Chapter 17
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PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL GENTLY TUGGED ON THE ROLL OF PARCHMENT. She remained as dignified as ever, but if the twitch in her brow meant anything, it seemed as though even she was getting fed up with Hermione's theatrics.

As put together and proud as Hermione may be, if there was one thing that made her lose her composure, it was academics. Especially, when her grades came into factor.

Lips curled inwards, Harry withheld himself from laughing as he watched her friend and Professor play a round of tug-a-war with Hermione's transfiguration essay.

"Please, Professor. There is still some information that I could —"

"Miss Granger."

"Maybe if I added an extra foot of —"

"Miss Granger, I suggest you do not make me remove marks."

Harry glanced around the classroom. Some of his classmates ignored the situation, already used to the scene. Others looked entertained, both Patil twins especially. Ron, who was one desk over, watched with his head resting on his hand. When his eyes met Harry's, the boy rolled his eyes.

Harry finally let out a snicker, making Hermione snap her head towards him. In response, Harry shrugged.

Hermione huffed, releasing her essay. "Very well. I guess it wouldn't do well to write more only to lose points."

"It wouldn't, indeed." Professor McGonagall inserted the roll of essay with the others in her leather scroll case. "Class dismissed."

On cue, students started to bolt out the door.

"Every single time, 'Ermione!"

"Forgive me for wanting my work to be perfect, Ronald!"

They walked in front of Harry, bickering with each other and not paying attention to where they were heading.

As they walked to the door, Harry tried to warn them. "Lads, watch where —"

Harry couldn't have said it earlier. Hermione's books fell out of her arms as she slammed head-first into Malfoy and his crew.

Ron was instantly in front of her, glaring at the blond boy as he sneered at Hermione. Harry joined, ready to tell Malfoy to sod off.

Crabbe and Goyle were right behind Malfoy. Zabini was there too, next to him, though he looked a lot less pissed about the situation and more so bored. He was tugging Malfoy by the arm as though to get him to leave.

Goyle groaned. "Oi. Watch where you're going, mudbl —"

Malfoy put his hand up, stopping Goyle mid-sentence. He watched Hermione, brows furrowed. He pushed a book that fell at his foot closer to her.

"Do muggleborns all have bad eyesight? Can't you see where you're going?"

Hermione looked at him, confused. Even Harry was caught off guard.

"Listen here, Malfoy—" Ron tried, but Hermione stopped him.

"I'm sorry."

Malfoy clicked his tongue. "Whatever." He snatched his arm away from Zabini, walking away, Crabbe and Goyle following.

Zabini, for his part, picked up Hermione's books and handed them back to her. "Don't mind him. He tries to act cool sometimes."

"Right."

He gave them all a nod and left. Harry watched him walk past Crabbe and Goyle and join Malfoy next to him again.

"What the fuck was that about?" Ron questioned once they were out of sight.

"He — umm. Malfoy didn't call me a mudblood?"

Harry noticed it too. Malfoy even stopped Goyle from calling her one.

━━━━

Ron piled a second serving of mash and gravy onto Harry's plate.

"Ron. I'm most positively full," Harry said, mockingly.

The redhead simply glared at him, giving Harry another helping of peas in retaliation.

"I'm serious."

"No, that's your godfather."

It was now Harry who glared, but Ron only ignored him.

"We aren't going home for Yule this year. Just take this as something my mum would do. Think of me as her, yeah?"

"You might as well already be her."

"Oi!"

Harry really was full. He already ate way more than what he normally would, but apparently, that wasn't enough if Remus' observations during the summer meant anything. Still, there was no way he was going to finish it all, so he discreetly piled half of it onto Adhara's plate.

Adhara glared.

Harry shrugged. "You eat as much as I do."

"So?"

"Apparently, it's not enough."

Adhara rolled her eyes, but she didn't say anything as she started eating spoonfuls of mashed potatoes.

Hermione and Millicent weren't with them tonight. Millicent was helping Madam Pomfrey rearrange her potions, and Hermione didn't want to leave Millie alone with such a tiring task.

