Thorn | Neville Longbottom

Chapter 17: The Third Letter

Briar sat with her roommates on the train back to Hogwarts. The three of them talked about their summers while Briar mostly just listened and commented on some of the fun things they did occasionally. The four girls were all on good terms once again after everything that happened with Malfoy last year, and Briar was grateful for that. She wanted her dorm to be a space where she could relax, not one of tension and furious glances.

After some point in the conversation, Pansy gingerly began, "So we're getting our third hint tomorrow."

Daphne whispered conspiratorially, "I heard that we'll find out how many years apart we are from our soulmates."

Millicent whispered, "So, it's if we're the same age as our soulmate?"

Daphne nodded and turned to Pansy with a sly smile. Pansy realized, "What if my soulmate is an older boy? Oh, that'd be hot."

Briar just blinked and stared out the window to watch the moving scene. For the first time, she was actually curious to see what she got as well. Everything had changed after her conversation with her father, and she couldn't look at any of this stuff the same way again.

She shivered at the thought of having to marry Malfoy. She hoped her soulmate was someone else that her father would approve of, so that she could avoid that horrible fate. Or better yet, maybe she could completely avoid marriage altogether. That seemed like the best option.

The other three girls began to curiously glance at Briar, but she didn't meet their eyes and just continued watching the thick forests whip past them. She was grateful for each moment that their train kept drifting on towards Hogwarts. Each was one step closer to a future she was terrified of, and a mile farther from the worst person Briar had ever known.

-

The four roommates all sauntered into the Great Hall the next morning, all of them smugly smiling when younger Slytherins at their table stared at them with eyes wide in awe. They were fifth years now, and younger students had started to truly look up to them at this point.

When the four of them plopped into their usual seats, Briar noticed a pair of first year boys who were staring at them with jaws dropped and wide eyes. One loudly whispered to the other, "They're so pretty."

The four girls all met made eye contact and sent one another pleased smiles. They all were thinking the same thing: yes, we truly are.

After the girls had all settled and had started to chatter amongst each other, a third year murmured, "Since when did Millicent get hot?"

Millicent's cheeks twinged pink. She had gained a lot of confidence over the summer and really grew into herself, losing some weight as well. She felt beautiful now, but Briar thought she had always been beautiful. Millicent just needed some time to figure that out.

Briar leaned across the table and teased, "If your hint says you have a 2 year gap, I'm betting on that kid."

The brunette just slapped Briar's hand, but her flattered smile was hard to miss. She hissed, "Oh, shut up, Davies."

Briar sat back with a smile. She admired the long Slytherin banners that honored her house with a small smile. She felt her fellow students' excitement to be back at Hogwarts. Pansy noticed Briar's smile and felt happy for her roommate. A smile was not something she often saw on the moody girl, but it was a welcomed adjustment. Pansy noticed that Briar actually had quite a pretty smile. She hoped she would see more of those smiles in the future.

Malfoy stepped up to the table with Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Theo in tow, and the smile immediately dropped off Briar's face. Her stomach felt as though it was full of ice as her father's words reverberated around in her mind.