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Lyra walked into the common room again, her heartbeat still uneven from her encounter with Fred as she forced herself to shake off the tension.
She wasn't exactly in a bad mood, but rather cheery, a slight smile playing on her lips as she approached her friends.
In the center of it all was Marcus Flint, a broad grin plastered on his face as Daphne and Adrian handed him a goblet of fire whiskey. He raised it high above his head, earning another round of cheers from the group, mostly the Slytherins.
"Here's to the end of an era!" Flint roared, his deep voice carrying over the noise.
"To Flint!" A drunk Adrian boasted with a crocked grin as he clinked his own goblet against Marcus's.
Lyra slid in beside Daphne, who immediately turned and grabbed her by the arm. "Where have you been?" Daphne asked, narrowing her eyes. "You missed Marcus's ridiculous speech about how he's the 'heart and soul' of Slytherin House."
"I'm sure I'll live," Lyra replied as she rolled her eyes, earning a laugh from Astoria, who was perched on the arm of a yellow Hufflepuff couch.
"You've been gone for ages," She continued, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "You didn't ditch us for him, did you?" She shot a knowing glance toward the Gryffindor table, but Lyra only rolled her eyes.
"Hardly," Lyra replied, her tone dismissive. "I just needed to use the loo."
"Hmm," Daphne hummed, eyeing her friend suspiciously. But before she could press further, Adrian Pucey walked over, throwing an arm around Lyra's shoulders.
"There's my girl," he said, grinning, his clothes reeking of alcohol. "We thought you'd disappeared for good. Flint was about to start a search party."
Lyra laughed, shaking her head by her friends dramatic behaviours. "You're very drunk." she teased as he pulled her closer.
"And surprisingly, you're not." Adrian smirked before he turned back to the group and raised his voice. "Flint! I am curious.. If you're the heart and soul of Slytherin, what does that make the rest of us?"
"The hangers-on, obviously." Marcus shot with sass, rolling his eyes dramatically, earning another wave of laughter from the students around them from all different houses.
The mood was infectious, and Lyra found herself relaxing as she joined in the chatter. Daphne leaned in close, lowering her voice.
"You missed something," she said, her tone teasing.
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?"
Daphne nodded toward the far end of the room towards a dark secluded corner, where Theodore Nott sat quietly, sipping from his goblet like a little mouse. His eyes flicked toward Lyra for a brief moment before darting away again.
"I don't get it. What is wrong with him?" Daphne said, her eyes filled with concern.
Lyra sighed, brushing it off. "I am sure he's fine, you know how he sometime gets when he drink."
Daphne nodded but didn't press any further, wondering if she should go over there and talk to him or leave him alone.
She sighed. "I'll go over there and talk to him, I think." She finally said, giving Lyra a weak smile before heading over to the brunette boy.
Lyra gave her a proud smile and shooed her away in encouragement, before joining the others. Still, as Lyra sipped her drink she couldn't shake the memory of Fred's voice or the way his eyes had burned into hers.
Every so often, her gaze would drift toward the entrance of the common room, half-expecting and half-hoping that he might appear.
But Fred didn't come. And for the rest of the night, Lyra did her best to push him out of her mind and focus on the present, celebrating Marcus's big night with her friends.
The night carried on, the energy of the party gradually dimming as students began to drift off to their respective common rooms. Marcus Flint had been hoisted onto the shoulders of a few sixth years one last time.
Lyra had eyed Daphne and Theodore for the past hour, and they sat together in the far corner, smiling and laughing together. A faint smile spread across her lips as she watched their interaction.
Suddenly, a certain Hufflepuff chimed, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.
"Alright guys, it's been a fun night, but it's time to settle down. There's a big day tomorrow for some of you, so get a good night sleep." Said Cedric Diggory with a drunken smile, earning cheers from the seventh years.
Lyra and Adrian waited for Daphne and Theodore, while Marcus had left the party a while ago together with a Hufflepuff girl. Lyra stifled a yawn as she waited for her friends, who were walking at a very slow pace towards them.
