Chapter 63

[A/N there is a part of this chapter that I think is very important, not for the book but I just feel like people need to hear it/read it whether they know it or not :))))]

"Lia, come on!" Adria laughed, pulling on the girls wrist with Alina in two, they were on their way to the Gryffindor common room from the great hall where they previously ate breakfast the day after Adria's 'court case' with her friends.

"I don't know, Ads," she spoke warily, turning to look at Alina who gave her a bright smile for some reassurance. Alina moved beside Lia, her hand on the girls shoulder and her other taking her hand comfortingly.

"Come on Lili, we are here too!" Alina grinned, giving Lia's hand a squeeze, "You know that Sirius is great, and so are the others, and they will love you. They apologised to Adria for judging you, and feel guilty for feeling wairy, so now you have to be the one to give them a chance."

"What if they kick me out of the Gryffindor tower?" asked Lia, thinking of the countless things that would never possibly happen.

"Do you really think I'd let that happen?" Adria scoffed, standing in front of Alina and Lia, with her eyes lingering on their intertwined hands until she raised her eyes to Lia's face, "now come on, they'll love you!" Adria exclaimed, clapping excitedly before turning and rushing down the hall, making the two falling behind speed up their pace.

"Jeez, Ads," Lia panted as they reached the stairs trailing up to the tower, leaning on the wall whilst Alina leaned on her.

"I'm just excited, now come on!" Adria beamed, pulling at both of their hands and leading them up the stairs. She recited the password once she got to the portrait of the fat lady, and the picture swung open to reveal the entrance to the tower.

Adria stepped in first with the two Slytherin's following her lead, and with a wide grin she lead them to her friends who were waiting for them over at the couches adorned with red and gold.

"Friends," Adria grinned, taking a step to the side to show Lia, "this right here is Lia!"

"Well, Ophelia, originally, b-but my parents called me that so I'm not really that keen on it," Lia stuttered, showing a much less intimidating side to herself in front of the eight people that Adria called her friends.

"I'm Marlene!" the blonde stood up, beaming happily at Lia, and making her way towards her with. She pulled the blue haired girl into a hug, and one by one did the girls follow Marlene's lead.

"I'm Dorcas," the brunette smiled, hugging Lia happily before stepping beside Marlene and letting Mary stepped forward.

"Mary MacDonald!" the girl grinned excitedly, throwing her arms around Lia as she stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do as one by one they all hugged her.

"I'm Lily," the redhead beamed, "and I'm also sorry for judging you, none of us should've done that without knowing you, and the fact that we listened to rumours over Adria's word wasn't cool, so on behalf of all of us, and even Potter," she scowled, rolling her eyes, "we're sorry."

Lia smiled widely, nodding her head furiously, "don't worry about it, I'm used to it-" she stopped herself, wide eyed when she realised that came out a little rudely, "I didn't mean that to sound like that - I-I just meant, well, I don't really have any friends because of rumours and all."

Adria noticed Lily's smile falter at Lia's words, she had heard Adria go on about Lia having no friends but she wouldn't think that Lia would admit it, so with a sigh leaving her lips, she threw her arms around Lia in a tight embrace, a frown fully making it's way onto her lips as she realised that Adria done the right thing to befriend her, as would she.

"Hey stop hogging her, Evans!" James hollered, standing up with the boys and making their way over to Lia as Lily finally let go, sending a scowl in James' direction and one last smile in Lia's.

"I'm James!" the boy grinned, his glasses almost falling off of his face as he stood in front of Lia making no attempt to move, and Lia wondered if the boys didn't like her as much as the girls did.

"Remus!" the tallest beamed, waving enthusiastically from his place next to James.

"And I'm Peter!" the smallest of the three grinned, and sharing one quick look at each other, the three boys moved forward and engulfed Lia in a group hug.

"They planned that, didn't they?" Adria scoffed, turning to Sirius who had moved to stand next to her, his arm automatically draping around her shoulder by habit.

"Of course, they did," Sirius chuckled, rolling his eyes and pulling Adria closer to him, pressing a kiss to her head, "I think Lia will fit in well with us."

"Me too," Adria smiled widely, her eyes trailing to Alina who looked as happy as ever to see Lia happy.

"So, where do you live, Lia, outside of Hogwarts?" asked Dorcas, taking a seat with the others and guiding Lia to the arm chair which she sat on with Alina.

"Well I live in Manchester with my family," she scowled, rolling her eyes.

"Bad family?" asked James, his eyebrow raised, "sounds like Sirius."

"Very true," Sirius scoffed, his arms clasped around Adria's waist who sat on his lap, "what are they like?"

"Idiots," Alina growled, already informed about Lia's family and what they were like, she couldn't say she was all that fond of them, for the fact that Lia was one of her best friends now, and also seeing as they wouldn't be so fond of her if they were ever to cross paths.

