She never forgets... PV Yexian Wei

The sun had barely risen, but the corridors of Hogwarts already echoed with whispers and the faint scuffling of shoes. Isabella Bernard tightened her scarf as she walked toward the courtyard, her bag slung over one shoulder, weighed down by books she didn’t really need. She could have gone straight to the library, like she usually did, but something pulled her toward the morning chill. Maybe the silence, or maybe just the hope that today wouldn’t feel so... forgettable.

Isabella wasn’t invisible exactly. People knew her name, answered when she raised her hand, smiled politely in the halls. But most people didn’t see her. Not really. And maybe that was fine. It was easier, sometimes, to keep her thoughts to herself. The ones about spells gone wrong, letters never answered, and people who left too soon.

As she headed to her usual spot. A bench in one of the secluded corners of the courtyard. Only to find a girl already sitting there, also wrapped in a Gryffindor scarf like her. Isabella recognized her from Charms and the common room. She recognized her as the girl who was usually quiet and stuck to herself. She noticed and made a mental note earlier because she wanted to approach her but didn't. Isabella was the type of person who could talk with people for hours but with two conditions. She must know them and have something in similar so she start and keep the conversation going. She didn't know this girl just yet...

Isabella sat down on the bench but maintained a respectful distance. The girl didn’t say anything, and neither did Isabella. But somehow, the silence felt shared, not awkward. The kind of quiet that didn’t need to be broken. Morning light spilled into the courtyard, soft and golden, brushing against stone and scarf and sleeve.

Isabella finally let herself breathe. Maybe she didn’t have to be alone with her thoughts every morning. Maybe, just maybe, someone else understood. And if this moment faded like so many others. Well, she would still remember it. Because Isabella Bernard never forgets the quiet kindnesses, the almost-connections, and the way something new can begin without a single word.