"About time, isn't it?" Adrian smirked beside her, mentioning to the Slytherin pair.
"Absolutely." Lyra answered with a stern voice, relief coursing through her body. She had always waited for this moment, and she was happy for Daphne, and Theodore that is.
"That was fun," Daphne said, looping her arm through Lyra's as they finally reached their friends. "But I swear, if Flint talks about himself one more time, I'll hex him into next year."
Theodore chuckled. "You mean you're not going to miss his charming ego?"
"Not a chance," Daphne replied, sending him a small, subtle smile. "But honestly, Lyra. You will be at the Quidditch Cup this summer, right?"
"Of course, wouldn't miss it for anything." Lyra said quickly, a small smile of excitement spreading across her lips.
As they reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room, the group exchanged their goodnights, and went into their dorms. Daphne followed quietly behind Lyra.
As the door closed, Daphne rushed to her friend with a concerned look on her face. "Alright, spill," she said, her tone light but insistent.
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Spill what?"
Daphne rolled her eyes. "You know exactly what. What happened with Finn Collins? He sprinted out of the party looking like he'd been mauled by a hippogriff. Blood everywhere, shirt in tatters, the whole thing. Everyone talked about it."
Lyra hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "He was being his usual self. He wouldn't take no for an answer," she muttered, her tone edged with frustration.
Daphne's expression darkened, and her face was written with guilt "What do you mean? Did he hurt you? I am so sorry, I tried to reach you but Marcus and Adrian pulled me to the side. I tried to tell them but they were too drunk to listen.."
"Hey, it's okay, and no, he didn't get the chance to hurt me." Lyra assured her quickly, placing a comforting hand on her friends shoulder. "And don't feel guilty. Fred showed up before it got that far."
"Fred?" Daphne sat up in her bed, smirking slightly. "Again?"
Lyra nodded, feeling heat creep up her cheeks. "Yeah, again."
Daphne smirked. "He's crazy about you, it's ridiculous"
Lyra sighed as she plumped down beside her friend, running her hands over her face. "Yeah, too crazy."
"That explains the blood, then." Daphne said with a small laugh, though her amusement quickly turned to curiosity. "But why didn't you tell me at the party? I thought we shared everything, Lyra."
"I wanted to tell you in private, I am sorry." Lyra admitted, avoiding her friend's gaze.
Daphne studied her for a moment, then seemed to decide to let it go. She leaned back against her pillows, her smirk returning. "Alright, fine. But you're not getting off that easily. What's going on with you and Fred, anyway? You've been acting weird about him all year. Before you two couldn't stand each others guts, but this year has been different."
"Honestly Daphne, there's nothing going on." Lyra said quickly, maybe too quickly. But the way she fidgeted with her hands made Daphne think otherwise.
Daphne snorted. "Right, because beating up a guy who tries to get with a girl, twice, is just normal."
Lyra gave her a look but said nothing, which only seemed to fuel Daphne's amusement.
"Fine, keep your secrets, i'll find out anyways." Daphne cooed teasingly, her tone playful and smooth. She paused for a moment before adding, "But enough about you. Theo and I had conversation tonight."
Lyra looked up at that, her curiosity piqued. "Right, and what exactly did you talk about?" She smirked, eyeing her friend up and down.
Daphne smiled coyly, twirling a strand of hair around her finger sarcastically like a little school girl. "I asked him what was wrong, you know, since he looked so depressed where he sat. It took a while but eventually he confessed something really unexpected and surprising."
Daphne said with a small smile and a faint blush on her face. "Well, he talked about you. How he always felt the need to protect you, not in a 'romantic' way though, like a brotherly. But now he sees that Fred Weasley protects you way more than he could, and to be honest I think his ego is just hurt."
Lyra's mouth dropped as Daphne ranted on about what Theo had said. "Really? No way he thinks I need protection. That boy needs humbling."
