"𝕬re you going to ask her?" Winnie jumped, spilling the warmth of her camisole tea over the front of her robes as she hissed, staring wide-eyed at Hermione Granger. The pair had left the comfort of the library only forty minutes earlier, Hermione's head held high with determination while Winnie braced her lips with a smile and pretended nothing was wrong.

        She thought she was doing a damn good job, too, until Hermione appeared by her side at the table and reminded her of the fuckery that was her life.

        "Merlin's saggy ball sack! Are you planning to kill me yourself?" Winnie hissed as Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered a drying spell over the blonde. Instead of answering, Hermione raised her eyebrow pointedly at her, her head tilting as the other female grumbled. The tea that seeped into Winnie's blouse and skirt disappeared quickly, leaving behind a tingle of heat rubbing against her skin.

          "It's no good, she'll shut down like a bloody bludger aiming for their target," Winnie spoke as she stuffed her face with a fork full of vegetables. Hermione had managed to drag out the questions in the blonde's head about her grandfather's death and Max's. Ultimately, both girls were determined that there was something concerning about both ends, leaving Hermione now insisting on Winnie asking Cordelia about it, which the blonde couldn't help thinking was an awful plan.

             "Well, ask Marcus then," Hermione suggested matter-of-factly as Winnie dropped her fork, pinching the bridge of her nose before swinging her leg over the bench. Her eyes move to stare at the Slytherin table, watching Marcus Flint whisper to his friends on the quidditch team. Winnie didn't acknowledge Marcus, and she didn't care to. Winnie and Marcus were content living their lives, pretending the other didn't exist. It was an almost secret deal between them. Survival of the fittest, Marcus didn't acknowledge Winnie. He was allowed to live.

          "You're sending me to my death," Winnie huffed, looking back at Hermione, who rolled her eyes, pushing herself up off the bench. Her hand fell to wrap around Winnie's wrist and pulled her up.

           "No, I'm trying to save you. The only way I can find out what exactly Millicent meant, and well ... only they would know," Hermione spoke, frowning as she pulled Winnie between the row of the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor table. Winnie's eyes fell to the Slytherin table once more, the dread burying itself back inside of her as she came to a halt.

           "What if I don't like what I find out?" She questioned, pulling Hermione to look at her. She ignored the curious looks of people staring at the two girls, confused as to why they looked like they were fighting death itself.

             "Well, at least you know the truth," Hermione whispered, squeezing the girl's hand before nudging her towards the Slytherin table. Winnie stumbled slightly, glaring at the first-year Slytherin, who giggled slightly at her. Just as she turned to walk down the aisle, Hermione ran back up to her, stopping her before whispering in her ear. "Tell Cordelia about the DA meeting tomorrow at eight."

          Winnie glared at the female, who grinned and returned to their table. Feeling eyes on her, she pushed her face to remain passive. Squaring her shoulders back and walking towards Cordelia first, who had seemed to notice her and Hermione's interaction, for she was watching her with raised eyebrows. Winnie tried to ignore Theo's watching eyes.

          Of course, she's the bloody circus act. She twisted the silver ring on her finger as she approached, her heart thumping as she fluttered her eyes to Marcus, who had also begun to watch her. The female stopped abruptly before her cousin, who stared up at her with a raised eyebrow. Clearing her throat, Winnie leaned to whisper in her cousin's ear.

        "The first meeting is tomorrow at eight, meet me here, and we'll go together," she stood up then, nodding her head as she twisted her ring again, eyes flickering to Marcus, who was watching them over the rim of his cup.

        She felt tiny prickles against the side of her head, and the familiar confusion that rippled from Cordelia faded away. Overwhelmed by the bitter taste of worry and knowing, sweet mixing with sour, she turned her gaze away from her cousin and towards Theo. Mossy green eyes clicked with hers as her back straightened. She watched pools of black explode in his eyes, the same familiar distant look clouding over them, cutting off all emotion she felt from him like a sledgehammer.

          Winnie knew, without even having him speak a single word, that he knew that something was wrong. He had learned from the moment her handprint had burned the walls. People had scattered, whispering words of rumours' of how the handprint had ended up there since that night. At every chance he got, Theo would turn and watch her with that distant gaze every opportunity he; got he hadn't left her alone since the day they walked together.

