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THE next weekend, Athena was ready to leave hell—Malfoy Manor, in other words.

Walking down the grand staircase, she headed to the living room. When she stepped foot into the room with the leather couches and unlit fireplace, she stopped as she realized who was there: the one person she did not want to see.

Her mother, who was reading the Daily Prophet in her hands, her manicured nails more perfect than ever, glanced up at the sound of footsteps. Upon realizing who it was, her gaze returned to the Daily Prophet, and she tsked.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Celia Malfoy, her blonde hair in a tight bun.

Her green eyes narrowed at the outfit her daughter was wearing—black jeans, a dark green shirt, and black shoes.

Obviously going out.

Athena straightened, masking the fear she felt and replacing it with fake confidence. "Avery Manor," she replied, clenching her jaw to avoid sneering. She almost flinched when her mother's hard gaze landed on her again.

Celia was quiet for a moment. Then, she said, "Next time, wear something else. That green does not match your blonde hair."

Except it did.

Athena knew her mother had said those words to remind her of not only her new hair color but also what she had gone through because of it.

Feeling a pang in her chest, Athena ignored it and walked over to the fireplace as quickly as she could. She grabbed a handful of Floo powder from the bowl on top of the fireplace, stepped inside the hearth, and muttered, "Avery Manor."

She felt the familiar rush of swirling green flames enveloping her, pulling her through the shimmering tunnel of fire and ash. The sensation was disorienting.

As the fiery whirlwind began to slow, Athena braced herself for the sudden shift, emerging from the hearth at Avery Manor with a final burst of sparks, landing neatly in the opulent entrance hall.

Her lips quirked upwards immediately when a pair of arms wrapped around her at the same moment.

She let out a laugh, hugging back her friend whom she had missed dearly. "Lucinda!" she exclaimed, excitement evident in her voice.

Lucinda finally released her friend, who was nearly breathless from the tight embrace, and gave her a firm slap on the arm while pointing a stern finger at her.

"Don't you ever ignore my letters again," she warned, her concern evident despite the reprimand. After tucking her finger away, she allowed her smile to return, her eyes lighting up as she took in her friend's new appearance. "You dyed your hair!"

Athena flinched. She became quiet, then cleared her throat and tried to smile, but understanding showed in Lucinda's eyes.

Deciding to change the subject, Lucinda took her friend's hand and eagerly led her to the nearest room—the kitchen.

Athena laughed again, letting her friend pull her along.

She stopped, mouth parting in awe at the beautiful kitchen they entered.

The kitchen was bathed in light, with white counters and cupboards complemented by sleek marble countertops. In stark contrast to the dark and somber kitchen of Malfoy Manor, this space was bright and airy, sunlight streaming in through the open windows.

Unlike Malfoy Manor, where the dining room and kitchen were two separate rooms, here the two areas were combined into one large space. The dining table and chairs were positioned at the far end of the kitchen.

At the counters, a woman was busy preparing ingredients for baking. She wore an apron and had her hair tied up in a casual, messy bun—something Athena's mother would never be seen in. Equally uncharacteristic for Athena's mother was the woman's current activity: baking cookies.

The woman turned around, her brown hair and brown eyes holding a certain warmth Athena was not used to. Upon seeing her and Lucinda, her eyes lit up. "You must be Athena!" The woman stepped forward and embraced her warmly, not minding that the young girl tensed but slowly hugged her back.

"That's my mother," confirmed Lucinda, her smile fading as she noticed Athena's shocked look—almost as if she hadn't been hugged by an older woman in ages.

When the woman finally pulled away, she gave Athena another warm smile and continued, "I'm Arabella Avery. You can call me Bella, dear." Then, she returned to the dough she was making at the counter, giving them one last smile. "Luci, show dear Athena around the manor while I finish baking these cookies. I'll bring them up to you two when they're done."

"Alright, Mum." Lucinda turned around and motioned for her friend to follow her, which she did immediately.

As they walked through the huge manor and later up the stairs, Athena finally opened her mouth to speak again. "Your mother seems wonderful," she said, earning a nod from her friend.

"She is," replied Lucinda, her voice wavering as she opened the door to her bedroom. "It's her first time getting out of bed in over a year and baking something. We have house-elves to do so, but she wanted to make you feel as welcome as possible."

At that, Athena couldn't help but smile, as sad as it was. Her attention was caught by the color scheme of Lucinda's room—beige and white. Everything was either beige or white. It was beautiful, freeing, and felt like a breath of fresh air.

