TW - Mention of PTSD at the very end of the chapter in the letter.

Minerva, with her cat like hearing, could tell someone stood outside her door. In fact she could tell two people were stood there. With a stern look to the door, it swung open to reveal Ophelia and Lily.

"Ophelia, Miss Evans, what on earth are you two doing here? Why aren't you in Hogsmeade?" Minerva asked, her strong Scottish accent making every word she spoke seem charged with authority and importance.

"Can we speak to you?" Ophelia answered with a question, rather than an answer. "Please." Her voice weary but still cheerful.

"Of course dear, is everything ok?" Minerva removed her glasses from her nose and stood to meet them at the door, but noticing the lack of eye contact from Ophelia she decided on another option. "Shall we go somewhere, a little more, calming?"

"Uh, yeh, please." Ophelia smiled, unsure where this place may be. They followed Minerva out of the classroom. "By the way, Lily knows."

"I see. Miss Evans how are you feeling?" Minerva continued to walk at a brisk pace, the girls only a few steps behind.

"Sad." Lily answered rather abruptly but noticed Ophelia slow down. "I don't mean it in that way, I'm sad that Fi has been through so much. I can't imagine how her life has been." Lily continued, linking her arm around Ophelia's arm.

"I'm glad Ophelia has someone else on her side now."

The rest of the walk remained silent, they walked the corridors until they reached the grounds. Lily gave Ophelia a look that asked 'where are we going' to which Ophelia shrugged in response. But as they reached a forest and steps, Ophelia knew exactly where they were. Unlinking her arm from Lily, Ophelia overtook Minnie and felt herself relax whilst also grow excited by the prospect of what was just around the corner.

"Stormy!" Ophelia called and soon enough a few thumps on the ground were heard and the Hippogriff appeared. Ophelia went to bow, but before she had chance the animal was already cantering towards her at speed.

"Ophelia step away." Minerva drew her wand, this wasn't the first time she had seen a Hippogriff, but she tended to keep a distance from all magical creatures as they just weren't her forte. However what she did know was how proud these creatures were, and seeing one run at someone didn't seem like a positive sign. But before she had chance to react, the creature had wrapped her large white tipped eagle wings around Ophelia's small body.

"I missed you too." Ophelia fell into the unexpected yet comforting hug. "Minnie it's ok, I promise. Just when I move away keep eye contact with her then bow. When she bows back, which she will I promise, then you can approach her slowly. Lily you do the same after. I'll be with you guys anyway."

Minerva couldn't help but smile, even if it broke her usual facade. The confidence that radiated from Ophelia when she spoke about the Hippogriff was indescribable; above that though was the smile that rested on the girls face, it was infectious. Unsurprisingly, Minerva knew exactly how to face a Hippogriff but she wouldn't make that known to Ophelia just yet, this was her moment.

Minerva did exactly what Ophelia explained and soon enough was stroking the head of the creature. Lily followed, a little more anxious, but eager to not fail; again once the 'greeting' was complete, Lily was stood beside the bird looking much more relaxed. After they were deemed 'trustworthy' by Stormy, the Hippogriff turned and began to walk deeper into the forest.

"She wants us to follow her, it will be worth it I promise." Ophelia was already following the Hippogriff as she said this. Not bothering to look back to see if Minnie and Lily were following her. Stormy led them to the opening Ophelia first met her, and curled up on the floor was baby Buckbeak. Ophelia walked over to the sleeping Hippogriff and took a seat on the ground and stroked his head. Minerva and Lily stood back for a few moments, watching the small interaction, until Minerva transfigured two chairs from branches on the floor.

"Are you feeling ready to talk freely?" Minerva took a seat, beckoning Lily to sit beside her.

"Yeh." Ophelia continued to stroke Buckbeak's head, finding that with each stroke felt like a weight lifted from her shoulders. "So Lily found out because I freaked after seeing a magazine."

"A magazine?" Minerva questioned?

"A muggle one, when my suspicions were at their highest I needed one last piece of evidence. So I had my mum send me a magazine with Fi, or rather Lia, in it." Lily explained.

"In this magazine, or rather on the front of it, was a headline-"

"A headline saying Fi's boyfriend cheated on her." Lily interrupted and finished the sentence, partly with pride in her voice but also in hope to hear the full story soon.

"A boyfriend? Ophelia, you never mentioned a boyfriend?" Minerva looked at the girl with concern and guilt; she sometimes forgot that the girl had an entire life before now.

