The late afternoon sun slanted across the courtyard as Illuna hurried toward the meeting spot, her shadow flowing slightly behind her. She'd lost track of time with her fathers letter but the clock tower hadn't yet struck the hour. They'd still make it to McGonagall's office with minutes to spare. Probably.
Midnight shifted irritably on her shoulder, his claws digging in like tiny accusations of betrayal.
"You're being dramatic," she muttered, scratching behind his ears. "You know perfectly well why I couldn't let you maul Father's owl."
With a disdainful mmrrow, Midnight leapt to the ground, his tail held high as he stalked away toward the Herbology greenhouses—the universal feline signal for I'll grace you with my presence again when you've learned your lesson. Illuna watched him go, lips pressed into a thin line. He'd come slinking back by dinner, all wide eyes and plaintive mews, as if he hadn't orchestrated the entire conflict.
The courtyard unfolded before her in lazy golden light. Near the ancient oak, Snape leaned against the trunk like a brooding shadow, his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the lake. A few paces away, Lily and Tessa sat cross-legged on the grass, their heads bent together over what appeared to be a magically animated sketch—Tessa's work, no doubt. The two redheads might as well have been wrapped in their own private atmosphere, laughing at some shared joke, their voices carrying on the crisp autumn air.
Instant kinship, Illuna noted. Perhaps it was a Hufflepuff trait—that easy warmth, the way Tessa seemed to collect friends as naturally as breathing. Or maybe it was just Lily, who could probably charm the armour suits into doing a jig if she put her mind to it.
As she approached, Lily spotted her first. "Flower!" she called, waving with enough enthusiasm to startle a nearby flock of sparrows.
Snape's head snapped up, his scowl deepening as he pushed off from the tree. "You're late."
Illuna opened her mouth to apologize, but Tessa cut in with a dismissive wave. "Barely. We've got ages before McGonagall expects us."
"Technically," Illuna began, "we agreed to meet fifteen minutes prior to—"
"Vi's not even here yet," Lily interjected, shooting Snape a look that somehow managed to be both fond and exasperated. "So stop being such a crotchety old kneazle."
Snape's jaw tightened, but whatever retort he'd mustered died under Lily's expectant gaze. With a noise that was more sigh than grumble, he leaned back against the oak, though his fingers drummed an impatient rhythm against his forearm.
Tessa grinned, nudging Illuna's shoulder. "Relax. McGonagall's not gonna skin us for being fashionably late."
Illuna arched a brow. "Fashionably?"
"Okay, fine. Academically late. Like, we were busy being brilliant and lost track of time."
A snort escaped Snape before he could suppress it. Lily beamed, as if she'd personally orchestrated the sound.
Their chatter drifted easily from Vi to their first Transfiguration session, dissolving into the golden haze of the courtyard. Illuna noted the way Lily absently twisted a strand of hair around her finger—a nervous habit she suspected surfaced only when something important loomed beneath the surface.
Nearby, a cluster of Flutterby bushes swayed without wind, their petals secreting a faint soporific mist that made nearby students yawn. She made a mental note to avoid them during exams.
She opened her mouth to suggest a structured study schedule, but the words died as a familiar chill crawled up her spine. Stone scraped against leather behind them.
Footsteps. Deliberately slow.
Before she could turn, the voice slithered through the air like silk.
"Ah, dearest sister. It's been too long since your presence fouled the air."
The Flutterby petals stilled mid-sway.
Illuna turned slowly, her fingers brushing the edge of her wand sleeve. Victor Grave stood framed by the arched corridor, his Slytherin robes hanging with tailored precision. The silver serpent pin at his collar—a family heirloom—glinted as if laughing. His black hair, sleek and parted, framed a face already too sharp for his age. His smirk cut deeper than any wand could.
"Victor," she said, her voice flat as a steel blade.
He executed a mocking bow, ignoring the way Severus had shifted subtly in front of Lily. A cluster of Snapdragons near the courtyard wall bristled, their petals twitching as if sensing hostility.
