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PLATFORM nine-and-three-quarters was already a breath of fresh air to Athena, who was looking forward to the day that had finally arrived after months of her waiting. The first of September.

Students rushed around the platform with cages—where an owl was—in their hands, and trunks in their other hand. Excited chatter from the said students and emotional goodbyes from their parents were what Athena heard as she tried to tune out her own parents.

Feeling an elbow dig into her side, she shot a glare at her brother, Abraxas, who had elbowed her to catch her attention.

He motioned towards their waiting parents, who were looking at their daughter expectantly.

"Erm—what?" Athena followed his gaze, rolling her eyes when her mother's nostrils flared in anger.

Unfortunately for Celia Malfoy, the roll of the eyes from her daughter made her only angrier.

"Repeat what I said, Athena." Her mother crossed her arms and looked down at her daughter. Her blond hair was tied tightly in a bun, a few strands framing her face. Her lips were painted in a beautiful—and expensive—red lipstick, and her rosy cheeks gave her more beauty than ever.

But Athena was not fooled by her mother's beauty. Not even a tiny bit. Unfortunately for her, her father was.

Actually, now that she thought about it, her father barely acknowledged her mother even during dinner. Septimus Malfoy was busier with work than anything else—and also teaching his son how to be "the proper pureblood heir," as he always called it.

Athena snapped out of it when her mother scoffed. The trunk she was holding in her hand was heavy, but she would rather crush under the weight of it than give it to her brother and show him that she needed him.

Not that she did, of course.

She was Athena Ravena Malfoy.

She did not need anyone.

"This is exactly what I mean, Septimus. Your daughter shows a shocking lack of respect," Celia remarked coldly, her arms crossed tightly as she regarded her daughter with disdain.

Septimus Malfoy glanced around the platform, making sure nobody had heard his wife.

People knowing about the bad manners of their daughter would not look good, after all.

He turned his gaze to Athena, shaking his head in disappointment. "After turning fifteen this summer, Athena, I expected you to have shown some maturity."

"The birthday I spent alone in my room, forgotten?" Athena retorted, her voice laced with bitterness.

She flinched under her mother's piercing gaze, swallowing hard before turning away.

Ignoring Abraxas's disapproving frown, she walked onto the train, clutching her trunk tightly.

Walking through the empty compartments, her own gaze slid to the view of her family far from the train outside the window.

Her mother adjusted Abraxas's collar, while her father visibly recovered from her abrupt departure, finger raised in a reprimanding gesture as he spoke to Abraxas. Athena knew he was cautioning him about her behavior, as if he were her babysitter.

She let out a huff and continued walking down the train, wanting nothing more than to reach the Slytherin compartments as soon as she could. Angry tears filled her eyes as she clenched her jaw while walking, mind on the way she was treated the whole summer.

Tortured by the Cruciatus curse, then ignored for the rest of the summer.

While Abraxas was busy with the lessons he got from their father, or with going out with their parents, or with spending time with his friends—Athena was in her room all alone, her books and a quill and parchment being her only company.

Clenching her jaw even tighter, Athena continued walking. Finally, she reached the compartments she was heading to and opened the one on her right with the view of the brick wall instead of the platform filled with families.

She stopped in the middle of the compartment door, rolling her eyes in disbelief.

Of course the first person she saw had to be none other than Tom Riddle.

"Seeking me out, are you, Malfoy?" Riddle's mocking words were the first greeting between the two, and if Athena was being serious, that mocking from him felt refreshing—a breath of fresh air from what she had endured at Malfoy Manor.

She supposed anything felt better than being in Malfoy Manor, after all.

"Yes. How did you know?" Athena's reply was dripped in sarcasm, which Riddle seemed to note before rolling his black eyes. "I am just jumping with joy seeing you, Riddle."

He shook his head, almost as if he was already used to her antics, his eyes straying back to the book that was opened in his hands. "I truly cannot wait to demonstrate just how insignificant your efforts will be compared to mine this year, Malfoy." He looked up again, a strand of his black hair falling into his eyes as something flickered in his eyes. "Especially after this summer. I heard Malfoy Manor treated you well?"

