Emerson Wilmore was an exemplary Ravenclaw student, known for her unwavering dedication to academics and an unyielding moral compass. However, things took a twisted and deviated turn in her life after her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, was murdered by L...
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The next morning, the Great Hall was filled with the low hum of clinking cutlery and sleepy conversation as sunlight filtered through the enchanted ceiling after a night of heavy snowfall, casting a golden hue over the tables. The long breakfast tables were dotted with clusters of students still in their pajamas or wrapped in cardigans, sipping pumpkin juice and flipping lazily through the Prophet.
The usual groups gathered at their respective house tables, but one cluster in particular stood out: five students crammed into a section of the Ravenclaw table, breaking every unspoken rule of seating etiquette.
Emerson sat in her usual spot with a plate of toast and her coffee, Olivia across from her with her hair lazily braided over her shoulder, flipping through the Prophet with little interest. But what truly made the Ravenclaws somehow still gawk was not the girls' presence, it was the unmistakable company of three Slytherin boys that had become customary nowadays.
Mattheo, looking far too smug for someone who stole a slice of Emerson's toast a few minutes earlier, sat beside her with one arm stretched along the back of the bench. Her knee rested against his beneath the table. She hadn't moved it, and neither had he. Mattheo hadn't said much since sitting down. He rarely did in the mornings, but there was a small, tired smile on his face as he stirred the honey into Emerson's coffee without asking. She hadn't even realised she'd forgotten it, until he did it for her. His hair was still messy from sleep, and his lips twitched every time Emerson glared at him for stealing more food off her plate.
Next to Olivia, Theo leaned back casually, munching on a pear and drinking his espresso, acting entirely unfazed by the death stares they were receiving from the other side of the Hall. His eyes, however, flicked up every so often to look at Olivia with a softness he didn't quite mask well enough.
Enzo, ever the chaos incarnate, somehow commandeered a tray of croissants and was holding one hostage in each hand, bargaining with a first-year Ravenclaw across from him for her chocolate frogs. "You don't understand," He said solemnly. "This is not about food. This is about honour."
"You stole those from our table," The girl deadpanned.
"You can't steal what fate has already delivered into your arms."
The girl rolled her eyes and handed over a frog. Enzo grinned, victorious.
"I think we've broken Ravenclaw," Theo muttered to Olivia.
"Correction," She said, sipping her tea. "You broke Ravenclaw. I'm just trying to keep us out of Azkaban."
"I resent that."
"Good."
Emerson smiled faintly at the exchange before glancing up at Mattheo. He was watching the other two with a quiet amusement that barely reached his tired eyes, until he caught her gaze. His expression softened completely. He leaned in slightly, his voice husky from the early hour.
