Chapter Seven: The World Outside Her Bubble

She was Aurora's cousin.

Cordelia didn't realize how she hadn't caught on with the shiny blonde strands and deep blue eyes. To make things worse it wasn't like Augusta had opted not to use her full name, Cordelia just hadn't processed the information until it was too late.

Out of their entire friend group, Aurora was the only one who had taken Cordelia's win to heart.

In a way, the brunette could understand her friend's predicament. With Aurora and her betrothed being the only ones who weren't selected for the Tournament, the blonde couldn't quite understand the hardships Cordelia had gone through to become the champion, and thus felt nothing but envy towards her polymathic friend.

Cordelia wasn't daft; she knew that even the most gifted wizard couldn't control another's emotions. It was human nature to hate the gifted, however, while most chose to thrive in their hatred and scheme from the shadows, there were a lucky few who would learn from the past.

Aurora, unfortunately, wasn't one of those people.

Her empathy for creatures and habit of blindly befriending others was testimony to the fact that the young Fawley heir favoured her heart over her head. Aurora's bubbly nature was something that kept the sixth year Slytherins going even during their darkest days, but the buoyant blonde wasn't a stranger to sorrow.

Most people outside of the pureblood community were unaware of the drift in the Fawleys and the boundaries drawn amongst the family. If it weren't for her father's position in the ministry, Cordelia too would have been unaware of Aurora's conflicts with her cousins.

For once, the Slytherin Queen found herself hoping that she was blissfully unaware.

That would have made things so much easier.

If for once, for just one brief moment, Cordelia was oblivious to the workings of the world she could have easily accepted Augusta's offer and spent the rest of the train ride with her new acquaintance. If Cordelia didn't know about Aurora's feelings towards her cousins and didn't care about her distant friend's opinion it would have been so much easier to befriend people her friend group would usually steer away from.

If Cordelia had just been more like Aurora and had the chance to reverse their roles for one brief moment, she wouldn't have to anxiously tug on her bottom lip in thought as she contemplated every possible outcome.

It was hard to think on an empty stomach and a headache pounding against her temples. Sure, Cordelia had faced worse than minor inconveniences, but that didn't stop her from opting for a cop-out faster than she could say Slytherin.

"Augusta?"

The name felt foreign on her tongue, and would certainly take some getting used to.

"Do you need something?"

"Oh-um, not exactly."

Cordelia couldn't recall the last time she had been so awkward yet casual while conversing with someone, but the protection of the Hogwarts Express's lavatory door and lack of prying eyes helped ease her nerves and made the confrontation easier.

"Aurora, your cousin, is a dear friend of mine. I hope you understand our encounter and future affiliations should not change that."

Silence reigned for a moment as the witches on either side of the door contemplated her words.

"Of course, my cousin's business has nothing to do with me so long as you choose not to bring it to the table."

Cordelia couldn't stop the small smile that spread across her face as she nodded at the door and gathered her belongings, swiftly exiting the lavatory in a significantly better state than before.

The walk towards Augusta Fawley's compartment remained relatively silent. Even if the duo had only just met, the silence wasn't the awkward kind and surprisingly helped ease Cordelia's nerves. As the two walked past the first coach, she couldn't help but be feel five years younger.

Currently, Cordelia was simply a teenage girl becoming acquainted with a polite classmate but in her mind's eye, the brunette was a solemn eleven-year-old with hair too long for her frame and eyes too bitter for her age following Druella's short frame towards the compartment full of pureblood witches awaiting their arrival.

When she was younger, Cordelia wouldn't have thought twice about mingling with others so long as they were purebloods, but a lot of things had changed since then, and she couldn't help but second guess herself with every step.

"Here we are."

Augusta pulled the wooden door open without a beat of hesitation, choosing to ignore Cordelia's annoyed sigh in favour of focusing on the witch before her.

Augusta's friend was a Hufflepuff witch.

A Hufflepuff witch wearing pants.

Cordelia could feel every rational thought leave her mind as she gawked at the witch comfortably nestled between the window and a slumbering wizard.

"How were you not reprimanded for those?"

Her question made the bespectacled Hufflepuff let out a soft snort as Augusta pulled Cordelia towards the vacant seats across the quizzical witch.

"How in Merlin's name did you convince Cordelia Black of all people to join us?"