        The blonde sniffed, tearing her eyes away from Theo, feeling her cousin watching them with a bubbling confusion. Winnie moved quickly to Marcus then, desperate to escape from the Great Hall and every blocked feeling Theodore Nott radiated.

         "Can we talk?" She questioned quickly, her words stringing together as she fidgeted slightly. Before she pinched her arm, stilling herself to stay still. Marcus lifted an eyebrow at her, his eyes moving over her face. She narrowed her eyes, daring him to say no. Finally, he nodded, excusing himself from his friends. Winnie stood with her back straight as he gathered his bag, draping it over his shoulder. The blonde avoided Cordelia's eyes, feeling her cousin's gaze burn holes in her back as she walked out of the hall with Marcus.

        "What is it, Winifred?" Marcus questioned as he leaned against the wall, Winnie's eyes narrowing further at the use of her full name. The brunette smirked slightly, picking imaginary dust off his shoulder. "My apologies. What is it, Winnie?"

         Winnie watched as a group walked past them, hurrying as she sent them a glare, she turned her attention back towards her cousin, moving the words over. She had no idea how he would react. Marcus was always the more mysterious sibling of the three Flints. Cordelia was almost an open book to her. She knew how to word her words and act around Cordelia, but Marcus was a mystery to her.

         In the end, Winnie decided being blunt was better than nothing.

         "What happened to Max?" She watched as he admittedly stood straighter, his jaw clenching as he glanced around them. He stepped closer, towering over her slightly as she stood her ground, chin raising. Whatever her cousin had been expecting, it wasn't that. She was going to leave with her answers. She wasn't going to let it go, not this time.

          "Why do you ask?" He spoke sternly, watching her as she gritted her teeth slightly. Watching as another group walked past them, completely ignoring them as they talked amongst themselves.

           "I need to know Marcus, it's..." she paused, trying to find the correct words, sighing as she turned her eyes back to him. "It's important, more important than I can explain. I just need to know." Marcus stood still for a moment, his gaze staring bitterly at her as if he was considering running away, and Winnie hoped that he didn't. She watched as he clenched his jaw again before he finally slumped, his shoulders faltering and a hand moving through his black locks.

         "Our father killed him," Marcus admittedly sourly, his eyes now glossy, casting to the floor as Winnie's breath caught in her throat. She blinked, processing the words as her lips parted.

             "He, but..." she stopped as his eyes met hers again. Pupils dilated as pain swam beneath them, and any questions or doubts vanished. Her shoulder slumped like his own, eyes wide as puzzle pieces connected in her mind. "Does Cordelia know?" She questioned slowly as Marcus snorted, nodding his head in answer. It made sense now why Cordelia shut down and was so affected. Maximus Flint was murdered by his own father, her uncle.

           Winnie felt bile burn her throat. Her eyes squeezed shut as she let out a shaky breath. Millicent knew, she knew, and she didn't care. She used the death as a threat to her, Max was murdered, and if Winnie didn't fall in line, she would be too.

           "You're in trouble," It wasn't a question. It was an observation more than anything. Winnie opened her eyes to see Marcus stare at her, his lips drawn to a line. She wanted to laugh and scream, maybe because it amused her. She knew her family was fucked, but murder? She thought them at least better than that.

           "I'm afraid so," she mumbled brokenly, her eyes falling down to the floor as she let out a bitter laugh from her lips. "Our family is so lovely," she muttered sarcastically, looking up as Marcus laughed suddenly. His eyes rolled as he sighed before his lips pulled into a line again. His eyes traced her face before he sighed slightly.

         "You can't die. Too many people in our family already have," Marcus spoke softly, Winnie's lips pulling into a line as she looked behind him. Seeing her other cousin walk out with Theo and Claire, Cordelia instantly found her brother and cousin still speaking to each other. Winnie offered her a small smile, hoping it covered the pain in her eyes and heart. "We can't lose anyone else."

