𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑶𝑷𝑯𝑰𝑳𝑰𝑨

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Eva blinked owlishly as she woke up in the morning. She took a moment to shed the sleep from her brain, allowing the visions of the night to give away to the day. She heaved her legs over the bedside and lazily dragged her legs to the bathroom. She stretched out her arms as she fixed her gaze on the mirror.

Her reflection looked exhausted. It wasn't so much mentally, but physically. Dark bags hung beneath her eyelids and the corners of her mouth dipped down ever so slightly. She took her finger and placed it at the edge of her mouth, pushing it up slightly. Her reflection smiled back at her and seemed to be content with its appearance.

It had been 2 weeks since her arrival, and she would, unfortunately, be returning that very day. She loved every moment with her two friends; swimming, having picnics, watching movies, or baking sweets. Eva quite dreaded the thought of returning home, despite missing both her parents and her beloved bedroom. She wasn't excited to see what trouble Sirius and James had gotten themself into, but she still had an hour or two with her friends.

"Good morning sunshine," Adan laughed, noticing her tired appearance.

"Not the time Adan," Eva groaned, plopping herself down at the table beside Aiden.

"Did you have a good time?" Kaelyn asked, sitting just across from her with Adan.

"It was amazing, truly. Thank you so much for inviting me," Eva gushed out. Kaelyn smiled at the girl, happy with her response.

"Do you want me to apparate you home, or will you take the floo?" Aiden asked her.

"Oh, I'm alright. You can take Adan home, I'll take the floo network."

"Thanks, Ev's," Adan said.

"Anytime," she responded nonchalantly.

"What's got you in such a funk?" Kaelyn asked, the slightest bit concerned about her friend.

"Oh, I don't know," she sighed sarcastically. "Maybe the fact that I have to go home to James and Sirius."

Kaelyn winced in sympathy. "You'll be alright. If they get too much, you can stay over again. Either way, school is only just around the corner."

"Thank you, I appreciate it, but my door has a lock and I will use it," she joked.

Kaelyn went to whisper something in Adan's ear, making him blush a deep shade of pink. Eva glanced over to Aiden who raised his eyebrow. She simply shrugged and turned back to her breakfast.

"You all don't need to hide it, you both like each other, it's obvious," Aiden blurted out.

"I second that," Eva mumbled, her mouth still half full with food. Kaelyn had yet to tell Aiden about them dating, forgetting the fact that it had been multiple years. I simply mess around and look oblivious to mess with her.

"Oh shut it you two," Kaelyn snapped, having her turn of flushing red.

"As long as I'm not third-wheeling the whole year, it's cool," Eva shrugged.

After a few more minutes Eva spoke up. "I think I'll go," Eva blurted out abruptly, pushing back her chair as she stood up.

"You sure?" Kaelyn asked, her voice laced with concern. Maybe it was only because of the early time of day, but it wasn't like her friend to act out like that.

"I'm sure. I'll go get my trunk, my parents should be waiting anyways. I'll miss you all, and seriously, thank you for everything"

Adan's brows knitted in a frown. The three people seated at the table watched as she walked up the stairs to go get her things. After receiving her trunk, she went directly to the fireplace of their home. She dropped her hand in the pot that hung just beside it, similar to the one at hers. Taking a fistful of the green powder, she chanted her destination and was quickly swept away. As Eva landed on both her feet, she was greeted by a not-so-pleasant surprise.

"Oh, hey Eva!" Peter called, his head shooting up from his spot on the couch.

"I thought you weren't going to be back for another week?!" James exclaimed.

"No, I decided to come home, that's all. I didn't know you all would be here." She resisted her urge to scream and pound her fist against the hall.

"James just invited us over for a week or so," Remus explained.

'Great' she thought to herself. 'One week with the marauders in my house. Nothing I can't handle, right?'

Sirius looked half-asleep, in contrast to his usual mischievous behavior. Peter and Remus both sat on the couch, and James was spread across the floor.

"I... I think I'll go then," she told them, dragging her trunk with her.

