𝕃𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕕𝕠 | 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕦𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝔼𝕣𝕒 |✔

CHAPTER 25

"A fate worse than death"

"They're a little bit burnt cupcakes Alice! Honestly, get some help!"

"Oh Merlin Lily, burnt cupcakes are more terrible than anything in the world! They taste horrible" I heard Lily and Alice bickering about some freaking cupcakes as I entered the chattering and lively Gryffindor Common room. I chuckled at them as I slouched on one of the nearby couches and stretched my arms and legs. Suddenly Alice and Lily went silent as they looked at me in bewilderment. I looked at them in confusion.

"Where in the Merlin were you?!" They both yelled at the same time, causing everyone in the common room to look at them, their voices seeming worried. I rolled my eyes as I rubbed my eyes groggily. It was ten at night, I had just reached the Common room in time of the curfew. It was true I was re-searching about Salazar the whole day and missed all of my classes. I quite expected them to be worried though, I was tired and sleepy despite the fact I had took a short nap in the Room of Rescue. I glared at all of the people staring as they turned back to what they were doing in a matter of seconds, I turned back to Lily and Alice, an innocent smile playing on my lips.

"I was re-searching about something in the Library, I didn't realise that I had spent the whole day in there. Sorry for not telling you lot, the re-search was rather personal." I said, my voice a little hoarse, as I yawned. They both raised their eyebrows at me, clearly unconvinced.

"Alright, We'll interrogate you about that later but look Belle! My mum sent us cupcakes! D'you wanna try?" Lily said brightly, gesturing to the blackish colored cupcakes on the table while Alice's face faltered as she mouthed me a no with a puking gesture. I stifled my laugh as I nodded and took a cupcake while Alice looked at me disapprovingly. How bad can it be? I thought as I took a bite and spit it out in the instance, they tasted more than awful. I tried hard not to make a face as to secure Lily's feelings but surely, that didn't work as she had a sad pout on her face and crossed her arms. Alice sighed dramatically.

"I told you, they're horrible Lils, you should trust my food instincts because I'm the best food critique in the whole Hogwarts." Alice said, flipping her hair in a dramatic manner. I looked at her amusedly as I turned to Lily with a sympathetic face.

"Uh Lils, you might wanna check out if these cupcakes are made by your mum, the ones she sent last year clearly weren't like these." I said, convincingly as Lily huffed and pulled out a letter from her robe's pocket.

"Well, I don't know anyone else who would send me cupcakes with the name of mum. She sent me this letter but I was planning to read this afterwards." Lily said in a whiny voice, as she handed over the letter to me. I took it from her and opened it.

ᴅᴇᴀʀ ʟɪʟʏ

ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ꜰɪɴᴇ ᴀꜱ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀ, ᴡᴇʟʟ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ. ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍɪɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴏɴᴇʏ, ꜱʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏɢᴡᴀʀᴛꜱ. ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛʟʏ, ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴄᴜᴘᴄᴀᴋᴇꜱ ꜱᴏ ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏᴏ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ. ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴛᴜᴅɪᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴡᴇʟʟ.

ʟᴏᴀᴅꜱ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏᴠᴇ,

ᴍᴜᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀᴅ.

I laughed as I finished reading the letter and handed it to Alice, as she, in a matter of seconds, just like me started to laugh. Lily looked at both of us irritated and curious about what's written in the letter and snatched it from Alice. As she read it, realisation dawned over her face as she looked at the cupcakes in disgust.