La Lutte Résultant (Sequel To Faux Amour (Frerard/Bandom Hogwarts AU))

Another Year Facing New Struggles

This book is a sequel to Faux Amour so, if you haven't read that first, please do. There are immediate spoilers ahead.
Hope y'all enjoy 💛

The forest was pitch black around Frank. The leaves crunched under his feet as his weight shifted just slightly.

He couldn't move.

He just stood.

Muffled voices swam through the air around him. He couldn't understand them. His head was numb and buzzing.

Something was pulled from his grip. Was he holding something? He wasn't sure. He was still frozen. He couldn't even move as a green light began to fill the blackness.

Frank shot upright in his bed, screaming.

The forest was gone. The light was gone. He was gone; he was okay.

He sucked in a breath and pressed his lips tightly together. He had the nightmare again, the same nightmare he had every night since what happened during his previous year at Hogwarts. He was still shaking as he pulled his knees close to his chest and lowered his head to take a breath.

It was months ago, but it continued to haunt him. It was hard to remember outside of his dreams, but he had been there as a fellow housemate had died. She had manipulated several students, including himself, but that fact hardly made her death easier. She was manipulated herself, just to be killed by her manipulator... Her own mother.

Frank raised his head with a gulp. Jamia was killed by her own mother. What parent could intentionally kill their child? It wasn't her first crime, but it was one that was punished severely.

Frank shut his eyes. He needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow he was set to board the train and go back to Hogwarts. He couldn't avoid his fifth year of school, though his parents had discussed it.

Frank's heart had slowed from its rapid pace. He reopened his eyes, letting them trail to his bedside table where his wand rested.

He could practically feel it being ripped from his grip.

He turned away from the wand. He'd have to use it at school. It's not like it had done the killing, though. He should be fine. School would be fine.

Right?

---

Gerard sat quietly in the backseat of his father's car as his mother drove towards Kings Cross. Mikey sat in the front seat, arguing with their mother.

"You can't still be considering not letting us go!" Mikey exclaimed, "Mum, we're fine! It's over and done with."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Their mother scoffed, "You were in St. Mungo's! Do you know how scared I was, especially after finding out another student had died!?"

Mikey shook his head. "We didn't, though! We-"

"So many students were admitted, Michael." Their mother cut him off, shaking her head. "That's not normal!"

"Having a war on campus isn't normal either." Gerard muttered, keeping his gaze on the passing buildings. "Your parents still let you attend school."

Silence filled the car.

"Times were different, Gerard." His mother finally spoke in a near whisper. "Things were very uncertain."