Cordelia couldn't help but feel flattered at the way the Hufflepuff witch said her name. Something about her status as the new Triwizard Champion finally being acknowledged by another, even if it was a stranger, made the brunette's smile widen into a comfortable grin.

Thankfully, Augusta chose not to disclose Cordelia emotional turmoil and opted for a vague answer that had her friend pouting in annoyance.

"Olivia Abbott, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise."

Olivia was a peculiar witch, to say the least.

The blonde referred to herself as a 'feminine activist', a term that the intellectual Slytherin Queen had never heard of. It took some getting used to, but eventually, Cordelia came to understand the Abbott heir's beliefs and even agreed with them.

It was weird to discuss politics with another female. Witches from pureblood communities sparsely had the stomach to argue about the ministry's affiliations and actions and would often dismiss any mention of politics that wasn't paired with scandalous gossip.

Over the years, Cordelia had gotten accustomed to the ways of a pureblood woman, but Olivia broke down everything they had been taught as young witches and introduced Cordelia to a book of possibilities.

"Women aren't lesser than men, Lia, you most certainly proved that!"

The statement made Cordelia quirk an eyebrow in perplexment as she cocked her head to the side quizzically. Her reaction made Olivia gasp as she excitedly leaned on her elbows to stare at the Slytherin.

"You were the first female to win the Triwizard Tournament! Did you not know that?"

Cordelia was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. If she was being honest, the only thing stopping the brunette from prying for more information was the thought of coming across as narcissistic. Being the first female Triwizard Champion was a huge accomplishment on her part, but it wasn't something Cordelia wanted to centre their conversation around.

After all, the Triwizard Tournament's outcome was the reason behind most of her qualms.

"Are they comfortable?"

Cordelia subtly nodded towards the dress pants the Abbott heir adorned. The other witches seemed to understand her reasoning and chose to silently change the topic to something more lighthearted; witches in pants.

If she was being honest, Cordelia had never gone past trying on palazzo pants with Druella in the back of muggle stores due to the fear of being caught wearing form-fitting clothing. Cordelia would be better off getting caught with fire-whiskey than male clothing. She didn't know what would be worse, trying to explain why she had someone else's clothes in her room, or trying to reason with Melania McMillan about the workings of a witch's clothing.

Augusta and Olivia couldn't help but burst into chuckles when Cordelia stated as much, prompting the trio of witches to trade stories about their experiences with other purebloods.

Even in the pureblood community, the Black family had always limited interactions with outsiders, the only exception being the Lestranges and Notts, thus it was no surprise that Cordelia had taken so long to interact with the Abbotts or Fawleys.

As the Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop outside Hogsmeade and the trio of witches ceased their discussions of feminism and the Muggle world's female revolts, Cordelia couldn't help but regret her decision to limit interactions with other houses for six years.

Perhaps if she hadn't been so reserved, Cordelia would have befriended Olivia Abbott and Augusta Fawley a long time ago, and wouldn't remain oblivious to the workings of the world outside Hogwarts. Maybe that was what persuaded her to take the next decision, one that Cordelia would come to regret with time.

The Great Hall had never looked as grand as it did. Or perhaps, Cordelia's over-exaggeration was a direct result of her new perspective of the room.

If she was being honest, Cordelia Black had never bothered to interact with the other houses, much less try and gauge what their habitat brought to the table. However, much like her encounter on the train, the Slytherin Queen had come to realise she was missing out on far too much.

For while pants and politics were exciting topics to debate on, nothing compared to how the Great Hall looked when one was standing in the middle of the chaos.

Cordelia had gotten used to paying no heed to her surroundings over the years, only focusing on the table clad in green and silver closest to the gates. It might have been conceited, but the process was one that ensured the snakes didn't bother with glares and sneers early in the morning; switching out their hostility for hashbrowns.

Observing the chaos unfold from the sidelines was a Slytherin favourite, but as she stood beside Augusta Fawley and her sea of Ravenclaws, Cordelia couldn't help but appreciate the simple pleasure of residing in the eye of the storm.

The position was one that brought about various raised brows and snide remarks, but Cordelia had come to enjoy the way Hogwarts silently fumed at the thought of a Slytherin Queen in the raven's nest. Getting through an evening of sorting amidst the blue sea certainly was a feat to achieve, but Druella's amused smile and Tom Riddle's snarl made up for everything Cordelia had to endure through the night.

