Closed A call for redemption pv

Present in the hallway was that same cold-looking girl, her heavy scarf draped loosely over her shoulders. Lexi stood off to the side, away from the bustling crowds and near the windows, absently thumbing one end of her wand. It looked slightly worn from all the fidgeting she had been exposing it to with the sharp edge of her fingernail. Her mind was elsewhere at the moment; she stared past the glass to the students outside-- the ones returning home from their breaks with giddy expressions and stories to tell to others of their amazing holidays. Her stomach panged with a mixture of sadness and jealousy. Unlike them, Lexi hadn’t had the holiday she was used to nor hoping for.

"Gahh! Focus, Lexi!" she lightly reprimanded herself. She clapped her hands lightly against her cheeks, furrowing her brow as she straightened her posture. There was no point in just standing there wallowing in self-pity—she had plenty of studying to catch up on! And besides, there's always summer to look forward to. Not only would she get to see her parents this time, but her sister too! Until then, she would just need to do what she did best and focus on school.

As she turned to head toward the library for her next round of studying, a distant quick movement caught her eye. A small, runaway crup had darted through the corridor, weaving between and around other students' legs with a leash and sprinting owner trailing behind it. As they continued their approach, the figure's face became clear.

Oh no.

Her stomach dropped. Just her luck—it was that girl from the cafeteria. She spun on her heel with a stifled panic, stashing away her wand into her cloak and quickening her pace in the opposite direction. Silently she prayed to avoid yet another confrontation with the Hufflepuff-- the last thing she needed was to lose her cool like that again embarassingly. The wounds from the last one still stung, though admittedly it had dulled significantly over break. Lexi was never the type to hold a grudge, but something about that interaction had left a certain impression. Maybe it was the timing—how vulnerable she’d felt in that moment—that made it so hard to shake.

Before she could escape into the crowd, she heard that somewhat familiar voice call out to her with a shaky question. Oh great. Lexi came to a stop with somewhat tense shoulders, glancing over them to look at the girl. She had made sure her face was now deceptively calmer, though she could feel her hands shaking in a cruel attempt to betray her.

"Oh. You." muttered Lexi. Pulling her scarf higher, she hid the lower half of her face, leaving only her icy eyes and the bridge of her nose visible. It made her feel a bit more secure as she turned her body fully toward the other student with hands tucked into her robe pockets. "I- I suppose."