𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙎𝙤 𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 ―𝐣𝐬𝐩

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐎𝐧𝐞 - 𝐀 𝐒𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬

Martha

I ran.

I didn't care where I was going, I just needed to get away from everything—the suffocating silence from Nate, the coldness from James, the awkward looks from Dom. Everyone in that stupid common room was on his side, and no one even thought to ask how I felt, how much I was hurting.

I could feel the eyes on me as I rushed through the corridors, students whispering my name like it was some kind of juicy gossip for them to devour. Of course, it was—Martha Aurum, the golden girl of Gryffindor, storming out of the tower like her world was falling apart. And maybe it was. I was one of the most popular girls in this school, and everyone talked about me. Usually, I could handle it, but right now, all I wanted was to disappear.

Tears blurred my vision as I ran past more groups of students, their voices blending into a low hum. My chest tightened with every breath, and I could feel the weight of everything crashing down on me—Nate's coldness, James's rejection, the pressure to keep pretending everything was fine.

Eventually, I found a dark, deserted corridor, and that was it. I collapsed to the floor, my back against the cold stone wall, and I sobbed. I let it all out, the tears streaming down my face, my shoulders shaking as I gasped for air. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I didn't want to.

I grabbed my phone and pulled up Freddie's contact, he is my best guy friend and I genuinely know I can count on him to be on my side in this mess even though he is one of Nate's best mates.

Me
Freddie I need u
Please come here

Freddie Bear
Emmy baby u ok?
Where are you? I'll come get you

I pinned him my location on the castle so he'd know where I am, because through my bleary vision I can't see anything clearly let alone tell him where I'm sobbing on the floor. Tears fall on my iPhone screen, I try to wipe them off when a text comes through from my little sister.

Penny 🩷
hey em
I need your opinion on my Halloween costume
be honest. is this shit too slutty?
penny sent you a photo

I would laugh if it wasn't for the fact that our brother was legit making me feel like shit for my own Halloween costume choice. But as her big sister I need to open her message and be supportive. So I do. It's a mirror photo of her in a very tight pink corset and a tight mini skirt and fairy wings attacked to her back, she is wearing knee high glossy Versace pink boots and her golden blonde hair is in a messy bun. She looks perfect. Really hot. But I'm unable to type back when a sob racks through me again.

Where the fuck is Freddie?

I don't know how long I sat there, crying into my hands, but I felt someone crouch in front of me. Through blurry eyes, I glanced up and whispered, "Freddie?" My voice cracked. I was hoping it was him, my best guy friend, someone who could just hug me and tell me everything would be okay.

But when I looked up, it wasn't Freddie. It wasn't Roxy, Dom, or Ronny either. It wasn't even one of my brothers or sisters.

It was fucking James Sirius Potter.

I stared at him in disbelief, my tears still falling. He was the last person I wanted to see right now. "What are you doing here?" I choked out, my voice trembling with anger and exhaustion. I could strangle him right now.

He didn't answer right away. He just looked at me, his dark hazel eyes softening in a way that made my heart twist. "Come here," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle.