Lilith, a usually bright and cheery rainbow, felt more like a dark, droopy raincloud. Her grand Hogwarts adventure had become survival of the fittest. She was fit--physically, but mentally...she hasn’t ever been challenged in this manner before. It felt like she had to do whatever it took to protect her family more than herself. Maybe it was paranoia, but she didn’t doubt it. What if Rosier sent dark wizards to her home? No. She had to do whatever it takes to keep her family safe.

It was EXHAUSTING.

Especially during this time of the month. Lilith was sad and irritable and just wanted hugs. She didn’t have anyone here for hugs, though. So she kept herself distracted by aimlessly walking around, and this is how she landed by the gates.

Wouldn’t it be great if she could just open the gates and leave?

Taking her wand out, Lilith used the levitation charm and picked up a great, big brown leaf up from the path, and slowly maneuvered it to the gates.

ZAP!

The ground seems to tremble with their arrival, hardened footfalls matched with the merciless faces of the followers as they approach. Counting them would prove fruitless, more than 100 of them in your midst. No need to ask permission, they march on through opened gates that are secured right behind them. This is their school now. Better make room. Your new castle-mates have arrived.

"Looks like we'll have to turn around," Eden stated the obvious to her red-faced, out of breath running buddy, halting her run a few feet away from the gates to the grounds. Two winged boars stood guard against the the dark November sky. It wasn't even seven in the morning, and the sun had barely began to rise. The air was cold and damp.

Eden found like the bleak weather exactly appropriate for the current mood around school.

Two months had passed and she hated Hogwarts. No amount of cool magic castle could compensate for the daily injustice she experienced. Running had become her outlet. At first, they'd been little sprints and short jogs before breakfast; now she woke up to a dark sky and was out here for hours, some mornings until she vomited. It kept her kindling anger at bay throughout the school day. In the evenings she could try and learn magic (and French - she'd heard there was another magical school in France) by herself. And hang out with her friends, most notably Quinn. He was the first friend she'd made here and Hogwarts had provided them both with lots of shared trauma to bond over.

She'd invited him out for a run this morning.

"How are you feeling?" Because he wasn't performing very well. Eden had to slow down to keep up. These thoughts were unfair, and rude, but Eden wasn't a very gracious person, and she thought he had a lot of work to do. Her love language was being critical, okay? "We made it a pretty good ways out, ay?"

Oh, thank God, Quinn thought as Eden said it was time to turn around. When he accepted Eden's invitation to go on a morning run, he was thinking a brisk run around the lake, nothing too exhausting.

They had run around almost the entire grounds, and Quinn was not having a good time, to say the least. By a third of the way through, he was already lagging behind. Halfway, his legs were hurting. Three quarters and he could feel the sweat soaking through his undies. How could it be so cold, and yet he was too hot? Also, who thought it was a good idea to go on a run when he could barely breathe outside when he was just standing? Every breath he took felt like an ice knife stabbing him in the lungs.

Quinn was never one for phys ed, okay? Exercise made him feel bad. He was fine with his noodle limbs.

Quinn put his hands on his knees as they came to a stop, breathing heavily and raggedly. He couldn't much answer her question with words, so he just nodded and gave a thumbs up. He coughed loudly, rubbing his brow.

Eden tilted her head sideways. Oops. She'd clearly overdone it, yet couldn't muster any remorse. Really it was quite impressive that Quinn had lasted as long as he had, now that she got a proper look at him. Her own heart was thudding so intensely she could hear the blood in her ears, and her cheeks were flushed. She ran a hand over her head and it was wet when she brought it back down to her side.

"We'll have a nice walk back, then." Deep breath. It was a little hard to breathe, but composure, right? "Breakfast sounds nice." It didn't, actually, but a hot cup of tea would probably unfreeze her enough to feel hungry. She'd always had cinnamon buns for her birthday back home.

Quinn was able to speak by the next time Eden spoke, though his breathing was still labored. "That... sounds fine... to me..." Walking in itself didn't sound nice, what with his legs screaming at him, but it sounded much nicer than more running. And that exercise had worked up his appetite.

As they walked, Quinn started thinking. Today was... the 11th, right..? Which means... "Oh, Eden... happy.... birthday..!" He gave as much of a smile as he could while trying to steady his breathing.

