"Don't leave, I told you I wouldn't. So why are you?" Hermione's voice croaked, a mixture of desperation and sorrow in her tone.
"I can't, you know I can't," Y/N murmured, her brows furrowing with a heavy burden of guilt. She felt the weight of her...
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Y/N sat alone in her apartment in London, having left Caspian's Manor the moment midnight struck. She didn't wait around for the grand party celebration Caspian had planned; she couldn't care less about it.
Renting the apartment was a deliberate choice. She had passed up the option of moving into Amaryllis' house, which had been left to her. There were multiple reasons for this decision. Firstly, Y/N wanted to avoid any potential encounters with Caspian, who might try to find and bother her. Secondly, being in Amaryllis' house would only serve as a constant reminder of her mother's loss, something Y/N had never truly overcome.
Y/N glanced at her phone, which displayed the date: July 26, 2023, 3:45 A.M. Sleep was a rare luxury for her. She had never been a sound sleeper, and the series of losses she had endured made it even more challenging. The only respite she found was during Hermione's occasional visits, but the distance between their homes limited those moments.
"You really should be getting some sleep," Hestia commented as she held a cup of tea, the clinking of the spoon against the marble surface breaking the silence.
"Mm," Y/N grunted in response, her brows furrowing as she stared at her hands resting on the covers atop of her lap.
"I get weaker as you do," Hestia warned.
Y/N couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. She had noticed that the Sentient Energy Manifestation, Hestia, had been gradually becoming more humane over the years. If someone had met Hestia back in her fourth year, she would have thought of her as a robotic presence. But now, Hestia seemed almost indistinguishable from a human, despite being composed of pure flames.
"I'm not getting any weaker," Y/N insisted, her tone firm as she rejected the implication.
"Your flames are," Hestia countered, raising an eyebrow. "My flames are."
"Well, what the fuck do you want me to do about it? I'm stressed, and I just— I just..." Y/N's voice caught in her throat, and she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"Sorry, just... sip your tea and get ready because I need to help Hermione erase her parents' memories," Y/N mumbled as she pulled the blanket up over herself, preparing for the task ahead.
Y/N surveyed her apartment, dressed in casual sweats and a sports bra. The space felt lifeless, much like her own life at the moment. It was a place she had called home for a while now, and it had come fully furnished with a sleek and modern design dominated by cubic shapes, mostly in black and white.
The only sign of vitality in the apartment was Kipper, her beloved cat, who had a collection of colorful toys scattered about. There were also occasional accessories left behind by Hermione, Ron, Harry, Aurora and the others, who were one of the few people who frequented Y/N's place. If not for Hestia, the room would have been a chaotic mess.
Y/N glanced out of her window, where bright city lights and towering skyscrapers infiltrated her view. She let out a small sigh and changed into a plain tee before leaving her room, pocketing Hestia's tiny form in her pocketwatch.
