CHAPTER SIX
↳ the friends

IT WAS AN OVERWHELMING FEELING BEING SQUISHED BY A OVERLY TALL TEENAGER. The second Elara arrived at Hufflepuff table, she was immediately - without any words exchanged - embraced by the tight bear hug belonging to Cedric Amos Diggory. The brown curled boy practically crushed Elara, quickly joined by Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw's local fraternal twins, Morgan and Lois Holin. Daphne Scammander watched with a grin, her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for her turn to hug the third year. It was no lie to anyone that that group were the closest friends could possibly be, excitement clear from the laughs exchanged from all of them. Gaia Everlong, unfortunately, was restricted to her seat at Slytherin table, though from a quick wave, it was obvious she was a crucial member of the group. Unfortunately though, she was two tables away from the group, while Morgan was right by them.

Elara felt bad for Gaia. She couldn't imagine how uncomfortable things were on Slytherin table. Unfortunately for the girl, she was surrounded by some rather odd blood purists who orchestrated a rather lavished celebration when Gaia had been petrified a year prior. Elara, of course, made her opinion known strongly the day after the party, dragging Draco Malfoy and some sixth year kid by their ears down the stairs and knocking some sense into them both. It might have gave her a month's worth of detention, but it was worth it.

"Cedric!" Elara laughed, her voice strained as Cedric squeezed her tightly. "You can let me go now!"

"No thanks!" The pale boy smiled, still holding Elara close. "I haven't seen you all summer and you don't want a long hug?" Cedric Diggory was two years older than Elara and was in his fifth year at Hogwarts, regarded as one of the most well known boys in attendance of Hogwarts. He was a fairly tall boy who towered over Elara, a friendly giant who simply everyone loved. Elara had met Cedric in her first year, him being the first person to greet Elara when the sorting hat sorted her into Hufflepuff. Ever since then, they'd been great friends and she'd become great friends with his friends as well.

"Cedric let the poor girl go before you end up killing her," a curly light brown haired girl scolded lightly. She gave the girl a quick hug, giving her hand a tight squeeze. "See that's how you do a nice friendly, non-murderous hug."

The girl in question was none other than Lois Holin. Lois Holin was one of the smartest members of Hufflepuff. She had curly long dark brown hair that reached her waist, eyes that were a mixture of brown and green, a perfect infusion that created the Hazel shade that had become Lois' trademark. Her eyes were brilliant and deep-set and Elara adored them a lot. Elara Lily Lupin can still recall the day she decided to nervously sit by Lois and, to this day, she holds no regrets. She didn't know where she would even be without her.

"What's a hug if not a bit murderous?" Cedric gave a playful grin to Elara, nudging her lightly with a hint of boyishness only Cedric seemed to possess. Opposite them, Lois rolled her eyes, though you could see the amusement in her small grin that practically lit her entire face up.

Watching the sorting ceremony take place, Elara clapped each time a child toddled off to their new table, even louder when another first year joined the Hufflepuff family like a duckling joining their mother. It was really nice to see the bright faces of so many young children who were eager to learn magic, all so young and with their whole entire lives ahead of them.

When the whole ceremony was done, Elara turned to her side where a small first year with dark brown hair was. The young girl seemed extremely timid, not chatting like the rest of the first years and overall she didn't seem very comfortable. Her shoulders were tense, hands neatly folded in her lap as she messed with them underneath the table. A gentle smile found its way on Elara's face, though she still felt a bit of hesitance in speaking to her. She composed herself quickly, toning her usually upbeat voice down and nudging the girl with softness in her gesture. The small brunette next to her jumped in shock, turning to see Elara.

"Nervous?" Elara quirked her head to the side, a soft, friendly smile on her face.

The girl nodded hesitantly.

"I won't bite I promise." Elara chuckled, reaching into her pocket and pulling out some left over chocolate. "Here, eat this. It's way better than any medicine." She smiled when the brunette took the chunk and placed it in her mouth. "I'm Elara. Pleasure to meet you."

"I-I-I-I'm Wisteria," the young girl mumbled shyly, wiping her hands on her new robes with familiar awkwardness. She had a very obvious stutter and overall didn't seem like the most confident person on the table, though that didn't at all matter since it was clear she had so much she wanted to say. Elara couldn't blame her though for her shyness. She knew the nerves she must've felt, it was only two years ago that Elara was in her position and was daintily accepting a chocolate frog from Cedric Diggory himself.

"Hello Wisteria," Elara gave her a nice, friendly smile. "I love your name! It truly is a gorgeous name that suits a very nice girl like yourself," Wisteria blushed and turned into a stuttering mess, the tips of ears pink and her stutter very prominent.

"Y-You h-have a pretty-pretty f-face." She whispered, smiling slightly at Elara. She looked down almost embarrassed of what she had said, taking a deep breath before she spoke again. "Y-Your h-hair is also-erm- very n-nice."