Eden was shocked that Quinn remembered her birthday. She didn't even know his, and felt like a pretty mediocre friend for it - hopefully it hadn't already passed. She gave him a bright, genuine smile and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she began the long walk back to the castle. "Aw...thanks Quinn. You're a real one."

One of the only real ones in this whole, blood-supremacist infested castle, yes he was. She pulled a small, pink, glittery, reusable water bottle out of her magically enlarged fanny pack. "Here, want some water with a tropical fruit punch packet dissolved in?"

A fine muggle treat for two fine muggleborns, if you asked her.

Quinn giggled a bit, his breathing mostly back to normal now. He always made a point of remembering his friend's birthdays because he liked that it made them feel special.

Quinn nodded fervently as Eden brought out the water bottle; he needed some water, anyway, but he had only ever been able to try those dissolvable juice packets at school when Mari brought them. He took the bottle and had a couple swigs, relishing the processed fruit flavor, then handed it back to Eden. "Thanks, that hit the spot." He smiled, his mouth dyed a bit red by the punch.

Then, Quinn had a thought. "Say, Eden... which do you like most: cake, brownies or cookies?" And, yes, Quinn meant cookies, not biscuits—he wasn't well versed in making shortbread or gingerbread or anything of the sort, though he did like some chocolate chip cookies every now and then.

"You got a lil," Eden gestured to her upper lip, "stain there, mate." She couldn't let him run into one of their peers looking like that without at least warning him.

Eden took the bottle back and took a deep sip for herself. It was a nice reminder of home; Elijah always kept a box of the packets in the cupboard since they both liked a fruity beverage after exercise. Maybe today would be a good birthday after all.

Her answer to Quinn's question was cinnamon buns, but that wasn't a choice, so she put her hands on her hips for a brief moment of thought. "Cake. Strawberry shortcake especially, but cake in general. What about you?"

The castle was still a ways away, but they were getting closer and closer to a hot meal.

"So THEN I had to move to another seat further down in the library and it wasn't as good but I swear, Kizzy, these first years are the worst." Emm said, coming to the end of what had probably been a long story on their walk across the grounds. It started with a simple trip to get her hands on a book for dancing. There was a technique she was interested in trying.

It quickly devolved into a rowdy bunch eager to learn some dumb first year spell or the other. She didn't know, she didn't care. What she DID care about was how loud they'd been.

"I mean really, we were never that annoying last year. We were cool from the start." Not like this lot who didn't know how to act and cried a lot.

Half of them were even trying to get killed by the Headmaster. A strange lot indeed. She was so into her story that she never noticed the pair by the gate. Just what she needed. More immature, small people as if she was much taller.

Kinsay was, of course, listening very intently. Best friend duties and all. She never interrupted even once except for the occasional exclamations of disbelief and hummed agreements. "That's so frustrating! I'm sorry you had to move, Emm." The story was all very dramatic (they usually were) and upsetting (as most things this year tended to be).

"And we knew to keep quiet in libraries," she added with a nod. Library manners were apparently lost upon this new generation according to Emm (who Kinsay had no reason to doubt, like, ever).

The Gryffindor absently looked towards the entrance gates, silently wishing that they'd open up. It was a ridiculous wish, but Kinsay had had enough of this year. Everything from the hate speech in lessons to the horrible hooded figures to first years who couldn't keep their voices low in the library. Speaking of first years... Kiz turned to give Emm a look.

Quinn's smile dropped as he licked his upper lip, then wiped it with his hand. He hoped that made it go away—it didn't really.

Quinn nodded. Strawberry shortcake? Quinn wasn't sure if he could do a true strawberry shortcake, but he could definitely make a spongecake with cream and strawberries on top. He would see about it later. "I like brownies, personally. With chocolate chips and walnuts," he grinned. "Me and my Gram make them all the time."

His head perked up as he heard two voices approaching, and he sighed. This would... not be good. Quinn knew Kinsay from the, er, slug incident. And he knew Emmerson from the Ashley incident. He held no ill will towards Kinsay (though he didn't much like being around her), but he did not like Emmerson all too much. And he knew that Eden hated her even more. "Uh, why don't we go around to the clocktower, hm? I've always liked that entrance better, anyways, it's really pretty." He hoped against hope that Eden would just go along with it.