"For real." Daphne laughed, though her tone was softer now, almost wistful. "But it took long enough. I swear, boys are so dense sometimes."
Lyra laughed, the tension in her shoulders easing. "You're not wrong there."
"But he told me something else too." Daphne giggled, hiding her face in her hands as she squeled. Lyra punched her shoulder and encouraged her to go on.
"Well, we talked about summer holiday, and suddenly he asked me if I wanted to hang out with him." Daphne laughed as her face turned red. If Daphne wasn't crazy before, she certainty was now.
"No way, that is brilliant, Daph!" Lyra giggled, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand to supress her laughter. Daphne nodded in agreement.
The two girls continued talking back and fourth, laughing and sharing stupid memories from their previous year. They talked about boys, about Marcus Flint, and mostly about their plans for their holiday.
As time passed they both fell asleep in Daphnes bed with their dresses still on and their makeup still applied.
And for the first time.
Lyra fell asleep with something else on her mind than a certain red-headed boy.
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A bright light shined through the green curtains in the dorm, hitting Lyra right in the face. Lyra blinked against the sunlight in irritation, before realising she was in Daphne's bed with her dress on, and her hair a mess. Daphne laid beside her with one arm flung over her head, her makeup smudged from the night before.
Lyra couldn't help but smile at the scene, before she stood up and went over to her side of the dorm and pulled out a digital camera. She quietly walked back and snapped a photo of her friend, which seemed to wake her up.
"No you didn't-" Daphne groaned, but too hungover to do anything about it, but Lyra would probably hear about it later.
"Yes I did." Lyra cooed and she stifled a laugh at the picture.
Daphne groaned and got up, rubbing her eyes dramatically. "God, we have to get dressed. We look like psychopaths."
Lyra agreed, and looked around her. Pansy and Astorias beds were already neatly made and empty, and Lyra immediately looked at the time.
"Shit, the graduation starts in 20 minutes." She said in panic, immediately throwing the dress of her and finding clean regular clothes.
Daphne instantly shot up in her bed, beginning to dress herself aswell, and remove the old makeup on her face, replacing it with some new one.
Daphne brushed her hair, which resembled a chaotic halo around her face. "You're cruel, Lyra. A girl needs her beauty sleep, I would manage five more."
"You're gorgeous enough without it," Lyra winked, tossing a pillow at her. "Now hurry up, or i'll go without you."
Daphne shot her a cold glare before they walked off together. Daphne in a sour mood and Lyra in a quite cheerful mood.
By the time they made their way to hallways, the usual buzz of morning chatter filled the air. Students were walking around, their steps lighter than usual and a few Gryffindors even greeted the two Slytherin girls.
Lyra and Daphne quickly caught up with their group, greeted by Blaise's sly grin and Draco's smug drawl as they watched the girls slightly jog up to them, their eyes bloodshot like the rest of the group.
"So, how's everyone feeling this fine morning?" Blaise asked with an exaggerated grin. "Not too tired, I hope?"
"Oh, shut it, Blaise," Adrian groaned, rubbing his temples. "Nobody wants your smugness right now. Just because you weren't at one party doesn't give you a right to torture us."
Astoria giggled, skipping backward so she could face the group. "You lot look like trolls dragged through the Forbidden Forest. Did you sleep at all?"
"Not all of us are toddlers who have a strict bedtime by nine pm." Lyra shot back, though she couldn't help the small smile making it's way across her lips.
"Oh so she says, looking like she just crawled out of a bin." Draco quipped, his smirk widening when Lyra flipped him off.
"Speaking of bins," Pansy added with fake sweet tone, "Isn't that what your faces looked like this morning. Honestly you should've seen yourselves. Oh wait, you can. I took pictures." Pansy chimed.
Daphne gasped, placing a hand over her chest in mock offense. "Don't show those to anyone."
"Oh, please Pansy, show us!" Blaise howled with laughter. "I'll marry you if you do."