"Adhara" called Ron, "give me your plate."

"No."

"You need to eat more!"

"This is my second helping."

"It's not — it is?"

Adhara nodded.

"Oh." Ron wasn't entirely convinced. He looked over and saw that Adhara's plate was fuller than before. But he also noticed how Harry's was suspiciously emptier.

Ron sighed. "It's still more than expected, at least."

"You really are like a mum to everyone, huh?" added one of Harry and Ron's roommates, Dean.

With Hermione and Millie absent, it left the seats in front of them empty, so Harry's other roommates joined them. They didn't ask, but simply just took the spots. Harry suspected it was mostly because they wanted to get to know Adhara more.

Adhara, on the other hand, didn't look very pleased to be surrounded by so many Gryffindors. Other than the feasts, no one seemed to bother to sit at their assigned table anymore. Though, it was true that most people tended to befriend their housemates, since, well, it was more convenient, that wasn't always the case. Thus, house tables were slowly taken less and less seriously. Yet, Slytherins mostly avoided the Gryffindor table and Gryffindors, the Slytherins', which is why Adhara was currently the only snake at a table full of lions.

Seamus talked first. "So, Black."

Adhara glanced at him, making the boy gulp.

He laughed nervously. "So umm. The Slytherin Common Room is in the dungeons. What's that like?"

Adhara quirked a brow.

"You know. Like isn't it cold and wet down there?"

"It isn't."

"No? You hear that, boys?" Seamus glanced at Neville and Dean who were on either side of him. "It's not cold in their common room. Wait, but how?"

Adhara settled her spoon down. She wiped her mouth with a napkin, then finally looked directly at Seamus. "Magic."

"Oh."

Neville started laughing, only for Seamus to elbow him on his side.

"Ouch!"

Over the past years, Harry told them off anytime one of them made a comment about Adhara. He was sure they learned their lesson. But apparently, that didn't mean they stopped being afraid of her. Sort of like how, even though Sirius was announced innocent, people were still wary of him.

Though, it didn't seem like either of them minded much. In fact, it seemed like Adhara and Sirius actually enjoyed it.

Like uncle, like niece.

"Adhara." It was Dean's turn, apparently.

Ron and Harry exchanged a look, he looked rather amused by the whole thing, mostly because he got to see the boys being afraid and Adhara being annoyed. Not that any of their roommates could tell that she was.

"Who's your date for the ball?"

This time, Adhara really did glare. Harry did too.

"Dean."

"What? I'm only asking. If she hasn't got a date, then Neville, here, is going by himself, too —"

"Umm. I actually ha — have a date?"

"What?! Who?"

"Ginny Weas —"

"My sister?!" Ron shouted.

Neville looked petrified. "Is that okay?"

"It's bloody weird. My mate with my sister."

"I couldn't ask you before, she would've punched me!"

Adhara huffed. "Obviously. She can make her own decision. Why would you need her brother's permission?"

Neville's eyes got wide. "No! That isn't what I meant. I just thought, because I'm friends with her brother, it would be strange that —"

"It is fucking strange!"

"Wait!" Seamus cut them off. "How come Adhara doesn't have a date? Aren't you and Harry going together?"

Harry froze for a second before disgust overcame him. Adhara actually stood up to leave, but Harry held her back.

"What the fuck, Finnigan?!"

"What?!"

"That's sick!"

"Why?"

"She's my sister!"

"What? Since when??" Dean chimed in.

"Since her uncle's my godfather?"

Neville stayed calm. "Wait, but my mum's your godmother?"

Harry blinked. "What?!"

━━

At the end of supper, Ron, Adhara, and Harry walked back together.

"How come you don't know anything about yourself?"

"No one ever told me!"

"And you didn't think to look it up yourself? Haz, have you even read your parents' will?"

"They have a will?"

Adhara groaned.

Ron realised something. "Wait but. How come you're okay with going with me but going with Adhara disgust you?"

"Because Adhara and I are practically related?"

