"Ní mhaireann solas na maidine don lá." // "No morning sun lasts all day."

Tara met Leta Lestrange on her very first day at Hogwarts, right after the conclusion of the Sorting ceremony. 

The young Slytherin had walked timidly into the common room alongside the rest of her fellow first years. Tara had been propped up at the top of one of the dormitory’s staircases, watching them file inside. Upon the curly-haired girl's entrance, her ears had immediately picked up on the flurry of whispers that had begun.

“Did you hear?” one girl whispered. “One of the freaks from that Lestrange family is starting this year. And in our house too- wait shhh, there she is-”

Tara quirked an eyebrow upwards, watching as the young witch took her first steps up the stairs that would take her to the dorm rooms themselves. She clearly had heard the witches talking about her, and could undoubtedly feel the other stares coming from around the common room, but was attempting to ignore them. 

Tara suddenly rose to her feet. And in response, the whispers and snickers around them silenced in an instant. 

In her seventh year, the name Tara Kelly had become a castle fable. For both good and bad reasons alike. She was top of her class in all of her studies, and everyone knew how powerful of a punch she was packing. In fact, she had been offered the role of Slytherin Head Girl at the end of the previous year. But had been quick to turn it down. Rumors were getting circulated around the school that she had already received several offers from Auror agencies all across Europe. However, those whispers in particular, she never acknowledged out loud, leaving them to fall to speculation. 

All that to say, in those days, whenever she moved, eyes followed.

Leta looked up at Tara in surprise, finding that she was now standing directly in front of her.

The older witch eyed her for a moment longer before reaching a hand out in greeting.

“Welcome to Slytherin.” she said. “The name’s Tara Kelly. Let me show you to your dorm.”

Leta continued to stare back at her warily, as if suspecting some sort of trap. But whatever instincts had control of her person eventually led to her shaking Tara’s outstretched hand. In return, the older witch smiled, gesturing over her shoulder. The two of them disappeared up the staircase side-by-side, hundreds of eyes watching them go as they did. 

They walked in silence for a bit longer as they sauntered down the spiral staircase.

“That been your whole life then?” Tara finally broke the silence, referring to the near incident in the common room.

Leta glanced over at her in clear surprise, the curls of her dark hair bouncing slightly as they moved. Eventually, the eleven-year-old let out a breath, sounding as if she had been holding it in for a while.

“Yeah.” she admitted in a whisper.

Tara nodded.

“I know what that’s like.”

“You do?”

Tara couldn’t help but laugh at that. Oh, how she longed to have the obliviousness of a first year again. 

“You’re not the only freak in Slytherin this generation. Trust me.” she replied jokingly.

Leta let out a scoff, shaking her head, but ultimately managing a small smile.

Eventually, they made it to the dorm room that Leta had been assigned.

“Mine is just down the hall. Three doors.” Tara told her. “I’m usually alone. My roommates can’t stand me. So if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate, ok? Seriously.”

There was another long beat of silence before Leta slowly nodded her head.

“Thanks.” she whispered.

“Don’t mention it. Freaks got to stick together.” Tara replied. “You know, for survival.”

At that, Leta let out a quiet laugh.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* : ｡☆ﾟ.･ ───

Leta had practically moved into Tara’s dorm by the second month of that school year. Things already weren’t easy for her, and it wasn’t like she could go home as Tara quickly learned.

In response to it all, Tara had made it her own personal mission to become a bodyguard of sorts for the young first year. Whenever Leta would get into an altercation, Tara wasn’t too far behind, dispersing both crowds and bullies alike. Teachers also appeared to be giving Leta trouble here and there, which angered Tara more than when the students did. And it wasn’t as if she was above giving adults a piece of her mind too.

In that year specifically, Tara had found herself in Dumbledore’s office more times than she could count. He was seemingly one of the only professors that would listen to her rant and rave about how Leta was being treated at Hogwarts.

“It’s ridiculous, professor!” she had argued one day. “Can no one in this school take any accountability? It’s harassment. And the other teachers are just- pretending that they don’t see it!”

A small, wise smile formed on Dumbledore’s expression. 

“But you do.” he noted. 

Tara pointedly folded her arms over her chest.

“Of course I do.”

Nodding, the professor stood up from his chair, walking out from behind his desk.

“I’ll talk to Professor Calderwood. I’m sure he can be persuaded to keep a better eye on the students in his class.”

