Winter break had been awful for Yerin.

Yerin had spent the entire two weeks brooding. Even while she was surrounded by Christmas cheer, all Yerin could think about was the look of betrayal SinB had given her before storming out of the Headmistress’ office. Her parents had been worried about her, especially since Yerin usually loved the winter holidays, so they spent most of the break watching her cautiously and trying to get her into the holiday cheer. Meanwhile, her older brother merely observed her and told her one night that he was there to talk if she needed to.

Tempting as the offer had been, Yerin hadn’t known how to properly explain everything that had happened since SinB became her potions partner this year. She didn’t even really understand it herself. Rather than talking about it, Yerin shoved all her feelings down and tried to be happier for her family. She really had missed them.

It worked until school started again, and Yerin had walked into Potions to see SinB sitting at their table, reading from a book. Just like that, all of the emotions Yerin had worked so hard to bury over break came flooding back to her. It had taken all of Yerin’s strength to walk over to their table like nothing was wrong and take a seat next to SinB.

All throughout Potions, Yerin longed to talk to SinB and try to apologize, but she knew better than to try and confront her during class. She still remembered when she told SinB that she cared through some childish note and the way SinB had angrily crushed the slip of paper. Instead, Yerin settled for sneaking glances at SinB like the pathetic lovesick girl she is.

At that point, it was almost a relief when they were dismissed. Yerin didn’t bother to watch SinB quickly pack up and leave without so much as a glance to her. It hurt more than Yerin wanted to admit.

Yerin walked out of Potions, and Sowon soon fell into step with her, looking as tired and depressed as Yerin felt. When they’d arrived back at Hogwarts the night before, they’d both been too exhausted and not in the mood to talk. This atmosphere lasted all throughout this morning and even through Potions.

“Still not talking to you?” Yerin asked, deciding to break the silence between them.

Sowon didn’t need to ask who Yerin meant. They both knew who. “No,” Sowon shook her head. “You?”

“Not even a glance,” Yerin admitted bitterly.

Sowon smiled sympathetically and slung an arm around Yerin. “We messed up pretty bad, but there’s no sense in worrying over it now. What’s done is done.”

“Right,” Yerin said, making it clear she didn’t take Sowon’s words seriously in the least. Sowon wasn’t even following her own advice, the distressed furrow to her brows making it clear she still felt guilty. “Come on. If we keep walking this slow, we’ll be late for Herbology.”

Herbology was almost worse than Potions. While it was painful to have SinB just within reach but unable to talk to her, it was almost just as bad to not have her there at all. With SinB there, Yerin was at least able to reassure herself that maybe things weren’t completely broken between the two of them. Now, Yerin was stuck standing next to Sowon with temperamental plants that threatened to shoot sap at them at any given moment.

After Herbology, Yerin is ready to grab a quick bite before taking a nap before her next class. However, her plans are changed the moment she stepped out of the greenhouse to see SinB leaning up against a nearby tree. Yerin locked eyes with her immediately, trying to ignore the way her breath caught when she did.

“Want me to wait?” Sowon asked, and Yerin blinked in surprise, having not noticed her walk up next to her.

Yerin shook her head, replying, “No, it’s fine. I’ll see you in class if I miss lunch.”

Sowon looked reluctant to leave her alone with SinB, but after a brief moment of Sowon most likely searching her face for any signs of distress, Sowon left with a tense smile and an awkward wave. As Sowon walked away, Yerin made her way over to SinB.

SinB pushed herself off the tree when Yerin got close, hands tucked away in her robes. “Hey,” SinB said, casual like Yerin hadn’t broken both their hearts a few weeks ago. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Okay,” Yerin agreed, but when SinB opened to speak, Yerin cut her off by. “I’m sorry,” Yerin blurted out. Then as soon as she started talking, Yerin couldn’t stop her rambling apology. “I’m so sorry, SinB. I should’ve stopped Sowon the moment she accused you of paralyzing all the students. I know better than to think you’d ever do such a thing, but it was like I couldn’t move. I know it’s not an excuse, but I am so sorry. I don’t know if there’s a way I can regain your trust, but I’ll do whatever I can.”

