Chapter 129

Tallulah moved slowly, her eyes scanning the hallway quickly as she kept her head down, her books clutched in her hands and her heart frantically racing at the letter clutched in her hand from her family.

The tears welling in her arms where begging to spill but she simply couldn't let them, she felt her heart tight in her chest, nausea swimming in her stomach as she pushed past students in the hallways, laughs filling her ear like a melody she hadn't heard in a while.

Happiness, the word, the feeling, the emotion, all of which foreign to her, it seemed as though a frown was a permanent feature on her face, which wasn't all that surprising.

A few years back did she lose the one thing important to her, her best friend, who seemed to have made some new friends by the looks of it, forgetting her, the sight of her, the memory of her wiped from his head, and here she was, left on her own with a letter filled with so control over the young girl's life that it sent fear to engulf her.

Her eyes caught sight of an all too familiar boy walking down the hallway, and soon did she push herself out of view, watching from the side as he laughed, shaking his head at something Adria Hopkins said, as her hand clutched onto Sirius Black's beside her, her head throwing back at something amusing between the three of them, well actually, between the seven of them, they were joined with Remus Lupin, Blair Conway, Isaac Hall and Arden Nelson, all of who seemed to be popular in Hogwarts.

Tallulah had heard of them, she knew them, everyone did, it was hard not to when rumours flied around her all the time of them, of things that had happened between them. Some of them, Tallulah had only heard of recently, like Blair, Isaac, and Arden, but she felt as though she could go and have a conversation with them right now, according to rumours.

Adria Hopkins was a kind girl in Tallulah's eyes, remembering faintly when she watched her direct a large group of first years to their classes with a smile still on her face, even though she was quite clearly irritated. She seemed to smile always, and occasionally, when the two passed each other, without ever uttering a single word, did Adria smile at Tallulah, even before she had become friends with Gulliver.

Another name she had heard recently.

It seemed as though if you became friends with Adria Hopkins you were bound to be known, the famous 'Marauders' as they so willingly called themselves had a reputation of popularity at Hogwarts, as did Adria and many of her friends, so it was bound that becoming friends with Adria - like so many people wanted - would get you popularity instantly.

Tallulah wondered what it was like to have friends, she had one, of course, but that was then, way back a few years ago, before her family found out and ruined all of the happiness she once felt, draining her.

The letter in her hand caught her attention, she sensed it, she knew the letter wasn't going to be a friend, how is Hogwarts this year? Letter, but rather something much more dark, much more twisted that reflected the cruel world on a brink of war unknown to many.

The dark lord was growing in power, in strength, using fear as a tactic to kill, and kill he did, muggleborn's, their families, viciously, in cold blood, he was a terrifying being, and Tallulah knew that with every Christmas she spent with her family, ranting and raving about this man who would clear the wizarding world of dirty blood.

Gulliver was a muggleborn, a kind soul, a shining light, the one that made Tallulah realise that muggleborn's where not dirty blood, they were people, wizards, witches, with the same powers that purebloods possessed, and prejudices ran high in her household at all times, and whilst it was hard, she never let it get to her.

That didn't help the fear though, that managed to creep up her spine, tear down the wall she built and enter into her, bubbling in her stomach furiously, hammering her heart against her chest, creeping up her spine, engulfing her with vicious thoughts of what her family could do, would do, if she didn't uphold their reputation.

They didn't need a Sirius Black in their family, words spoken by her mother, disgust taking over her features at the thought of the blood traitor that abandoned the Black family.

The bathroom on the second floor, excluding the whining of Myrtle was a relaxing place for Tallulah to go, or rather, an isolated place for Tallulah to go, as she headed for the window, propping up against the wall, the tears in her eyes finally spilling as she let the letter rest on her legs, the books previously against her chest now beside her on the floor.

"Tallulah," Myrtle giggled, "what an odd name!"

The ghost hovered over her, watching the Slytherin wipe her eyes, turning to Myrtle with a look that told her to leave her alone, "Myrtle, go, please."

"Oh no, I can't!" Myrtle gasped, furiously shaking her head, "now where would I go, if I left?!"

"Maybe another bathroom?" Tallulah suggested, and under her breath did she speak, "far away from me."

"Well that isn't very nice, Tallulah," Myrtle pouted, letting a few sobs escape her lips until she lived up to her name, slamming the door of her cubicle behind her and allowing Tallulah some peace as she wailed.

Tallulah,

Summer is coming soon, and exciting days are ahead for our family, finally, we will be able to fulfil our lords wishes. When you return home, our skin will be inked with the honour of our lord, bowing at his feet with our services, we trust you are just as excited to get rid of the dirty bloods as we are.

The wizarding world will be clean, rid of all impurities that will soon lay to rest at the hands of our saviour, your exams are important, but we are sure fighting for what is greater in our world is a much greater importance in your young life.

You are our future, Tallulah, you will give our lord strength and power to take down the mudbloods, we believe in you, those disgusting things won't last, and we will be powerful.

Love,

Dad.

Tallulah let a sob escape her lips as she ripped up the letter, shaking her head furiously as she allowed the parchment to fall to the floor, wiping at the tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't want to be inked with a mark permanent to give a man with terrifying causes control of her, she didn't want to rid the wizarding world of innocent people.

Her family terrified her, the dark lord terrified her, but she needed help, she couldn't go back there, she couldn't allow herself to step foot into her parents' house once again if it meant giving in to a cause more powerful than she was alone.

