welcome back to hogwarts, REMUS LUPIN ! enclosed here you will find all the necessary equipment for the upcoming school year. we await your owl by no later than twenty-four hours from now, or else you will lose your spot ! nick robinson is now taken.
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎
( * 💀 / nick robinson, cismale, he/him ) — is that REMUS LUPIN i just saw rushing down the corridor? i hear they’re a twenty year old GRYFFINDOR, returning for their sixth school year, but their friends would tell you that they are LOYAL & CONSIDERATE as well as bitter & self loathing. if you want to know more about them, i guess i could tell you that they’re HALFBLOOD/HALFBREED, and from what i hear, they’re currently allying with the neutrals. when our divination professor looks into their crystal ball, they see: OVERSIZED SWEATERS, PROTRUDING COLLARBONES, TOUSLED HAIR, TEA WITH TOO MUCH SUGAR, HEALING POTIONS. — ( jessie, she/her, 26, GMT. )
𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
Remus perfected the Patronus charm at the age of 15 after learning about Dementors in DADA. He became obsessed with the idea of running into one someday. Knowing he had more darkness in his life than most students, he was convinced he would be overpowered and lose his soul. He knew he would only be able to conquer his fear by mastering the Patronus Charm and spent months hard at work until he was finally successful.
Although small, gentle and quiet, on occasion when things become too much Remus finds himself filled with anger and frustration. During these times he often takes his pain out on his closest friends, the only people to ever see him so unravelled.
The scar from Fenrir’s bite is on his left shoulder and he does everything he can to ensure nobody sees it, but when he is nervous or scared he reaches under the collar of his shirt to press his hand against it, using it as a reminder of how strong and capable he is. It doesn’t calm him down but it helps to steel his resolution. If he is upset, he touches it to punish himself, to remind himself that he isn’t human and that he doesn’t deserve to be happy.
He never willingly lets people see the scar from Greyback’s bite, so aside from the obvious few, nobody has seen it.
welcome back to hogwarts, THEA THURKELL ! enclosed here you will find all the necessary equipment for the upcoming school year. we await your owl by no later than twenty-four hours from now, or else you will lose your spot ! brittany o’grady is now taken.
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎
( * 💀 / brittany o’grady, transfeminine, she/they ) — is that thea thurkell i just saw rushing down the corridor? i hear they’re a eighteen year old caretaker apprentice, and their friends would tell you that they are resilient & reliable as well as negative & negative. if you want to know more about them, i guess i could tell you that they’re blood status, and from what i hear, they’re currently allying with the order. when our divination professor looks into their crystal ball, they see: checkered shirts, a raised fist, a sign reading ‘squib rights now!’, a trans flag & a notebook full of writings. — ( aspen, they/them, 24, gmt+1 )
𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
thea is the squib daughter of a descendant of the 17th century thurkell family. her branch of the thurkell family had never produced a squib since then and they are a proud wizarding family, distancing themselves from the unfortunate squib happenings mid-seventeenth century... and then she was born. she showed no signs of any magical abilities, she wasn’t a late-bloomer as her father had hoped. oh no - she was their worst fear. a squib. she was sent off to a muggle boarding school from the time she was twelve, when her being a late-bloomer could no longer be used as an excuse, and was rarely talked about by her family.
thea, however, wasn’t ready to be pushed out of the wizarding world. she was born into it, it was where she belonged; she felt no kinship whatsoever with muggles, who were so ignorant of all that was around them. so, after she graduated muggle school last year, she moved back into the wizarding world with the help of society for the support of squibs. she found a job at florean fortescue's ice cream parlour and stayed with another squib. she wasn’t content with this life though. she wanted an education in the wizarding world, she wanted to cultivate important connections, be in a place where she could influence the future of squib rights, but also be safe from the death eaters who weren’t that tolerant towards those who weren’t magical. when hogwarts put out a call for an apprentice caretaker, she jumped on the opportunity. there, she could access knowledge about the wizarding world, and all the future leaders of the wizarding world went to hogwarts. knowing them, possibly influencing them could mean a betterment of the situation for squibs in the future. it was also an added, though terrifying, bonus that her older siblings were attending as well, which meant that she could possibly reconnect with them. besides, she is also interested in studying the theoretic side of magic and history, which she can do between her work at hogwarts. she has just started as the caretaker apprentice to argus filch which isn’t exactly a smooth ride, but she is sure she’ll win him over.