Pansy rolled her eyes. Of course she wouldn't show any of the boys the picture without the girls approval. "Oh, what a difficult request, but I am afraid I have to decline." She joked as they continued walking. Meanwhile, Theodore, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke up.
"Could you all tone it down for five minutes? Some of us are trying not to vomit." he said, his eyes shooting daggers towards Blaise.
Lyra smirked. "Feeling delicate, Nott? I knew you couldn't handle your alcohol."
"At least I wasn't the one being carried away by Collins," Theodore retorted, raising an eyebrow. "You want to tell us how that ended, or should we just ask Fred Weasley?"
The group fell silent for a moment, all eyes turning to Lyra. Lyra gave him an angry look before sighing, her voice stern.
"Maybe you should ask him," she said coolly, meeting his gaze with a pointed look. "Since you're so interested in my business."
Daphne snorted, clearly amused by the exchange. "Alright, children, that's enough. We have a graduation to watch, and I, for one, am not missing Marcus Flint's overly emotional farewell speech."
The group burst into laughter at the mention of Flint, the tension dissolving as quickly as it had appeared. They entered the training halls and took their seats, settling in to watch the graduating students take the stage.
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"Well, it's been a hell of a ride, hasn't it? I, Marcus Flint, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team and future legend of the wizarding world, am ready to leave this place behind and show everyone what I'm truly made of. To the rest of you, good luckâyou're going to need it. And to my dear friends; Theodore Nott, Adrian Pucey, Blaise Zabini, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle, and last but not least, Lyra Arakan. Thank you for making my time at Hogwarts, a good time."
Was the quote spoken by Marcus Flint on his Graduation. A personal shout-out was nothing to complain about. The group all gave him a warm hug afterwards, but when it was Lyra's turn, he asked for something else.
"A goodbye kiss, maybe?" Flint smirked with an expectant look in his eyes.
Lyra rolled her eyes and smiled, before giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. His face heated up by the motion, he hadn't quite expected it.
After the ceremony, the group made their way to the carriages, the usual bickering resuming in full force. This time, it was worse than ever, the effects of hangovers and sleeplessness amplifying every sarcastic comment and teasing jab.
"Honestly, Blaise, if you talk about that stupid villa in Italy one more time, I'm hexing you," Adrian grumbled.
"Admit it, Pucey, you're just jealous," Blaise replied smoothly as he leaned towards his Slytherin friend, his smirk practically glowing with self satisfaction.
"Jealous of what? Your overinflated ego?" Lyra chimed in, earning a chuckle from Daphne.
Astoria, meanwhile, was teasing Draco relentlessly about his slicked back hair. "Do you use potion for that, or is it natural grease?"
"Careful, Greengrass," Draco sneered. "I might decide not to invite you to my manor this summer."
His comment made the group exchange smirks and knowing looks.
"Good, less time spent listening to you brag about your bloodline," Astoria shot back, sticking her tongue out.
Despite the constant jabs and sarcastic remarks, there was an underlying fondness among the group, an unspoken acknowledgment that this was their way of saying goodbye to another year together.
As they climbed into their respective carriages, Lyra found herself smiling despite the chaos.
Today, they would be going home.
Theodore sat quietly beside Blaise, his eyes flickering to Daphne briefly before returning to his lap. Lyra noticed and shot Daphne a knowing smirk.
For once, everything felt good.
As the carriages drove them towards the station, plans for the summer holidays were tossed around. Blaise bragged about his family's villa in Italy, to Adrians dismay, Draco complained about some dull event his parents were hosting, and Daphne gushed about all the things she wanted to do with Theo, as the group had already caught up with their plans.
Lyra listened, laughing along and chiming in when appropriate, but mostly letting their voices wash over her.
Lyra found her attention somewhere else. She glanced around her, hoping to catch a glimpse of red hair, but the twins was nowhere to be seen. A pang of disappointment surprised her, but she pushed it aside.
This was her last day, and she was determined to spend it with the people who mattered most.
Her friends.
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