✔️ 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓&𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 → 𝑓. 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

06 | D E T E R M I N E D

•••
they say before you start a war
you better know what you're
               fighting for.
•••

   Lynnea had met Aiden O'Riley during the Quidditch World Cup. When the Death Eaters appeared Lynnea had lost track of her parents, and that was when Aiden appeared, helping her to find a hideout and finally had helped her to bring her back to her family.

   And that was where it started. It had hit every cliche of one of those teenie romances. Lynnea haf fallen for him as if she was strucked by a lightning. She immediately had lost herself in Aiden's amazing eyes, she could have had istened to his soft voice for hours, and after all those hours with him in the safety of the forest, it felt like she had known him forever.

   When she had gone back home with her parents, and Aiden with his, they had written thousands of letters, until they finally had met again during Christmas break, and had gotten even better. Aiden kissed her under a mistletoe, they kept holding hands by whatever they had been doing, never letting go.

   But the two weeks had gone fast, and after Aiden returned back home things changed. At the beginning they had kept writing each other daily as usual, but it got less. After just two weeks Aiden's answers needed several days, then weeks, and all of a sudden they stopped. Lynnea had gone on writing him, but never came an answer, so she stopped, too.

   "What an arse", Daphne said after Lynnea finished her story. And Lynnea could nothing but agree.

•••

   The first week at Hogwarts was no sugary fun. Lynnea had Potions class together with the Gryffindors, but that was at least the only positive thing you could tell about this week. Pansy Parkinson tried to kill Lynnea continuously with her glares, the main reason therefore was Draco Malfoy who took every chance to get on Lynnea's nerves.

   But the most dreadful thing about the whole week was the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The one thing Lynnea was sure about was that she hated this Umbridge woman. Her class was boring as hell, she forced them to read a children's book, while she was sitting at her desk, staring into the newspaper. Lynnea turned the pages of her exemplary unmotivated until she had enough and banged it shut.

   "What is this all about?", she loudly asked.

   "Students raise their hand in my class when they want to speak, Miss - ?", Umbridge said in her sing-sang voice without even looking up.

   "Bailey", she replied. "And you wouldn't have seen that, would you? So what is the use in this? How shall we learn to defend ourselves?"

   Now Umbridge's head rose. "By reading Slinkhard's book very carefully."

   "Slinkhard doesn't mention how to use magic", Lynnea said coldly. "I guess this is a bit counterproductive in times like these, isn't it?"

   "Times like these?", Umbridge echoed. "I'm sorry, Miss Bailey, I think I have no idea what you're talking about."

   "I think you exactly know that I'm talking about Lord Voldemort's return." The words were out and Lynnea immediately knew she'd gone too far. Umbridge rose from her chair, what didn't make her any higher. She stepped around the desk, walking over to Lynnea, where she laid her tiny, sausage-like fingers on the table.

   "So you're one of those Potter supporters, Miss Bailey? Spreading this awful lies, don't you? I guess it's best for you to join Mr Potter in his dentention." With that she turned around, walking back to her desk. Without looking at Lynnea just for another split second, she added: "Eight o'clock tonight in my office." And class was dismissed.

   "What are you doing? Don't mess with that woman!", Draco hissed at her, grabbing her arm as she was about to leave. "We're Slytherins, stupidity is none of our attitudes."

   "What do you even care?", Lynnea snapped. For a brief moment he threw her an intense look, but then just shrugged and walked away.

   "Hey, thought I join you in detention tonight", Lynnea told Harry, when she met up with the three Gryffindors a bit later in the afternoon.

   His eyes grew wide and he muttered: "You shouldn't have done that."

   "You aren't a liar", she replied and shrugged. "This is a terrible woman."

   "If you already hate her now wait for tonight ..."

   Harry hadn't made false promises. After three hours of detention, Lynnea's hand was sore and red. Fine white lines showed the words I must not tell lies on the back of her left hand, as Umbridge made them write sentences with their own blood. The lines began already to fade and she hoped by tomorrow there wouldn't be any sign left of the torture of today's night.

   "So this is detention here at Hogwarts?", she asked Harry in a whisper after they left Umbridge's office. "Is this even allowed?"

   "This has nothing to do with Hogwarts, this is ministerial crap", Harry growled. By the main staircase he stopped and looked at Lynnea intensely before their paths would part. "Please try not to land in her office again. Not for me."

   As their eyes locked, Lynnea twitched. There again was this strange sensation, the same undefined feeling she got when she first met Harry at Grimmauld Place. And still she was unable to tell the meaning of it.

   "Lynn, are you okay?"

   Quickly she shook the thoughts out of her head and dragged herself back to reality. "I'm fine, yeah", she said. "I'll try my best, but I can't promise anything, I guess she isn't really fond of me."

   "Just try to stay out of trouble", Harry said, cracking a smile. "Good night, Lynn."

   "Good night, Harry."