Too late, Quinn. Eden had already spotted that probably-inbred, delusional, pompous IDIOT Cambridge and her annoying, definitely-incessant associate Kinsay freaking James. Both of whom had another thing coming if they thought they would just be able to breathe Eden's air without her being mad about it. Not after what Cambridge had said to Ashley. NOPE.

"No," Eden said in response to Quinn's request, voice oddly distant as she let her wand fall into her hand, eyes locked on the two second years approaching them for some reason. Had they been followed? Could she not enjoy a peaceful conversation about dessert without being antagonized by a Gryffindor? WHY WOULDN'T HER EYE STOP TWITCHING?

The first year looked around to make sure nobody else was in the area besides the four of them.

She hoped that snot-nosed brat Cambridge enjoyed the sardine spell Eden sent her way. She'd been practicing. If it didn't hit, well, she'd just have to throw some good old fashioned MUGGLE hands.

"Exaaaactly." They knew how to be quiet in a library. Kizzy just...got her. Her bestfriend always got her. Even now in this seemingly mundane and inconsequential conversation, her bestfriend got her. There was a ton of comfort to be taken out of that. In these dark and trying times, having someone in your corner was it.

Not so much it? The First Year who drew her wand and sent a spell her way. Emm thought to block it. Honest to goodness she did. She could've too, considering she already learned the shield charm. It wasn't that difficult and had become one of her most proficient spells--for obvious reason. But no. Emmerson was a trooper. She was willing to take one for the greater good.

Straightening some, Emmerson felt a tingle run up her nose. Before she could help it, a sneeze burst forth and out came a ton of sardines.

The Gryffindor played it up, as all good Gryffindors did when seeking attention.

There was a reason, give her some time. "I've been shot!! I'm hit!! Kizzy I'm hit!! Eden Tilly just shot a hex at me--ACHOOO!!" More sardines, all the sardines. I'm dying! I can't--ACHOO!!!--I can't see." Wait, it was coming. Honest.

Kinsay would have Emmerson's back until the end of time. She'd be there for Emm and Emm would be there for her. Forever and always. That's what best friends did for each other. Other things best friends did? Help each other when one of them got hexed, apparently.

O____________O

The series of events that followed (Eden pointing her wand, a spell heading for Emm, sneezing sardines) happened so quickly that Kinsay didn't have enough time to think. Or perhaps the problem wasn't a lack of time, but rather the herculean task of trying to think far too many things all at the same time. Something that Kizzy hadn't yet figured out how to properly navigate, thus rendering her mildly useless when Eden aimed her spell.

The first thought was: "Hey!"

Kinsays didn't raise their voices. That's not what they did. Usually. But you couldn't hex a best friend. That's not fair! That's not nice! Emmerson didn't do anything! They were only talking. Minding their own business and everything. The second thought was: "What was that for!?" But her attention quickly turned to Emmerson because the third thought came quickly and the third thought was far more terrifying than an impromptu duel.

"Emm! Shhhh! Shhhhhhhh! Emm, please! They'll hear you!" Kizzy frantically begged. Her heart was RACING and she was all sorts of shaking as she reached for her own wand. She knew that Rosier had guards everywhere. She knew. "Finite!" C'mon, c'mon. "Finite!" Please work. Please, please work so that Emm could stop yelling. "Finite." Please. Please. Please.

Quinn didn't have enough time to talk to Eden and have her rethink her decision before the wand was out and the spell was cast. He managed a, "Hey, wa-" but by then it was done.

He watched as sardines started streaming out of Emmerson's nose, which was... not funny. Definitely not funny. Quinn was covering his mouth because he was very serious and shocked by what happened and not because he was obviously biting back a smile. "Eden... you shouldn't have done that..." he said, totally not holding back giggles.

But then he actually thought about it. And he stopped giggling. "No... Eden, you really shouldn't have done that. This..." He looked at Eden with wide eyes. "Th-this could be bad, Eden."

