Chapter 116 - ch 13-15

Chapter 13: Adoption and FreedomChapter TextOphelia reads Lord Abbott's letter.

CW: Eating Disorder, CPTSD, Child Abuse Mention, Deadnaming & Misgendering

~~~~~Ophelia~~~~~

Adoption and Freedom

~~~~~Ophelia~~~~~

January 17th, 1995

With only the earliest signs of sunlight entering the Fifth-Year Gryffindor dorms, Ophelia quietly unsealed the letter that Lord Abbott had sent to her. Her eyes still felt immensely sore from the tears she'd shed yesterday, and her voice was painfully hoarse as a result of the sobbing and screaming. She was still feeling a dull ache in her chest at the revelation that Dumbledore had been the one to give her to the Dursleys. He had to have known - even the neighbors knew how bad the Dursleys were, they just didn't do anything about it because of how rich the Dursleys were. Plus, nobody had cared about an orphan like her. What were they supposed to do? Take her in?

It was sentiments like that which had made her so doubtful that anyone would want her. With her heart trampled so, however, she finally felt as if she could survive whatever Lord Abbott had to say. Hannah had been confident and reassuring, but Ophelia had been wiser than to hope. Hope was a dangerous thing, something she had learned to avoid a long time ago.

She unfurled the letter.

Ophelia,

My granddaughter has told me a great deal about you over the years. I've known for some time that you are incredibly important to her. I want to start this letter first by thanking you for being her friend, and for trusting me with the secret of your upbringing and identity. I know it can't have been easy, but I assure you that you have my full confidence. I won't tell anyone about anything you don't want me to. So until you say otherwise, my lips are sealed.

She already felt a bubble of emotion in her chest, and slowly let out a shaky breath. No, don't get hopeful yet Ophelia. All he's done is be nice. He's a good man, Hannah told you about that. But good does not mean generous to someone who has nothing to offer.

The stories of your upbringing concern me. No child, regardless of gender, should suffer like you have. I am so sorry that we adults have failed you like this.

She sobbed softly. He apologized. No adult had ever apologized to her in that way, for what she'd suffered. They didn't own up to their mistakes. All the Weasleys had ever done was fuss over her, but nobody had ever tried to take responsibility. While she didn't blame Lord Abbott or Madam Bones or the Weasleys… it would have been nice to hear the 'I'm sorry' sooner than this.

You sound like an incredible young woman, from what I've been told. Hannah told me all about the feats you've accomplished in the last three years, as well as your talents in school. She's very fond of you, and it seems she greatly appreciates your friendship. I hope you consider her your best friend the way she does you. I'll admit I dote on my granddaughter a lot, but I have a feeling you value her just as much as she does you. Thank you for that.

Madam Bones and I will be organizing to have you removed from custody of your relatives as soon as possible. You'll be asked about most other decisions made in this series of events, but right now we're going to ensure you don't ever have to go back to that building, or with those people. I don't know who placed you there, but we won't allow them to interfere - even if it's the Minister himself, or even Dumbledore. Your happiness is a priority, as is your safety. You did not have either growing up, and you should have. We'll be remedying that, however we can.

She set the letter down so her tears wouldn't wet the paper as she sniffled and sobbed. He was so nice. She understood why Hannah loved her Grandfather so much, now. She hiccuped and brushed her face dry of tears, though she wasn't successful for long as they kept flowing. She took a shuddering breath and held the parchment a bit further away from her face so she could read without fear of her tears causing the ink to get splotchy.

Hannah wants me to offer to adopt you. I see no reason to say no. I'll be awaiting your owl as far as that goes. I hope you'll say yes. She would love to have you here, and I swear I would do everything in my power to care for, provide for and protect you. It's the least I could do, and the bare minimum you deserve. This isn't any trick or anything. You are still a child. As an adult, it is my duty to care for and protect you however I can. I would honestly call this the first of many things I intend to do to improve your life.

She broke down into tears. She sobbed and hiccuped as the emotions she'd been fighting, the hope that built up in spite of herself… burst. She felt hysterical as giggles mixed their way into the sobs, as a smile of utter and complete relief found its way onto her face.

She was free. She was free. He wanted to take her in. He wanted to help her and protect her. He was promising everything the Dursleys had never given her. He said he would adopt her. He would take her in.

She was free. She didn't have to go back ever again, and Lord Abbott would take care of her. She would be safe. She would be able to be with her best friend. She didn't have to see Vernon or Petunia or Dudley or Marge ever again. She didn't have to be thrown into the cupboard anymore or be hit because she did something wrong. She wouldn't be called a freak or monster or scum by the people meant to protect her. She wasn't going to be called a burden anymore.

He wanted to take care of her. He wanted to help, to take her out of that house and keep her away from it. He didn't want her going back either, and he was doingsomething about it.

She felt arms wrap around her from behind, and she giggled weakly as she reached up to hold them. "I don't have to go back," she whispered, sniffling as she did so. That made it feel so real, so good. "I don't have to go back. I don't have to see them again."

The arms squeezed gently, "That's great, Ophelia." Angelina hummed softly as she gently pulled the smaller girl off the chair and into a hug, "I'm happy for you. You've earned this. You deserve this, Ophelia. You deserve to be happy, sweetie."

She hiccuped and giggled wetly as she hugged Angelina back, relieved at the feeling. It just too much. She couldn't remember being this happy… ever. She'd never been this happy before. She was safe, and she'd never be going back. She'd never go back! She never had to go back! Lord Abbott would adopt her! She was free!