thea is an outsider at hogwarts and she knows it, but as she is a student herself, she isn’t as far removed from the students as it may seem. she isn’t allowed to discipline the students (she does have to tell mr. filtch about infractions, but doesn’t always do so), which does help with being able to possibly form a bond with them. she is mostly busy with actually taking care of the building, tidying up, patrolling the hallways and doing a lot of filing for mr. filtch. oftentimes, she’ll listen in on classes she passes and spend a lot of time in the library studying the subjects she can actually master - such as magical theory, history of magic, astronomy, care of magical creatures (and she is trying to convince hagrid to let her practice with actual animals as well - he can barely do magic, so it isn’t necessary, right?), muggle studies, study of ancient runes and ghoul studies. she has opened a charms book, but she knows it serves no purpose, so she quickly closes that again. she dreams of one day being allowed to take at least an o.w.l. in the theoretical classes because she too can do a written exam. it’s only because of her squib status that she is barred from it, and that isn’t fair in her book.
welcome back to hogwarts, JAMES POTTER ! enclosed here you will find all the necessary equipment for the upcoming school year. we await your owl by no later than twenty-four hours from now, or else you will lose your spot ! justice smith is now taken.
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎
( * 💀 / justice smith, cis male, he/him ) — is that james potter i just saw rushing down the corridor? i hear they’re a twenty year old gryffindor, returning for their sixth school year, but their friends would tell you that they are energetic & forthcoming as well as ignorant & madcap. if you want to know more about them, i guess i could tell you that they’re pureblood, and from what i hear, they’re currently allying with the order. when our divination professor looks into their crystal ball, they see: socks constantly falling down, skewed glasses bent back to shape, quick feet echoing down hallowed halls. — ( emme, she/her, 23, est )
𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
He was never meant to be a leader - selected from a rag tag group to plan, picked from an army of mediocre quidditch playing teens, recognized in the halls. But the last name turned out to have more recognition than James Potter ever considered. A good, honest upbringing kept him sheltered from the dubious entrances of pureblood societies, while the comfort of a wealthy home left him ignorant to any other way of life. But slowly, he fell into that mythos - the trouble-maker, the sly grin, the next quidditch captain. The attention, different from his mum and dad’s dotings, fueled his ego even as he filtered his friend group to a specific few.
“Hey, watch me scale the outside of the castle.”
“Those weren’t my stink bombs, Professor.”
Though, it never was about getting away with it. It was about who in particular would notice, and if not, then it was about sharing those smirks and hidden laughs while new plans were just waiting to be made.
welcome back to hogwarts, DAISY HOOKUM ! enclosed here you will find all the necessary equipment for the upcoming school year. we await your owl by no later than twenty-four hours from now, or else you will lose your spot ! ahsen eroglu is now taken.
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎
( * 💀 / ahsen eroglu, cis woman, she/her ) — is that DAISY HOOKUM i just saw rushing down the corridor? i hear they’re an eighteen year old SLYTHERIN, returning for their fourth school year, but their friends would tell you that they are AMBITIOUS & POLITE as well as repressed & cowardly. if you want to know more about them, i guess i could tell you that they’re PUREBLOODED, and from what i hear, they’re currently allying with the order. when our divination professor looks into their crystal ball, they see: THE UPSIDES TO AMBITION, THE DOWNSIDES TO LONELINESS, A QUILL FILLED WITH INK BUT LACKING THE COURAGE TO WIELD IT, WRITING WELL INTO THE MORNING HOURS ONLY TO HATE WHAT YOU WROTE, OVERTHINKING & UNDERESTIMATING. but who knows? — ( erin, she/her, 27, est )
𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
Daisy Hookum was going to be a writer. End of story.
She'd known that since she was a small child and had first wielded her quill. She was going to write fabulous fiction stories and go down in history as one of the greatest writers to ever live.
What exactly she'd choose to write about, she supposed, would come later.