Williamson was just minding his own business, doing some groundskeeping, aka heartily munching his way through one of the six or seven croissants he'd stuffed in his pocket from his EARLY breakfast.... one of the few nice things left in this place.... when he heard some SHRILL YELLING.

Of course he heard yelling. Could they have one peaceful day at Hogwarts? Could they? Was that too much?

He picked up the pace on his groundskeeping, sprinting now to the source of the yelling. It bothered him that this sound was coming from the front gates to the grounds. He flat-out ran until he saw the source of the yelling, fully expecting to see more hooded figures with their wands out....

But it was just normal kid stuff. Chaos, sure. There was always chaos involving Cambridge and James and his grounds, wasn't there.

"Could----you----knock---it---off, Cam-bridge?" he wheeze-spoke, his feet skidding to a stop by the girls. He nearly fell over, the middle-aged (advanced) man did. He caught himself shortly before running into Kingsley, and put a hand on his side where it hurt, because he was old, and because this is what eating six or seven croissants a day will do you eventually.

Williamson caught his breath and threw a brown-eyed GLARE around at all of the bébés. Tilly. James. Kingsley. Cambridge. Children. First and second years. SCREAMING. Hadn't the pimples on their heads been ENOUGH? He was still catching his breath, by the way, so he hadn't quite lit into them yet.

Hang on, were they wasting food out here? Because those were some tinned sardines on the ground, weren't there? He'd have words for them about THAT, just as soon as he caught a breath.

Eden felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest watching Emmerson force sardines through her sinuses. Pride. Her charm had worked! Happy Birthday to her!

Maybe it would be her last one, who knows. Cambridge was being awfully dramatic. You're lucky that's all you got!

Buuuuut the first year knew she was already on thin ice. And she didn't know that many spells. Like, at all.

She enjoyed a little giggle with Quinn, savoring the moment even if her heart wasn't all the way into it. She just really wanted to punch her, okay? But Kinsay looked really scared, and now Quinn was giving her A Look, so she would try and count her blessings and enjoy the sardines.

"A little late for that, my friend," She said, cocking her head to the side as she watched Kinsay try and fix Cambridge. "Should we, like, leave?"

Except.

Too late.

Nononono. Was that a TEACHER? How had she not seen? Anxiety churned in her stomach, but she pushed it down. It was only Williamson. She pointed her wand at Cambridge and cast the counterspell (which she had NOT studied very much) as quietly as she could muster while the groundskeeper's attention was directed at the girls and catching his breath. This wasn't very fun anymore.

Ha.

Ha ha.

.......Ha.

Emmerson hop, skipped and jumped out of Kizzy's spells, careful not to let any hit her in case they actually worked. The whole time, she screamed. In fact, she screamed even louder. It was shrill. It was the sort that brought people running. It was the sort that involved Eden Tilly's name a whole bunch of times as well as what the girl had done.

When Williamson showed up, there was the briefest look of disappointment. He was not who she wanted. In fact, the way he ignored her being hexed, the way he ignored Tilly and went straight to telling HER to knock it off made her feel vindicated in what she was attempting to do. He did not care, so she would find someone who DID.

Quinn and Eden could giggle all they wanted. Calculated as she was, the Gryffindor intended to have the very last laugh and if the Professor wouldn't help with that....frankly, he could stand aside.

No offense, Kizzy, but the bestfriend did NOT want your help and she skipped right out of the way of Eden's too. Still sneezing and in oooobvious pain.

Normally, they would not care about the screaming. Being here as long as they were, the squad had come to understand that the children screamed. Often.

They continued to move about the grounds, looking to spot any trouble. Trouble found them. Hexing? Eden Tilly? That one was muggleborn if they remembered correctly. Hexing another student? The filthy mudblood had some nerve.

The cloaked figures moved quickly, soon coming to a stop by the gates. The scene all but spoke for itself. Cambridge--pureblood according to their records--screaming. The screaming was not so unusual. The girl was in need of a permanent mouth removal.

However.

There was a more pressing matter. The muggleborn waste had dared. The trio lifted their wands toward Tilly and Kingsley--both L I A R S as the case happened to be. "We seem to have a problem here." Not a question.

Well, this was just lovely.