Athena scoffed in disbelief, shaking her head slowly at the audacity of the boy sitting in the corner of the compartment. Still standing in the middle of the opened compartment door, the trunk feeling heavier in her hand than ever, Athena debated whether she could throw it at his head.

She didn't, unfortunately, do that. Instead, she raised her head and looked down at him, masking the pang she felt in her chest. "Not as well as the orphanage treated you, I hope?" She tilted her head, a satisfied smile overtaking her lips when she noticed the way his jaw clenched.

Riddle's grip on the book tightened as his eyes remained fixed on the girl before him.

A tight-lipped smile curled his lips. "You can take your trunk and leave, Malfoy, before your brother finishes bidding your parents farewell—though I must ask, why aren't you joining him?"

The mockery and knowing in his tone made her own nostrils flare—reminding her, unfortunately, of her own mother.

"At least I have parents to bid farewell to," shot back Athena before leaving and snapping the door shut, not giving him a chance to reply.

She continued walking down the empty compartments, finally settling into one as far away as she could from Riddle's. It took a great deal of effort for Athena to put her trunk on top of the storage shelf, grunting while she did so. But when she was done, she sat down and let out a sigh, closing her eyes as a genuine smile appeared on her face.

She was finally going back to Hogwarts.

She was getting away from her family. For now, at least.

It took a while for Druella and Lucinda to find the compartment Athena was sitting in. The train had even started moving by then, and Lucinda's mumbles of complaints were obvious as she sat down across from her friend and glared at her.

"You made us search the entire train for twenty minutes until we finally found you!" Lucinda exclaimed, out of breath, crossing her arms with a frown.

Druella rolled her eyes fondly, but didn't add anything as she sat down next to Lucinda.

Athena winced apologetically. "Sorry. I tried to get as far away from Riddle as I could," she explained, then let out a sigh.

Lucinda's brows furrowed again, but this time in concern as she tilted her head and continued to look at her friend. "He did not bother you too much, did he?"

"No." Athena rolled her eyes. "He cannot bother me when he means nothing to me. Besides, we have O.W.L.s this year, and I've got to put all my effort into getting better results than him. Could you imagine the failure I'd become if Riddle got better marks?"

"No, because your marks do not define you." Druella gave her a pointed look as she cut in.

The betrothal ring on her finger shined brighter than ever, its elegance and sign of the person who wore it belonging to the Blacks rightfully so. Druella seemed to do her best to ignore it.

Druella continued, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at her friend, "You, Athena Malfoy, need to stop thinking your worth depends on your marks. Whether you are the top student or the opposite, your worth will continue to be greater than ever."

My parents would not think so either way, Athena bitterly thought.

But the words still warmed something in her chest as Athena let herself mull over it.

Even though she needed to hear those words, it would not stop her from wanting better marks than everyone else—especially Riddle.

"Thank you, Druella." Athena smiled genuinely, resulting in Druella giving her the same smile.

The train ride passed by in comfortable silence at the start, which soon turned into stories about their summers.

Laughter and teasing erupted between the three girls when Lucinda had mentioned the trip she took to Italy, where she had seen a gorgeous guy on a boat.

Druella, meanwhile, seemed to do her best to hide the ring from sight as she flipped it the other way, its stone poking into her palm as she closed her hand into a fist.

While Athena seemed to do her best to hide away the thoughts she had of her own summer—the thoughts about being tortured by her own mother, ignored by her own father, and fighting constantly with her own brother—by laughing and smiling with her friends.

Problems seemed so far away when the three girls were together, on the train ride back to their home, Hogwarts.

The greenery showed from the window of the train as they passed through the beautiful sights of the country.

The flowers were beautiful, even though autumn was here, as it was September first.

The trees had taken back their beautiful nature of its leaves turning brown and slowly falling, a beautiful yet sad metaphor of life.