"I'm free," she whispered softly before she drifted to sleep, too exhausted and emotional to stay awake anymore.

~~~~~Ophelia~~~~~

When she woke up, she was on Angelina's bed. She strained herself up, and realized the room was empty. Though, the letter from Lord Abbott was still on the desk - and it wasn't alone. Another letter sat on top of it.

She got up, wincing at the feeling of her eyes which were far more sore than earlier in the morning. She slipped into the restroom first and washed around her eyes with some cool water and a cream for puffiness and irritation. It felt very soothing, and now feeling much better she returned to the desk. She hadn't finished reading Lord Abbott's letter. The one on top was in a familiar script, though.

Miss Potter,

You are excused from classes for the day. Get some rest and give Lord Abbott a reply.

Congratulations, dear girl. You deserve this. I'm sorry for how badly I have failed you thus far. I swear to do better.

Signed,

Minerva McGonagall

P.S. Your present roommates wish you well, and said they would be bringing you some lunch.

Ophelia smiled weakly and carefully set her Head of House's letter aside. The woman had done a lot for her over the years, even if she felt it wasn't enough. In Ophelia's eyes, it had been a lot. Lord Abbott was doing above and beyond anything she'd ever expected, but she didn't resent McGonagall. Not like…

No. No use thinking about him. Not anymore. Not after what he'd done.

She sat down gingerly in the chair and went back to reading the letter from Lord Abbott, unable to contain the small smile as she read those words. 'I hope you'll say yes.' She certainly would.

If you say yes, I have a lot I want to know. What are your favourite foods? Your favourite colours? Hannah tells me a lot about you, of course, but if I'm to be your Guardian then I'll want to prepare a room for you. Do you have preferences on how large of a bed you want? We'll be getting you a wardrobe, of course. Hannah tells me you barely have the necessities. Madam Bones is a family friend, I am sure she'll be happy to take you shopping. We'll have to furnish the room for you as well. I hear you have an owl - Hedwig, yes? I'll make sure to set a place for her in the family Owlery if you agree.

Something Madam Bones wanted me to impress upon you is that we do not need you to do anything. No chores, no tasks, no anything. Your summer homework will be plenty, and aside from that your time is yours. Use it however you like. Whether that be to study, for personal projects, hobbies or even to practice magic. Abbott Manor is warded against the Trace, and we have quite the training room available for use. Hannah practices her magic frequently during the holidays, and I'm sure she'd appreciate a more spry duelling partner. I'm not as light on my feet as I used to be.

Her own room? No chores? She set the letter down as she tried to wrap her head around that.

She had a room at the Dursleys, sure. A small one with a very unpleasant, small bed that she slept in half the time if she was lucky. Unfortunately Vernon still used it as a punishment and she was never allowed to sleep in it when Marge visited, which was often. Hannah had told her how big her room was - nearly as large as their classrooms. That was… huge. Massive. Way too much room. How was she supposed to use all that space? She didn't have enough belongings to warrant that.

Not to mention… a wardrobe? Shopping? For her? Why? She had enough clothes. Sure she'd like more but she could pay for that on her own. He didn't have to pay for that. She knew how full the Potter accounts were. It would be fine. She'd have to be firm on that. He shouldn't waste his money on her if he's already giving her a room. As for chores… Well, she'd just do them anyway. She couldn't just do nothing. He was doing so much for her, she needed to repay that. He might say he doesn't need her to do anything, but she doesn't believe that. She did, she absolutely did. It was nice of him to offer that, but it wouldn't sit right with her to be a slacker and freeloader.

She didn't have a favourite food, that was for… hmm. No, Hannah was probably right a few weeks ago when she said it was oliebollen. But she didn't think that was important. She'd eat just about anything. Honestly she was just trying to wrap her mind around the concept of not being on a forced diet or fasting schedule during the summer. Eating at Hogwarts was already overwhelming, and she still ate lightly just because eating too much made her sick and made her feel immensely guilty. All she ever did was study and do coursework, and solve the occasional mystery. She hardly felt like that earned her the right to indulge, so she ate just enough to tide herself over to the next meal. It wasn't that bad, honestly. She'd have to tell Lord Abbott that she didn't need much.

As mentioned, I shall await your owl. I hope you say yes, Ophelia. I truly want to help you.

Sincerely,

Lord Joshua Hanson Abbott

Ophelia smiled a bit, and carefully folded the letter closed and put it back in the envelope. She would be holding onto it for a while. It had just become one of her most important possessions. She took it over to and slipped it inside her trunk, pausing only long enough to retrieve the necessities from within for penning her reply.

She carried them over to the desk and carefully considered what to write. She wanted to say yes, but she didn't want him going to any extremes for her, like he was offering. She would be fine. She tapped her quill thoughtfully to her cheek before she started the basics.

Lord Abbott,

Thank you for your offer. I hope it is no trouble for you if I accept your offer. I definitely want to, and am extremely thankful that you're willing to go this far for me.

However, I don't want to impose. Perhaps a smaller room, please? Hannah's told me about hers and I simply wouldn't know what to do with so much space. I don't need much, I'm not very tall or busy.

I don't do much beyond my coursework at school, and my summer homework is always easy. I'd probably just breeze through it, so I would be rather put out without much to do. I don't have any hobbies, though I suppose maybe cooking and gardening count? I usually do those as part of my chores, and I know you said you don't need me to do any but I'd honestly enjoy picking that same work up at Abbott Manor. It would be no trouble, really.

Hannah's probably exaggerating about my wardrobe. I have more than enough clothing. I promise if I need more I can get it myself. My parents left me enough to handle that much. I wouldn't want to be a burden. As for a bed, once again I'm not particularly tall, so a small one would truly be fine. I don't like taking up more space than necessary, and I'm sure Abbott Manor has a small enough room for me that you don't have to trouble yourself. Honestly just a bed is plenty, besides - I can fit all my belongings in my trunk, so I don't need more space.

I really appreciate the offer for Hedwig. I'm sure she'd love it. She rather likes flying freely, too. Not having to be in her cage all summer would be great for her. She hasn't handled the last few very well, I'm sad to say. I tried my best, but my relatives didn't like me letting her out. I've tried my best to make it up to her, but I think something like this would be very good for her.

Oh, and I don't have any particular favourite food or colour. Nothing I particularly dislike, either. Please, there's really no need to go so out of your way. I already feel like it's too much that you've offered to adopt me, I wouldn't have any way to repay you if you did more.

Thank you, sincerely,

Ophelia Euphemia Potter

Satisfied with herself, Ophelia cast a slight drying charm on the ink and carefully folded the letter before she sealed it. Now all she had to do was—

Knock knock.

Ophelia frowned. Was it lunchtime already? She looked up at the clock, and saw lunch was an hour away. Odd… wait, why would any of the Chasers knock? Was it just Hermione, then…? No, she should be in Ancient Runes, same with Fay and Parvati.

Knock knock knock.

She was in trouble. Maybe if she just stayed quiet they'd go away? She didn't have time to grab and put on her binder. Who was it? What were their intentions? Would they just leave if she didn't say anything and they thought it was empty? Angie, Ali and Katie would all be in Potions right now, based on what she recalled of their schedule. Surely any friend would know that, so… who was it?

Knock knock knock knock.

She wished she'd mastered more nonverbal spells than her voice-altering charm. Carefully and slowly she grabbed her regular cloak from where it was draped across the chair and slowly put it on. It'd look strange over her pajamas, but she REALLY needed to hide her chest. It would be the death of her if this person decided to–

Ker-click.

Shit.

"Angie, I know you're in… heeeeeere… Harry?" Ginny asked, her jaw dropping when she saw a very-much-obviously-there Ophelia sitting there.

In that moment, Ophelia wished for nothing more than to disappear from the face of the planet. "Uh… hi, Ginny," she replied, her voice squeaky and soft. Of course. She shouldn't have agreed to not use her voice charm ever again. Stupid idea. Now she had no makeup, no boyclothes, no binder, and worst of all no voice charm to even try and convince Ginny she wasn't a girl.

"Um… whe-where's Angie?" Ginny asked, but before Ophelia could try and answer Ginny shook herself. "Wait, no. What are you doing in here, Harry? You're a boy. How did you even get up the staaaaaaaa… uh."

Ophelia had decided to give up, lose her damned mind somewhere along the way, and stand up straight to distract Ginny. Having a noticeable bust when you weren't supposed to tended to do the trick. She strode over, gently pulled Ginny inside, and shut the door before resting her head against the frame and letting out a groan. She was an idiot. An actual, grade O, complete idiot.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck," she groaned as she turned around to lean her back against the door and slid to the floor. She put her head in her hands to avoid looking at Ginny. "Any chance you'll pretend you saw absolutely nothing but an empty room, and I wasn't here?"