Elara reached for her braid and played with it with a small smile, her nose curling upwards as she grinned. "Thanks, my papa did them."

"I-I l-like the y-yellow b-beads." She grinned, flashing her bright teeth at Elara unapologetically. She paused for a moment, though Elara knew what the small girl wanted to do. She nodded at Wisteria, grabbing her hand and allowing her to fiddle with the beads. "Wow..." Her amazement made Elara giggle softly.

"Maybe if I can find spare beads left over, I can put some in your hair?"

It seemed as though the offer amazed Wisteria, whose eyes widened with awe. "R-Really?"

Elara nodded. "Of course," She paused momentarily, still noticing how Wisteria nervously fidgeted under the table. Her big brown eyes still remained focused on Elara regardless, though Elara knew she needed more than just herself. Finally, she thought of something, "Do you wanna meet my new cat? He's very great at comforting."

If she was going to do what Cedric did for her all those years ago, then it's best start it with a bang.

Wisteria nodded and her eyes averted to where Laurie must have been. Laurie was currently being squashed by Cedric, who had taken a liking to the small white kitten. However, Laurie just wanted to cuddle up and eat some chicken, he wasn't that fond of how tight the hug was with Cedric. Instead, Laurie seemed to care more about Lois and Daphne, who held chicken on forks for him. The cat purred, chewing away at the chicken while Cedric cooed. "Cedric, can I have Laurie?" Elara asked politely. The cat meowed and waddled towards Elara, nudging his head against her hand. Picking the cat up, Elara held him between her and Wisteria. "This is Laurie Theodore Lupin!" The little girl laughed quietly when Laurie licked her hand. "He's my beautiful child and I have only had him for a few days but will kill anyone who dares harming him."

"H-He's nice..." the girl mumbled. She went to pick him up, scooping the cat up carefully with a gentler approach. Unlike Cedric, Laurie allowed Wisteria to hug him close and the little girl seemed a bit more happier now with the small cat. Elara's heart warmed at the sight and from that moment, she knew Wisteria was someone whom she must protect. Elara got a closer look at Wisteria, who was now smiling brightly whilst she played with the small cat. She had chestnut brown hair that was straight and reached by her shoulders, pale skin with faint freckles painting her cheeks, periwinkle blue eyes that were bright and also icy like a cold winters morning. To make it short, Elara spotted just how gorgeous the shy girl was.

Passing Laurie back to Elara, Wisteria went back to being quiet whilst Dumbledore spoke, which was the usual for each school year. "Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts." The rather cheery, twinkle eyes old man said, greeting the young witches and wizards to a new school year. Elara knew it was not going to be the same as every other year. She had a feeling a lot would change.

"Now, I'd like to say a few words... before we all become too befuddled by our excellent feast." Elara saw her father give her a quick glance and she smiled brightly, her attention on the headmaster.

"First, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J. Lupin... who's kindly consented to fill the post... of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher." She heard many applauses from the students, herself, her friends and majority of people included. She saw her papa take an awkward bow, obviously too humble and uncomfortable with all the attention he hasn't used to getting. "Good luck, Professor."

From the corner of the hall, Elara could hear the obnoxious voice of Draco Malfoy calling out. "Potter. Is it true you fainted? I mean, you actually fainted?" He let out a laugh and Elara was tempted to throw him away. He was a rather despicably prejudiced boy who found enjoyment Muggleborns with slurs and boasting about his wealth.

"What a tosspot," Elara mumbled, Cedric and Lois both hearing her and letting out a small but obvious laugh. Even Wisteria, who didn't even know the blonde barbie, could tell how much she'd hate him and let herself laugh a little before turning her attention back onto the headmaster. "Are you sure we can't colour his hair pink again?" She whined. Cedric snickered and Wisteria squinted her eyes in confusion.

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher... has decided to retire... in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce... that his place will be taken by none other... than our own Rubeus Hagrid." The hall erupted once again in applause, the loudest being the Gryffindor table and also Elara and her friendship group on the Hufflepuff table. She saw the giant stand up and knock things over and some people stifled laughs at the giant. Elara was very fond of Hagrid and she felt as though they could be a good thing for everyone.

"Finally, on a more disquieting note... at the request of the Ministry of Magic... Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the dementors of Azkaban... until such a time as Sirius Black is captured." Elara let out a breath and felt awkward for a moment. Dementors were horrid, yet this was apparently a fitting fate for a follower of you-know-who, yet a little voice at the back of Elara's mind told her that everything was not as it seemed. "The dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now whilst I've been assured... that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities... a word of caution. Dementors are vicious creatures." How reassuring, she thought with a slight wince "They'll not distinguish... between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way."

Great, you tell Harry James Potter to stay put then. Though I doubt he'd actually listen, since his name is literally Harry James Potter.
"Therefore, I must warn each and every one of you... to give them no reason to harm you." In a way, this would hopefully remind Harry that it would be preferable this year for him of all people to not get into any danger. "It is not in the nature of a dementor to be forgiving. But you know, happiness can be found... even in the darkest of times... if one only remembers to turn on the light."

