Chapter Text
No more Hogwarts, fucking finally! The Hogwarts Express let out it’s steam with the familiar choo-choo sound and Merula breathed a sigh of relief when it left the station. Time for the easy part of life. Those seven years had been challenging to say the least. Even though she was the Most Powerful Witch and could obviously handle anything, she was more than glad to put an end to this chapter of her life.
No more R, dangerous family members, deadly teachers, useless headmasters and best of all: no more secrets and lies. After a much-needed break she would show the wizarding world how fucking powerful she really was. No one would ever dare to mess with her again. She’d get to create her own life, make her own name.
‘I am never coming back here.’
Merula looked away from the window to Ismelda. Ismelda leaned against Ben Copper, her boyfriend of four months. On her other side sat Beatrice, a fourteen-year-old girl who had been following Ismelda around like a cruppy for the past two years. They shared a compartment for six and the three of them occupied the seats across from Merula. Her trunk occupied the seats next to her.
Beatrice made a face at Ismelda’s words. ‘I’m so jealous. I wish I could leave this wretched school. I can’t believe my parents are still forcing me back here after all that happened. I’ll forever be the girl who got stuck in a portrait.’
Not this conversation again. Merula stifled a groan, rummaged through her trunk until she found one of the books she was currently reading and lost herself in it.
‘Ben there you are!’
A high pitch voice sounded out and Merula didn’t need to look up to know who it belonged to: Beatrice’s older sister, Penny Haywood. Much to Merula’s displeasure Haywood moved her trunk so she could sit on her side, though she did sit at the opposite end. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her pale cheeks flushed as if she’d been crying, which she probably had. Haywood had been crying a lot these past days.
‘I’ve been looking all over the train for you. I still can’t believe you’re leaving tomorrow.’
‘Don’t worry, I would’ve come over to say goodbye.’ Copper reassured her.
‘It feels like everyone is leaving,’ Haywood sighed. ‘You to America, Charlie to Romania, Diego and Orion will be traveling and Quinn’s going on a retreat. Everything’s changing so fast. It feels like we were first-years yesterday and now we have to start looking for jobs.’ She paused and looked at Merula. ‘You know, I still don’t know what you’re going to do. I asked Quinn but she didn’t know either.’
‘Why would Lee know what I would be doing?’
‘Because you’re dating? I mean you’ve been together at every ball since fourth year.’
Merula’s face flushed and she gritted her teeth. ‘So? We like to dance together, that doesn’t mean shit.’
Haywood pursed her lips and the others shared looks of annoyed disbelief. Merula bit back a snide remark. Whatever she and Quinn did was no one’s business.
‘Alright, so what are you going to do?’
Since Haywood didn’t press, Merula let up a bit and smirked. ‘I don’t know yet. I have a lot of options, everyone wants the Most Powerful Witch to work for them.’
Enough options at least to ensure the Most Powerful Witch would find a job worthy of her name and having everything else that came with it be forgotten.
‘Really? That’s great! Is curse-breaking one of them?’
‘Fuck no, I’ve been curse-breaking for seven years, I’ve seen enough.’
‘I understand.’ Haywood gave her a sympathetic look, which made Merula want to push her off her seat. ‘What about you Ismelda?’
‘None of your business, Haywood.’ Ismelda rolled her eyes, though only one was visible behind her black hair.
‘Oh, right.’ Haywood rubbed her hands on her legs. An awkward silence fell over the compartment.
‘How about we go to the others?’ Copper suggested. When Haywood nodded, he got up and looked at Ismelda. ‘See you later.’
‘Yes, later.’ Ismelda’s lips curved a bit when she looked at him.
Beatrice looked at Ismelda and Merula. Ismelda gave her a shrug and Merula raised an eyebrow at her. Couldn’t the child think for herself? Luckily, she got up and trailed after Haywood and Copper. Merula turned her attention back to her book, but she had barely started a sentence when Ismelda made her look up again.
‘I thought you were done with lying?’