             "I don't plan on dying, Marcus, no matter what it takes," she insisted, looking back at her cousin, who nodded. In the end, she would memorize those words throughout everything. Winnie Bulstrode had no intention of dying, no matter what the world threw at her.

༺♥༻

             𝕾leep hadn't greeted her that night. She had laid with her hair blowing out around her pillow, molten eyes staring at the flickering stars at the top of four posters. Sleep greeted her around four am, though her mind was anything but peace was anything that greeted her. She had awoken an hour later, clutching her chest as she dries heaved. Hair sticking to the back of her neck and cheeks with sweat that looked down her face, images of Maximus Flint dead at the hands of his uncles flashing through her mind.

          She didn't try to sleep again.

              She had been up and dressed when her roommates woke up, her hair pulled half up with clear butterfly clips. — she stole these from her sister, and now she isn't giving them back — Her eyes flashed and sagged with violent bags kissing under her eyes, and Winnie pretended she didn't notice. Smiling and laughing, her eyes blank as she trained herself not to betray any emotion. Images of nightmares still flicked through her mind like a tape, repeatedly running as she moved throughout her day.

           It didn't help that Hermione Granger made it her life mission to remind her of her current situation every passing minute. The blonde had approached her in between classes. Winnie had yet to inform her of what she had learned from Marcus. She felt like she didn't have to. One look at the girl that morning, and it was written across her face that she knew.

         It was as if she had been slapped in the face when she saw Cordelia Flint waiting for her quarter to eight that evening. Her face fell white, and images of a boy she knew was killed flashed through her mind. Her feet froze by the beginning of the steps, watching as her cousin leaned against the wall. Her eyes stared out one of the windows beside the Great Hall. For a moment, Winnie considered turning and running. She didn't know how she could face her with everything that Winnie was slowly discovering and everything that had yet to happen.

          And yet, she braved whatever little courage she had inside of her. Her hands ran down the surface of her grey-striped trousers, a white turtleneck tucked neatly into her pants. Her black boots hit loudly against the quiet of the hall. She knew fifth-year perfects would start rounds at nine. For now, she could walk freely through the halls without questions. Winnie was thankful for that. She was positive she would explode if she ran into Draco and Pansy on their rounds.

             ( Rumours had run like wildfire through the halls, all of Dracos and Pansy's messy breakup because the platinum git spent his time looking at someone else far too much. Winnie didn't precisely like knowing who this other person was. )

          "There you are. Took you long enough," Cordelia sighed, pushing herself up off the wall, her hair pulled into a ponytail against the top of her head. "Come on then, lead me to my doom." Winnie rolled her eyes, suppressing a grin as they started walking back up the stairs, her hair falling in dark strands against her shoulders.

           "Hermione said it was the opposite of that Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls tapestry," Winnie spoke up when she was quite sure she had gathered colour to her cheeks once more. Her stomach wasn't feeling as if she was about to puke up her dinner.

           "Seventh floor, correct?" Cordelia questioned as they got stuck on a moving staircase, the blonde huffing as she leaned against the stone. The girl nodded in reply, her eyes falling to the ring on her finger, twisting it again as she stared at her shoes. Noticing a smudge of dirt, her lips tilted to a frown, leaning down and wiping it off with her thumb.

           "Well, what's going on? You're avoiding looking at me, so what the hell is wrong?" Cordelia questioned sternly, Winnie's hand freezing as she shot back up, flickering her eyes towards her cousin before returning to where the staircase stopped.

         "Oh look, it's stopped, come on—" the blonde paused as her cousin suddenly held back her wrist. The girl froze, looking behind her at the Slytherin staring coldly at her. Her lips pressed into a line, her eyebrows furrowed, and her hand still wrapped around her wrist. Winnie's foot fell back to meet the ground, her lip slipping between her teeth slightly. She wondered if she should tell Cordelia about her parents, Millicent words, and her knowing about Max. Ever since they were children, they were always honest. In a family of lies, being blunt with each other was how they survived.

          In the next few months, she'll wonder when surviving started turning into faking.