Ginny gave a nervous laugh, "Uh… give me a reason? I'm guessing you have a good one…"

Ophelia huffed and raised her head to look at the redhead, "You're a pain in the arse, Gin," she groused. Ginny gave her a weak smile and Ophelia managed a small one herself. "Ever heard of transgender people?"

Ginny slowly sat on the floor next to her, "Can't say I have…"

Ophelia shrugged, "Not surprising… Basically, in my head I was born a girl, but between my legs something got mixed up." Ginny snorted and Ophelia managed a weak smile, "Hannah came up with that one. We've been trying to organize a theatrical speech. Well, she has." She sighed and looked at her very-much-bared arms, "Don't ask about my arms. Just… know that it won't happen again."

Ginny nodded as her expression got serious, likely recalling how the Twins had mentioned her room at the Dursleys, and the healing bruise on her face from when they'd rescued her over two years ago. "And… these?" She gestured to Ophelia's chest.

She paused to look at Ginny before she giggled, "Hormones, Gin. Madam Pomfrey gave me an elixir that causes my body to make girl hormones and not boy ones. Causes me to have a girl puberty, too. I've been hiding it all with charms and makeup and something called a binder that makes these-" she gestured to her breasts, "-lie flat."

"Those can lie flat?" Ginny asked teasingly, earning a light swat on the shoulder. She smiled a bit, but then seemed to deflate, "So the reason you hide this…"

Ophelia sighed, "Is because… well. Even non-magicals would treat me like shite. The magical world is usually a lot less progressive. They'd tear me apart if they found out what I am. It'll have to come out eventually, but…" She grimaced and wrapped her arms around her legs, "I want it to be on my terms."

Ginny nodded slowly, and seemed to wince a little, "Sorry about Ron, by the way. He's… well, he's…"

"A git?" Ophelia supplied, causing Ginny to look at her in both agreement and surprise. Ophelia smiled weakly, "I know. Surprised myself just then, too. But… Well, Hannah's always been my best friend. Hermione's like a big sister, but Hannah keeps me… stable, happy. We don't argue much, and when we do, we make up pretty quickly. I… I didn't realize until recently how much she means to me, but now that I have? Listening to Ron bemoaning the loss of his 'best friend'... yeah, he's a git."

Ginny seemed to consider that before she nodded, "I guess that makes sense." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "Uh… so, do you still have… er…" She gestured between her legs, her face turning as red as her hair.

Ophelia frowned in confusion for a moment before it dawned, and she couldn't help giggling again. It took a moment before she regained her composure, "Heehee… y-yes, Ginny. I do. Madam Pomfrey's taking me to St. Mungo's when I turn sixteen to undergo magical surgery that will set me right, though. For the meantime she taught me a charm that makes the front of my knickers look flat, though." She shrugged as she flushed a little, "Thought it'd help me if I ever needed a swimsuit."

Ginny smirked, "Well, that's good." Then her face turned red and she was the one to groan this time, "Ugh. I'm a mess. I've been such a dumb fangirl for you for… gods, years. But you're actually a girl so why would you want a girl? You'd be into boys." She sighed and buried her face in her hands.

Ophelia gave her a pitying smile, "Boys? No thanks." Ginny jerked her head up to look at her in surprise, but Ophelia held up a quieting hand. "But I won't deny that I'm not interested in you romantically, Ginny. I'm sorry."

The redhead seemed to deflate for a moment before she shrugged, "Not that different from before, I guess." She hummed a bit, then tilted her head thoughtfully, "Is there someone you are interested in?"

Ophelia frowned and was about to say that she wasn't, but the words caught in her throat. Well, that was answer enough. Who was she interested in, then? Hannah? No, definitely not. Being BFFs was enough for her. Hermione was absolutely out of the running. Ginny was a no. Phoebe wasn't even on her radar, since she was straight. Zhou? No. She was pretty, but also dating Cedric and sort of shallow. Any of the Chaser Girls? Definitely not. Maybe Tracey? Mm… no. She's not… oh, shit. Daphne. Her face began to burn as she thought of Daphne. Her hair, her eyes, her voice, her smile, her– "Uggggghhhhhhhhhh," she groaned, smothering her face in her hands.

"Uh… you… you okay?" Ginny asked, to which Ophelia groaned again. "Ah… that bad, huh?" An affirmative groan. "Well… do you think you have a chance?"

Ophelia looked up at Ginny, "Well, that depends. Do I look like I could pull the 'Ice Queen?" She asked drily, while personally being of the opinion that she may as well have been a potato for all the good it would do her to try and approach Daphne.

"Oh… ohhhhhh… ohhhhhhhh."

"Yeah," Ophelia confirmed before she huffed. "Oh, by the way, I go by 'O' outside of in-the-know company," she told Ginny offhandedly. "Privately? Ophelia, or Ophie," she continued, her cheeks going a bit pink at such a cute nickname. It didn't really suit her. "Publicly, he and him pronouns. So, refer to me as a boy. Privately? She and her, so as a girl." She sighed and stood up, going over to the desk and tapping the letter she'd penned thoughtfully.

Ginny stood as well and shook her head, "So this is where you've been sleeping? Gotta say, not a bad idea… but wait, which bed do you sleep on?" She looked horrified, "Don't tell me you sleep on the floor?!"

Ophelia chuckled, "No, nothing like that." She sighed and sat in the chair again, "But I can't tell you the answer because it isn't my answer to give." The door opened and the Chasers walked in, "It's theirs. Hey, girls."

The trio frowned when they saw Ginny, but seemed to take Ophelia's positive mood as a good sign. Angelina brought a tray of food over and set it down on the desk for Ophelia, "Heeeey… what's going on?"

Ophelia shrugged, "Ginny was looking for you and barged in on me. Made me realize I have a crush on Daphne, too. Little shit." She sighed and rested her arms on the desk. "She knows now, so no worries there. Though she did just ask about the sleeping arrangements."

"Oh!" Katie exclaimed, before giggling while Alicia closed the door. "That's easy," she commented before turning around, grabbing Alicia by the collar and drawing her into a kiss. While Alicia made a tiny noise of protest, Ginny turned a furious red and Ophelia giggled and Angelina gave a long-suffering sigh.

"They share a bed and Ophie uses Alicia's," Angelina explained before sitting down on her own. "Now that you're in the know, Ginny, keep in mind that we'll hex you silly if you do anything to screw up Ophie's cover, got it?" She gave Ginny a steely glare and Ginny nodded nervously.

"Katie you… urgh!" Alicia groaned in frustration before shoving her girlfriend onto the bed, "You're such a little shite, you know that?"

"Guilty!" Katie cheered, giggling as she snuggled into Alicia's bed.

Alicia sighed and then turned to Ophelia with a smile, "So. Daphne, huh?"

Ophelia huffed, "Yes. Daphne. I'm putting that aside, though. I've got way too many issues to prioritize before I even consider bringing that topic up with her. Besides, sweet as she is, she could do so much better than me." She huffed in a bit of agitation, not having realized how upset and worked up this would leave her.

Alicia winced as she came over and conjured a chair. She sat in it and gently placed her hand on Ophelia's, "First?"

Ophelia grimaced, "I'm a good person who people like," she recited, cheeks turning pink as she recalled the words that were so hard for her to say. Of course, Alicia had started her on saying them every day since she joined them in their dorm.

"Second?"

Ophelia flushed a bit deeper as Ginny looked a little confused, but continued. "I deserve to be happy and enjoy my life," she replied, her voice softening to a whisper.

"Louder, Ophelia," Alicia gently chastised.

"I-I deserve to-to be happy and en-enjoy my life," she replied a little louder, her chest feeling tight with emotion as she struggled not to sob or cry while saying it.

Alicia smiled encouragingly, and then, "Third."

She sniffled a little, "I am beautiful and-and I look very feminine." Tears slid down her face while Alicia squeezed her hand reassuringly. Angelina and Katie were giving her supportive smiles and Ginny looked like she'd been caught intruding on something private.

"Fourth." Ophelia hesitated, and Alicia squeezed her hand again. "Come on, Ophie. Fourth," she said encouragingly.

She took a deep breath before saying this one. "I'm v-very sm-smart and-and clever and c-capable," she managed, hiccuping as she did so while the tears streamed some more.

Alicia beamed with an expression of pride, "And last."

Ophelia took a slow breath before she said the last one. "My friends love me, care about me and want me to succeed," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Alicia leaned forwards and kissed her forehead gently, "Well done, Ophelia. Now. If you need to take your time, that's okay. But you are more than worthy of Daphne, do you understand me?" Her tone was gentle, but firm. Ophelia nodded and Alicia smiled, "Good."

As they then hugged, Ophelia couldn't help the tiny smile on her face. She really did have the best friends in the world, no doubt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your Kudos congratulate Ophelia on her newfound chance at freedom while your Comments hope that this is a good sign for her future.

The Chaser's Dorm: https://discord.gg/w5k4TfFRGG

Next Chapter: A New POV

Chapter 14: Calm Before the StormChapter TextThe Observations of her dormmate.

CW: Memory of Sexual Harassment