‘I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘You and Lee. Everyone knows you’re dating.’
That again. She snapped her book shut. ‘What’s it to you what Lee and I are or aren’t doing together? At least I’m not running off to America with her after only four months of dating!’
‘Four and a half! And I’m not following him.’ Ismelda hissed. ‘But you’re right, I should just let you simmer in whatever mess you created.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?!’
‘Your girlfriend has some serious issues. If she had half a braincell she would’ve dumped you with all the lying. For fucks sake, you even kidnapped her!’
‘Only because I had to. She wouldn’t stop prying. I told her not to. I tried to protect her, but she never listens!’ Merula sighed. ‘I wanted to sort things out, make them right before it got worse.’
‘I know.’ Ismelda’s face softened a bit.
A silence fell between them and Merula fidgeted with her book. Sure she and Quinn had some issues, but that made sense right? With Quinn’s desperate need to find her brother in the Cursed Vaults Merula’s need to find power in those same vaults. Add on R and their need to get into the vaults… Yeah, nothing about their time at Hogwarts had been normal.
And, well, part of it was her fault, she should’ve never let her aunt manipulate her into joining R. She hurt her friends, kidnapped Quinn and lied to everyone. At the time she thought working with her aunt would make things better, would enable her to protect herself and others. She had never been more wrong. All her aunt wanted was to use her and when she realised this, she stood up against her. With her help her aunt was captured and would now spend the rest of her life in Azkaban. If you asked her that had to count for something, but she knew not everyone agreed. Quite a few of Quinn’s friends hated her for what she’d done and some had even tried to convince Quinn to stop talking to her. Without success of course, because their bond was that strong.
Or because Ismelda is right.
No. Couldn’t be that. Ismelda still talked to her too, even though she got attacked by a Wampus cat Merula had set loose.
‘I lied to you too and got you in the hospital wing. What does that say about us?’
‘That both of us have issues, but I’m not denying it.’ Ismelda smirked. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t either.’
Merula let out what she hoped sounded like a chuckle, but felt more like a bitter laugh. Thankfully Ismelda changed the subject by showing her a book Copper had given her before getting on the train: A comprehensive guide to the rarest museum artefacts in the United States.
They got interrupted when the Trolley Witch came by to offer them some sweets. Merula got herself a cauldron cake and had half a mind to get an acid pop, except Ismelda knew she didn’t like them and who did. Since she knew getting one would get her into a discussion again, she didn’t. She could get Quinn all the acid pops she wanted later.
After the Trolley Witch left she and Ismelda talked about future plans until Beatrice returned and the three of them played a few games of Exploding Snap. When the train arrived in London, they waited for others to get off first. Neither of them liked crowds. Beatrice’s expression turned sour when she watched their schoolmates walk together on the platform. Merula felt a wave of compassion when she looked at her. The poor girl had been through a lot and couldn’t connect to her peers because of it. Now she’d have to face it all on her own. Merula nudged her with her foot.
‘Owl me whenever you get sick of those numbskulls. We can meet up in Hogsmeade if you like.’
Beatrice’s face brightened and she nodded.
The three of them got out when the platform was empty again and made their way to the front gate, where the guard regulated the exists. Haywood stood near the guard, talking to a tall redhead who Merula pointedly didn’t look at, and waved at Beatrice. Her eyes were redder and puffier than before. Beatrice looked at Merula and Ismelda and said a quick goodbye. She made a move to leave, but Ismelda caught her in a hug and whispered something. Beatrice smiled when she let go.
Merula looked at Ismelda in surprise. Her expression was as stone-faced as ever, but her eyes were a tad shinier than usual. ‘You’re really going to miss her.’
‘Maybe a little.’ Ismelda shrugged. ‘Anyway, I’ll owl you when I’ve settled a bit.’
‘I’ll come visit when I can.’
‘Good.’
A crack sounded over the platform when Ismelda disapparated and Merula’s stomach squeezed. Ismelda was the only person who had stood by her from the start and now she would be in the US for the foreseeable future. Which left her with only one person to talk to, so as long as things would stay good between them. Which they would. Because she’d get a job, be recognized for her powers and all would be well.