"Harry. We're all related."

"Urg. Don't remind me!"

━━━━

Harry watched as Adhara twisted the strands of hair between her fingers, completing the braid and adding silver beads at the end like how Hermione wanted her to.

They were in the boys' dorms in Gryffindor Tower, Hermione, Adhara, and Millie. Other than Ron and Harry, Millie kicked out the rest of their roommates, because Hermione wanted her hair styled and Adhara wasn't comfortable with anyone else seeing her hands.

It might've been the first time Ron had seen them though. He almost gasped, but a quick hand on his shoulder from Harry, and the boy shut up. Harry noticed the way Ron scrunched his face, but the redhead already had the answers to any questions he might have.

Harry has only seen Adhara without her gloves a handful of times. There was that first time in their first year, after which he had only seen her hands here and there. Adhara was getting more and more comfortable with him seeing them as time went by, especially considering the number of times Harry watched her carefully braid and style Hermione's hair.

It wasn't always like that, however. Harry remembered when Adhara ensured not even a glimpse of her hands was visible. She still did eat with her gloves on at the Great Hall.

But with time, she was becoming more open about them. She started to take her gloves off in front of the girls; for doing Hermione's hair, or whenever they snuck into the kitchens after curfew.

Adhara was slowly opening up. It was nice to see. It was somehow comforting. It felt as though, far away from Aleyne, Adhara could finally be herself because Matron would finally be away.

But then this summer happened.

Adhara never went into detail about the abuse she faced with Matron. She told him about the furnace room, though Adhara never said anything about the rest.

Harry tried to imagine how it could have been at Aleyne, tried to maybe even relate it to some of his experiences with the Dursleys, but whatever he came up with felt as though it didn't compare.

And he received full proof of it this summer, with the state in which Adhara came to the Grangers' home.

After that, Harry watched as Adhara closed up again. He started seeing her hands less and less, rarely ever getting a glimpse any more.

It made the blood in Harry's veins boil. It made rage fire up in his belly, and grow stronger as his throat burned up.

It was infuriating, it was frustrating, it was completely and utterly unfair.

Why do they still continue to affect them even after they were gone?

Harry remembered the fear that came with the sound of a plate clattering, the dread that engulfed him whenever he heard footsteps nearing him. He wondered if the Dursleys bothered to clean up his cupboard or if they found the stack of cans in the corner of his bedroom.

It embarrassed him remembering that. It made him feel weak, it made him feel less brave. It just wasn't fair.

Aunt Petunia didn't like Harry. She didn't like his magic, his eyes, or his hair. Once, she even shaved off his head because she didn't want to deal with it, only for his hair to grow back fully by the next day.

Harry liked his hair. He liked how it seemed to have a mind of his own, how it never seemed to give in and listen.

Adhara was slowly getting better now. Though, ever since this summer, she seemed more guarded about her hands. In fact, for the first time in months, she took off her gloves in front of someone.

"Is it done yet?" complained Millie. She was stretched out like a cat on Harry's bed, forcing the lad onto the floor. Hermione was right in front of him, as Adhara and Ron meticulously braided her hair. The boy had kept badgering her with questions, so out of irritation, Adhara put him to work while instructing him what to do.

"It's been hooours!"

It had. The girls showed up at their dorm room early in the morning and it was now late afternoon. Though, they still had a few hours until the ball.

Adhara nodded. "Ron's completing the last one right now."

"It's done, it's done! Here!" He handed it to Adhara, who added the last of the beads since the redhead still had trouble with that part.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't mind. I got to finish my reading for Transfiguration."

"Finally! The others are definitely getting ready already. Come on!"

"Already?" interjected Ron. "But the ball isn't until eight?"

Millie looked at him as though he was daft. "Makeup, hair, and outfit. It takes a while, you know?"

Hermione stood up, a teasing smile on her face. "You just want to hurry up and see Padma."

"Says the one who decided to wear real silver beads in her hair for her date."

