Run Away ✧ Hogwarts Legacy

chapter thirty-five

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Trigger Warning: This chapter includes sensitive conduct - please see the comment for a full description of conduct. 

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The library was always a calm place to get away from everyone. After the events of the past weeks, it was a desirably needed change in scenery. Antheia had originally come with her roommates on a group trip to study for their upcoming exams. After the first hour of studying, the girls had mostly turned to gossip to pass the time, for which she had also been thankful. It was already a long week of days and an even longer week to follow. Classwork was burdensome enough and all she truthfully desired was a break. 

The rumored discussions such as who was courting who, the couples that had broken up over the winter break, and graduation plans, were all welcomed topics over demons and curses. It made the world feel so small and simple. That not everything in Antheia Wynter's life had to be about such worries.

"Oh, did you hear that Amit Thakkar is going to replace Professor Shah as the Astronomy teacher at the end of the year? She's taking an early retirement to travel the world."

"Thank Merlin. She's always been a nightmare."

"I didn't hear that! Is Thakkar still courting that Hufflepuff girl?"

"You mean, Poppy? Yes, they are still together!"

"I thought I had heard something about her going to travel and save rare beasts after graduation."

"Sounds like her," Antheia added quietly with a smile.

"I wonder if they will get married soon before she leaves. They seem like such a nice couple!"

"Ugh, I can't wait to be married and settled down!"

"In your dreams," Nellie cackled, "At this rate, you are the last of the group that will be married."

"As if," Cressida ridiculed in return, "You're the one that can't get a date!"

"I'm not sure why you are both making this a competition!" Natti laughed at them both.

"Well, we all know which one of us four will be the first to get married," Cressida gestured at her with a roll of her eyes, "But no one wants to be the last! It's embarrassing!"

Antheia scoffed under her breath at the suggestion. She sat with her head propped under folded gloved hands on her stack of unfinished homework waiting for the topic to come to an end. For the most part, she had been letting herself indulge in the gossip, but it was comments like that she hadn't been fond of.

It bothered her to be part of their gossip. It wasn't that she didn't have her own stories to share, but she also wouldn't dare to give her loose-lipped friends her drama. Her secrets always stayed close to her heart and away from everyone else.

Besides she couldn't care less about the idea of who was marrying who or when. It was none of her business and even less of her interest.

"Speaking of weddings, do you think Garreth will tie the knot with that Sallow girl?"

"Her name is Anne," Antheia corrected sharply.

"Whatever," Nellie waived off, "The Sallows aren't part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but the Weasleys are. Do you think they would even be allowed to?"

"The Weasleys have always claimed to not care about pureblood status," Natti reminded her, "Besides have you heard Garreth talk about Anne? I doubt that would stop him from wanting to marry her. He's completely smitten. It's quite adorable."