Tara didn’t feel like that was enough but knew that for the moment it would have to do. With a huff, she had turned around to leave his office wordlessly, but just as she reached for the door handle, the professor had called out her name again.

“You really should stop ignoring those letters from the Ministry.”

Tara paused, her hand hovering over the golden knob. Then slowly glanced back over her shoulder with a soft glare.

“I don’t want to be an Auror, professor.” she replied lowly.

Dumbledore just smiled.

“So you have made abundantly clear, believe me.” he said with a small laugh. “But that isn’t to say that they would greatly benefit from your skills and way of thinking.”

Tara didn’t respond to that. She simply stared back at him for a moment longer before ultimately pulling the door open and disappearing back into the hallways of Hogwarts.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* : ｡☆ﾟ.･ ───

It was through Leta that Tara inevitably met Newt. The scrawny, first-year Hufflepuff that had a unique infatuation with magical creatures. She had briefly mentioned before that she had made a friend in a different house, and that he was the only one, besides Tara, who actually spoke to her like she was a human being.

So Tara asked to be introduced. And Leta took her down to the shore of the Black Lake one afternoon during their designated lunch hour.

“Newt, this is Tara.” Leta introduced. “Tara. Newt.”

The boy wouldn’t make eye contact with her directly, but waved his hello in greeting. Notably opting out of a handshake. He was strange to be sure, but to Tara his presence felt nothing but friendly, if not wildly familiar.

“Hello.” he had spoken in a small voice. “I’m Newt. Newt Scamander.”

Almost instantly, all the color drained from her face.

“Sorry. Did you just say ‘Scamander?’”

Newt winced.

“Unfortunately.”

Leta looked back and forth between the two of them, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

With a shake of her head, Tara scoffed in disbelief. 

“What are the chances?” she mumbled to herself. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Newt. I’m Tara Ke-”

“Kelly.” Newt finished for her. “Yes, I-I know. My brother talked about you often.”

Tara blanked again, completely caught her off guard.

“He did?” she asked, the words falling out of her throat less than gracefully.

Newt hesitantly nodded his head in confirmation. Leta was now eyeing Tara with a suspicious raise of her eyebrow. In turn, the Irish seventh year quickly squared her shoulders, recovering to the best of her ability.

“Well, all bad things I hope.” she joked. “I gave your brother quite the run for his money while he was here.”

Newt smiled, genuinely this time around. And it was that very day that their little trio became, well, a trio. With Tara promptly taking both young outcasts under her wing, she went to bat for Newt just as hard as she went for Leta. 

It was her last year after all, so she didn’t particularly have anything to lose.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* : ｡☆ﾟ.･ ───

When Tara eventually graduated, she made sure to keep in touch with Leta and Newt as best as she could via her letters.

She had acquired a flat in London, directly above a wizard speakeasy, from the man who owned it. She worked there in the evenings in lieu of paying a majority of normal rent. It wasn’t quite where her teachers and peers thought she would end up with her specific skill set, but her new boss liked the idea that the barmaid could throw out drunk and rowdy customers all on her own. And without even needing to draw her wand on most occasions. 

When the summer and winter school breaks would hit, Leta came to stay with her in London. By that point, the two of them had grown as close as sisters, and Leta constantly assured the older witch that she would rather be in the small apartment rather than back at Hogwarts.

Evidently, the moment that Tara had left, things had taken a turn for the worse. Leta and Newt were getting bullied a lot more, and while the former was trying her best to stand up for the both of them, it was taking a toll on her. Newt had always been more of a “turn the other cheek” kind of bloke and would never defend himself, but Leta always seemed to have the energy and strength to do so.

And that was getting them into trouble. 

Leta got detention a lot. Especially during her fourth year. All eventually culminating in Newt’s expulsion two semesters later. He explained it to Tara in a long-winded letter that he had taken the fall for the Slytherin after a particularly bad altercation with a student. Shifting the blame to one of the creatures he had been caring for without expressed permission.

It had taken everything in her power, and several letters from both her friends, to stop Tara from marching down to Hogwarts and setting the entire castle ablaze with her anger.

As Newt pursued his own licenses and travels, he slowly fell out of contact with the two of them as the years went by. But Tara and Leta still ultimately had each other to lean on, and when the younger eventually graduated, she moved into the apartment with Tara permanently. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* : ｡☆ﾟ.･ ───