Beatrice Lestrange has always been an outsider in her own story. Born into one of the darkest families in the wizarding world, she grew up under the looming shadow of her infamous mother Bellatrix Lestrange.
Despite this, Beatrice is nothing like th...
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The morning light crept reluctantly through the curtains, pale and subdued after the late-night revelry. Hogwarts was eerily quiet, the castle still heavy with the remnants of the Yule Ball. Beatrice groaned softly, burying her face deeper into her pillow, willing herself to sleep a little longer. She was utterly drained, both physically and emotionally. But Hannah Abbott had other plans.
— Bea! Wake up! — Hannah's cheerful voice cut through the silence as she practically bounced onto Beatrice's bed.
Beatrice let out a muffled groan, trying to burrow further into her blankets. — Go away, Hannah. —
— Absolutely not, — Hannah said with a grin, tugging at the quilt and earning a glare from her friend. — I've been dying to know how your night with Theo went. Everyone saw you two sneak off in the middle of the ball. Don't even try to deny it. —
Beatrice sat up reluctantly, rubbing her eyes as she glared half-heartedly at Hannah. — It was fine, okay? Now leave me alone. —
Hannah gasped dramatically, flopping onto the bed beside her. — Fine? Oh, come on, Bea. You disappeared with Theo Nott. Theo! Are you seriously going to sit there and tell me nothing happened? Because, honestly, you're glowing, and that smirk? That's not a "nothing happened" smirk. —
Beatrice rolled her eyes, though her cheeks flushed slightly. — Hannah, I'm not going to talk about this with you. —
— Which is basically admitting that something did happen, — Hannah teased, nudging her shoulder.
— Drop it, Hannah. —
— Oh, never! Did you snog him? Shag him? Both? Come on, give me something. —
Beatrice groaned and threw a pillow at her friend, who ducked and laughed loudly. — You're insufferable. —
— And you're dodging the question, — Hannah said with a triumphant grin, sitting up and tossing the pillow back.
Beatrice didn't respond, instead slipping out of bed and heading toward the bathroom. She could hear Hannah's laughter following her, but she refused to engage further. Whatever had happened between her and Theo last night was theirs alone.
As she splashed cold water on her face, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were still slightly flushed, her lips tingling faintly at the memory of Theo's kisses. A part of her wanted to revel in the warmth of those moments, but then her mind wandered unbidden to Hermione.
Her chest tightened as she thought of Viktor holding Hermione's hand, guiding her around the dance floor with that smug confidence. Hermione had looked stunning, enchanting even, and the thought of her smiling at Viktor in that way made Beatrice's stomach twist.
Shaking her head, Beatrice forced herself to focus. She had Theo, and he had been everything she could have hoped for last night. That was what mattered.