Quinn watched as Emmerson danced around the attempts at help—purposefully, it seemed to him—with wide eyes. Her screaming was loud and horrid; the whole castle could probably have heard. And then, it clicked in Quinn's head.

She wanted to see them punished.

Quinn was about to take Eden up on her offer—yes, they should leave, they should leave right now—when Professor Williamson showed up. That gave Quinn a bit of relief (he wouldn't let anything bad happen to them, right?) until the Inquisitorial Squad showed up.

His blood ran cold. They were gonna die. They were gonna die because Eden made Emmerson shoot sardines out of her nose. This whole, horrible term would lead up to him dying over some stupid sardines? Tears of sadness, anger, fear and frustration welled up in his eyes, but he wouldn't let himself break down. He needed to stay present in case he had to run for his life.

...annnnnnnnnnnd now it was a party.

"Dammit, Cambridge," Williamson SWORE under his breath, no small feat considering he still felt winded, but Merlin, if this wasn't the Gryffindor's fault. He honestly did not care who cast what initially (now that he'd put 2+2 together and realized the sardines were of the nose variety, not the tinned kind). He just knew he was NOT going to allow these stupid infiltrators attack MORE CHILDREN on the grounds, HIS grounds. Not a bit. He still had the sight of Phoebe-No-Teeth-James burned in his mind's eye, thanks.

So he flicked his wand into his own hand, his left, as usual, and straightened up. "I've got it," he grunted at the stupid inquisitorial squad, standing up straight to his full height of six-four-and-all. "I'm the Groundskeeper, I'll say when the children have a problem."

And with that, he swiftly sent two nonverbals said children's way, rapidly enough that one maybe couldn't tell which direction the spells were coming from; one silencio for Emmerson Cambridge so she'd shut it and one slug-belching hex for Eden Tilly (a personal favorite spell of his, frankly). Why? Because he had to, to make it look like the Muggleborn was the one being hexed.

"Dunno what you saw," he grunted to the hoods, gesturing lazily with his wand, cool as a cucumber, "but it looked to me like some basic dueling practice I was just overseeing. Gryffindors were practicing on the Mugg--- Mudbloods, dirty Mudbloods, like they deserve. Don't have the best aim though." That would explain the sardines, then. Maybe.

The word he'd said sounded (and felt) filthy on his lips, but Merlin, wouldn't his Pops be proud now. Willy hinged and turned to James, Kinsay James. "Right, weren't you about to practice on Kingsley? Cambridge and Tilly have had it. Your turn. Kingsley, straighten up and try to take it like a man this time."

Seriously, kids. Play. Along. Kingsley, quit crying. THERE'S NO CRYING ON THE GROUNDS. He was going to make this a rule ASAP.

Quinn could play along, alright. He would play along like his life depended on it. Because it probably did.

Good thing he was trying to be present, because he heard what the Professor was saying loud and clear. He took a deep breath, did his best to blink back his tears, then looked at Kinsay. "Come on, Kinsay. Give me your worst." He gritted his teeth, then added. "I deserve it."

Hope it was a good enough show as any.

Kinsay heard the giggling. And Eden’s taunting. She tried to block it out, focusing instead on the counter-spells. The counter-spells that Emm was hopping away from? Why was she dodging them? It didn’t make any sense. Kinsay looked at her with a mix of fear and confusion all over her little baby-face. ??????? ”Emm stop, please! What if they—"

.......

.................

All color drained from Kinsay’s face at the sight of the hooded figures. She could feel herself starting to shut down the way she usually did when overwhelmed. And Professor Williamson's voice was just about the only thing that kept her somewhat present as she tried her very hardest to fight off the brain fuzz.

But, but what? Professor Williamson? He wanted her to hex Quinn? Quinn who was too scared to even touch a slug? Quinn who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Even with these thoughts, Kinsay absently began nodding and blinked back some tears, willing herself not to cry. She had to play along. She knew she did. She had to play along so that no one would get hurt…. Except for Quinn… Who she was now supposed to hex. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t. She couldn’t.

Kizzy James felt like she was watching herself from the outside. Lifting her wand, but unable to stop her hand from trembling. Pointing at Quinn. Reciting a spell she hadn't ever used before. The brain fuzz was coming back. She was going to be sick.

”Slug— Slugulus Eructo.”