𝑪𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑻𝑬 𝑫𝑨𝒀𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑴|| 𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑

"you were only seventeen,"

Estella had woken up early that morning. It was her first day of her 7th and final year at Hogwarts. The Lupin family was squished into their small rusty amber car which trembled at every dip and pebble on the road.

Remus' long legs could not fit comfortably and so they were uncomfortably pressed against the suitcases piled up between the siblings. Oliver lay purring in her lap as she let out a loud yawn of exhaustion, her hand carefully scratching his brown tabby fur.

After several hours, the car finally halted outside of the grand ancient station filled with crowds of muggles travelling to their 9 to 5 jobs. "Go on. I need to get to work." Their father hissed.

"Are you not going to walk us in?" Estella asked whilst Remus was already grabbing the rest of the bags from the boot of the car. "You've done it 6 times before. You can do it on your own one last time."

He was clearly in an irritated mood and she did not want to anger him further and she obliged to his commands and got out of the car; Oliver in one arm and her battered suitcase in the other.

The walk seemed like a blur, Estella couldn't remember much of it. Her mind must of been elsewhere as she only became conscious again when she found herself alone in a train carriage.

Oliver jumped across the compartment, his claws digging into the navy cushioned seats as the train hurled through the emerald countryside. Her dark eyes watched each blur of stone buildings but loud familiar laughs made her head turn.

James suddenly walked by and noticed the girl sitting alone. "I'll see you in a second." She heard his muffled voice say to Sirius before sliding open the glass door. "You look very lonely." James said, his head tilted to the side slightly as his eyes filled with sympathy

"I'm not lonely. I'm with Oliver." She pointed out as she nodded towards the meowing tabby. "You don't need to stay. I'm perfectly fine with-"

"I'm only gonna say, you've got quidditch practice tomorrow for our match on Thursday." He interrupted as he stepped back from the open door. "Oh." The disappointment noise escaped her lips and she couldn't help but be embarrassed.

And with that he closed the door and followed Sirius down the hallway, his footsteps slowly disappearing under the hiss of the train.

A sudden sinking feeling consumed her, like a black hole destroying everything in its path. He must of made up his mind, Estella concluded. He had chosen Lily.

Quietly, she cursed the hot tears which crawled from her darkened eyes before using the tattered sleeve of her jumper to wipe them away. It was a wise decision indeed; she could not argue against it.

Warm air escaped her fatigued lungs, fogging up the crystal glass of the window where her head rested. At least she could focus on Qudditch with nothing to distract her.

-☾~☽-

Estella missed the sorting ceremony that year. Instead, she trapped herself within the stone walls of her dormitory which had been plastered with posters of her favourite quidditch teams.

The ceremony had not adapted slightly since Hogwarts creation and so she was not concerned with her lack of attending it. She was also absent for the first grand feast of the year, but her stomach churned and revolved within her and so a silver plate piled with meat and potatoes was easily avoidable.

The stone slabs of her windowsill froze her goosebump- covered skin as she sat upon it, her bare knees dressing against the icy glass.

The common room was silent barring the distant crackle of the blazing fire which roared in the centre of the Gryffindor tower. The darkness leaked through the gaps between stone and glass into the dormitory, invading the light produce by a single isolated candle.

Estella barely heard the gentle knock at the door over the sighs that released from the tired chest, but when the door handle twisted open and warm light flooded her eyes, she took notice of the figure in the doorway.

"Estella," A concerned voice called out into the pitch black. Her neck craned around to catch a glimpse of their face but the light flooded in front behind creating a large silhouette.

"What do you want, Potter?" Her legs swung off of the windowsill, the rough stone scratching the skin of her legs. "I noticed the lack of huffs and boredom; wondering where you were hiding." James stepped into the dark dormitory, keeping the door slightly ajar with his foot to allow the light to flood in.

"Maybe I was hiding from you." She suggested with a gentle shrug, her hands grasping the edge of the rock. "Oh, is that so?" The infamous boyish smirk invaded his face as an eyebrow raised.

He had taken a step closer towards her until he was stood between the gap of her legs, her shaky hot breath tickling his lips which made him smile smugly.

"I will see you at quidditch practice tomorrow." The words abruptly left his mouth as he stepped backwards to create a significant distance between the pair. "Night." She quickly said as turned and walked.