𝐀 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒 | h. potter

5 | Friends

CHAPTER FIVE: FRIENDS

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Harry didn't stop once until the History of Magic classroom was in sight. He stopped abruptly, turning to face the girl whose sobs had ceased, and all that remained were her shallow breaths as she stared down at the floor.

"Are you okay?" asked Harry awkwardly.

Maya swallowed and opened her mouth but nothing came out. Her stomach curdled uncomfortably, as if scoffing at the question. Who would be?

She nodded jerkily. "Just... don't tell anyone about this. Please," she mumbled, when he opened his mouth to object.

With his brows set downwards, Harry looked like he was fighting with himself. "You shouldn't have gone through that."

He's calling you weak, said the voice in her head.

"If you don't tell someone, who's to say he won't do it again?"

And you were weak. You couldn't even fight back. No one can know...

"No one can know," she said aloud, forcing herself to make eye-contact. "Please, just don't tell anyone. I can't... He's going to twist the narrative and I — everyone will believe him. I'll be taken away and it will be all because I couldn't..."

...she couldn't protect herself. No one can know that Maya Riddle was weak.

"Please, Harry," she pleaded. "Don't."

He angrily looked away, moving his hands towards his back and crossing his index and middle finger over each other. "Fine."

Maya nodded, wiping her damp eyes and adjusting the bag on her shoulder. She clenched the straps tightly. "We'd better get to class. Professor Binns is probably wondering where we are."

Seeming to remember exactly where they were, Harry suddenly groaned into his hands. "I hate that class..." he grumbled, walking ahead of Maya, hanging his head back.

She schooled her expression into one of passiveness, and quietly used her Metamorphic abilities to get rid of any redness in her eyes. Maya followed after him.

All throughout the lesson, her hands hadn't stopped shaking.

***

Over the next few weeks, Maya felt the days weren't as hard as they were before. Everyone had become used to her presence and hadn't bothered her as much — even Ron had started to soften up a little.

Well, with the exception of Lavender Brown. The girl had taken every opportunity she could find to harass her in some way. Maya had to offer her some credit, she supposed; not many people were brave enough to be outwardly mean to her to the extent she had been.

Whenever Lockhart was around, Maya would immediately move to hide behind someone — mainly Harry, even though he was trying to avoid him, too — because she did not want a reminder of what happened in his classroom.

Professor McGonagall had pulled her aside one afternoon and told her that she was doing well in her studies too — great, even, considering the fact she was a year behind everyone else. Maya really enjoyed Transfiguration because it was a challenge and Potions, Herbology and Charms weren't too bad comparatively (although she noticed Professor Snape always gave her odd looks). Currently, she abhorred Defence Against the Dark Arts.