Daisy came from a small-time, pureblooded family and had grown up fairly sheltered. She was certainly not rich but definitely not poor, and was seen by most of pureblooded society as a respectable acquaintance and a possible reputable, if you really must, last resort mate (if absolutely no one of any higher status were available, please don't settle for a Hookum if you don't have to.) Her family did not exactly sign on to the whole "death eater" thing, but they were the sort to not think of such things, keep their head down, and move with the group.
And, Daisy was like this for a very long time.
Her sorting into Slytherin was a bit of a shock. Her parents had each come from a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw family, and neither had seen a family member sorted into one of the "bolder" or "louder" houses. But, inside Daisy's somewhat quiet and awkward demeanor sat a heart that knew exactly what it wanted, and inside her shaky hands lay dormant the ability to do what it takes to get those things she wanted.
She was not hot enough stuff to run in the more popular, respectable Slytherin cliques and, due to her status as a Slytherin, many others would avoid her. So, Daisy kept her head to the grindstone and slowly worked her way up the Slytherin chain of command through her nodding and yessing to whatever they said, even if it seemed somewhat extreme at times. After all, they were all friends there, and a little talk never hurt anyone. It was better in her eyes to make friends than to put on a performative display of outrage against a mildly offensive thing said about a group of people she rarely associated with.
That was, of course, until this past summer.
Daisy's family often vacationed in the countryside over the summers, nowhere fancy but certainly nice, and she had taken it upon herself one day to start walking. While out walking through the woods she'd come across a girl around her age. After a few hours of hiking and the girl managing to get past Daisy's rather shy and awkward demeanor, the two had formed a bit of a friendship.
It wasn't until the girl invited her back to her small, nearby village for some tea that Daisy realized she'd met her first muggle.
She seemed so... normal? Almost like every other wix she'd ever met. But, surely something needed to be different, a bit off, but to Daisy's great shock she could find nothing that stood out. She wasn't any less intelligent, any less polite, or any less ANYTHING than anyone else.
She'd awkwardly drank her tea, excused herself quietly from their home, and made the long trek back to their camp.
She didn't tell her parents where she'd been and she hadn't seen or spoken to the muggle girl since. She didn't even know her name.
Such a small thing. Such a small, tiny thing that should have been so inconsequential and left her mind in a day, a week, a month, but here came her reentry into Slytherin society and she found the memory frankly wedged in her craw.
Suddenly, the jokes were far less easy to laugh at. The jabs seemed far more cruel than before. And, Daisy found herself feeling more alone than she had in her past three years at Hogwarts.
Now, Daisy is trapped between her old friends, her old cliques, and her old world beliefs, and this new growing fascination with muggles and muggleborns. She feels as though perhaps she should do something, but struggles to act in the face of everyone she knows and all she'd surrounded by telling her the opposite. She really does care for her housemates, but with the disappearance of Professor Ambarella Daisy is forced to make a decision.
She finds those she believes know about this Order of the Phoenix she's heard about and expresses interest.
Whether they will trust her or believe her is up to them, especially knowing who she usually associates with. Whether she actually has it in her to abandon what she thought she may have wanted will be up to her.
She's still in the very early parts of her interest, at this point. She's only curious about the Order and is still hoping to find some way to secretly support their effort while keeping her more bigoted friends happy. She will most likely be in for a rude awakening.
welcome back to hogwarts, ROSEMERTA CARDOZA ! enclosed here you will find all the necessary equipment for the upcoming school year. we await your owl by no later than twenty-four hours from now, or else you will lose your spot ! khadija red thunder is now taken.
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎
( * 💀 / khadijha red thunder, cis woman, she/her ) — is that ROSMERTA CARDOZA i just saw rushing down the corridor? i hear they’re a twenty-two year old RAVENCLAW, returning for their seventh school year, but their friends would tell you that they are FUN-LOVING & PERCEPTIVE as well as lackadaisical & unfocused. if you want to know more about them, i guess i could tell you that they’re HALFBLOODED, and from what i hear, they’re currently allying with the neutrals. when our divination professor looks into their crystal ball, they see: YOUR FAVORITE BARTENDER THAT KEEPS ALL YOUR SECRETS (ESPCEIALLY THE ONES YOU DON'T REMEMBER SHARING,) LAZY SUNDAYS, MONDAYS, TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS..., CROPPED TOPS, CROPPED SKIRTS, CROPPED ATTENTION SPANS, & OVERPOURING AND UNDERACHIEVING. but who knows? — ( erin, she/her, 27, est )
𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
If anyone tries to tell you Ravenclaw is filled with nothing but nerds and grade-grubbers, point them no further than Rosmerta Cardoza: bartender, secret-keeper, and professional underachiever.
