A Sweater for Redemption • DISCONTINUED

ONE

Ch. 1: Halloween

Olivia had gotten a late start this morning. She'd fallen asleep over her Transfiguration book. She was horrible at Transfiguration and McGonagall was giving them a quiz today. Despite all her studying, she wasn't ready for it.

She hurried into her uniform, grabbing food from the kitchens which had, by some grace, been placed near the Hufflepuff Common Room. She rushed to class. She managed to tie her tie before entering the class. She sighed in relief when she saw McGonagall hadn't come in yet. She took her place next to her best friend Mae and hungrily ate her apple.

"Where were you?" Mae insisted. "I thought I'd let you sleep in a bit. You nearly just lost us precious house points!"

"Slept late," she grumbled, setting the apple down to fix her collar. She adjusted her tie with one hand. With the other, she raised her apple to her lips, speaking before she ate: "This quiz is going to be the death of me!"

"It's going to be helpful when we take our O.W.L.s, though. You know that!" Mae said closing up her textbook.

"I know. I'm awful at Transfiguration, though," Olivia said before mockingly adding: "You know that!"

Olivia took a bite of her apple, pulling her dark hair into a pony tail. Mae helped her separate her bangs from the rest of her hair before McGonagall entered with the quiz in hand. Olivia set the half eaten apple aside for now, deciding that it was too loud for the quiz.

"I have decided to postpone the test. Your exams, your O.W.L.'s, are still a few months away. I firmly believe you all deserve a morning of rest. It's a lovely day outside, go enjoy it," McGonagall said.

Olivia, a little frustrated that she'd just sprinted there, loosened her tie as she stood up. The class filed out of the room in surprise. Though, no one complained too much. A day of was a bloody miracle!

Olivia and Mae had made their way out into the court yard, lounging under a tree. Though it was late October, the summers heat wouldn't seem to die. Olivia had taken off her robe and rolled up the sleeves of her plain white button up shirt. As she pulled out a half knitted sweater, she noticed that most teachers must have given them the day off. There were lots of students from all different years walking around the court yard, mingling, laughing, studying.

Mae had a book propped open in her lap, munching on an apple next to her. (Olivia had since finished her own.) Together the two were quite boring compared to Olivia's brother and his friend, but they were content the way they were. Mae brushed her blonde hair behind her ear as she read.

The court yard was peaceful for the next half hour. There were birds chirping, even in late October, the sun was warm and the Earth was cool. Olivia was unsurprised to find this silence disrupted by her brother and his friends.

A group of Slytherins came running out into the courtyard screaming bloody murder. One of them, Olivia couldn't tell which from behind, had pissed themselves. The hufflepuff had to press her lips together to not giggle at the sight of these badass, cruel Slytherins scared out of their wits. The court yard roared in laughter.

"Potter!" one of them roared.

The laughing ceased instantly.

Many of the Slytherins commonly threatened that their parents knew and worked with Lord Voldemort. As if it was something to brag about. That tended to shut everyone up.

Olivia's heart had sunk. She thought they were yelling at her, but their attention was on her brother and his Marauders as they came into the courtyard.

"Look, Pads," James grinned. "Avery's pissed himself."

This time Olivia allowed herself to laugh with everyone else. The look on Avery's face was priceless. Avery growled at her brother before him and his friends went marching off, muttering angrily to themselves.

"Liv," Mae said next to her, tugging on her sleeve. "Please, please, please talk to James." She looked anxious and nervous—more so that normal.

"It's fine. It's nothing knew, and James would bring hell upon them if he knew. Everyone is just safer this way," she insisted, shaking her head.

~~~

Olivia ate her lunch under the glare of the group of Slytherins sitting across the room. Mae's anxiety was rubbing off the longer they went without them yelling at her for James' prank. She shook her head, returning her eyes to the soup in her bowl.

"Tell him!" Mae insisted, glancing over her shoulder. "He'll make them leave you alone."

"He's my brother. Not a superhero," she scoffed. "Honestly, Mae if you think James is going to do something besides fuel their anger and get another detention, you're wrong."

Mae frowned down at her plate. She scooped some food into her mouth, knowing her friend was completely right. James could tell them to stop, but that would just cause more backlash and teasing for no reason.

Despite it all, Olivia wasn't effected by their cruelty. If anything she was even a little sympathetic toward them. Their corrupt families, their corrupt thoughts and feelings. Every teenager struggled to figure themselves out. Sometimes, she wondered if they lashed out because she was an easy target and they didn't know what they were meant to think or feel or do.

Olivia knew the cruelty James' best friend Sirius faced. She'd seen him extremely angry. She knew his anger, directed at people he loved, was a result of the harsh home he once lived in. He'd moved in with the Potter's in August, arriving in such a horrible condition that Olivia wondered if he'd make it. She'd watched when James accidentally broke his friends broom in a Quidditch accident—the way Sirius' face contorted in pure rage before he lowered his eyes, offering a small shrug. She thought James was a dead man.

It was that anger that plagued the Slytherins that James targeted. But unlike Sirius, they could not control it. And Olivia being the person she was let them come after her, if only so they could settle the restlessness inside of them.

"Maybe one of the teachers could—"

"Mae, it is what it is. You know that their words don't bother me," Olivia said softly, giving her friends hand a squeeze.

Their cruelty never bothered her. She was always smiling, always happy despite it. Though that appeared to drive them wild, she didn't care very much.

Mae sighed and nodded. She might not have agreed with her friend, but she wouldn't push her to do something she didn't want to do. Whatever Olivia thought was best for herself, was best for her.