Strange man Albus Dumbledore was.

He had a weird twinkle in his eyes that was present in some of the worst times. She liked him, but she found his riddles of nonsense a tad inconvenient at times.

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The Hufflepuff dormitories were buzzing with excitement with the new first years all hanging out in the common room. Every year, the older kids always put out the best welcoming decorations for the newbies, sneaking stashes of sweets from the kitchens that the house elves were always happy to offer. Elara had introduced Wisteria to Cedric, Lois and Daphne, the three taking a good liking towards the brunette.

Lois pulled Elara into a tight hug, her arm swung around Elara's shoulder. "How's you and Hermione?"

Elara pried Lois' arms off her. "I don't know what you're talking about," Elara placed the book down on her lap, the dark brown bookmark sticking out the edge. She gave a quick glance at Lois, who seemed too amused at the sight of Elara blatantly denying the feelings she most definitely had.

"Who you fooling, Lars," Lois let out a laugh. "I get you're closeted to everyone but Hermione, Ron, Harry and shit, but it's bloody obvious you like her."

Wisteria, who was listening quietly, turned her head to the side. "L-Like who?" Her blue eyes filled with glimmers of curiosity. "Y-You have-- uh-- a c-crush? Oh d-do tell!-- Please!"

"Keep your voice down Eria!" Lois scolded. The freckled girl let out a small blush at the scolding, looking down with a small grin on her face. Lois giggled at the reaction. "Lara is not very vocal about her likings for Miss Granger, but it's pretty obvious,"

"No it isn't!" Elara tried to defend herself. It was, the voice at the back of her head reminded her very firmly with a scoff.

"Elara remind me who was seething over Lockhart last year?" Lois crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hey that's-"

Cedric chimed in now. "And who cried to me when she didn't notice you over Lockhart's dazzling smile?"

"Oh, y-you l-like a g-girl in y-your y-year?"

"You aren't too bothered?" Elara quirked her head to the side. Homophobia wasn't rampant in the Wizarding World, but some still held bigoted opinions on matters like gender and sexuality. Some invalidated identities like no tomorrow, but on the whole the wizarding world was rather accepting.

"Oh n-no of c-course n-not!" Wisteria laughed, her smile brightly on her face. "I h-have t-two mums, I'm n-not that u-unfamiliar with it." Elara found herself dumbfounded but smiled at the girl.

"Wisteria, please let me adopt you," Cedric joked, laughing loudly and wincing when Morgan poked him in the side. Wisteria blushed slightly, shrinking back into Elara's side. "Traitor!" He grinned.

Laurie was suddenly strutting towards the group, which caused them all to laugh because of how he acted like a proper sassy person. Elara scooped him up and nuzzled him close to her. "I still can't believe papa got me you," she mumbled. The kitten meowed out in response.

"Yeah how the hell did you convince him?" Lois was very well aware that Remus Lupin didn't like animals to an extent Elara did. He didn't mind them, but not when they would be everywhere. "Also why did you tell us your dad was teacher Defence Against the Dark Arts this year?"

"I don't know!!" Elara raised her hands in defence. "Also he never even mentioned it! Found it a week ago when he brought it up at tea time,"

For a few more hours, the group laughed until they had to go to bed. Elara didn't share a room with any of them, mainly as they were older and she didn't have many Hufflepuff friends in her year. That didn't bother her of course, she still was friendly with her dorm mates, it's just not to the extent that she was with her closest friends.

"Hello Susan, Hannah, Jane!" The cheery girl greeted. She stood in her pale white night gown, wearing her usual bonnet. She also wore a dressing gown and some slippers on her feet. The three other girls smiled at her before going back to a conversation. Elara couldn't help frowning, though she assured herself they meant no harm. It wasn't like they were being rude, it's just Elara Lupin wasn't the most vocal and sociable person around people who weren't her usual friends. That, and the fact people didn't really know what to talk to her about. So instead, she went to sit on her bed, Laurie laying at her feet and enjoyed her book.

She didn't pay attention to the time, nor when each girl said goodnight to one another and not her. All she payed attention to was the words written on the pages.

It was quite nice being accompanied by a book. A book could fulfil the loneliness that a friend could never. Sure, she didn't have a proper friend, but she felt as though Jo March and Amy March were right there by her as she listened to the two argue. She felt like she was dancing with Meg as she wore her brilliant blue dress and playing cords with Beth.

The pages in her books felt like the friends Elara had always desired and that's the magic behind the pages.

It made her feel comforted.

Yet once again, she woke up at the strangest hour, panting from yet another nightmare of a woman screaming as something tore into her.

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WISTERIA PROTECTION SQUAD UNITE

Also poor elara

girlie has issues