Acceptance: Hogwarts Legacy Continued

Chapter 50: Poppy- little girl

Poppy was so relieved when she saw Diana and Ominis. She had been feeling extremely anxious when she couldn't find her friend in any of her normal spots. Once they were together the boy said his goodbye and the two girls headed to their common room. She knew that the other girl wouldn't want to talk about anything with her right then, but wanted to be with her just in case. She definitely seemed out of sorts and Poppy cursed Sebastian for probably the 10th time that day under her breath.

They spent the afternoon in the older girls' dorm, working on homework together. Thankfully her roommates had the sense not to ask any questions when they sporadically came in, although she caught them staring and whispering to each other when they left. She wasn't sure how many people saw what happened, but even one was enough to spread like a wildfire. Her poor friend, always seeming to be a topic of conversation and gossip around the school. It was also the last thing she knew she wanted, for all the attention she got, it was never invited.

Even now, when she knew the average person would want to vent frustrations or even just set the record straight- Diana wanted to be invisible. She was very content to talk about Poppy though, as she always had. In between assignments or when taking breaks they chatted about Lucan or some of the big projects she was planning in Care of Magical Creatures. Her friend listened to her intently and genuinely, even giving insights she had. They made plans to go out together looking for a particular beast the younger girl was interested in learning more about. Diana was such a good friend, and Poppy wanted to be the same to her. She wanted to help her solve all her problems and work through anything- but she knew she needed time. And so, she waited patiently.

As the day stretched into evening, Poppy was about to ask if she should go down to dinner to snag them some food when there was a knock at the door. The two looked at each other perplexed, but the older one welcomed the visitor in. It was a first year girl, and she peeked around the door very hesitantly. She had seen her around the common room before, and she seemed like a very shy person.

"Ummm is Diana here?"

"That's me, what do you need?"

"There's a boy outside that's been shouting for you for a while. Most everyone is gone from downstairs to go to dinner but um..." she trailed off, looking down at her shoes.

"Is he making it hard to get out?" Diana asked softly. The young girl nodded.

"Well I will fix that. You can even follow me out and I can make sure he doesn't bother you. Does that sound okay?"

The girl nodded again, smiling this time though. Poppy watched her friend close her book and move off her bed where she had been working.

"Diana, are you sure you want to talk to him?" She didn't need to say who it was, they both knew.

"Well I can't avoid him forever, plus he seems to be causing some havoc. Besides, you need to go to dinner too. You can walk down with-" she turned to the first year "its Mabel right?"

"Y-yes!" She seemed shocked that the senior girl knew her name.

"You and Mabel can head down together, hopefully that will help her not feel so nervous."

"Are you sure?" Poppy pressed

Diana just nodded and the three of them headed down the stairs and through the round common room. As they reached the entrance into the rest of the castle they could definitely hear someone yelling. It really did sound quite alarming, she wasn't surprised Mabel was so nervous about going out.

As they made their way out, a body stumbled back. Then they saw Sebastian standing there, absolutely soaked with vinegar and face looking badly bruised. He was still wearing his quidditch jersey, and looked haggard. Even with the lack of light the castle provided in the evenings he looked incredibly beaten. Mabel gasped and Poppy grimaced at him; he was a sorry sight. She turned to look over at her friend, who also seemed concerned about his appearance. Her eyes were filled with pity, but there was no fear which made Poppy feel relieved.

"I'll bring you back some food, okay?" the other girl just nodded in reply. And so she left the two of them, feeling a mix of emotions as she made her way down to the great hall.