           "I'm just tired. Cor. Millicent said something yesterday, and I guess it unnerved me," Winnie's shoulders sagged slightly, her hand falling to twist into her cousins. The blonde squeezed Cordelia's hand softly, placing a smile on the tilt of their lips and hoping that Godric Gryffindor Cordelia believed her.

           "What did she say?" Cordelia questioned, losing the edge to her voice as the two started walking again. Winnie's hand pulled from hers as she crossed her arms across her chest. Gnawing on her lip again as she held back a huff, she should've known Cordelia would ask.

           "The usual, you know," she shrugged, looking over at the brunette who stared back at her with a raised eyebrow. She had a funny feeling her cousin didn't believe her, so she sighed and slipped some truth into her mask. "She mentioned Grandpa. You know the great brute who used to freak everyone out?"

         Cordelia's mouth pressed into a line as they walked around the corner, "the one who swore too much?" She questioned, receiving a snort from the brunette beside her.

         "That's the one," Winnie grinned, looking at the floor. By age four, she knew how to properly say 'fucking slag' and 'bitch'. She earned quite a few good old screaming matches for that.

          "So that's why you look like Bloody Baron all the time," Cordelia's words tumbled out of her lips, Winnie's mouth falling open as she looked over at the girl. Who's lips were turned up slightly, acting as if she told the joke of the century.

          "Not that bloody ghost, all he does is walk around like a depressed goat," Winnie gasped as Cordelia snorted slightly, turning her head to the side to look at her, the two cousins breaking out into a small fit of laughter as they approached another staircase.

         The two's laughter slowly died out, leaving them in a pool of silence as they hit the sixth floor, the air moving around them like the ghost of their lies. Both merry contempt in the bubble they made around each other, ignoring as it slowly melted like snow on a spring day. Little until it finally disappeared, leaving nothing but the remains of what used to be.

        "Theo... he cares, you know," Cordelia spoke softly, causing Winnie to stumble slightly as she bristled. Looking over at Cordelia with wide eyes, her hand falling to her side, twisting her ring again. Her cousin stopped walking beside her, ignoring the groups of people who walked past them and disappearing into a door nearly five feet away from them.

         The memory of the sweetness of fresh fruit mixed with vanilla trickled over her. Even though her magic hadn't had any more uncontrollable empath spurts the past two days (primarily due to her mortal peril ), she could still feel his emotions blanket her. The honesty wrapped around them, the pure, unselfish compassion he experienced around her.

       It was suffocating.

          "I," she paused as she felt her face slack, her stomach twisting and turning with her skin crawling."Cordelia I... I just can't-"

            "Can't what? See the truth? Look, I know him better than anyone — we've been friends since we were little, alright?  I don't want him hurt. I love you, believe me, I do, but you need to stop fucking around. Give him the time of day, or don't bother at all. It isn't a game, not to him. Open your eyes because it seems like a game to you," Cordelia finished, her eyes holding no anger or hatred, just simple sympathy and sadness. Winnie's mouth felt stuffed with cotton swabs, her eyes staring emptily at her cousin, who simply sighed, smiling sadly. "It won't be good for both of you if you don't stop. He does care. I hope you can see that."

         Winnie's chest heaved as she sucked in a deep breath, her back falling against the stone, her eyes closing as she tried to clear her mind. Cordelia turned on her heel and headed towards the doors. Leaving Winnie standing alone with her eyes, watching her cousin disappear behind the door.

          It was no use, of course. She felt as if her world had been titled all over again. Standing on a cliff's edge with a foot dangling off, waiting for her to fall into the depths of black waves crashing harshly against jagged rocks. Staring up at her with open arms, giggling as tears coated her white face, false comfort in hell, waiting for her to join them.