They certainly were a sight to behold; a trio of witches from different houses nestled at the back of the Ravenclaw table with one of them adorning a fresh pair of wizard's pants. The only thing missing was a dash of red, but Olivia was more than happy to make up for it with the bottle of Muggle wine tucked into her coat's pocket.

The night was one to remember, with giggles, gossip and discussions of the wizarding as they knew it. Unfortunately, it ended far too fast and Cordelia found herself gathered at the front of the Great Hall with a line of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs before her earlier than she would have liked.

Being friends with prefects had its shortcomings, one of them being the sense of responsibility that loomed over their heads. While the Slytherin members of the student body were more than happy to have a little bit of fun and leave the first years to find their way, Olivia and Augusta were the type to actually bother guiding the newcomers.

Thus, Cordelia couldn't do much except wait for the storm of black robes to thin out with her friends and their respective first years.

"It was pleasant to get to know you."

The two prefects turned towards their new friend, taking a moment to softly smile at her before they spoke.

"Likewise, Lia."

"I never thought you would be such a pleasure to be around!"

Usually, Olivia's remark would have been taken with a grain of salt, but Cordelia refused to risk her new friendships for petty banter that was far too easy to misinterpret.

"Unfortunately, I won't be able to do this often."

The witches nodded understandingly at Cordelia, taking her words as a signal to depart.

While Cordelia wished she could spend meals with her new friends going forward, she was aware of the duties on her shoulders as a Slytherin head girl and queen and couldn't risk going out of her way to have encounters with the other houses.

Sure, Augusta and Olivia were a pleasure to be around, but they certainly weren't worth the cold shoulder Cordelia would certainly receive if she let her emotions get the best of her for a second time.

That was evident in the way Theodore Nott and Druella Black glared at her.

"What is wrong with you Lia?!"

Theodore was the first to burst, his voice echoing through the empty Great Hall as he let the disillusionment charm fade away.

Cordelia was granted a total of five seconds before Druella followed.

"You know what our duties are as Slytherins, yet you go out of your way to fraternize with the enemy during the worst possible day! Tell me, Lia-"

Druella stepped closer to her cousin, going as far as to tug on the green tie closely hanging around her neck

"- have you forgotten about what they did?"

Cordelia hadn't. Of course, she hadn't.

How could she forget about the way Hogwarts discriminated against the snakes as the professors actively pit the other houses against Slytherin? How could she forget the physical, mental and emotional trauma afflicted to every first-year who dared to believe the other houses were anything but monstrous?

How could Cordelia forget the literal torture; the awful curses and jinxes, the snide remarks and old food hauled their way, the scars many Slytherins had collected over their first year at Hogwarts?

How could Cordelia ever forget about the professors who turned a blind eye and sheep who refused to raise their voice against the members of their house? How could Cordelia, the girl who had borne the brunt of their torture due to being a skinny little eleven-year-old, ever forget the scars Hogwarts' badgers and ravens had left on her mind and body?

But even after that, even after her awakening and knowledge of what the other houses were truly like, Cordelia couldn't stop herself from clinging to the fantasy of starting over; of having new friends and actually conversing with people without treading on eggshells.

"I had to forget."

The small step Cordelia took towards her closest friends made Druella step back in surprise as she gawked at her sister's raspy mutter.

"I had to forget-"

this time Cordelia's voice was clearer and teetering on the edge of the Slytherin Queen's trademark sneer

"Because you forgot about me."

She didn't give her friends any time to reply, choosing to instead walk past Druella's hurt face and Theodore's conflicted one.

Cordelia didn't try and explain herself to the stray students in the halls, her fast pace and dismissive features doing the talking for her. It wasn't until she reached the familiar portrait of a hidden garden that Cordelia let go of her facade and groaned out a series of words even she couldn't decipher.

Apparently, the portrait seemed to catch what sounded like the password to the rooms and made room for the agitated head girl.

Tom Riddle was nowhere to be found, but for once, Cordelia couldn't seem to care as she trudged towards the staircase leading to her quarters.

Cordelia Black was foolish to think a witch like her would be entitled to the luxury of an escape from her world, but as much as she hated the repercussions a new day would bring, the Slytherin Queen couldn't bring herself to regret her acquaintanceship with the two witches.

Perhaps Hogwarts' monstrous houses had more to offer than she thought.