~~~~~Angelina~~~~~

Calm Before the Storm

~~~~~Angelina~~~~~

January 21st, 1995

Angelina had never been the type to sleep much. It probably helped that she tended to take a short rest in the afternoons to recharge her energy, so she always managed quite well on roughly four hours a night.

Alicia and Katie had always been good dormmates. They were quiet when they slept, even if they shared a bed more often than not. Angelina tried not to think about what the two did when they had privacy. That was between them, and so far the worst she'd barged in on was snogging anyhow. They were basically sisters to her - the trio had started on the Quidditch Team the same year Ophelia had, though for them it was their second year.

Her first impression of Ophelia had been that she was tiny - but really shy and sweet. She apologized a lot, which had always concerned Angelina - but she was always open to advice, and thanked them regularly for any help they gave. She was always the first to congratulate them on a hard day's practice, and cheered the loudest whenever they won a game - well, as long as she wasn't unconscious. She was sweet, lovable, gentle and quite approachable - her choice in friends was usually top-notch, too. Hermione, Hannah, Susan and surprisingly enough even the Slytherin kids all had her seal of approval. She'd never admit to monitoring Ophelia's friendships, but she did - Ophelia was the type to be easily taken advantage of. Angelina had seen it with Katie in first year, which was why she made sure to befriend her so quickly.

Ophelia had unfortunately met Ron before she met Angelina.

Fred and George were great, no question. She'd even dated George for a while, though they broke it off amicably a couple weeks before the Yule Ball. The spark had just died - no more, no less. They were still friends, and she didn't feel awkward around the Twins.

Percy had always been a bit stuck-up, but generally well-meaning. He was a good guy, and had helped Angelina more times than she could count with her coursework. She held no ill will towards him - or Charlie, though he'd graduated at the end of her first year, so she hadn't gotten to talk to him much.

Ginny of course was a total sweetheart once you got past all her bluster and fire.

But Ron… she knew there was a good kid in there. He'd proven it whenever he'd defended Ophelia from Malfoy. But there were the signs of… selfishness. Insecurity that seemed to lash out at Ophelia more often than not. He'd actually seemed quite possessive. When Ophelia had befriended Hannah at the end of her first month, Angelina couldn't help but be relieved - the little blonde spitfire called Ron out more than once, and it seemed recently she had finally gotten some sense knocked into him.

But that separation hadn't been painless for Ophelia. Which brought Angelina back to why she was now sitting on Alicia's bed, gently stroking the hair of the whimpering girl curled into a ball by her side.

"No… I'm sorry… please, Ron… don't leave…" She muttered, face screwed up in visible anguish. Her voice was soft, barely a whisper - as if she didn't feel safe saying it any louder. Angelina felt her heart break as she continued to run her hand through Ophelia's hair.

Waking her from the nightmare would do no good. The dark bags under her eyes were evidence enough of how little Ophelia slept. So she had to try and alleviate the nightmare itself, however she could. Mum had always liked to brush Angelina's hair or rub her back when she had a nightmare, and at the least when she'd started Ophelia's expression had relaxed, even if only by a fraction.

But even if it was just for that little fraction, she'd happily forgo a night's sleep.

Ophelia seemed to have subconsciously recognized Angelina's warmth, then, because she reached an arm out and grabbed the older girl around the middle, pulling herself closer. It surprised Angelina at first, but she had to fight not to sob from joy. Ophelia had always been averse to being touched, which was hard for Angelina to deal with since she was a big hugger. She'd adapted to just fist-bumps, high-fives and occasionally ruffling Ophelia's hair, which seemed to be accepted just fine. But being hugged like this had been something she'd wanted for ages. To be able to provide the love and warmth Ophelia so clearly needed as much as possible of.

She carefully wrapped an arm around Ophelia, using her other hand to continue stroking the smaller girl's hair. She really hadn't grown out of her small size - even with the revelation that she was a girl and had been transitioning for three years by that point, it didn't make her any taller (just… bustier). She barely came up to Angelina's own chest, and that was the top of her head. After what she'd learned about Ophelia, she couldn't be sure if it was the chronic malnutrition or maybe if her parents were short - possibly both.

Ophelia's expression softened even more than before, and Angelina felt a surge of pride and joy. It had worked, finally. She actually looked like she was almost at-ease. Like this, she seemed like any other person her age - innocent, relaxed, saf–

"Mum…"

Angelina felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She felt her heart tighten painfully as tears slid down her face.

Ophelia was dreaming about her Mum. Missing her Mum. While holding onto Angelina.

Her sleeping expression now read of sadness, but mixed with that same budding relaxation. She let out a soft sigh in her sleep and snuggled closer, causing Angelina to force herself to take a breath so it wouldn't come out as a sob. It still shook and trembled with emotion. She knew a lot of what Ophelia had endured - Hannah had told the Chasers in private, though with Ophelia's consent. It was already enough to make her want to hex Ophelia's relatives to hell and back.

The small girl had already endured all of that… torture… when she'd come to this school. Only to be bullied. It hadn't even been limited to the Slytherins, either. Sure there were Pucey, Warrington, Malfoy and Flint - the usual brutes found among the Snakes - but Alden, Edgecombe and Garland from the Ravenclaws also had a pretty nasty habit of checking out some of the reference books she'd need from the Library. Thankfully Phoebe Boot always had other titles to recommend, but it still left Ophelia needing to put in all that much more effort to keep up her high grades. The 'Puffs had been utterly horrible to her for the second half of Ophelia's second year - especially the Valiance siblings. Angelina actually had to protect Ophelia from some hexes over that period of time. And it had only redoubled this year after Samhain. Despite the fact Ophelia was a blubbering mess over this damned Tournament…

And then her own House. Gryffindor.

The day she counted out how many hexes she'd thrown at McLaggen for his big bloody mouth would be a very long, busy one indeed. Most of the girls actually believed Ophelia, thankfully. Then again it could have been because the Chasers were pretty popular and well-liked among the girls of Gryffindor because of their presence on the Quidditch Team - the most girls any Team had carried until they joined was one, maybe two. But with the three of them on it (and, she thought with amusement, Ophelia making it four) the 'boy's club' had been quite handily invaded. Since they'd stuck by Ophelia like glue and voiced their faith that she hadn't put her name into the Goblet, the other girls supported that view for the most part. A handful didn't, but they were just the fangirls that liked the idea of 'Harry Potter' being a Hero. That view had died down a lot ever since Ophelia forfeited the First Task.

The boys always acted jealous. Like Ophelia was some sort of arrogant prat. It was as if they bought Snape's tripe. Utter idiots. The Twins played plenty of more mean-spirited pranks on those idiots, but it didn't seem to demoralize them. If anything, they buckled down on their mistreatment of Ophelia.

Yes. The tiny girl by Angelina's side had been treated quite poorly indeed.

Her eyes flicked over to the clock on the wall, and she saw it was finally midnight. Officially a new day.

Angelina wouldn't be crashing for another hour at best, so she let out a small sigh and returned to her thoughts. She decided to think about more mundane, positive things for a bit. Focusing on the horrible experiences Ophelia had to endure would just make her lose her cool as badly as Daphne Greengrass had. Of course, she was still of the opinion that Daphne decking Malfoy AND Dumbledore on the same day was the best thing since sliced bread, but had it been any other situation or circumstance that girl would have been expelled faster than one could blink.

Her thoughts drifted to Cedric Diggory. Ophelia's supposed co-Champion. Cedric was… alright. He was handsome, to be sure, but as far as his abilities went he wasn't the most impressive of the legitimate Champions. Fleur took that title, plain and simple. Even Ophelia's previous feats put her a head above Cedric. Krum was…

The less said about that scum, the better.

Angelina had been unfortunate enough to be his date to the Yule Ball, and even more unfortunate as to actually have a crush on the bastard until the day of. Her skin still crawled with the feeling of his hands wandering a bit toofar during their - only - dance, and she still felt bile in her throat at the memory of the looks he'd given her. She didn't want to imagine what would have happened if George hadn't stomped on the bastard's foot and cut in. She wasn't proud of how she'd sobbed into his shoulder after that, but he'd sworn to never even tell Fred what happened if she wanted him to. It had been incredibly gallant of him, though her feelings still remained squarely in the realm of being platonic.

All the same, George had advised her that telling Fred and the other Chaser Girls would provide her with some much-needed support. He'd been right, and she'd relented. She smiled a tiny bit at the memory of telling Alicia and Katie. Alicia had immediately pulled her into a hug - Angelina had bawled even worse than when George rescued her. Katie started hexing Krum whenever she saw him and had a clean shot. It wasn't much, but it brought a tiny smile to Angelina's lips.

She'd never seen Fred so angry. She knew George's twin brother had more of a temper - honestly, without their identical appearance and 'twinspeak', the idiots couldn't be more different if they tried - but he'd seemed… unnaturally angry at that. He said he'd tell her why if he was allowed, but in the meantime he'd forgone pranks entirely and hexed Krum in a way that was… well, cruelly satisfying. She was pretty sure the Durmstrang Champion still couldn't sit comfortably.

Served that prick right.

She sighed. She wished there were more boys that knew how to treat a girl properly - like George. There was Fred, sure, but the amount of issues that came with thatidea were impossible to count, so she'd resolved herself to look outside the Weasley Clan.

Dean Thomas was nice enough, but apparently had started dating some Ravenclaw third-year - Lovegood, or something. Ron was of course a no-go. Seamus Finnegan just struck her the wrong way. Neville had asked out Ginny in the last week, and she'd said yes - so no luck there. The boys in her year were all a no-go. They were either McLaggen or friends with McLaggen.

She smirked at the realization that she would have absolutely gone for Ophelia if she hadn't been both a girl and also already spoken for, even if she herself didn't know it yet. Angelina saw the way Daphne looked at Ophelia - that wasn't the way friends looked at friends. That was the way a girl eyed her crush. She was especially familiar with the look, having seen it on Katie and Alicia's faces for a year and a half before they finally got together. It was a shame, but if there was anyone she'd trust with Ophelia… well, Daphne wasn't a bad choice.

Ophelia whimpered again a little, and Angelina gave her the tiniest of squeezes. The smaller girl relaxed once more, her expression losing the last bit of tension as she seemed to truly fall asleep.

Angelina wasn't far behind.

~~~~~Angelina~~~~~

January 22nd, 1995

Her foot was warm. It had no business being warm. She didn't wear socks and she hadn't tucked under a blanket or any covers.

Angelina opened her eyes and saw Katie sprawled out on the bed, mouth a bit open as she snored softly. Most importantly she had a blanket draped over her and if Angelina was right, the dark-haired little shite was laying on her legs. Thus rather effectively pinning her down and allowing her to warm up Angelina's feet. Tosser.

Unfortunately the bed hadn't been limited to a crowd of three. Alicia had curled up on Ophelia's other side, but her leg was tucked underneath the curled up ball that was Ophelia and thrown over Angelina's hips. The indignity.

She glanced at Ophelia, who seemed as content as ever… and was quite visibly awake.

"Morning," Angelina whispered softly. "How'd you sleep, Ophie?"

Ophelia smiled in a way that was far more innocent than she'd ever shown before. It didn't escape Angelina's notice that the smaller girl still had her arms wrapped around Angelina's middle. "Better than in a while. Thanks, Angie." She glanced at the sleeping forms of Katie and Alicia, bemused, "When did they get here?"

Angelina sighed, "No idea. I'd kick them off but I'm a bit tied up at the moment." She was about to move her left arm, until she realized it was pinned at the bicep by Ophelia's head and at the forearm by Alicia's head. No wonder it had felt so warm and stiff. "Guess I'm just a big ol' pillow to you lot, huh?"

Ophelia giggled and snuggled closer, "Mmm, you arequite comfy."

"Cheeky bugger," Angelina muttered, using her thankfully-free right hand to poke Ophelia's cheek and earn another giggle. "Were you always like this? I could have sworn you used to tease me less."

Ophelia gave her a very serious look, "I think it's just your imagination."

Angelina snorted, "I think those Slytherins are rubbing off on you, you cheeky little thing." She poked Ophelia's cheek again, earning another giggle. The innocent sound suited her so much more than those pained whimpers, so if poking her cheek made her happy, Angelina was happy to oblige.

"No idea what you're talking about. I'm not little," Ophelia replied in mock indignation, turning up her nose a little in a way that was bloody-well identical to how Hermione did whenever she was stating facts from her books.

"No," Angelina agreed, "I suppose you're not. Not with these." She poked Ophelia's chest, grinning at the flush that appeared on the girl's face before she buried her head into Angelina's shoulder.

"That's so crude," she grumbled, obviously scandalized. Then she pulled up and frowned a little, "You know… I never really… well, looked at them." She flushed in embarrassment, but Angelina just gave her a kind smile and brushed some hair out of her eyes.