         Theodore Nott consumed her mind, mossy green eyes filled with emotions she didn't understand nor ever tried to. Care. His arm was thrown around her shoulder as honey flowed off his tongue, a smile placed across the pink of his lips. Care. Theodore Nott showed up in moments where her world was filled with black and white, where suddenly green was all she could see. Care

           "A-Are you alright?" She stiffened as a hand was placed against her shoulder, causing her to flinch back as if burned. Green slowly trailed away from her mind as a head of light brown hair hit her eyesight. She blinked as her world grew from a haze to clarity, only to find Neville Longbottom standing sheepishly beside her. Round cheeks red as he looked down, " 'M sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

         "Oh, It's okay. Sorry, I'm fine, thank you," she smiled awkwardly, realizing she had never had a conversation with the boy before. She straightened herself up, smoothing down the fabric of her trousers before quickly placing a smile on her face. Despite all she saw was green in her mind, on the outside, she saw black and white and a practiced smile. "I'm assuming you're going there, correct?" She asked, throwing her thumb over her shoulder at the door against the wall. She wondered briefly when, in the love of Circle did the door get there. She was positive it had never been there before that evening.

         "Yeah, I was just going there," Neville mumbled, still looking at his shoes. She believed he would run away from her if she raised a finger toward him. It was a thought that made her feel ten times shorter, her world strengthening in black and white as darkness gazed into her eyes.

       "So you like Herbology?" She questioned as the two started walking, Neville walking slightly behind her. The boy looked surprised at the question, his eyes filling with adoration at the mention of the subject. It was almost enough to make her smile, indeed.

        "Yes, I do, do you?" He questioned as they neared the door, his voice louder and clearer. The female opened the wide black door, stepping aside to let him in first.

        "A little. Mind if I find you to ask you questions about an assignment sometime?" She really didn't need to ask anyone questions. She would read the inside and outside of a book to happily do so, but watching him skirt around her like a mouse was enough to send her into the depths below. She didn't want to be feared.

        "Of course! I have books you can burrow as well," the male spoke happily, and Winnie truly smiled at him, his face reminding her of a puppy dog receiving a treat.

       "That'll be lovely, thank you," she spoke, closing the door behind them. "It was nice talking to you, Neville," she added as she noticed Cordelia standing alone. She waved goodbye before turning on her heel towards her cousin. Her world was black and white, with images of green twirling inside her mind. Her cousin didn't look at her as she came to stand by her side. Simply looked around the room while the blonde's skin prickled with the truth.

        "You're right," she whispered, staring straight ahead. If Cordelia understood, she didn't reply, and Winnie was incredibly thankful for that. The blonde instead looked around the room, blinking in surprise at seeing duelling mannequins set up around them, cushions against the walls and near a place on the floor. Bookshelves filled with books lined one wall, and Winnie itched to go see it.

         Seeing everyone else starting to sit on cushions, Winnie tugged Cordelia over with her. The two sit on a pillow beside Ginny, who nods her head at Winnie and ignores Cordelia. Winnie sniffed slightly, suddenly wishing the Weasleys weren't so predictable and judgemental against Slytherins. Bloody wankers.

       "Well," Harry started, catching everyone's attention as they all sat looking up at him. "This is the place we've found for practice sessions, and you've obviously found it okay." Winnie snorted slightly, noticing people looking at her. She clamped her hand over her mouth, sending a look to Harry, who glared at her slightly.

       "Well, I've been thinking about what we ought to do first and — er — what, Hermione?" Harry sighed as Winnie turned to look at the brunette girl with her hand raised. Is this a classroom? Did she have to raise her hand to pee now? She wondered if she had to ask Harry that and hoped she didn't.

        "I think we ought to elect a leader," Hermione announced as Winnie rolled her eyes, hearing Cordelia snort from beside her.

         "Harry's leader," Cathy spoke up as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Winnie had to agree.

        "Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly," Hermione spoke, unfazed by how people signed around her. Eventually, everyone's hand was in the air to elect Harry as the leader, and Harry's face burned from the attention.

       "Er— right, thanks," Harry muttered, opening his mouth to speak as Hermione's hand shot up again. "What, Hermione?"

       "I also think we ought to have a name," she spoke brightly, her hand still raised. "It would promote team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

        "Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" Angelina Johnson spoke up, Winnie's lips tilting, thinking she'd like that name.

        "Or the Ministry of Magic are Morons Group," Fred suggested to Winnie, suppressing a laugh at the boy's words.

         "I was thinking," Hermione spoke sternly, frowning at Fred, who grinned back at her. "More of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we could refer to it freely outside of meetings." As much as the names that blankly disrespected everyone were hilarious to the blonde, she couldn't help but agree with the girls' words.

