Mahika took her seat at the Slytherin table between Tom and Enzo, the buzz of conversations around her fading into a distant hum. Everyone seemed to radiate an atmosphere of excitement, a genuine enthusiasm for the start of a new term, which she couldn't 100% blame them for. They all seemed to slip into the rhythm effortlessly.
It's not that she wasn't happy to be back with her friends or the magic, she truly was. But it was the first leg of getting back into the groove of things and the amount of people that surrounded her. She could feel the anxiety gnawing at her chest as she scanned her surroundings involuntarily every five seconds.
Mattheo placed a hand on her shoulder as he went to sit down next to his brother but she shrugged it off and scooted towards her best friend. Everyone was surprised when the girl found comfort in the loud nature of the boy, the quietness of herself clashing with his. He had been the reliable one in the group, his presence alone was enough to ease her worries.
Enzo was the king of comforting his friends, contrary to popular belief. He always wanted to make his friends feel at home and safe, so he took the unknown job. Mahika loved being comforted by him, he always knew what to say and when to say it, and his hugs were her favorite.
As Dumbledore's voice resonated through the Great Hall, delivering his customary welcoming speec, Mahika's mind wandered all over the place. She had heard all of it before - the announcement of a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, the warnings of the forbidden forest, the echoes of rules and expectations. It was a script she had practically memorized since she first stepped place in the castle.
As her mind was anywhere but where it should've been, she hardly noticed that the speech had concluded, and the tables were adorned with the usual welcoming feast. It was only when her gaze dropped down to her plate that she realized the food that was there. She looked up in slight confusion but when she saw the gaze on the person seated across from her, she realized what had happened.