When Yerin finished, she was slightly breathless and flushed.

“It’s fine,” was all SinB said with dark eyes and a brittle smile. “That isn’t what I wanted to talk about though.”

“Oh,” Yerin said, unsure of where they stood now.

“I just wanted to ask for you and Sowon to meet us in the library tonight after dinner,” SinB told her.

“That’s it?” Yerin asked, trying to keep the hurt and incredulity out of her voice.

SinB smiled awkwardly and nodded. She moved to leave, but Yerin grabbed her sleeve before she could. SinB turned to look at her in surprise.

“Can we talk?” Yerin asked, begged. “Please?”

Yerin watched SinB’s face scrunch up in hesitance before it smoothed out. SinB nodded slowly. Yerin sat down in the grass in the shade of the tree, and SinB followed slowly. After both were sitting, there was a tense silence where both weren’t sure of what to do.

After building up enough courage, Yerin said, “I do mean it. I’m sorry.”

“I know,” SinB replied shortly.

Yerin bit her lip before adding, “I’m sorry about your father too.” SinB immediately tensed, but Yerin went on, “No child should ever have to outlive either of their parents, but you did. It’s a terrible thing that happened, and I’m sorry that happened to you. You don’t deserve that, and you certainly didn’t deserve having to tell Sowon and myself about it the way you did.”

SinB didn’t say anything at first, and Yerin worried that she’d overstepped, but then SinB leaned back until she was laying in the grass. Yerin watched the way the sunlight dabbled across SinB’s face through the tree leaves.

“He was a good man,” SinB said finally, voice quiet. “Even after all this time, muggleborns are still discriminated against. Not blatantly, but in the little ways. My father had no problem calling out the magical community for their discrimination. While the younger generation appreciated him, the old blood families hated him. It got to the point where my father was well known in certain circles for his outspokenness. It was something I was proud of, to have him as my father, but then he started receiving death threats.”

Yerin reached out and held SinB’s hand before she could stop herself. She expected SinB to pull away, but she remained still.

“My mom begged him to stop,” SinB continued, even quieter than before. “He refused to though. He believed someone should stand up to purebloods working the government and he thought it should’ve been him. Then, the night before Halloween, my mom took my brother and I to visit some of her family. My father stayed behind to finish some paperwork. When we got back… I found him first. My mom went to the back to check on some plants, and my brother went straight to his room. I went to the living room to get a book I’d left there, and… He laid there with a knife in his stomach.”

SinB pulled away now, but Yerin made no move to stop her. SinB rolled onto her side, showing her back to Yerin so she could hide her face. “He’d been lying there for maybe ten minutes,” SinB whispered. “It had happened right before we got home. Next to him was a note that said ‘a muggle death for the muggleborn’. There had been an investigation, but they never could find the culprit. We always knew it was one of those pureblood politician bastards though.”

SinB rolled back over and gave a sad smile with tear-filled eyes. “I always wanted to tell people there was no way I could be a pureblood supremacist, but I knew I’d never be able to bring myself to say why.”

“I’m so sorry,” Yerin replied, horrified and unable to think of what else to say. “SinB, I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“It’s in the past,” SinB said as she stood up, but the crack in her voice said otherwise. She held out her hand and helped Yerin onto her feet. She smiled weakly and reassured her, “It happened a long time ago. So I’ll see you tonight?”

Yerin blinked at her dumbly, at the sudden transformation from devastated daughter to simple acquaintance. “Let me be your friend,” Yerin said without thinking. Given SinB’s wide-eyed look, she was just as surprised as Yerin was by the words.

“Friend?” SinB repeated carefully.

“It’s in the past,” Yerin said SinB’s own words from moments before. “Everything I believed about you before, it’s in the past. I want to be your friend, SinB.”

Something flashed across SinB’s face, but it was almost too quick for Yerin to see. If she didn’t know any better, she’d have thought it was disappointment.

“Sure,” SinB agreed easily, smiling slightly. “Friends.” Before Yerin could reply, SinB leaned in and kissed Yerin’s cheek softly. When she pulled back, SinB was smiling just a fraction wider. “I’ll see tonight, friend.”

Then SinB left Yerin feeling even more confused than before.