Delicate white curtains fluttered gently with the breeze, and the beige upholstered furniture was both stylish and comfortable. The room featured minimalist decor, with just a few carefully chosen pieces that added subtle sophistication without overwhelming the space. The overall effect was a harmonious blend of simplicity and elegance, making the room feel calming—a perfect escape from the outside world.

"Your room is beautiful," said Athena in awe, sitting down on the beige couch at the end of the room, just like Lucinda herself did.

Lucinda gave her friend a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. After thanking her for the compliment, her grin faded away, and she looked at Athena with nothing but concern. "Why didn't you actually send letters, Athena? Something happened, didn't it?" she asked, her gaze returning to Athena's new hair color.

Athena nodded slowly, taking in a few strands of her hair and giving her friend a plastered-on smile. "Mother decided I wasn't 'Malfoy enough' and changed my hair color," was all she said.

She left out the part where she had been tortured by her own mother, knowing that if word got out, Celia Malfoy would be sent to Azkaban for using the Unforgivable Curse.

And as amazing as that sounded, Athena knew her father would have her mother out of Azkaban in less than an hour because of the power his position held in the Ministry. After that, Athena would be disowned immediately.

That part did not sound amazing.

She had nowhere else to go, and she knew that if Lucinda's family took her in, the Avery name would be ridiculed. Because they were also Purebloods, after all, and taking in a disowned Pureblood did more harm to their name than good.

"I'm sorry," Lucinda replied sympathetically, taking her friend's hand and squeezing it for comfort. "I can change it back if you would like?"

The offer clenched Athena's heart. She knew she would have taken up the offer in a heartbeat if she could, but knowing she was going back to Malfoy Manor at the end of the day meant all she would do was cause extra trouble and probably go through the Unforgivable Curse again—after getting her blonde hair back, of course.

So, she shook her head instead and let out a sigh. Athena opted for a smile, not wanting the visit to be sad, especially because of how free and happy she felt in Avery Manor.

"How are things going with you?"

Lucinda shrugged, avoiding her friend's eyes as she picked at the pillow's strings next to her on the couch.

She finally looked at her friend instead and replied, "It's alright, I suppose. Edmund and I are... trying to fix things between us. I think my mother is noticing, and it has helped her own state immensely."

"That's good, Lucinda." Athena smiled proudly, her gaze falling onto the multiple crumpled parchments on the desk by the window—the only untidy space in the room.

Following her gaze, Lucinda flushed and waved a hand dismissively. "That's nothing. It's—"

"Letters to Druella?" Athena finished knowingly, her expression shifting from pride to understanding.

They fell silent for a moment, neither of them trying to break the stillness that settled between them.

Until Athena said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry—"

"You aren't," Lucinda cut her off immediately, giving her a look. "Of course, you aren't prying, Athena. It's just..." She turned around, her eyes landing on the crumpled parchments on the white desk by the window. The multiple letters she had tried to write to Druella had only ended up crumpled and thrown out.

She wasn't sure how to respond to Druella after being told about her engagement. She struggled with how to offer congratulations without letting her own bitterness seep into her words.

It was difficult to congratulate someone when all she really wanted to do was—

"I know," said Athena quietly, genuine understanding in her eyes as she looked at the girl sitting across from her.

But Lucinda knew she did not, in fact, understand.

Nobody did.

The brown-haired girl waved a hand in dismissal yet again. "It's nothing." She shrugged and turned to her friend again, licking her dry lips in an effort to hide how dry her mouth had gone.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and plastered on a smile.

Athena merely gave her a look. I see you, she said with only that look, and I understand and would not judge you.

Lucinda, deep down, thanked Merlin every single night for having Athena in her life. If she hadn't met the girl, her whole life would've been absolute chaos by now. She would've had nobody who not only understood her but also stuck by her side.

A knock on the door alerted the two girls to the woman walking into the room with a plate of fresh-baked cookies. The smell brought smiles to Athena and Lucinda's faces.

"Thank you," Athena breathed out to Lucinda's mother, overwhelmed by the amount of motherly love shown to her after having met the woman for less than an hour.

Arabella Avery gave the girls a warm smile that reached her eyes as she put the plate on the coffee table, then clapped her hands once, looking genuinely happy as she looked at the girls. "Consider this your second home, Athena, dear."

First, Athena corrected inwardly.

Aside from Hogwarts itself, that is. Hogwarts was and would always be Athena's real, true home.