𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑑 - 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿

ii.

Zara knew that her mood would change completely the moment she got on the train, and just as she predicted, it did. She knew it was going to be more difficult for her to concentrate and have a normal conversation, but she did not imagine it would be to that point.

The reason was one, and it was easy to guess: Cedric. She had shared each and every one of her trips with him since she was eleven years old, and it had not been uncomfortable for either of them to leave their other friends during that time —indeed, they had understood, since the Gryffindors would wait for Zara later in their common room, and the Hufflepuffs were too quiet in character to want to interrupt the only time they could spend alone.

And there she was, a few hours from Hogwarts, but without Cedric by her side this time. She would have liked to say that she had never turned around to share a comment with the boy, but she would be lying to herself. She had even tried to squeeze her eyes shut, pinch herself to want to wake up and tell herself that it had all been a nightmare, and that the kind-eyed boy was sitting in front of her, with that soft smile.

But he wasn't there, and she had tried to assimilate it as soon as possible with great regret. In front of her was only Harry, who seemed even as distracted as she was but tried a little more to hide it, smiling slightly at a garrulous Ginny, who seemed not to notice the state of her two friends. Zara, for her part, had barely turned her head away from the window, scrutinizing the landscape that already had her bored, but was less depressing than what would happen in her head if she began to live reality.

There was no turning back: she was going back to the castle and her mind was turning too much to issues that might never materialize. She was going to become the center of attention, the best friend of the boy who had just died in strange circumstances, the tragic end of one of the Hogwarts champions would not go unnoticed, and neither would she. She was not prepared to face pitying looks, pitying comments and empty words of encouragement.

"—And then she said, 'you're not even dancing, you're just stepping on my feet ',"Ginny almost collapsed from laughing so hard.

Once again, Harry gave her a look with a slightly awkward smile. It was only when Zara felt the two pairs of eyes on her that she woke up from her lethargy and cleared her throat. "What are we talking about?"

The redhead's eyes went wide. "What do you mean? That's what you said when you were practicing for the Yule Ball with Ron! Are you even paying attention to me?"

"I had other things in mind," muttered the blonde bitterly, her hand massaging her own hair.

Nonetheless, Ginny seemed to hear Zara's remark. "I was just trying to keep your mind off just for a bit, I'm sorry..."

Harry's head moved from side to side as if it were a tennis match, not quite understanding what was happening.

"I don't need anyone to distract me. I'm perfectly fine, can't you see?" Zara finally exploded. After months of sparing those unnecessary arguments with her parents, now it was her friend's turn to carry her pent-up anger. "My best friend was murdered in this fucking place just months ago, I'll be forced to stand on all of the places he's been with me before, but this time I'm alone. Oh, and also I'm also stupid enough to be forced to take my OWLs again. I do not need a distraction, I— I need to be alone!"

Ginny looked at her one last time before leaving the compartment, her eyes heavy with helplessness and sadness at having been the target of her friend's rage. As soon as she realized what had happened, Zara put her hands on the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply. Harry looked at her as she sat down across from him again.

"I swear I'm never this bitter."

Harry nodded. "I know. I've played with you for years. You're not a sweetheart either, but I believe your intentions are good, "Zara shook her head when the boy said sweetheart.