"Well that's the thing, he wasn't really a boyfriend." Ophelia looked up to see the quizzed looks on the two's faces. "It's rather complicated how it happened. But it was down to Mr and Mrs Montgomery really, and Miss Mills but her for a different reason. Mr and Mrs Montgomery formed a contract with the Beaumont family. The Beaumont's have a son who is 17, he was being perceived by the paparazzi's as out of control and the Beaumont's are a highly influential family and they couldn't have their name tarnished. They were close friends with Mr and Mrs Montgomery, I didn't really meet them much, I wasn't really allowed to."

"Wait, you keep saying Mr and Mrs Montgomery? Your mum and dad?" Lily interrupted again, out of curiosity rather than rudeness.

"As I'm sure you're aware Lily, I was known as the 'poster girl' for adopted children, they were the perfect adoptive parents. They weren't obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be sat here having this conversation." Stormy moved towards Ophelia on the ground and laid behind, head resting on her shoulder in a protective way. "The thing with the Montgomery's it was all about money, with money came status, I was like a cash cow to them. I was never their daughter, I was an employee - that's the politest way to put it." Ophelia chuckled dryly, earning a beak nudge from Stormy. "So, I was never allowed to call them mum and dad in personal situations, it was always Mr and Mrs Montgomery. The only time this didn't happen is if I was in public. It would ruin their perfect image you see?"

"So you've never had a mum or dad?" Lily answered the rhetorical question with another.

"Miss Evans, please refrain from speaking every thought." Minerva turned to Lily, her lips tightly pursed. But she too had thought the same and admired the girl for her constant curiosity.

"I'm sorry Fi, I didn't think." Lily offered a smile in remorse.

"It's ok. I get it, it's nice to talk about it in the strangest of ways. They weren't ever my parents no."

"That's horrid." Lily placed her head in her hands, almost like it was her who had this happen. Emotions overriding her.

"It's ok, honestly Lily, it's ok. It's all I ever knew, so it's not like I lost out."

"Ophelia this boyfriend could we return to the matter?" Minerva wanted to change the subject as although Ophelia was answering well, Minerva recognised that her left foot was tapping against her right leg; one of the subtle signs of anxiety she had learnt Ophelia does.

"Can do. So the Beaumont's son, Caspar, needed to change his image. Mr and Mrs Montgomery wanted more 'fame'." Ophelia added bunny ear fingers to the word fame. "That's where I came in, Miss Mills had been saying how a boyfriend is good for a girls image. It makes me more relatable to my fans plus it brings excitement, I didn't want this at all and to begin with that was ok. Until the Beaumont's and Montgomery's created an actual contract that concluded in me fake dating Caspar."

"Wait, so you really never dated?" Lily asked.

"Never, only for the public. He was an utter arsehole." This earned a warning stare from Minnie.

"Ophelia I shall allow that profanity to pass my ears unheard."

"Sorry Minnie. But he was; we would have to like show affection in public to, you know, look real? He would love to take it to the extreme and kiss me dramatically in front of them. Thankfully this was only a few months, I ended up in hospital then." Ophelia noticed the silence between the pair in front of her. "It's ok, it's the past, I have you now. But that's also why I wanted to speak with you Minnie, I want to go back. I need to speak to Miss Mills."

After some reassurance to Minnie that returning to Miss Mills did not mean she wanted to return full time plus that it was perfectly safe, they agreed they could go the following weekend. Ophelia explained how it was something she had thought about, but didn't have a reason until now. The true reason was to do with a Christmas tradition Ophelia did each year, but she didn't know how to explain this to Minnie. So the article about Caspar Beaumont was the perfect 'excuse' to return.

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Once the Hippogriff 'therapy' session was over, they parted ways with Minnie and headed back to their dorm. Again, Ophelia found herself on Lily's bed but this time plaiting her hair.

"Remember one of first weeks you were here, you were plaiting Dorcas' hair?" Ophelia hummed in response, a metal hair clip clenched in her teeth. "You said how the reason you could plait hair so well was because you had someone do it for you? That wasn't your parents like Marlene suggested was it?" Ophelia removed the clip from her mouth, with a quick wipe on her shirt, she placed into Lily's hair.

"Nope." The 'p' emphasised. "It was because of stylists and before then I had a nanny who would plait my hair."

"Do you miss it? The celebrity life?"

"Not always. I miss the glam sometimes, like I genuinely loved that part. I miss singing, but singing for myself not for others gain. I don't miss being watched every moment and I certainly don't miss the paparazzi! God they're bastards." Ophelia chuckled. "It's hard work, people think it's all fun and games but it's tiring."

"Hm, that makes sense. I guess people forget the work behind it all."

"Yep, Hogwarts life is a lot less pressure. Well it isn't, I have different pressures but they don't overwhelm me as much. Plus I have true friends now." Ophelia wrapped her arms around Lily's neck. "There, finished."

"Thank you, one more question." Lily swivelled on her bum to face Ophelia. "Why do you always have your hair up?"

