Black [Ron Weasley]

( staying out of your way )

Chapter 23

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"You cut your hair? I nearly didn't recognize you!" Ginny squealed with excitement at the sight of the small brunette.

"Yeah, guess I needed a change." Nevaeh mumbled, peeking over the redheaded girl's shoulders, as Draco walked away from them. His posture perfectly straight without only the slightest bit of lack in confidence and cockiness. She didn't really understand why Draco acted the way he did. Never had they interacted like that.

"Well? You wanna come?"

Nevaeh was shaken from her thoughts and looked at Ginny who seemed to search for Nevaeh's attention.

"Come where?"

"To sit with me and the other Gryffindors, I know someone's dying to see you." Ginny said with a slight smirk.

An instant lump got stuck in her throat. A voice in her head telling her to exit the train as fast as possible and not look back. But then again the voice felt weak, she wanted to be strong, she had to be strong. She couldn't let herself slip any longer.

A small nod led to Nevaeh following the redhead all the way to the back of the train. The dozen staring students went unnoticed by the girl herself as she was too caught up in her thoughts.

"I can't believe you're back, everyone's been so worried. Especially when we didn't hear— you know what, it doesn't matter. I'm relieved you're ok." Ginny rambled. Not that Nevaeh heard, she was too occupied by her thoughts.

Ginny had gotten quite tall, making it impossible for Nevaeh to see in front of her. She simply followed suit and held her wand in reach. It had become a habit of her. 'Keep your wand close at all times' her new favorite saying.

Nevaeh looked up when suddenly it became suspiciously quiet around them. You could've heard a pin drop. Normally she enjoyed silence to the fullest but now it was excruciating, making her want to claw at her ears, wanting to scream to break the silence.

  Everyone had their mouths hanging on their feet. Staring at her like she were a ghost.

A pair of blue eyes found hers but there was something missing. The look they shared like the first time they laid eyes on each other, a look of excitement and hope, it wasn't there.

  "Nev?" Ron questioned like he barely recognized her. Apparently Nevaeh wasn't the only one with dark circles underneath her eyes, it looked like Ron hadn't been sleeping at all. But he seemed to have become even taller and his shoulders were even wider.

  It was then that her eyes found the floor, trying to escape the situation. Fore all she wanted at that moment was to be back in Bulgaria and not having to face these obstacles, not having to face her fears but it was too late.

"You should have seen what happened back there, Nev's back for what? Two seconds? And Draco's already being the prick he always is."

"You're kidding me? I'm gonna kill—" Ron started angrily but Nevaeh interrupted him saying "It was nothing, I handled it."