"Hello?" a voice called from the door after what seemed like forever of Tallulah alone, crying in the corner, and a wailing Myrtle in her cubicle, "I swear I'm having déjà vu."

Tallulah blinked her tears away, wiping the sensitive skin on her red cheeks and turning to look at the entrance of the bathroom, seeing the familiar, popular girl known as Adria Hopkins standing there, worry clearly evident on her features as she took in the sight of Tallulah.

"Oh wow, are you okay?" she asked, rushing forward and sliding down the wall opposite of Tallulah who frowned as Adria rummaged through her bag, pulling out what she was looking for which happened to be fudge flies, and soon did she hand the bag to Tallulah, "they make me feel better."

"How did you know I was in here?" asked Tallulah quietly, a small smile on her lips as she gripped the bag in her hand, reaching for one of the fudge flies at the top of the bags.

"You have a different sort of cry from Myrtle," Adria chuckled, "I like to wander, I guess, around the halls of the castle, and I heard you, I'm a little nosy at the best of times."

"Why didn't you just ignore me?"

"Why would I, you're clearly upset," Adria frowned, "and this may sound shocking but I met one of my best friends in this very same spot when I found her crying, so maybe it's my thing?"

"Maybe," Tallulah nodded, biting her lip at the girl who was rather cheery, "You know Gulliver Moore, don't you?"

"I do," Adria nodded, "only recently, though."

"How did you become friends?" asked Tallulah. Adria couldn't help but notice how quiet Tallulah was, she knew her name from Gully, and tried to pry as much information out of the boy of his forbidden friendship with the girl, but he seemed dead set on keeping most of the information to himself.

"Well, I used to get bullied a little back in fifth year, after uh, my mum died," Adria shrugged, sighing slightly, "and back in march I saw Gully getting bullied by the same girls, so I stepped in, and now I just can't get rid of him," she smiled softly, slightly teasing and watching Tallulah's small smile widen ever so slightly.

"H-how is he doing?" she asked, her hands clasped in front of her and ignoring the tears still streaming down her face.

"Well he misses you," Adria spoke, watching Tallulah's eyes snap up to her, slightly wider than before, "oh please, I know that you where his best friend, and he really does miss you, I've told him plenty of times just to talk to you, but he thinks you hate him."

Tallulah's shoulders slumped, a sigh escaping her lips as her eyes trailed to the ripped-up parchment scattering the floor, and finally, her voice still a whisper did she speak, "I could never."

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Adria asked quietly, "why you were crying, I mean, Lia- my best friend who I met in here, I wouldn't let her leave until she told me what was wrong, she's a Slytherin too, actually, just a year younger, maybe it's a Slytherin thing to cry in the bathroom, I'm not sure, I mean I used to do it, so who knows."

"You talk a lot," Tallulah noted, watching as the smile on Adria's lips nodded.

"I've noticed that, actually, I suppose I'm making up for three years on my own," she shrugged, "boring, really."

"You're also nothing like I thought you would be," Tallulah chuckled softly, shaking her head slightly and watching Adria's eyebrows furrow, "y'know, popular girl, I thought you would be quite mean, actually."

"Mean?!" Adria squeaked, shaking her head furiously, "I bloody hope not, my mum would rise from her grave if I was ever mean, I suppose that wouldn't be a bad thing though."

"How did she die?" Tallulah asked, her eyes widening as she realised how forward the question with, and before she could fix her mistake did Adria talk.

"Giving birth," Adria spoke, evident bitterness lacing her tone, "ironic, really, dying as she brings someone else into the world."

"What was she like?"

"Amazing," Adria chuckled, "everyone loved her, whether you knew her for an hour, or for years, you couldn't help but love her, it was devastating, I miss her every day, but enough about mum, why where you crying?"

It took a while, but through the fresh tears streaming down her face was Tallulah able to tell Adria why she was crying, about her family, her 'duties' as a pureblood child, how she would rather die than serve someone so evil.

She didn't really understand why she told the stranger, or near stranger why she was crying, why she told her everything, but it was odd, she felt as though she could trust her, she was nice, a lot like her mother in the way she described her, and when she pushed herself forward, throwing her arms around Tallulah in a tight hug, Tallulah couldn't help but hug her back.

"You don't need to back to that house, not if I have anything to do with it," Adria grumbled, shaking her head at the thought of a pureblood family similar to Sirius', it truly was horrible, revolting, disgusting, she could go on.

"You barely even know me," Tallulah laughed softly, pulling away from their embrace and watching as Adria nodded.

"I know, but you're my friend now," she shrugged, "and no one, and I mean no one should ever have to go through something like that, forced to go through something like that, to inflict violence that they didn't want to, it's terrifying, and in any way that I can help, I wouldn't hesitate."

Tallulah sighed, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulder in the bathroom where Myrtle was heard still crying faintly from her cubicle and a kind smile from Adria was seen in front of her, and for the first time in a long time did she feel as though her fear had been lifted, as though the words from the girl where the honest truth and she could trust her with her life, even though she barely knew her.

It was odd how that worked.

And finally, did a small smile, of which was filled with relief capture Tallulah's lips, and clasping her hands together did she speak, "no wonder Gully is friends with you."

That was the first time in a long time did the nickname of the boy escape her lips.

[A/N lowkey want to make a book about Gully because I love him sm

I really like Tallulah, idk why like i really like writing her lmao, also her character Polaroid is upppppppp

Still me at comments lmao

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