"Silly I know, but I keep it up as I hope people won't recognise me as well with my hair up. Everyone in the muggle world knows my curly blonde hair." Ophelia rolled her eyes in sarcasm. Lily reached up and pulled the hair band from Ophelia's bun.

"There, keep it down." Lily smiled. "I think Remus would like it too."

"Remus?"

"Don't hate me, but I so want to see you two together."

"Lily, he wouldn't ever see me in that way. Secondly I don't think I could be in a relationship, ever."

"Why?" Lily asked softly, not really expecting this response from Ophelia.

"I don't know, it's like a lingering fear. I think it's just towards male relationships, I've never had a good one. Well other than Damian, I'm sure you know Damian?"

"Damian Gray? He used to sing with you, did some shows?"

"Yes! I've been through so much with Damian, fame wise at least, we've known each other since we were young as we were on the same show. I was beside him when he opened up about his sexuality to the public. He was with me with every negative article posted about me! He always managed to make me laugh even in the hardest times." Ophelia smiled, remembering the good times of her past life.

"He sounds amazing."

"He was, I do miss him." Ophelia smiled, then thought of something. "I must admit, James is becoming a bit like a Damian to me."

"Ugh not that toerag." Lily span back around to face away from Ophelia. "I don't know how you stand him." Lily spoke then laid herself down, head resting on Ophelia's crossed legs.

"Honestly Lily, he's not a bad guy. I think you know that though."

"He's becoming more bearable I guess." Lily kept her gaze away from Ophelia.

"James does think the world of you, it definitely isn't all for show."

"Do you think?" Ophelia noticed the slight blush appear on Lily's cheeks at this point.

"I-"

"WE'RE BACK!" The door to the dorm swung open to reveal Marlene taking a piggyback from Dorcas. "Woah, I think we've walking in on a lovers moment." Marlene continued.

"Shut it Marls." Lily threw the closest cushion at Marlene, but instead hit Dorcas' head.

"Oh you're going to pay for that Evans." Dorcas dropped Marlene and headed towards the closest bed, grabbing the biggest pillow. Before Ophelia had a moment to think, a pillow fight had begun.

"Fi!" Alice had just entered the room amid the chaos. "Merlin what's happening here?"

"I honestly don't know." Ophelia chuckled, only just managing to dodge a pillow. "What did you want?"

"Oh, James is downstairs. Said he needs you?"

"Thank you!"

"No prob-" A pillow hit Alice. "Oh it's on McKinnon."

Ducking one last pillow, Ophelia headed out the dorm, unsure what to expect from James.

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"Woah your hair, it's like a lion mane!" James pointed out as Ophelia descended the stairs.

"Thank you very much James." Ophelia chuckled. "You wanted me?"

"Yeh, you left this behind at Breakfast." James pulled out a crumpled envelope from his back pocket. "Uh, sorry it's a bit creased."

"Creased? More like destroyed. Thank you James." Ophelia hugged James, the first time she initiated a hug between them. A sign she was becoming more comfortable around not just him, but 'males' in general. James wasn't too startled by the hug, because everybody knows how much James loves hugs, so he picked Ophelia up and span her around.

"Welcome FiFi."

"Uh uh, nope not happening. I will not be called FiFi." Ophelia attempted to push herself out of James grip but failed miserably. "James please put me down for goodness sake, I need to read the letter."

"Oops, forgot about that. Who's it from? A secret admirer?" James winked.

"Possibly, but if it is I can't remember which one it is." Ophelia returned the wink joined with a slap of the letter to his shoulder. "Thanks JamJam." Ophelia set off in a sprint up the stairs to the girls dorms after spitting out the nickname.

"Oh merlin no, you're not getting away with that." James began to sprint up the stairs only to be met with it transfiguring to a slide and him tumbling to the bottom.

"See you later JamJam!" Ophelia shouted one last time before entering the dorm once more.  The pillow fight had ended, Dorcas and Marlene were both asleep on one bed together, Alice was sketching on hers and Lily was studying on another. Deciding to continue her bonding day with Lily, Ophelia sat on Lily's bed when she opened the letter.

Lily noticed the concentration on Ophelia's face.

"All ok?" Lily questioned, slightly whispered

"Yes, I just heard back from my Doctor. She says everything that is happening is rather normal for someone who's been through what I've been through. That makes me feel a bit better, I'm not losing the plot." Ophelia let out a little laugh at the end, to try and disguise the worries.

"But?"

"How'd you know there was a but? Actually I won't let you answer that, it's because you're Lily Evans. No, it's silly but I just don't want to accept help always, I want to fight it myself."

"You can still fight it yourself, but you now have me for backup."

"Love you Lils."

"Love you more Fi."

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