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The sun had set, and the youngest students began returning to their dorms.
Lyra had just begun to lose herself in the hum of the great hall when something fluttered into view, a small piece of parchment bird folding its wings and landing right on her plate. She stared at it for a moment, recognising the enchanted parchment before anyone else at the table did.
Her heart sank. Fred Weasley.
The delicate swan sat there innocently, its tiny wings twitching as though it were alive. Lyra could already feel eyes on her. Theodore was the first to notice, leaning over slightly to get a better look.
"What's that?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
Lyra shot him a quick glance and shrugged. "A stupid paper bird," she muttered.
Theodore raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but before he could ask more, Pansy leaned in, her sharp voice. "Who's sending you little love notes, Lyra, or should I say, dove letters?" she teased, her eyes glinting with mischief.
"Probably some poor bloke from Ravenclaw," Daphne Greengrass added with a smirk.
Astoria noded, "Maybe that Diggory boy, didn't he have a thing for you in third year?"
"Well, open it then," Theodore said.
Lyra reached for the paper bird. She unfolded it carefully, her heart thudding in her chest. The message inside was scrawled in Fred's messy handwriting.
"You've been awfully quiet. It's not like you to let me off the hook this easily, let's talk."
Her eyes flickered up from the note, and sure enough, Fred was watching her from across the hall.
But what made it worse, what made her want to throw the note right back at him, was the fact that he was sitting next to Angelina Johnson, who looked far from pleased.
Angelina's gaze followed Fred's, locking onto Lyra with an intensity that could burn holes through stone. The sweet smile she had plastered upon her face, only moments ago was gone, replaced by a scowl of jealousy.
Lyra saw Angelina whisper something in Fred's ear, trying to earn a small laugh out of him, but Fred just waved her off, his eyes still trained on Lyra.
It was infuriating.
Theodore leaned closer, his dark eyes narrowing. "Well, what does it say?" he asked, though his voice carried a protective edge.
Lyra folded the note back up, shoving it into her pocket with more force than necessary. "Nothing important," she muttered, refusing to meet Theodore's gaze. The last thing she needed was to involve him in whatever this ridiculous game was.
But it was too late. The rest of the Slytherin table had caught wind of something, and whispers spread like wildfire. Pansy was the first to raise an eyebrow.
"Fred Weasley?" she asked, her tone dripping with amusement. "Why would he be writing to you?"
"Doesn't matter," Lyra snapped, suddenly feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up her neck.
But her response only fueled the curiosity. Daphne's eyes widened in surprise, and even Adrian Pucey, seated a few spots away, looked over with mild interest.
"What's going on between you two?" Adrian asked quietly, his voice low but intense.
"Nothing," Lyra repeated through gritted teeth, but she could already feel the tension building around her. As much as she hated Fred Weasley, this stupid note was now drawing far too much attention.
Across the hall, Fred clearly enjoying the scene playing out in front of him, it was impossible for her to ignore him now. But Lyra's annoyance wasn't the only thing simmering in the room.
Angelina Johnson's patience had reached its limit.
Without warning, she stood up, drawing the attention around her. Fred turned to her, surprised by the sudden movement, but Angelina didn't spare him a glance. Her eyes were locked on Lyra, her expression dark with anger and eyes starting to tear up.
For a brief second, the entire hall seemed to hold its breath. The chatter faded, heads turned, and an awkward silence stretched between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.
Lyra felt the weight of dozens of eyes on her, but she refused to let it show. Instead, she stared back at Angelina with cold indifference.
Angelina's jaw clenched. "Do you enjoy ruining peoples friendships?" she hissed, loud enough for those nearby to hear. "After school, we'll see how tough you really are."
The threat lingered in the air, sharp and dangerous.
Lyra's eyes narrowed, a mixture of irritation and disbelief flashing across her face. Of course, it would end up like this. She knew the girl had always been competitive, but this? Over Fred Weasley?
"Is this really about him?" Lyra asked, her voice calm, though she couldn't stop the edge of disdain that crept into her tone. "Or are you just looking for an excuse to fight?"
Angelina's face twisted in anger. George quickly grabbed her arm, holding her back from doing anything stupid. "Angelina, leave it," he muttered, clearly trying to defuse the situation before it escalated.
But Angelina wasn't backing down. "Watch yourself, Lyra," she warned, her voice low and dangerous. "You're not as untouchable as you think."
Lyra smirked, crossing her arms. "I'll take my chances."
The tension between the two was unbearable, and the entire hall seemed to be waiting for something to happen. Theodore leaned over again, his voice a whisper in her ear. "You could take her in a fight, just saying."
Lyra didn't answer immediately. She wasn't afraid of sweet little Angelina, but the last thing she wanted was to get dragged into a public spectacle over Fred Weasley of all people.
But then, Fred chimed in.
"Angelina, don't," he said, his voice firm but cautious. He looked between her and Lyra, his expression conflicted. "This really isn't necessary."
Angelina shot him a look of pure disbelief. "You're defending her now? Did you just forget what happened yesterday, in the potion classroom?"
A couple of oooh's could be heard throughout the hall.
"Are you coming with me, or staying?"
Fred hesitated for a moment, and that hesitation was enough. Angelina yanked her arm out of George's grasp and stormed out.
The silence that followed was thick, awkward, and impossible to ignore.
Fred glanced across the hall at Lyra, his expression unreadable, and for a moment, the two locked eyes. But whatever he was going to say, or do, was cut off by George, who pulled him back into his seat with a roll of his eyes.
"Well, that was fun," George muttered sarcastically.
"You really did it this time," His sister, Ginny, deadpanned beside him.
Lyra let out a long breath, shaking her head in disbelief. She stood up abruptly. "I'm done with this," she muttered to the others, who simply nodded in understanding.
As she walked out of the hall, the murmurs followed her, but Lyra didn't care. If Angelina wanted a fight, they'll fight.
Daphne and Astoria, Blaise and Draco, Crabbe and Goyle and Pansy and Theodore followed close behind her.
"What are you lot staring at?" Theodore threatened as the group walked out.
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