"You've got a tough situation on your hands, Ophelia," she replied reassuringly, smirking a little as Katie made a particularly loud snore. "And I'm crude?" She mused, earning a giggle from Ophelia. "Don't worry about it too much. You can check yourself out when you're ready and safe, 'kay?"

"Mmm. Okay. Thanks, Angie," she murmured, sighing as she glanced at Katie and Alicia. "It's a good thing it's winter. Otherwise I think you'd have kicked them out anyways."

Angelina snorted softly, "The thought crossed my mind. I bet I could yank Alicia's hair if I really wanted…" She looked thoughtfully at the blonde who was very much dead to the world. Drooling on Angelina's arm. She felt like she should just yank the girl's hair on principle.

Ophelia giggled, "That wouldn't be very nice."

"Mmm, good thing you're the nice one," Angelina mused, a sly grin on her face. Then Ophelia poked her belly. "Hey! Heehee, okay, okay– I won't wake them up. Good thing it's a Sunday."

Ophelia hummed and seemed to relax again. After a moment of peaceful silence, she spoke again, "Thank you. For letting me stay in your dorm with you. I know it isn't easy."

Angelina pressed a finger to Ophelia's lips, "None of that, now. We want you here, Ophie. It's better than you dorming with boys anymore. And it's very easy - easiest decision any of us made. You're part of the team, even if you don't want to play anymore." Ophelia looked a little embarrassed, but Angelina just ruffled her hair gently, "It's okay. It really is. We care about you, and honestly I think Katie and Alicia like having an excuse to share the same bed." The two girls in question snored and grumbled in their sleep at their names, earning a grin from Angelina.

"Are they always such heavy sleepers?" Ophelia asked with a giggle, looking as if she wanted to poke one of them and test her luck.

"Usually, yeah," Angelina confirmed as she reached over and poked Alicia in the belly. The girl grumbled and shifted a bit… only to throw an arm over Ophelia and Angelina both, humming softly to herself as she clung to them. Angelina sighed while Ophelia giggled a bit.

"I guess I'm really stuck now," she mused, giving Angelina one of her more mischievous grins.

The older girl snorted, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you got me to do that on purpose." She poked Ophelia's cheek again, causing the girl's grin to widen visibly.

Overall, it was quite a pleasant wake-up indeed.

~~~~~Angelina~~~~~

"... You're sure?" She asked softly, tightening her hands into fists.

Cedric sighed and nodded, "Yeah, pretty sure. Even asked Fleur - the two of us agree Harry didn't put his name in the Goblet. That forfeit was pretty clear evidence. We're actually wondering if they organized the second event to force him into acting…" He shook his head, "But I guess that doesn't make sense. We already had our eggs by the time Harry forfeited."

Angelina slumped into the chair, burying her face in her hands for a moment before she let out a muffled groan. "This is bad, Cedric. He doesn't know how to swim - worse, I'm pretty sure he's afraid of deep waters. He didn't ride the boats in his first year - had a bloody panic attack. And now…"

Cedric swore softly under his breath, "Fuck… that is bad. Fleur isn't happy about it either. She's - well, the rumors are true, she's a veela. Guess she's allowed to participate and hold her wand because she's part of the Beauxbatons delegation, I dunno." He scowled and shook his head again, and Angelina scowled as well. The anti-non-human laws in the Isles were absolute shite. "Anyway, it gives her a fire and air affinity. Pretty dangerous for her to be in a lake… in winter," he continued, scoffing at the last word. "I'm already trying to practice the Bubblehead, Warming Runes and my swimming skills. Lucky me, I can use the Prefect's Bath. Maybe you can bring Harry in? Teach him, just so he has… something? Anything?" He sighed and held his head in his hands, "I know Hannah's going to be his hostage. I just know it. She's like a kid sister to me, I…" He sighed and shook his head in frustration. "I don't blame Harry for valuing Hannah so much, but if something happened to her…"

Angelina grimaced and gripped her wand tightly, "I get what you mean. I'm already angry that Harry's going to have no choice." She sucked in a breath and her eyes widened in alarm as she realized what it meant. The Task being in the lake. Their First Task… they'd had to wear uniforms. Would there be uniform swimsuits? Shit!

She tried to hide her panic, but must have been doing a bad job of it. Thankfully, sweet as he was, Cedric was thick. "I know. He doesn't know the Bubblehead - no wonder, that's a N.E.W.T. Charm. I can teach him. He mastered the Patronus, right?" Angelina nodded absently, still panicking internally on Ophelia's behalf regarding the idea of a swimsuit. "Good, let him know I'll be happy to teach him anytime."

Angelina nodded mutely, mind still reeling as she tried to come up with solutions. "Cedric… Uh…" She blew air and buried her head in her hands, "fuck. Okay, shit. Dammit. FUCK!" She stood and lashed out with her wand, causing a chair to explode into splinters. She knew she was reacting more violently than she usually would, but the circumstances and a certain time of the month had left her feeling exceptionally emotional and volatile that day. She blamed the cramps.

"Woah! Holy– Angelina? Are… what's going on?" Cedric asked, visibly concerned.

Angelina took a deep breath, running her hands through her hair. "Okay… hooooookay, uh… hah," she huffed and took a couple more breaths, trying to cool off a bit. "Just… can you grab Fleur and bring her here? Like… fifteen minutes? I have to grab Harry - he needs to talk to you both. I know you pulled me aside so it could be private, but– fuck. Cedric, you need to talk to he-him. You need to talk to him. Both of you. Got it?"

Cedric looked at Angelina warily before he nodded slowly. "Okay… fifteen, right?" Angelina nodded sharply and he managed a tentative smile. "Got it. Uh… I'll be right back."

After he left, Angelina bolted for the Gryffindor Common Rooms.

~~~~~Angelina~~~~~

"So… so you're saying… I have to…" Ophelia looked visibly pale, and as if she was about to be ill. "... swim?"Her voice became painfully soft and high, the fear visible on her face. It was a good thing Angelina had the girl held tightly to her lap - to reassure her. "They… they'll hurt Hannah?"

Cedric grimaced, "Yeah… yeah, Harry, they will. I'm sorry, mate, I–"

"I can intervene," Angelina cut in, causing all three Champions to look at her in surprise. "I'll train for the Task - who gives a shit about the rules? If it means saving Hannah, I can do it if Harry can't manage in the time limit. There's a different problem." She took a slow, deep breath and her eyes met Ophelia's. The girl paled as she realized what Angelina meant, and began to tremble. She wrapped her arms around Ophelia tightly, internally grimacing at the feeling of the binder she wore to hide her identity. Her truth. Herself.

"What do you mean?" Cedric asked, visibly confused. She could understand why he was unaware of how there could be another problem that needed their attention.

Fleur, however, was clearly not as thick as Cedric. "Merde, the swimwear… of course…" The French champion swore again under her breath, and began to pace, "I am not certain if these uniforms are a requirement…"

Ophelia sniffled, she didn't even seem shocked that Fleur knew the problem. "Gods, they'll all know… it's over…" She whimpered, clinging to Angelina's arms tightly. It hurt. Angelina did not let go. She saw the despair - the fear and anguish - plastered on Ophelia's face. But worse, she saw the loss. The binder - her disguise - was Ophelia's last line of defense. Her final protection and shell from the world seeing her true self. From her abysmal relatives finding out who she was and - if worst came to worst - still having her for the summer holidays. Ophelia would not survive that. If she did, she certainly wouldn't come out the same.

She wrapped her arms tighter, holding Ophelia tightly as the girl sobbed softly. Grieving the impending death of her falsified persona. Of her greatest protection against a world filled with those who would hate her for who she was. Tears of fear, pain, and loss. Angelina didn't know what to say - what was there to say? She was being forced into a Tournament that had a particularly egregious death toll when her own abilities were more than two years below her fellow Champions. Worse, now she was facing a terror Angelina could never understand. She was straight, and cisgender. She never had to panic about being accepted for who she was, never had to hide that either. As a girl she had to deal with perverts and creeps, sure - the only absent Champion being a prime example - but she never had to hide the fact that she liked blokes, or was a girl and very much felt that way.

Ophelia was a girl who liked girls, but was born with the body of a boy. She certainly didn't look like one without her disguise, but unlike Muggleborns like Angelina, she was famous in the wixen world. She couldn't hide the truth - that she was transgender and lesbian. It shouldn't have meant anything. That had no business meaning anything to anyone besides that it was part of who Ophelia was and made her happy.

But people would judge her. They would attack her. There were already girls in the Tower who whispered behind Alicia and Katie's backs, who covered their bodies when they walked by, who gave Angelina pitying looks as if she was suffering some great ordeal because her dormmates were snogging.

It meant nothing to her. They were sweet. They didn't stare, they weren't sexual, and any comments they made on one another's bodies were the normal intermittent banter all girls participated in.

Ophelia was just as sweet, just as kind, just as innocent and kind. Moreso, because despite all the shit she'd suffered, she was still the same person. She still liked spending time with friends, she still giggled and laughed, still cried and sobbed, still agonized and suffered… just like everyone else.

