haven't seen much of you lately that's all."

Tracey tried to pass it off easy, shrugging lazily but for it coming off just awkward and clearly disbelieving of the just in that sentence.

It wasn't just that.

No because it being that simple wouldn't explain the way that dorm room had been growing increasingly more and more suffocating over the weeks. It wouldn't explain the distinct lack of music that used to play at nearly all hours of the day. It wouldn't explain the low supply of giggles and smiles and teasings that these girls used to have no shortage of. It wouldn't explain Jane Yaxley coming by during the mornings less and less when she could have practically have been their fifth roommate before.

And Iris seemed to finally realize it, immediately sparking with irritation, "You guys are mad I have been helping Cedric?"

And she was quick to clock how Valeria rolled her eyes and yeah that irked Iris a lot, "We share a room, maybe instead of the silent attitude we could just get our words out."

Sally-Ann would finally cut in, first with a sharp laugh and then just continuing the streak of unproductive words, "You are one to talk."

Iris' glare was intense as she moved her gaze over to Sally, a warning edge to her voice, "Leave my relationship with him out of it."

And with that came a scoff and seemingly it was just enough of an idiotic comment to tick off Valeria enough to finally give in to the fight Iris so clearly wanted to have, "Gods don't you think we would love if we could? Sadly Iris, the reality is that your relationship with Theodore is actually the root of the problem!"

Valeria had thrown her makeup aside, crossing her arms as she turned to face Iris directly. Her glare no match for the one she was getting herself but effective enough to get the point across, "You have spent a good two months now acting like a child and running away and we are all forced to suffer as well. You can't talk to a boy and so now you just avoid all of your friends!"