"I was wondering when you'd crawl out from under the woodwork." His gaze flicked over her companions. "And you've formed a little club." The word curled like rotten fruit. "A half-blood Slytherin with a chip on his shoulder, a Hufflepuff in desperate need of a mirror—and perhaps a stylist—and a defective Gryffindor playing peacekeeper. Touching."
"Say that again, I dare you—"
Lily's grip on Tessa's arm was firm, but Illuna noticed how her other hand hovered near her own wand. The Whomping Willow in the distance lashed its branches as if mirroring the tension.
Victor grinned. "Oh? The Hufflepuff barks now. Is this where I'm supposed to tremble?"
Severus' voice was colder than the Black Lake in December. "Careful. You're one insult away from having that smug expression hexed off your face."
Victor's smile didn't waver, but Illuna saw the minute tightening around his eyes. He'd underestimated Severus' protective streak. "Tell me, do you always hide behind girls, Snape, or is that just today's specialty?"
Lily's knuckles whitened around her book strap. "We don't want trouble. Just leave."
"Of course you don't." Victor's tone dripped like poisoned honey. "But trouble has a way of following the broken ones. Like dear Illuna here—how quaint of you, dragging her along like a family pet."
The words landed like a curse. Illuna felt her friends' eyes on her, but her gaze stayed locked on Victor's collar pin. Focus on the serpent, she told herself. Not his face. Not the past.
Tessa's next step forward was more forceful then necessary. . "Say that again. The Grave name isn't worth a Sickle if it's stamped on cowards like you—"
Victor's wand was in his hand before anyone saw him move—as if it had always been there, waiting. The sudden silence was punctuated by the winds howl.
The air crackled. Illuna's own wand hand jerked, but she froze—too slow, always too slow
"Careful what you say about my family," Victor murmured, the words velvet-wrapped venom. "Some of us bite back."
Then—
"As amusing as this little squabble has been," came a dry voice from the shadows, "I do believe I have to intervene before someone embarrasses themselves permanently."
Celine Vector emerged from the corridor, her Ravenclaw scarf knotted with precise indifference. Her wand wasn't drawn, but her fingers flexed like a duelist's. A faint shimmer in the air around her suggested a pre-cast shielding charm.
Victor snarled. "You think I'm afraid of you, Celine? You're nothing but a pathetic Ravenclaw angling for the next prefect badge."
Celine's smile was all edges. "May I remind you who between us is better at Charms?"
"Do you really want to test who's quicker with a wand?" She asked smugly.
Victor's smirk turned lethal. "you know nothing of what the Graves family teaches!"
Illuna noted the way Celine's shoulders tensed—not in fear, but calculation.
Then—
"I don't believe unorganized duelling is permitted in courtyards."
Vi materialized from behind the oak, her prefect badge glinting. The Whomping Willow stilled abruptly, as if even it recognized authority.
Victor's wand arm lowered a fraction. "Tch. The grating Hufflepuff's sister."
Vi examined her nails. "Oh, stopping now that I'm here? Wise indeed, young Slytherin."
Victor's retreat was slow, deliberate, but the way his gaze lingered on Illuna promised unfinished business. He's making sure we see him leave on his own terms, Illuna thought. Always the performance.
Celine exhaled through her nose. "Run along now, Victor. Before someone actually challenges you properly." She flashed a smile sharp enough to slice bread. "And don't worry—I won't tell anyone how nearly your hand was shaking."
Victor's jaw flexed, but he vanished into the shadows without another word.
Tessa slumped against Lily. "That was terrifying."
Severus examined his wand tip. "Which part? The wand or his face?"
Lily rolled her eyes, but Illuna noticed how she discreetly checked Severus for tension.
You don't have to be. He's an ass." She reached into her robe and tossed Tessa a Honeydukes chocolate frog.. "For being the first to try and punch a Grave. Brave, but foolish."
"I'll take it," Tessa grinned.
Vi yelled. "Don't congratulate her!"
Vi yanked Tessa into a headlock, knuckling her scalp. "That was idiotic even for you."
As Tessa's indignant squawks filled the courtyard, Their squabble was a spark of normalcy—a firework popping in the aftermath of a storm.