          "The Defence Association?" Suggested Cathy, her head tilting, "The DA for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about."

          "Yeah, the DA's good," Ginny said beside Winnie, the redhead's hair flickering over her shoulder as she grinned. "Only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army because that's the Ministry's worst fear, right?" There were silent murders of agreement amongst the group. Winnie couldn't help but think the name was bloody brilliant.

         "All in favour of the DA?" Hermione questioned, parchment in one hand as he kneeled to count the raised hands. "That's a majority — notion passed!" She stood then, pinning the parchment with all their names on the wall before writing 'Dumbledore's Army' in big letters.

         "Right," Harry spoke, clearing his throat as Hermione sat down again. "shall we get practicing then? The first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic, but I've found it's beneficial—"

       "Oh please," Zacharias Smith spoke up from the front row, Winnie's head falling into her hands as she grumbled. Cordelia nudged her with her elbow, which earned a 'what the fuck is he doing?' glance from Winnie. "I don't think Expeliarmus will help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

         "I've used it against him," Harry spoke quietly, staring at the blonde as Winnie's lips twisted into a frown. "It saved my life last June," Winnie's heart dropped, her gaze turning to Zacharias, and she suddenly craved to kill a Hufflepuff. She glanced at Cordelia, who was staring at the raven-haired boy, her lips twisted into a frown and eyes sunk down with grief. "But if you think it's beneath you, you can leave."

          The room was thick with silence as Zacharias slumped, nobody daring to utter a word as the air moved uncomfortably around them. Finally, Winnie sighed and sat up straighter, "don't you think Smith would look good as trash?" Her words were faked with a loud whisper, causing everyone to turn to her as she grinned.

         "Oi! I heard that Bulstrode," Zach shouted, twisting in his cushion to stare at her as her face fell. Her eyes were wide, turning around as she sat and looked bewilderingly around her.

        "Did you hear that?" She gasped as her hands fell to cover her mouth. "Merlin's beard. I think there's a ghost here." A few people chuckled around her as Zacharias turned beet red in his spot, staring at her with daggers in his eyes as she smiled at him, wiggling her fingers in a wave.

        "Winnie," Cordelia muttered from beside her, the blonde looking at her cousin, smiling as she saw Cordelia holding back a laugh.

        "Right anyway," Harry cut in. When he opened his mouth to speak again, the doors banged open, and Ron strode in, drenched from the pouring rain outside and beside him, a girl.

         "Ron," he shouted, causing everyone to turn to look at the redhead. Winnie was already watching the interaction, her eyes peeled on them when they entered the room.

        "Sorry I'm late," he said gruffly, running his hand through his hair as Hermione approached him.

        "I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practise," Harry spoke finally, looking at the whole group. Winnie couldn't help but think he was rather eager to get started and to get out of the spotlight.

        This is exactly what everyone had done, dividing into pairs with their wands slipping into their hands. Winnie and Cordelia sorted themselves out into a couple. It went unsuccessful for the first few tries until the two started to get restless and tired, with their wands wagging in their hands instead of moving.

          Winnie huffed, yelling out Expeliarmus louder, which resulted in Cordelia's wand flying out of her hand. But instead of flying into Winnie's free hand, it clunked hard against her forehead. Causing the female to freeze in surprise, dull pain sprouting from the middle of her forehead as Cordelia's wand clattered to the ground.

         Soft laughter filled her as Cordelia walked up to collect her fallen wand. Winnie rolled her eyes, suppressing a smile before twirling her baton in her hand.

          "Yeah, yeah, real funny," she grumbled, causing her cousin to laugh just as a whistle zapped through the air. Forcing everyone to freeze and look toward Harry, who stood in front of Neville beside a bookcase.

          "That wasn't bad," he started as Winnie rolled her eyes, tell that to the pain in my bloody forehead. She had half a mind to yell that at him but then remembered the scar on his forehead and thought better of it. She certainly wasn't about to be that person. "But there's definite room for improvement. Let's try again."