It made no sense, and it was because Angelina could not understand such abject, pointless hatred that tears slid down her face and she pulled Ophelia close. Wishing she could protect her friend from the evils of the world, or bring her somewhere she'd never be hated, never be judged, and only have the love she'd been starved of for so, so terribly long.

Cedric looked between the three girls in visible confusion, "I… I'm sorry, how does swimwear fit into all this? Is… is it the Basilisk scars or something?" He asked, clearly drawing at straws. Everyone knew about those scars, however. That wasn't the issue. Not at all.

"Non, Cedric. Can you not see it?" Fleur replied, her expression one of great sympathy. "She's a girl, when the world believes she should not be."

Cedric's face fell, becoming ashen. "Oh."

Oh indeed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your Kudos hope for the Second Task to go... better than it likely will, and your Comments brainstorm ideas for Ophelia to worm her way out of it.

Discord: https://discord.gg/w5k4TfFRGG

Next Chapter: Valentine's Day

Chapter 15: A Day of LoveChapter TextDaphne does her best to give Ophelia a good Valentine's Day.

~~~~~Ophelia~~~~~

A Day of Love

~~~~~Ophelia~~~~~

February 14th, 1995

"How did you even get ahold of this?" Ophelia asked in shock as she looked at the small cauldron filled with a familiar-looking sludge. "I– doesn't Polyjuice take weeksto brew?" She asked skeptically as Hermione carefully plucked one of Hannah's hairs and lowered it into a separate vial of the sludge. It changed in color to resemble butter.

"That'd be my efforts," Daphne replied cheerfully. "My family runs a couple Potions businesses, so I just had them send me some. They have a relative idea why, since I've told them bits about your situation. Greengrasses are quite good at ignoring the rules."

Ophelia took the proffered vial with a slightly shaky hand, "And Hannah… you're okay with this?"

Hannah smiled and gave her a small side-hug, "Always. It isn't like you're a boy borrowing my body for gross things. You're a girl - my best friend - who deserves to be able to go out and enjoy a day as a girl. Besides, if you don't do this I'm pretty sure your brain is going to explode thinking about the twenty-seventh."

Ophelia grimaced and exhaled slowly, "Well… bottoms up." She threw back the vial and downed it in one go. The undertone of sludge was still there, but Hannah's brand of Polyjuice primarily tasted of citrus. It was actually overpowering enough that the sludge undertone was quite bearable. "Huh. Hannah, you taste like oranges," she mused before frowning. Her voice sounded… deeper, if only by a little.

She shuddered as she felt her body change. She became taller, and her skin tingled as all the scars wicked away. Her hair went from short and black to long and blonde while she felt her bones shift. Her chest shrank - to her slight embarrassment - and a strange sensation occurred between her legs that she had a strong guess as to the reason for. After a few moments, she winced and blinked before taking her glasses off - definitely didn't need those.

"How long should it last?" Hannah - the real Hannah - asked.

"Five hours," Daphne replied. "It's a special brew that's designed for Aurors to use for stakeouts. Actually this is a defective batch, since it lasts less than it should. The proper stuff lasts twenty-four hours. But I figure five is plenty for a day in Hogsmeade."

Hermione prepared another vial, "To be safe. You'll take it with you in case you feel your body start to shift, okay?" Ophelia nodded and Hermione beamed.

Hannah looked her up and down, "Hm. Yeah, that's me alright. Gotta say, I'm a bit miffed. Sure I'm taller, but you felt your chest shrink, didn't you?" Her tone was both teasing and accusatory at the same time.

Ophelia felt her cheeks warm, "I might have. I might also have realized your voice is deeper than mine."

Hannah scoffed and lightly shoved her shoulder, "Prat! Oh, just go and get changed!" She ushered a slightly grinning Ophelia into the spare stall they'd set aside in Myrtle's bathroom.

Ophelia looked at the clothes - Hannah's clothes - with a tiny grimace before she swiftly got undressed. Better to get it over with, and she wasn't keen on making Hannah worry that she was doing anything weird. She kept her gaze at a minimum height and swiftly slipped on the provided underwear. The bra was surprisingly easy to put on, but she attributed that to Hannah's muscles being used to reaching back and clasping them. And also the quick lesson Hermione had given her a couple hours ago to prepare her.

Tights, blouse, skirt, boots, hooded jumper. She zipped it up partway, and then neatly folded her own clothes and put them and her shoes into the Magically-Expanded purse. That was her own possession, at least. Tracey had sent her the purse for Yule, and Ophelia did the runework and enchantments. It had roughly as much space as her new dorm room, though she planned to adjust it to be larger at a later time if possible.

She took a deep breath and then stepped out. "Well? Do I look like a temperamental Hufflepuff?" She teased with a little bit of trepidation.

Hannah swatted her shoulder, "I suppose you'll do." She commented with a huff before beaming. "Here, hang on," she commented before going behind Ophelia and using a brush to work with her hair. "I'll braid it for you."

"So, Ophelia," Daphne began as she helped Hermione organize things. "Today is a day for you to relax, so you can just follow me. If you want to stop by somewhere, we can - so don't worry. My plan is for us to stop by Honeyduke's, Schrivenschaft's, and then a restaurant before we just enjoy some time on a walk. With you disguised as Hannah, you don't have to worry about anyone recognizing you by your deadname, okay?"

Ophelia smiled weakly, "Yeah… yeah, okay. I guess it might be a bit nice to take a break." She hummed as Hannah expertly braided her hair, "Thanks for doing this for me, Hannah. You're an awesome friend."

"I know," Hannah replied a bit haughtily, causing Ophelia to giggle a bit. "Gotta say, it's a lot easier to braid my hair when I don't have to do it by feel," she commented as she finished, tying the braid off with a small hair tie.

"I guess that makes see-ENSE! Hannah!" Ophelia yelped, holding her skirt down as she jumped forwards. "Did you just grope me?!"

Hannah shrugged as she looked at the blushing Ophelia, "Technically I just grabbed my own ass. What? I wanted to see if Sophie and Sally-Anne's compliments were right." She shrugged once more while Ophelia continued to look aghast.

Daphne cleared her throat, earning Ophelia's attention as she seemed to be fighting down a grin. "Uh, so… let's go, yeah?"

Ophelia shook her head, "Please. I don't think I can handle it if she does that agaaaaain! HANNAH ABBOTT!"

~~~~~Ophelia~~~~~

"She's going to be the death of me, I swear," Ophelia grumbled as she lightly sucked on a Sugar Quill. Their trip to Honyduke's had been expedited a bit so she could get some sweets to start the stress relief. She had to admit the sweet snack helped, though she'd never admit on threat of death that Hannah groping her butt had helped loosen her up. If only because the prat would lord it over her forever.

"Relax, Ophelia. I know it was a surprise, but you know Hannah didn't mean anything bad by it," Daphne chided before she carefully peeled back one of the sides of her Honeycomb. A Honey Bee zipped out and she closed the comb but the Bee zipped past her - thankfully Ophelia still had her Seeker reflexes and caught it deftly. She offered it to Daphne, who just ate it out of her hand.

Ophelia sighed and shook her head, "You and Hannah are a lot alike." Daphne hummed her contentment with that statement while Ophelia twirled her Sugar Quill a bit before sucking on the feathered end some more. "... Thanks for doing this. I'll admit, it's… I know I'm bad at relaxing. The Tournament, it just–"

Daphne pressed a Bertie Bott's into her mouth before she could finish. Ophelia glowered but chewed the bean - and decided to give her some slack since it was flavored like a cinnamon roll. "Don't talk about it, Ophie. It'll just stress you out more. You know, the opposite of today's goal?"

Ophelia huffed but couldn't help the tiny smile on her face. Thankfully Hannah's clothes were enchanted for warmth, so the snow and cold didn't really bother her - and in addition to everything else, the slight crunch of snow under her feet was quite relaxing. "Hmm. So, Schrivenschaft's is next?"

Daphne nodded, catching the second Honey Bee on her own and popping it into her mouth. Ophelia smirked as she waited for the honey-flavored treat to melt before Daphne answered. "Yep. Then we can check out Restaurant Road. I know, pretty straightforward name. Wixen aren't always the most creative people."

Ophelia hummed at that before she finished sucking the Quill dry. She shrugged and bit the feather, gently crunching the feathery candy in her mouth. She really liked the new all-edible ones, since they had new flavors. The grape one wasn't half bad. She sighed and made sure to double-check that the rest of her candy was packed away. She didn't want to spoil her appetite for lunch, though she was definitely finishing that first Quill.

"Well, at least there were some books I wanted to get anyway. Apparently a new series of romance novels were released by Gwendolyn Bathory - they're between a witch and a Baobhan Sith, so that should be good. Lavender gushed about it, and usually she only likes the straight ones," Ophelia mused, eager to read the love story. Bathory always wrote good books, and usually in the skein of lesbian relationships.

Daphne seemed a bit surprised, "You like lesbian stories?"

Ophelia shrugged as she felt a tad self-conscious, "Well… yeah. I'm not into blokes, so by process of elimination that makes me lesbian." She tried hard not to flush with the realization that she'd just told her crush she was lesbian.

Daphne hummed at that, "Well, I guess that's fair. I am, too - though I guess you might've figured by now."

Ophelia flushed a smidge, "I… might've heard a rumor last year that you and Pansy Parkinson went on a date."

Daphne huffed, "It was one date, how did that rum– whatever. Yeah, we did. It wasn't bad, but honestly we just didn't have enough in common. The interest was entirely aesthetic. I've been single since." She sounded a bit rushed in her defense, but Ophelia guessed it might've just been her imagination.

What was not her imagination was the slightly pleased, warm feeling inside of her at hearing that Daphne was indeed single, and lesbian. She tried to smother it down, though - that had no bearing on whether the gorgeous girl was actually interested in her. No point in getting herself worked up over something like that anyway.

"I think I'll also pick up some books on Aztec magic," Ophelia commented so as to change subjects. "Did you know they altered their sacrifice magic so you only have to use a bit of blood? Of course, the effects are different now. But honestly it isn't like we need to change entire weather patterns or the fertility of the soil of an entire country. I think they need specific ritual items for it, but that's why I had Sirius send me a set of blood ritual tools - he said he was checking something out in Mesoamerica back in October, before this whole mess started. Dunno why he was there, but it worked out - I got some really weird but nice athames and other stuff, too. Bunch of catalyst ingredients and he even sent a couple books he got from this one witch, Mahalu? Sent a picture he took with her - apparently escaped felons aren't an issue with her. She's really pretty, but wears a lot of bones - might be human, but I'm trying not to think about that. Too creepy. The books are actually her own journals! She used Aztec Runes and a bunch of other neat things - including a letter she penned me! It's in Nahuatl though - the language used by the Aztec people. So I still haven't been able to decipher it. Do you think Schrivenschaft's has an Aztec dictionary? I hope so, they usually have everything I tend to need. Honestly I have a special trunk inside my main one that's just filled to the brim with grimoires and tomes and such I've gotten from magic bookstores all over. Haven't even finished half of them - I know, embarrassing. I'm just as bad as Hermione, honestly. Though admittedly the other special trunk with all the romance novels doesn't have anything in it I've not read, so that might be my own fault. But they're so good! I can't help it. I mean– Daphne are you even listening to me?"

Daphne blinked, "Um… yes?" She sounded uncertain though, so Ophelia swatted her shoulder.

"You're terrible. Next time I'm quizzing you," Ophelia replied with a slight huff as she pushed open the door to Schrivenschaft's. Daphne winced but gave a small smile as she followed the girl disguised as her own best friend into the bookstore.