"I still can't believe you talked us out of asking the Patils because you had an ulterior mo—" Ron blinked, realising something. He turned to Hermione. "Wait. You actually have a date?"

Harry tuned them out. He eyed Adhara as she closed the jar of gel, absentmindedly twisting a lock of his curls between two fingers.

Adhara must've caught the action because she stopped for a moment, then undid the lid. She gestured for Harry to come sit in front of her.

Harry thought of Petunia and how she never liked his hair. He didn't even hesitate when Adhara called him.

Slowly, the others stopped talking, when they noticed Adhara and him. Millie looked like she was tired but didn't want to say anything. Hermione, on the other hand, slowly smiled.

"Adhiiii. We need to do your hair and makeup."

Adhara shrugged. "I'm fast with cornrows."

Hermione sat next to her. "Reckon I'm faster. Tell me when you get tired, and I can pick it up."

"I don't mind. You lot go get ready. Millie wants her hair curled, and she only trusts me and you with her hair."

Millie's face then turned red. "That's not true!"

Adhara already started on Harry's hair, so he couldn't really see what was going on behind him anymore. But he heard Hermione whisper.

"Call me, alright?"

"Whatever."

Satisfied, Hermione pulled Millie out of the room with her.

"Can I —"

"No, Ron. Go get ready."

"It takes ten minutes to put on robes. And I wanna see how —"

"Then sit there silently and observe. And keep Harry entertained if he gets bored."

Harry didn't think he would.

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Adhara walked into mayhem. What she believed to be a hair dryer was flung across the room as she opened the door, and Adhara was already contemplating turning around and disappearing for the night.

"Adhi!" waved Millicent. One of the twins, Padma – figured Adhara if her friend's smile was anything to go by – was applying rouge on Millie's face. Adhara thought that was pointless as the girl's cheeks were already painted pink.

There were others here too, not just Hermione's roommates. Some girls from Hufflepuff and even one Adhara recognized from her own House.

"Come! Sit! Someone will get to you once they're done!"

Adhara eyed the mess. There was no place to even set her foot, let alone sit in this room. Makeup pallets and hair tools littered the floor, along with bottles of beautification potions and parchments with secret allure charms written on them.

The dresses were charmed to float overhead in order to avoid the mess. Adhara thought that was clever.

"Smart, isn't it?" said Millie. She saw Adhara look at the dresses. "Padma's idea."

The said girl snorted. "Not in Ravenclaw for no reason, am I? Hermione should be done with Parvati's hair, Adhara. You can go to her."

The dorm rooms weren't very big. Everyone could hear each other when someone spoke, so Parvati was already looking at her when Adhara looked in her direction.

She waved her over. "My sister's so busy with her date that she can't even spare a minute for her twin anymore."

"Your makeup's already done, Parvati!"

Parvati only stuck out her tongue. Behind her, Hermione was spritzing large amounts of foam in her hand.

Her friend shook her head. "Potion's incident. Had to restart her whole hair because somebody thought it'd be a good idea to spray amortentia on hair."

From across the room, Lavender Brown huffed. "It's a good idea for perfume!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. She smeared the foam on Parvati's hair, scrunching to let the waves form. "Anyway. I only have to put gel on now, so you can start. Just don't move too much."

Using her legs, Parvati pushed away the foam bottle and perfumes on the floor. She tapped the space in front of her twice. "Sit. What kind of makeup style were you thinking?"

"None at all," replied Adhara, taking her spot.

"Natural! I like that! So, which one's your dress?"

Before Adhara could tell her that she didn't know, but that it was most likely the kaftan, Millie chimed in.

"The lavender one!"

"Ooh, so then how about purple eyeshadow—"

"No."

"— with bold eyeliner —"

"No."

"— and bright lipstick!"

Adhara sighed. Parvati's eyes were practically sparkling, making her almost give in.

"No eyeshadow, no lipstick. But the eyeliner doesn't sound too bad."

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A/N did I tell you guys about my Ginny Weasley fic? I did? Well. I guess I'm telling you again.

(It's another gen fic for those wondering.)