         The cousins returned to their spell work, working a lot smoother. Winnie managed to catch Cordelia's wand three more — not by her forehead — while Cordelia saw hers, a total of four, when Harry approached them from his rounds among the groups.

"        Hey, Harry! Look what Cordelia did!" Winnie spoke loudly as she walked towards Cordelia, whose eyes widened, throwing her cousin a glare as she smiled sweetly. Harry froze in his steps for a moment, face flashing red. His eyes moved to the two wands between Cordelia's hands, and Winnie grinned as he looked back up.

        "Er— good, yeah, good job," he stumbled as Winnie watched Cordelia's face flush slightly.

           "She's done it four times now, fast learner and all that," she said, waving her hand as she grinned. Cordelia nudged her with her elbow on her hip bone, causing the brunette to stiffen and glare at her cousin. Harry continued to stand awkwardly beside them as he shifted on his feet.

       "That's brilliant, Cordelia," he spoke briefly, his light green eyes sparking as he looked at the Cordelia. Winnie stood straighter as she slowly slipped back her wand out of Cordelia's hold.

        "Uhm, thank you, Harry," Cordelia mumbled as she blushed. Winnie walked back to her spot, smiling as she watched Harry scratch the back of his neck. Cordelia and Harry spoke to each other, their faces beating red as they stood.

          Winnie turned, only to come smacked in the face by accident with Cordelia's forehead against her own. Winnie stumbled, raising a hand to her forehead as she glared at her cousin, who was flashing back at her.

         "Bloody hell, are you trying to bruise me?" Winnie grumbled.

         "What in Salazar was that about?" Cordelia whispered and shouted at the same time Winnie spoke. The two stared at each other before continuing to talk over each other.

          "I have no idea what you are talking about."

            "It's your own bloody fault for walking into my forehead."

             "Walking into your forehead! Do you even hear yourself when you speak?"

               "Stop playing, bloody matchmaker!"

            "I'm not doing anything! Harry was coming around to each duel. I was just—"

          "You're being completely unnecessary. There's—"

           "You're being over dramatic."

            "I am not!"

           "Yes, you are!"

          "Guys, people are looking," Cathy said awkwardly as she approached the two cousins. They stood facing each other, both of their faces red. While one clutched her wand, the other rubbed her forehead, which was sure to form a bruise by the morning. Winnie blinked, looking around to indeed see people watching them curiously. The blonde rolled her eyes, stepping back and glaring at them all.

          "Nothing to see here. Continue on," Winnie argued, waving her hand in a shooing direction.

         "Oh would you stop staring, you bloody nosy bats," Cordelia grumbled, crossing her arms and glaring at everyone, causing everyone to turn and look away. The two girls rolled their eyes simultaneously, sighing before looking back at each other.

          "Stop meddling," Cordelia grunted as Winnie opened her mouth to argue that she was, in fact, not meddling at all. Thank you very much! "You are, don't even argue with me, or I'll hex straight to bloody Flich's room of doom."

        Winnie blinked, staring at Cordelia as she stared back before finally cracking a grin. "Flich's room of doom?" She questioned, snorting as Cordelia grinned, shrugging.

      "Whatever, first thing I thought of," she laughed as she turned and started to walk back to her spot.

       "And how do you know Flich has a room of doom, huh?" Winnie smirked as she stood back into a duelling stance. Cordelia's mouth fell open as she stared wide-eyed at her.

      "That's disgusting," Cordelia shuddered as Winnie laughed loudly, earning a glare and a tiny glimpse of a grin from her cousin.

      "You said it, not me," Winnie shrugged as she smiled, muttering the spell before Cordelia could register what she was doing. Winnie stood up straighter, smirking as she grasped Cordelia's wand. The brunette threw her a rather vulgar gesture which caused Winnie to smile wider.

         The cousins existed simply in a bubble of safety created when they were children, a bubble that was slowly disarming around them without even being noticed. The fallout would start, and their drop would shatter as quickly as the secrets built between them would. It would be too late by the time it shouted, whistling around them in the wind of spring.

EDITED APRIL 17TH, 2023 / help i still hate having to write chapters that are taken from the books. it's so boring