~~~~~Ophelia~~~~~

"Ophelia what the fuck–"

"It was only–"

"Twenty-four books?! Granted that romance series accounts for five of them, but holy crow! Just how much of a magic addict are you?!" Daphne asked incredulously as they strode down the streets of Hogsmeade once again.

Ophelia huffed as she adjusted her purse, thankful for the Featherlight Runes she'd inscribed in addition to the Expansion. "I'm not an addict. I just happen to like magic quite a bit. Honestly, if you could do absolutely anythingwith something, why wouldn't you go all-in?"

Daphne shook her head in disbelief, "You know that Aztec Runes are Mastery-level content, right? Not to mention the fact you got books on the ancient Japanese, Chinese and Korean languages - how many runic languages have you even studied at this point?"

Ophelia shrugged, "Twelve? Thirteen? Probably more, I can't recall off the top of my head. But come on! They're the number one way to ensure magic is permanent and doesn't need to be recast since they draw on ambient magic and leylines. You can't deny how convenient and useful that is! You'd pretty much have to put the object on the moon to cancel the magic on it." She huffed again, "And don't comment about the Advanced Arithmancy books, either."

"No worries, because you didn't get any - you got expert and mastery-level Arithmancy books. Ophelia, I highly doubt you can actually understand that stuff - you're smart, don't get me wrong, but that's well above N.E.W.T. level!" Daphne retorted, obviously trying to be polite.

Ophelia scowled, "Yes, I can. I can understand it perfectlywell. I'm not an idiot, Daphne. Maybe I'm no genius, but I'm good at what I dedicate myself to."

Daphne sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I… okay, fine. I'm sorry. It just… threw me for a loop, okay? We're in fourth year, and seeing you so far ahead of me… I mean, you even picked up books on Runic Transfiguration, Advanced Transfiguration and more. I doubt even Hermione would go that far into this. She tries to… you know, breathe and eat and sleep." She tried for a lighthearted tone, and it did help Ophelia loosen the tension in her shoulders a little.

"I know, it's not… normal," Ophelia replied delicately. "But I really did only pick books I'd understand or would understand once I finish the ones I'm in the process of reading. My biggest hobbies are reading and magic. I know it sounds strange, but it's the truth. Hermione has it just as bad as I do if we're being honest, but I guess… she spreads out while I spread up, if that makes sense?"

Daphne tilted her head, "Um… no, no it really doesn't. Explain, Oh Ophelia of the big brain?"

Ophelia swatted her shoulder, but smiled a tiny bit. "Hermione studies every subject and only gets a little further ahead as a result. She's checking out the same topics I am - Runes, Arithmancy and Transfiguration - but also Potions, Charms, Defense, Magical Creatures… you see what I mean?"

Daphne nodded, "I think I get it now. So while you specialized in those three topics and barreled on ahead - while still studying enough of the other stuff to maintain high grades - Hermione didn't let herself get too invested in anything and is… probably somewhere between O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. level, I guess?"

Ophelia nodded as they turned down Restaurant Road, still paying attention to the conversation as she glanced at the various shop signs and such. She found the multitude of scents quite pleasant, and felt herself relax a bit more.

"Just about. She's dead clever, don't get me wrong, but she likes to keep her skillset more varied. I don't mind having a smaller focus," Ophelia confirmed as she frowned at a seedier looking restaurant, choosing to look at others.

"I guess that makes sense. Does that mean you might want to become an Animagus?" Daphne queried.

Ophelia's face burned and she remained silent.

"... no."

Ophelia continued to remain silent.

"Ophelia, you didn't–"

"I think that French place looks nice. The visiting Beauxbatons Elves make the food look good. What do you think?"

"Ophelia you can't be serious–"

"Of course I am. I like French food," Ophelia deflected in a very forced-casual tone as she continued looking anywhere but at Daphne.

"You'd have to be the youngest in history, I–"

"I wonder if they serve crêpes at this time of day? I quite like those," Ophelia continued.

"Did you at least register–"

"Shit."

"You didn't register?!"

"Daphne, look," Ophelia hissed as she gestured ahead. Daphne's head snapped up and she saw what Ophelia meant.

"Oh shit," Daphne muttered.

"Good thing I'm disguised. Think she knows you and Hannah are my friends?" Ophelia whispered even as she took Daphne's hand. Daphne held hers tightly to reciprocate the support.

"Oh! Hello, girls. You're Harry Potter's friends, aren't you?" Rita Skeeter demurred, a far-too-forced smile plastered on her face.

"Pardon?" Ophelia replied smoothly, "Harry Potter? You must be mistaken, Miss Skeeter. We're just classmates of his."

Daphne seemed to catch on quickly. "Indeed. Sorry, but we're rather enjoying our extra Hogsmeade visit. If you have questions about Harry Potter, maybe ask Hermione Granger or Ron Weasley?"

Skeeter's smile became sickly sweet and Ophelia had a sudden desire to run. "That's the thing, girls. I actually just had a lovely chat with Ron Weasley, and he told me the most interesting story about how his best friend was stolen from him by a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff girl! Both of them were apparently blonde, and their descriptions fit you both to a tee. I wonder why that would be?"

Ophelia arched an eyebrow even as Daphne tightened her grip on her hand. "Couldn't tell you," she replied smoothly. "I'm a Ravenclaw, myself - if you don't believe me I'll happily show you my receipt from Schrivenschaft's. Just bought about… what was it, Fay? A dozen books?"

Daphne kept her expression placid, "Try two dozen, Isobel. She drives me spare with this stuff, you know? Honestly I just wanted to grab a bite to eat and relax - but no. She has to make a whooooole day of it. She's a nightmare, this one."

Ophelia huffed and pretended to act affronted, but Skeeter seemed to buy their act. She gave another fake smile before she left, but neither girl let go of one another's hands until they saw Skeeter round a corner. Even then, they didn't say anything until they'd entered the French restaurant and been seated.

"Well, that was… effective," Daphne remarked as she looked at Ophelia appraisingly.

The other girl shrugged a bit sheepishly, "In my defense, I've been lying about who I am all my life - what's another falsified identity? I'm sure Fay and Isobel will understand."

Daphne hummed at that before she shrugged and browsed the available drinks, "Hm… so, what's your form?"

Ophelia sighed, "Promise you won't laugh?"

Daphne raised an eyebrow, "Why on earth would I laugh?" She looked rather bemused.