‘A longsleeve and a leather jacket? You must be freezing in this sunny weather!’
Her stomach did a whole other squeeze when she heard the lively voice. Quinn had come up next to her, wearing a yellow cropped top and red shorts. Her curls fell over her shoulders from a high ponytail. So maybe Merula did dress a little warm for the weather, but she liked being warm. Quinn held out her arm with a grin.
‘Ready for the retreat?’
Instead of hooking their arms together, Merula had a look around the platform. When she confirmed they were the only ones left, she wrapped her arms around Quinn and rested her head against her collarbone. Without a word Quinn returned the hug. They stood in silence for a good few moments before Merula unwrapped one arm to get her trunk.
‘Now I’m ready.’
After making sure Quinn had her trunk, Merula apparated both of them away. Her feet were not even a second on the ground when Quinn scooped her up and carried her towards the front door. Merula yelped, which made Quinn laugh. She pressed closer against her, looking over her shoulder to make sure the trunks followed them. Quinn carried her all the way through the living room into the large overgrown back garden. She gently lowered Merula into the grass and laid down beside her. Her breath tingled against Merula’s lips when she spoke.
‘I’m so happy it’s going to be just us for the next four weeks.’
‘Unless I get tired of you before that.’
‘Of course,’ Quinn chuckled. ‘I’m just glad to leave Hogwarts behind. Now that everything’s over we can finally lead some normal lives.’
‘It better not be boring though.’
‘Life with you could never be boring.’
Her jaw clenched. No, boring wasn’t a word anyone would use for their time together.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Rula…’ Her voice sounded soft and pleading.
Internally Merula cursed herself for even listening to Ismelda. ‘It’s nothing. Just, Ismelda says you’re only with me because you’ve got serious issues.’
‘Oh.’ Quinn furrowed her brow. ‘Andre said something like that too, about me having issues.’
She fell silent and Merula plucked at the grass between them, fighting the urge to apologize again. If Quinn didn’t still have that faraway thinking look of hers, she would’ve. She kept plucking at the grass until Quinn spoke again.
‘I suppose I get why they would say that. You hurt me, a lot. But the thing is, you make me happy. Very happy. Our dates were one of the few things I could look forward too, especially after Rowan died. You’re so sweet and caring and you’re the best at planning dates. You challenge me. You never act like I’m some hero, but you still make me feel special and loved. So I don’t care if I’m mad for staying with you. I love you and I don’t want to lose you too. I’ve lost enough already.’
A mixture of emotions overwhelmed Merula, constricted her throat and she scooted closer to bury her head in Quinn’s neck. Quinn wrapped an arm around her and stroked her back.
Their dates had been an escape for her too. Whenever it was the two of them, they just laughed, teased each other, made out, talked about quidditch, school work or music. Anything but the Vaults, or R. When she looked up, Quinn had this sweet loving smile on her face. A warm feeling spread through her, pushing everything else aside. It didn’t matter why Quinn kept dating her, she never wanted this to end.
Her voice sounded hoarse from emotion. ‘I don’t want to lose you either. I care so much about you.’
She took a deep breath. ‘What do you think is going to happen to us now that we get to be normal adults?’
‘I say we’ll get married and have eight kids.’
By Salazar, she looked serious too. Merula raised her eyebrows, if she needed any more confirmation that her girlfriend was mad, this would certainly count. ‘Eight kids?! You better carry them because I won’t.’
‘So you agree?’ Quinn’s green eyes crinkled behind her glasses.
Despite herself Merula couldn’t help but smile back. ‘No!’
She pushed her shoulder, but Quinn was quick to grab her wrists and get on top of her. She tickled her until Merula had tears in her eyes from laughing. Only after Merula issued some proper threats did Quinn stop and ended it with a kiss. She tasted like acid pops. When they let go to catch their breath, Merula felt light and giggly. Everything would be so much better now.