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The group walked through the school corridors in a hurry, Lyra in first row, with flared nostrils and an angry expression written across her face.
"You're not really going to fight her, are you?" Astoria called out to Lyra, who shot her an unreadable glare.
"Why wouldn't she, Angelina practically embarrassed her infront half of the school." Daphne smirked, her eyes thrilling with excitement. She had always loved a taste of drama.
"Daphne's right, you're not gonna let her call you out like that, without doing anything, right?" Theodore added as they swung a corner.
Lyra sighed in frustration before replying. "If I fight her, it will look like we're fighting over Fred, I can't have that."
"No it won't, it'll look like you're a fierce and independent Slytherin, who nobody wants to have bad ties with." Blaise teased over-dramatically, smirking slyly.
"Yeah, and I suppose that's the best rumour to have about yourself." Lyra rolled her eyes.
"It's not the worst?" Draco chimed in. He has his own way of shining through when needed, but Lyra really didn't need any of their opinions right now.
"Angelina is blinded by love and jealousy, she didn't know what she was saying, I'm certain of it. If anything, she's probably in her dorm right now, crying into her pillow." Lyra said.
"And your blinded by hate and stubbornness!" Theodore suddenly spat out, placing a rough hand on his friends shoulder, making her stop in her tracks, along with her other friends.
"If you really want Fred to ignore you for the rest of your life, maybe the only way to do so is to beat up his friend, or girlfriend, or whatever she is to him." Theodore tells Lyra, but she can't tell if he's being genuine, or if this is some sort of pathetic way to get her to fight Angelina, for his enjoyment.
"Isn't it Fred you should beat up instead?" Astoria mutters nervously, earning a dull slap in the head from Daphne.
"No, no. I refuse to do it, but if she as much as stare in my direction, with some kind of smug look, I will beat the fuck out of her."
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Later that same evening, Lyra was in the Slytherin common room, surrounded by her friends.
The atmosphere was lighter now, Draco was recounting some incident involving a first-year who'd nearly hexed themselves in Charms, and Pansy and Blaise were stifling giggles at the thought of it.
Lyra was laughing too, until the door to the common room slammed open with a loud bang.
Everyone's heads turned in rhythm, and there, standing in the doorway, was Astoria. Her face streaked with tears, and her shirt completely soaked through. The fabric clung to her skin, transparent and wet, and her face was a mixture of humiliation and anger.
Lyra was on her feet instantly. "Astoria, what happened?" she demanded, crossing the room to her friend.
Astoria was trembling, her sobs barely contained as she stumbled into the room. Pansy and Daphne rushed to her side, throwing blankets around her shoulders while Draco gave her his warm tea which he was sipping on earlier.
"It wasâ" she started, her voice shaking. "It was Angelina's friends. Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell. They cornered me after I had been in the library and dumped water all over me. Said I should tell my 'Slytherin friend' to stay away from Fred or else."
The entire room fell silent.
Lyra's blood ran cold at the mention of Fred's name. It all clicked into place, this wasn't just some petty fight anymore. Angelina and her friends had crossed a line, involving Astoria, someone who had absolutely nothing to do with the rivalry between Lyra and Fred.
Angelina had to challenge her in front of everyone earlier, now she had to humiliate her best friend?
Daphne's eyes widened in shock. "They what? Are you kidding me?" she fumed, standing up and ready to march out of the common room. Pansy looked furious too, giving Astoria a small hug.
Lyra's face darkened. She had been patient, too patient. She had held back, trying to avoid turning this ridiculous rivalry into something ugly. But this?
This was unforgivable.
"That's it," Lyra muttered, her voice low as she turned towards the door.
Astoria reached out, grabbing her wrist. "Lyra, don'tâ"
But Lyra was already gone, her mind made up. "No, Astoria. This has gone too far. I'm not letting them get away with this. I don't care who Angelina thinks she is."
She stormed out of the common room, trembling with fury, her heart racing as her anger reached a boiling point. The image of Astoria, soaked, crying, and humiliated was burned into her mind.
Angelina was going to regret ever crossing her.
Lyra moved swiftly through the corridors of Hogwarts, her steps echoing off the stone floors. The castle was quieter now, with most students either in their dormitories or winding down for the evening.
She made her way toward Gryffindor Tower. If Angelina wanted a fight, she was about to get one.
As she rounded a corner, Lyra collided with someone, yet again.
"Watch where you'reâ" she started, but her voice cut off as she looked up to see none other than Fred Weasley standing in front of her, his eyes widening.
"Lyra?" Fred asked, blinking in confusion. "What are you-"
She pushed past him, not even bothering to answer. "Move, Fred. I've got nothing to say to you."
But Fred wasn't so easily dismissed. He grabbed her arm, pulling her back toward him. "What's going on?" he demanded, his tone more serious now. "What happened?"
Lyra yanked her arm out of his grip. "Why don't you ask your girlfriend and her little friends what happened? They humiliated Astoria completely. Drenched her in water, made her cry. This is your fault, Weasley."
Fred's brow furrowed in confusion. "What? Angelina wouldn't-"
"Wouldn't she?" Lyra snapped, stepping closer. "I don't care what you think she'd do. I know what happened, and now, I'm going to make sure she pays for it."
Fred's expression shifted, a mixture of concern and frustration settling on his features. "Lyra, you're not taking up on her offer right?"
"Damn right I am," Lyra spat, starting to move past him again.
Fred blocked her path, his arms across his broad chest. "Look, I get that you're mad, but you don't need to fight her."
Lyra's fists clenched at her sides. "Get out of my way, Weasley. This doesn't concern you."
Fred didn't budge, his eyes locking onto hers with a rare intensity. "It concerns me if you're about to do something stupid and get Angelina hurt."
Lyra let out a bitter laugh, her anger only growing. "Oh, now you care about her? Funny how you didn't seem to mind when your little girlfriend was trying to start something earlier."
Fred's jaw tightened. "I'm not defending her, alright? But beating the shit out of her won't fix this."
Lyra glared at him, her voice dangerously quiet. "No, but it'll make me feel a hell of a lot better."
For a moment, the two of them stood there. Lyra's chest was heaving with fury, and Fred's gaze flickered between concern and something else, something she didn't have time to decipher.
"Fine," Fred finally said, stepping aside with a sigh. "But just, don't do something you'll regret, alright?"
She was about to take off, before he stopped her again.
"She's outside, by the way, by the north courtyard." He said.
Lyra didn't respond. She shot him one last look before storming off towards the courtyard, her blood still boiling.
But as she disappeared down the corridor, Fred stayed where he was, his expression troubled. He ran a hand through his hair, cursing under his breath.
"Bloody hell," he muttered. He knew this wasn't going to end well.
And for the first time, he wondered if maybe, just maybe, he should've done more to stop her.
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