For as long as she could remember, Esmeralda Grisky and Lorenzo Berkshire had been inseparable best friends, but in their sixth year at Hogwarts, something shifted between them, drawing them closer than ever. Esmeralda begins to realize that her fee...
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Enzo had never expected to have a fight with Esmie.
The day had started like any other. He, Esmie, Mattheo, and Danielle had gone to breakfast together, their usual light-hearted banter filling the air as they laughed and chatted with their friends. Mattheo was quietly observing the group while indulging in his breakfast, his sharp gaze catching subtle details. He noticed, with a slight frown, that Esmie wasn't really eating. Danielle, sitting beside her, had picked up on it too.
"I want to know more about you and Mattheo, Gen," Esmie said suddenly, breaking through the usual chatter. The shift in tone caught everyone's attention, and Genevieve immediately turned red at the sudden attention. Mattheo's smirk spread across his face as he leaned back, clearly enjoying Genevieve's flustered reaction.
"More? Like what?" Genevieve asked, as she picked at her breakfast, her blush betraying her.
Esmie stirred the pineapple in her yogurt before glancing between Genevieve and Mattheo. "Like how you met, how you got together. You know ... all the details."
Genevieve hesitated, her eyes flickering toward Mattheo, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. "Well ... we didn't exactly meet at that Slytherin party like everyone thinks," she admitted, her blush deepening. "We actually met in the Forbidden Forest during my fifth year. Mattheo was in his sixth."
Esmie's spoon paused midway to her mouth, her head snapping up to look between them. "Wait ... what?" She turned her attention to Enzo, a look of surprise crossing her face. "You told me they met at the Slytherin party."
"I thought they did," Enzo replied, a bewildered shrug lifting his shoulders.
Genevieve let out a nervous chuckle, "No, that's just when we decided to go public. We had been ... sneaking around for a while before that."
Esmie's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. "So, you two had a secret relationship, and none of us noticed?"
Mattheo smirked, leaning back in his chair with an air of smugness. "We were pretty good at it. Sneaking around made it more exciting."
Genevieve rolled her eyes and, without missing a beat, kicked him under the table. He winced, giving her a playful glare, while Esmie laughed, holding out her hand toward Genevieve for a high-five. The two girls shared a victorious grin as their hands slapped together.
The conversation began to shift back to more light-hearted topics, but the mood at the table was disrupted when Hermione joined them. Her expression was serious as she approached, holding a copy of the Daily Prophet in her hands. "Has anyone read the Daily Prophet today?"
The group exchanged confused glances. "No?" Esmie responded, finishing another bite of her yogurt. She wiped her hands on her napkin and looked at Hermione with raised eyebrows.
Without saying another word, Hermione handed the newspaper to Esmie, her lips pressed into a thin line. Esmie's heart began to pound in her chest as she reached for the paper, a feeling of unease washing over her. Her hands trembled slightly as her eyes landed on the bold headline.
ESMERALDA GRISKY TO BE SENT TO TRIAL?
The world seemed to stop around her. The sounds of the Great Hall faded into the background as Esmie's mind went blank. The article swam in front of her eyes, her stomach dropping like a stone.
"What the hell?" Genevieve's voice broke through the silence, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at Esmie.
"What does it say?" Mattheo asked.
Esmie's breath came in short gasps as she tried to focus on the words in front of her, but they seemed to blur together. The panic rising in her chest made it impossible to concentrate. Her shaking hands lowered the paper, and she pushed it across the table, unable to look at it anymore.
Genevieve grabbed it immediately, her eyes scanning the article, her expression growing darker with every word. "Esmie is being accused of murdering her parents and Axel," she said, her voice filled with disbelief.
The table fell deathly silent, all eyes snapping to Esmie.
Enzo's face twisted with shock and anger. "What? She was trying to save him!" he shouted, as he slammed his hands down on the table, causing their drinks to tremble.
"According to the article," Genevieve continued, her brows furrowed in disgust, "sources claim they witnessed Grisky hit the second-year boy with the Killing Curse."
"That's a lie!" Enzo's voice cracked with emotion. His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. "She wasn't responsible! She was trying to help him!"
Danielle's usually calm face was tight with concern, and she gently touched Esmie's arm. "Esmie, this can't be true, right? You didn't ... you wouldn't ..."
Esmie's voice broke as she replied, her eyes welling with tears. "I didn't ... I didn't do it. I tried to save him, but ..." She choked back a sob, her hands trembling as she stood abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. "I need to go."
Enzo shot up after her, his hand reaching out to catch her wrist. "Do you want me to come with you, baby?"
Esmie shook her head, "I just ... I need to be alone right now." She pulled her hand away, her movements shaky. Without another glance, she turned and hurried out of the Great Hall.
Danielle exchanged a worried glance with Enzo, who looked torn between running after Esmie and staying to process what had just happened. "Go after her," Danielle urged softly. "She shouldn't be alone right now."
Enzo nodded, but before he could follow, Danielle added, "And be careful. She's going to need you more than ever, Enzo. This ... this isn't going to go away easily."