Ophelia sighed, "It's very much not at all suitable. At least my Patronus is a porcupine - that I can see making sense!" Daphne coughed a bit at that and Ophelia frowned, "What?"

"Er, nothing. Sorry, continue."

Ophelia narrowed her eyes but continued as asked. "My animagus form is a bengal tiger - and yes, I am registered. Professor McGonagall took me at the end of last year," she replied.

Daphne's jaw dropped as she seemed to try and wrap her head around it, "I… you're a–"

"I know. It's absolutely ridiculous. I'm not brave, I'm not loud, I'm not strong. I still haven't transformed even once beyond that first time," Ophelia commented, scowling a little. "Hopefully that'll prevent bleedover. I'd really rather not start to have traits from it. That'd be so embarrassing."

Before Daphne could reply, the waitress came by and took their drink orders. Daphne absently asked for water and Ophelia did the same before checking the time with a Tempus spell. It had been three-and-a-half hours since she'd taken the Polyjuice. She'd probably be able to hold off until after their meal before taking the second dose.

They didn't talk much more until after the waters were served and they'd ordered - both girls went for crêpes, wanting something sweet after having started their sweet tooths' going back at Honeyduke's. Once the waitress left again, they continued.

"I mean… it isn't totally wrong, Ophelia. You are pretty brave. Mind, it's in an incredibly bullheaded sort of way, but you are. You've been transitioning for years in secret, you stopped Quirrell, you saved Ginny from the Basilisk, you scared off Sirius Black - even if he was innocent, you still handled Pettigrew. Honestly, I think it fits," Daphne told her, causing Ophelia to shift and squirm in her seat.

"... I still would've preferred a porcupine," she replied softly, her cheeks flushed as she sighed and clasped her hands behind her neck, resting her elbows on the table. "I know this is meant to be a day for me to relax, Daphne, but this Second Task has me so… scared."

Daphne winced before her expression became sympathetic, "Hey, I get it. I… I know all our plans regarding hiding your transition haven't panned out. But at least you'll be able to save Hannah, okay? You've mastered swimming beautifully, and your Water-Breathing runes are flawless. You even mastered the Bubblehead for emergency, how to transfigure gills - which, by the way, I still think is absurdly unfair. That's human transfiguration! It'd be one thing if you did it as a metamorphmagus, but your skills are just… insane! You really are an incredible witch, Ophelia."

She blushed deeper, "I… thanks, Daphne." She sat up a bit straighter, managing a weak smile as she unclasped her hands and tapped the table a bit absently. "Hermione's helped me figure out how to transfigure water into other things, and we investigated loads of underwater creatures, so… I wanted to trust Dumbledore at one point. I did. But…" She pursed her lips tightly.

Daphne flexed her hand as if itching to hit Dumbledore again. "I know. Believe me, I know. Angie, Katie and Alicia mastered the Bubblehead too just in case, and both Cedric and Fleur promised to save Hannah if you couldn't. None of us trust Dumbledore. Not after what you've suffered." She took Ophelia's hands into her own, her expression determined, "We're not letting anything bad happen. Not to you, not to Hannah. We talked to McGonagall, and she knows to officially prepare a bed for you in the Chaser girls' dorm after the Task if you're outed - so don't worry about that. And…" She tightened her grip, "Don't worry. We won't let anyone hurt you. Okay? I won't let anyone hurt you."

Ophelia smiled weakly as she looked down at their hands. Daphne looked a bit embarrassed and went to pull away, but Ophelia held tight. "... Thank you. For… everything, really– but especially for that day back in November. For… for stopping me to talk to me. I…" She took a slow breath, trying to find her words. "... I'm not 'good', I won't lie. I'm still a mess. I still have awful nightmares. I still cry, I still hide and try to pretend I'm someone I'm not. But I don't do it as much anymore." She looked up at Daphne, smiling weakly as tears slipped down her face. "Because of you. You're an… extraordinary friend, Daphne. I couldn't ask for more. You helped me become closer to the friends I had, and helped me make new ones as well. You're amazing. Thank you."

Daphne seemed stunned, before she giggled a bit wetly and pulled her hands away to wipe tears from her own eyes. "Gods, Ophie - making a girl cry like that," she murmured before sniffing a bit, her face a bit red. "I'm happy I stopped you, too. I feel like a much better person when I'm with you."

Ophelia chuckled even as she wiped her own eyes, "Well, I do make a pretty good charity case." Daphne lightly kicked her shin. "Kidding! Kidding. I know, don't talk about myself like that. I'm trying, I promise."

Daphne hummed, "Still doing your affirmations with Alicia?"

Ophelia nodded, "Every day."

"Have you started to believe them yet?" She pressed, her expression tight.

Ophelia thought about it - she really did. Had she started to believe them yet? She… wasn't sure, honestly. She wouldn't say she believed them to be complete lies anymore, but she didn't believe them to be the complete truth yet, either.

"Work in progress, I guess," she replied, giving a slight shrug.

Daphne nodded, but smiled warmly, "Hey. That's a step in the right direction. You're getting better, Ophelia - and you deserve to. You're a really good person. If anyone deserves to love herself, it's you."

Ophelia huffed a bit, but couldn't help the tiny smile on her face. "I'd say I know a few Slytherins who deserve to say it," she replied loftily, giving Daphne a cheeky grin.

Daphne grinned in kind, "I'll be sure to tell Draco."

Ophelia made a face, "You know who I meant, you prat." Daphne giggled and this time Ophelia was the one to lightly kick her shin, earning a glare with no real heat behind it. "Keep it up and next time I'll ask Blaise on one of these friend-dates."

Daphne hummed, "If you do, make him pay for everything. He still owes you for how he treated you the day you came out to us."

Ophelia waved it off, "Nah, he's fine. He didn't intend anything bad. Plus it's pretty obvious in hindsight that he was just being defensive and protective of the boy he had a crush on." She shrugged, then thanked the waitress as their crêpes arrived. "Strawberries and blueberries, Daphne? Really?"

Daphne scoffed, "Says the girl getting apples and cinnamon!"

Ophelia put an arm protectively around her plate, "There's nothing wrong with apples and cinnamon!"

Daphne's eyes narrowed, "Nothing wrong with strawberries and blueberries, either!"

Ophelia huffed, but they both traded tiny smirks before they began to dig in. The crêpes were good - sweet, and with just the right amount of fruit and cream. "Hmm, I bet I could make this," Ophelia mused.

Daphne looked a bit surprised, "You can cook– er, bake?"

Ophelia shrugged, "Both? I've done them for ages at… well, where I used to live. That's… still a lot to think about. It was always a chore before…" She faltered as she realized something, a tear sliding down her face.

"Ophelia?" Daphne asked with visible concern.

"I… I think I'd actually… enjoy cooking," Ophelia said softly, a nervous smile forming. "If… if I'm not doing it for them, it… it could be nice. Making food and sweets and just… enjoying them myself. Or making them for people I like being around." She giggled wetly, wiping more tears away. They kept on flowing, but she couldn't stop smiling. "I don't know why I'm crying, I think that's a good thing. Right?"

Daphne beamed, and her eyes looked a bit wet as well. "I'd call it a very good thing. That means you're starting to heal. Of course," she said a bit seriously, which was a bit of a challenge for her to accomplish with cream on her cheek. "I'm still dragging your arse to a Mind Healer the moment summer hits."

Ophelia huffed, but her smile didn't falter. "First Hermione, then Hannah, now you. You'll make a girl think she has depression or something," she mused lightheartedly before taking another bite of apple.

Daphne snorted, "And anxiety, probably ADHD and autism, PTSD… the list goes on, Ophie."

Ophelia wrinkled her nose, "You have cream on your cheek."

Daphne rolled her eyes and wiped her cheek with a finger. Naturally, she missed it.

Ophelia rolled her eyes, "What would you do without me?" She asked lightly, reaching over and wiping the cream off with her own finger. She then licked the finger clean and scowled, "Ugh. Bitter. That's the problem with strawberries and blueberries."

Daphne blinked, her cheeks a brilliant red. "I… uh-huh," she mumbled, seeming to have been stunned into silence.

Ophelia's own cheeks were rosy but she made a point of pretending what she'd done didn't bother her at all. "Close your mouth, Daphne. You'll catch flies… or beetles, I guess," she mused, looking at a green beetle at the edge of the table. She shrugged and waved her wand, conjuring a sealed glass jar around the beetle. It began jumping around frantically and Ophelia rolled her eyes, taking the jar and using a conjured needle to poke some breathing holes in the more malleable lid. "Keep your wings on," she chided, slipping it into her purse. She'd release it later, or maybe use it for a transfiguration project. Didn't matter to her.

Daphne shut her mouth with a clack and resolutely resumed eating her meal, her cheeks still a brilliant red. Ophelia did the same, even as she couldn't help the tiny smile on her face.

Maybe her feelings weren't unrequited after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your Kudos cheer Ophelia and Daphne on, the oblivious goofballs. Your Comments wonder what's going to be done with the beetle.

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Next: The Second Task