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George felt useless. Reyna had become withdrawn from everyone, working herself to the bone with the order members. He had caught a glimpse of her the other day and he was horrified at what he had seen.
The witch appeared to have been drained of life itself. Her once vibrant appearance had become gaunt and pallid, devoid of even a trace of her signature makeup. The sharpness of her cheekbones was so pronounced that one could almost imagine them as a weapon, capable of cutting through flesh.
Her eyes, once filled with a lively spark, had dulled to the point where they appeared almost black, surrounded by dark circles that spoke of long hours of exhaustion. Her once beautiful locks of ember curls, which were once her pride and joy, now hung limply around her head, as if they too had lost the energy to thrive.
The wizard had no idea how to help her and he hated it.
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From her bedroom, Reyna gazed out the window at the lively scene outside. The snow had blanketed the ground, and the other teenagers were gleefully engaging in a snowball fight. Their jubilant expressions were unmistakable, as they relished in the fun of the winter weather.
Meanwhile, Reyna held a steaming mug of tea that had been thoughtfully prepared by Molly, sweetened with just the right amount of sugar to suit Reyna's taste buds.
Scout scurries up Reyna's leg with nimble movements, his paws clutching onto her trousers, finally settling himself snugly on her thighs. The witch chuckles, playfully tickling the furry creature's stomach, eliciting a joyful squeak from the niffler.
The sound of Reyna's laughter abruptly comes to a halt as a loud clatter emanates from the adjacent room. Walburga's Office. Scout stands on Reyna's leg as he turns his head towards the source of the noise.
"You heard that as well right?" Reyna asks the creature who squeaks in response. "Good, I'm not insane yet"
Scout sets himself on Reyna's shoulder as the witch exits her room, her wand clutched in her grip. The witch and the niffler share an apprehensive look as Reyna turns the door handle, throwing open the door to the office.
A soot-covered figure was standing in the centre of the room, clutching a black leather suitcase. The figure coughs before ruffling his hair to remove some of the soot.
"Draco?"
Reyna lowers her wand as she stares at the boy in front of her. The witch sucks in a breath at the sight of his left eye, which is encircled by a patchwork of purple bruises. A deep gash on his cheek is bleeding profusely, staining his pale skin.
The witch gently turns his head to examine the injuries on his face. His eye was swollen so much that it was almost closed.
"What happened?"
"Dad caught me reading that muggle book you lent me," Draco murmurs. "I burned the note when I found it in the book"
"Okay," Reyna nods. "Let's get you cleaned up"
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"Now," Reyna stands in the doorway with Draco behind her. "I don't want anyone to start shouting"
"What have you done?" Sirius asks.
"Well-"
As Reyna firmly grasps Draco's arm and pulls him towards the light, the entire room comes to a sudden stop. The silence was so profound that even the sound of a pin dropping would have been heard.
"He's not a zoo animal," Reyna snaps.
Molly was the first to move, immediately making her way over to the young blonde teenager. Her eyes were filled with a deep sense of maternal concern as she carefully examined his injuries, taking note of every detail.
"You poor sweetheart," Molly leads Draco to sit down as she begins grabbing first aid items.
Fred and George shift their gaze towards Reyna, who responds with a nonchalant shrug, before directing her attention towards the area where Molly is carefully tending to Draco's injuries.
The boy is clutching a cold compress against his eye, while Molly meticulously cleans and treats the cut on his face with utmost care and precision.
"Moody is going to send him packing," Ron murmurs.
"Be quiet Ronald," Molly snaps at her son.
"He's not going anywhere," Sirius states. "This is my house and he's more than welcome to stay as long as he needs"
"Why are we helping him?" Ron continues. "His parents-"
"Enough Ron!" George snaps. "He's come to us because Reyna promised him safety"
"You did what?" Ron's eyes were wide with shock.
"If you don't like it Ron, go to your room," Hermione rolls her eyes. "Look at him, we can help him"
"I don't want to cause any trouble," Draco says.
"Don't be silly dear," Molly shakes her head. "You are more than welcome here"
"But-"
"SHUT UP RON!"
As the shouts of all the room's occupants reached a crescendo, the boy's mouth snapped shut. His eyes, wide with betrayal, were fixed on Harry.
Yet, despite the tension in the room, Harry seemed to be watching Draco with a slight gleam in his eye, which caused Reyna to smile softly.
"You're safe now Draco," Sirius states. "We won't let them touch you. No matter your parents, you are my family"
"Now let's get some food in you dear,"
As Reyna glances over to Draco, she notices the tears that are welling up in his eyes. Without hesitation, he reaches out to grab her hand, giving her hand a grateful squeeze, and she reciprocates the gesture with a gentle squeeze of her own.
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