CHAPTER ELEVEN
(tw: sexual assault mentions, mental health)
DAYS HAD DRAGGED BY IN a fog of sorrow and numbing silence since the incident. The festive air of the Slytherin common room had evaporated, replaced by a palpable dread that clung to the walls. Lyra had retreated into the sanctuary of her dormitory, a space now saturated with an oppressive quiet. The week she was granted off from classes had passed in an agonizing blur, the temporary reprieve from academic obligations offering little solace. Dumbledore had taken the precaution of summoning her Aunt and Uncle, a gesture meant to provide support , but which felt more like an added burden to her already weary spirit.
Nate McKay's expulsion was a hollow victory. The act had failed to heal the deep wounds inflicted upon her; it merely highlighted the bitter reality that justice felt like a distant concept. Despite the uproar his actions had caused, the emotional scars remained. Friends had come and gone, but Lyra had refused their attempts at comfort, shutting them out as she grappled with her own darkness.
In the stifling quiet of the hospital wing, the door creaked open, a sound that cut through the stillness like a knife. Lyra's heart leaped, her instincts kicking into high gear. She turned her head towards the sound, her eyes darting around for her wand. Her movements were erratic and frantic, a reflection of her inner turmoil.
A voice broke through her anxiety, dripping with the familiar blend of irritation and begrudging familiarity. "Calm down, it's me." The voice was unmistakable.
"Potter! What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Lyra's confusion and irritation mixed into a sharp edge, her voice a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Oh god! Please don't tell me you thought I was dead."
Harry Potter, having just shed his invisibility cloak, met her gaze with a mix of irritation and concern. "Lower your voice, Black!" he hissed, the whisper laced with a harshness that contrasted with the worry in his eyes. "And no, I didn't think you were dead, which is a shame in my opinion. But I wanted to check if you're alright."
"Well, of course, I'm fine, Potter," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You know, I just got bored of life and decided to lay in the hospital wing because I was bloody tired of all my classes."
Potter rolled his eyes, his expression a blend of annoyance and exasperation. "You're a horrible person," he remarked, his emerald eyes flashing with irritation at her flippant remark.
"I know," Lyra nodded with exaggerated humility, a fake smile stretching across her lips. "It's what keeps me awake at night. Now go, I don't want you here."
"Why so eager to get rid of me?" Potter's smirk grew wider, reaching his eyes in a manner that was both infuriating and irritating. "Finally starting to come to your senses that you're in love with me?"
"In your dreams Potter," she scoffed, turning away from him in a clear sign of dismissal. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep."
Potter's persistence was unrelenting. He shook her shoulder gently and whispered her name, trying to regain her attention. "Potter, if you don't leave, I swear to Merlin I'll break your lanky neck in half," she threatened, her voice low but filled with an edge of real menace.
"I just want to know if you're okay," Potter huffed, his frustration evident. "Nobody knows what happened at that party."
"Like I told you and everyone before," Lyra said, biting her lip, trying to keep her composure. "It's none of your business and I am fine."
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FLUORESCENT ADOLESCENT ► harry potter ¹
RomanceFLUORESCENT ADOLESCENT | "Everything's in order in a black hole. Nothing seems as pretty as the past though" ━━he stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even with...