"Wow, Lia, your voice just changed drastically!" James joked, earning a cushion to the head from Alina who stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm serious though - don't you dare," she warned, her finger at Sirius whose lips parted, "they are terrible, and I've already sent a letter to my parents to ask Lia to come stay with us, that's just how bad they are!" Alina exclaimed, her arms flailing everywhere, as Adria's eyes snapped up from where she absentmindedly stared at Sirius to her sister at the news.

"You did?" Lia gasped, turning to look at Alina beside her who nodded.

"Of course, I did, it just seemed obvious, and they were completely fine with Sirius staying with us, and seeing as you are friends with me and Adria I thought it'd be completely fine," Alina shrugged, "and it is, I got a letter back this morning."

"Really?" Adria squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly, "that's great, this'll be so fun!"

"I don't know," Lia trailed off, resulting in two pouting sisters, "I just- what if your parents don't like me, or they think it's weird that I like girls." The seven who didn't know of Lia's sexuality seemed to have a moment of realisation of why Lia's parents weren't so fond of her, and they all found themselves hating her parents just as much as Adria and Alina did, as well, of course, Lia.

"Well I can say confidently that they would never think that," Adria laughed softly, "and they want Sirius to come stay, so don't worry about it."

-

"Why did you change your hair back to brown?" asked Alina as she sat atop of Adria's bed in front of her older sister whose wand was by her side as she brushed through Alina's hair which was getting much longer.

"Well, because now Lia has eight new friends, and I think to start with, that's enough people who know that she is a good person, don't you think?" Adria spoke softly, trailing her hands through the softness of Alina's currently turquoise hair, "do you want me to change your hair back?"

"No," Alina trailed off, shaking her head gently so that Adria wouldn't tangle it with the brush, "but would you change the colour?"

"Of course," Adria giggled, "what would you like? Hairdresser Adria to the rescue!" the older of the two continued to laugh, and a moment later did Alina join in.

"Well, I'd like lilac," Alina shrugged, and silently, Adria picked up her wand, muttering the small incantation that she had used on both her and Alina, and soon did the turquoise slip from Alina's hair to be replaced with the pastel purple that now decorated Alina's hair.

"Beautiful," Adria smiled softly, patting Alina's head and going to pick up the hairbrush again, running it through Alina's hair once again, "so why are you keeping your hair dyed, your brown hair was lovely. Don't get me wrong, you definitely suit the lilac."

Alina was silent for a few minutes, and Adria wondered if she was ignoring her but soon after Adria's thoughts did Alina's shoulders slump, a shaky breath falling from her lips as she turned around to look at Adria. Adria continued to brush the side of Alina's hair, her eyebrow raised as she watched her younger sister.

"I'm keeping my hair like this," Alina breathed out, closing her eyes as she quickly muttered, "because I don't want to look like you."

Adria stopped brushing the newly coloured hair, slightly taken aback by Alina's answer, and the frown on her lips clearly showing that she was hurt by Alina's words no matter how much she tried her best to hide it, "why?"

"W-well, b-because y-your you, Ads, and I don't understand how you don't realise just how known you are. Everyone just knows you, and wants to be you, and three people have came up to me saying, oh I wish I was her sister too, and that's all I'll ever be, is just your little sister, the first year with two friends, so why should I look like you, the way everyone says I do, when I don't even live up to the standards that you set. I can barely pass any of my classes, and I barely live up to my own standards nevermind yours!" the younger girl exclaimed, trying to hide the tears that welled in her eyes.

Adria felt her heart break as she reached for Alina's hand, taking a deep breath, she squeezed the girls hand comfortingly, "y'know until I got to third year, I was terrible at magic," Adria chuckled, shrugging slightly, "and then I just had to try harder, I worked my ass off!"

Adria noticed the small smile forcing through the frown on Alina's lips, "and I finally passed my classes with a little more ease than before, when I first met Lily she had to help me with all of my homework and I still wonder how I even possibly got by each class without her there, and you know what, I will always, no matter what be here to help you, but I know that you can do it. You are only in first year, and not everyone in first year is going to know what to do, Alina, all you can do is your best.

You are not just my little sister, you are Alina Faith Hopkins, the most beautiful first year in this whole castle, not just on the outside but on the inside too. I don't want you to look like me, or try and be like me, and you know what, I'm happy you don't want to be because you are so much better than me-"

"That's not true-"

"It is," Adria whispered, cutting Alina off after she done the same with Adria, "you don't need to be me, you don't need to be anyone Alina, because you are you, and you are the best version of you, the eleven year old girl, the first year that I love with all of my heart, who Lia loves, and Eliot, and mum and dad, we all love you so much, as well as Benji and Alfie, hell even my friends love you as Alina, because that's who you are, and this castle just needs to get to know you before they realise that they have a star in this castle shining happiness everywhere, and my god, Alina, you don't realise just how happy students in this school would be if they had the chance to call you their friend."