RISE OF THE FALL | R.B.

XI.

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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CHAPTER XI.

Reia didn't even spare Remus a glance before she brushed past him.

She didn't know how he'd returned home so quickly.

She had taken a detour to the ice cream shop down the street, wanting to avoid her brother and her parents—just because she wanted to be alone for a while.

It seemed that she'd failed in trying to avoid her brother already.

As Reia went right into the house, walking right past him from where he stood in the doorway, and she could almost feel his shocked gaze burning into the back of her head.

"Reia, wait—,"

Reia whirled around.

Remus' arm was outstretched towards her, a pleading expression on his face.

Reia said quietly, "Save it for later. I just want to be alone right now."

Remus lowered his arm slowly and nodded. "Of course," He said softly, giving her a look—she couldn't tell if it was a sad or pitiful glance—but she turned around and blinked her eyes, "I'm sorry."

Reia refused to admit that her eyes had welled with tears.

But she blinked her eyes repeatedly as she strode up the stairs without a single glance back at her brother.

She didn't want him to see her cry. She didn't want to be weak in front of her brave, Gryffindor older brother.

And with a pang, she realised that that was the truth.

As much as she loved her House, and as much as she loved her friends—she still wanted to make her brother and her parents proud.

She wished she were brave and selfless like her brother and his friends.

Why had she run from the fight? Why hadn't she stayed to help?

If she had been braver—if she'd been a Gryffindor, she might've been able to help...

Reia quickly went into her room and shut the door behind her, before collapsing against it and sighing.

But then she glanced around her own bedroom.

She took in the blandness, and the plain white walls. She looked from the wooden bookshelves containing several leather-bound books to her old desk.

With a blink, she realised that if anybody else had looked into this bedroom, they'd have seen nothing but a plain, old bedroom.

Nobody would've looked into the room and seen Reia Hope Lupin—the youngest child of Lyall and Hope Lupin, younger sister of Remus Lupin.

They wouldn't have been able to tell that Reia Hope Lupin had lived in this room for almost seventeen years now.

They'd have just seen...plainness.

Getting to her feet with a groan and a creak of the floorboards, she went over to her trunk, which was tucked underneath her unmade bed which she'd forgotten to make in the morning, and pulled it out from its spot.

Her bed and blankets were plain and cream-coloured, and she quickly turned her attention to her trunk.

Unclasping the buckles, she opened her trunk with a few satisfying clicks.