Losing (Tom Riddle X Reader)

▕⃝⃤ 06 | The Hagrid, The Burke, The Lupin and The Crouch

"What does she look like?" Altair quizzes as you, he, and Aurora Warren peer into compartment after compartment, trying to appear as innocent as possible. "Your sister,"

"She's short," Aurora says, "wears pigtails and glasses, has some acne, a unibrow..."

"Oh great, that narrows it down," Altair mutters, rolling his eyes while somehow maintaining that kind smile of his. This boy can make even sarcasm sound comforting.

 "Well, it's not like she stands out much," Aurora retorts. "But... oh god, this is going to make her sound bad, but she's probably sobbing. She's always sobbing—"

At that moment, you hear a burst of anguished sobs from the next compartment.

Myrtle!" Aurora exclaims, her eyes widening.

The three of you rush to the door and slide it open to find a girl fitting Myrtle's description, curled up in the corner with tears streaming down her face. Towering over her are three students, one girl your age, a Hufflepuff third year girls and a Ravenclaw boy.

"You get away from her!" Aurora yells.

"Whoa, hey!" the boy holds up his hands in surrender. "We didn't do anything—"

"Liars!" Aurora snaps. "I know your kind! Always picking on the vulnerable!"

"No, honestly!" The new girl exclaims. She has tawny skin, black curls, and warm brown eyes, giving her a very kind appearance. "We didn't do anything!"

"We came in looking for a place to sit," says the Hufflepuff girl. "We asked your sister if she could move over her trunk so we could sit down, and she just burst into tears."

This Hufflepuff is the most beautiful girl you've ever seen, aside from Vega, but in a very different way. This girl looks effortlessly gorgeous with her voluminous blonde hair, flawless skin, and a tall, striking figure that makes you think she's a year or two older than you. Vega, on the other hand, is more refined, put together, and rigid.

Aurora looks between the two girls, her anger slowly dissipating as she assesses the situation. "Is that true, Myrtle?" she asks gently.

"Yes!" Myrtle gasps, tears flooding down her face. "They acted all sweet and smiley, but I know what they say behind my back! Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!"

"We just met you!" the Ravenclaw boy says irritably. "We don't even know you!"

"You asked me to move my trunk because you didn't want to get spotty like me, didn't you?!" Myrtle wails. "Just like the bullies in kindergarten!"

Myrtle releases a tragic sob, screaming, and you can't help but cringe, resisting the urge to cover your ears.

"Good Merlin," Altair mutters under his breath. "Please make her stop!"

Aurora gently shushes Myrtle, pulling her closer into a comforting embrace. "Myrtle, listen to me. They don't know you, and they aren't the ones who hurt you before. Let's calm down and sort this out, okay?"

The kind-looking girl with tawny skin steps forward again, her expression earnest. "We really didn't mean any harm. We just needed a place to sit."

The beautiful blonde girl nods, looking genuinely apologetic. "We're sorry if we upset you, Myrtle. That was never our intention."

Myrtle continues to sob, but Aurora's soothing presence gradually helps her calm down. Altair, sensing the situation stabilizing, addresses the two girls and the boy, extending his hand with his signature friendly smile. "Thanks for trying to explain. I'm Altair, first year."