"Alright then. See you later Ev's," James called.

Eva thought it was bad enough having both James and Sirius over, but all of the boys? Anyone may call her crazy or overdramatic, but they unmistakably didn't know them. These boys pulled countless pranks and always made a mess and a racket wherever they went. Everyone had given up on trying to stop them because it was seemingly impossible to do.

...

"We have to go, now," Eva panted out, stumbling down the stairs to the living room.

Four pairs of eyes stared back at her blankly. She waved her hands above her head.

"Hello," she drawled out. "Now."

"Mom and dad aren't home," James shrugged, ignoring the urgency in his sister's tone.

"Fine," she groaned. "I'm going to go by myself."

She dashed madly towards the fireplace but was stopped by two firm hands. It seemed James was incapable of the 'older brother' role, so Sirius stepped in.

"Get off me, Black," she growled.

"Where exactly are you going," he asked, his eyebrows raised.

"St. Mungos."

With that, the four boys shot up from their spots in the room, now realizing the gravity in her tone.

"St. Mungos?" Peter asked. "Who's there?"

"Kaelyn," she mumbled. She had just seen her, but emergency seemed to quickly follow.

Peter joined her side and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the fireplace. Before she knew it, they were spinning off to the hospital. She couldn't recall what had happened following, but the next thing she knew, she was being held closely to Aiden's chest.

Her body had begun to tremble as she took in shaky breaths. Her lips started to quiver as she buried her face in his neck.

Everyone outside the small hospital room seemed to have frozen. Still without tears streaming down her cheeks, she never had gotten this upset; this vulnerable. Even James hadn't seen his sister like this since they were young. She felt herself being pried away before another set of arms wrapped themselves around her. She immediately recognized the citrus cologne as Adan. Eva assumed he just arrived.

She had gotten the letter just before she was going to sleep. It was short. All it said was: Kaelyn is at St. Mungos. Everything after that was a blur until she found herself inside the hospital.

As she lifted her gaze, the first thing she noticed was St. Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries was worryingly full. It was full of patients and visitors alike, not a single hopeful expression in sight.

"What happened to her," she asked, turning towards rigid-seated Aiden.

"There was an attack." He shuddered at the mere thought of it. "You know we have distant muggle relatives... I guess it made us targets. She went to go visit our aunt, and Kaelyn was just..."

"Unlucky." Aiden nodded at the girl.

"How long have you been here?" she asked, settling in a seat beside him.

"Only a few hours. Mom and dad are talking to some Aurors. If Kaelyn wakes up, she'll have to as well."

"Don't say if," she told him, resting a hand on his arm. "She'll wake up."

"Yeah... but it's not just that. Like, she's physically fine, but mentally..."

"Are you Aiden Heathers?" Aiden perked up as the stout woman called him.

"Yes."

"You can see her now. Right, this way."

Aiden looked back at Eva, begging with his eyes for her to come with. She obliged, ignoring the look her brother gave her. She didn't want him to have to go alone.

Eva nervously wrung her hands as they were lead to her hospital bed. Rounding the divider separating her from her friend, the corner of her lips turned down into a frown.

It wasn't Kaelyn. She seemed like a whole other person. The kind, caring, bubbly, friend of hers was replaced with a stone-cold-faced girl. Her blond waves framed her ghostly pale face. Her eyelids were shut, eyelashes flirting with her cheeks.

Adan joined the two who stood wordlessly at the edge of the bed. It seemed so wrong, so unnatural, for the lively girl to be before them in an unconscious state.

It was then that Eva realized how fragile the world really was. It wasn't in a ground-breaking way, but in a way she knew she had been so oblivious to it her whole life. Life was much more delicate than she thought. She knew Kaelyn possibly wasn't dead, but one day she could be laughing and studying with a friend, and the next they could be gone. Just like that. It never occurred to her how quickly things could change forever. You should treat others in a way that leaves no regrets. Fairly, and if possible, sincerely.

And it was all just a matter of time. The war was in full swing. How much longer until those she loved were all gone?