Rosmerta was born to an American witch and a muggle Brit, and grew up right outside of Gloucestershire with her folks. Her childhood had been all together uneventful. She'd grown up immersed in the muggle world, her mother hoping to leave the wixen world behind, at least for a while, after a falling out with her own wixen family back in America. Her father was none the wiser of any magical happenings in his family or otherwise and did his best to spoil Rosmerta rotten.
Therefore, when the letter arrived from Hogwarts, it came as quite the shock to everyone involved. Rosmerta had seemingly shown absolutely no signs of magical ability, and now her mother was going to have a hard time explaining the situation to dear old dad.
But, in classic Rosmerta Fashion, she simply shrugged and dove headfirst into the magical world.
Dad came around to the idea of magic existing less easily than he'd let on, but he remained supportive of his daughter and did his best to wrap his head around the fact his wife had had magical powers this entire time and had simply neglected to tell him.
Rosmerta would miss her dad quite a lot as she boarded the Hogwarts Express. It wasn't until she'd finally rested on the train that the weight of what was happening had hit her. She did her best to hide it under cool smiles and curly hair, but anyone would have seen the fifteen year old's hands shaking under her cloak.
Others may eventually question her intelligence, but both Rosmerta and the Sorting Hat knew the truth. Despite her efforts, Rosmerta had maintained a nearly perfect grade point average during her muggle studies, and the Hat doubted this trend would subside any time soon. But, more than that, Rosmerta had always had a marked intelligence surrounding people. How to speak to them, how to understand them, how to get them to tell you how they tick. People had always been fascinating to Rosmerta, and were her subject of choice to study.
So, Ravenclaw was the only house to choose.
Rosmerta would spend the next six years of her life not studying, staying out until all hours, making friends from any and every house, somehow staying an Exceeds Expectations student, and never actually figuring out what she wanted to do with her life.
So few things could keep her interest, and the things that did didn't seem to be willing to pay. The only thing she knew for certain was she wanted to stay here, in the magical world. Her parents had never been rich and they had no stakes in the British wixen world, so she'd found herself a part-time job at The Three Broomsticks as a busser, which eventually became a bartending gig. Her job is one of the few things she's passionate about, and it helps her further study people and help them get into and (occasionally) out of trouble. She has made friends with (and slept with) many people you wouldn't expect through her job and hears about interesting gossip on the daily. But, she'd never worried what she might hear, until the world finally came pounding on her door.
She'd known there was an issue regarding her blood status. That some people might not be as receptive to her if they knew, so for the most part, she kept her father's identity as a muggle to herself. Rumors still spread, so she's sure some people suspected, but what of it? Thoughts are not actions. They could think what they wanted, as far as she was concerned. But, thoughts only aren't actions until they suddenly are.
The shifting tension and the disappearance of Professor Ambarella are absolutely not lost on Rosmerta. She knows the implications. She may have even heard some things she wishes she hadn't. But, worrying has never been Rosmerta Cardoza's style. Neither has getting involved.
For now, she is more than happy to keep serving up drinks, dirty jokes, and a listening ear to whomever may need it, whether at school or at the bar.
welcome back to hogwarts, REGULUS BLACK ! enclosed here you will find all the necessary equipment for the upcoming school year. we await your owl by no later than twenty-four hours from now, or else you will lose your spot ! asa butterfield is now taken.
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎
( * 💀 / asa butterfield, cis male, he/him ) — is that regulus arcturus black i just saw rushing down the corridor? i hear they’re an eighteen year old slytherin, returning for their fourth school year, but their friends would tell you that they are determined & loyal as well as stubborn & haughty. if you want to know more about them, i guess i could tell you that they’re pure blood, and from what i hear, they’re currently allying with the death eaters. when our divination professor looks into their crystal ball, they see: spiral staircases, the night sky over a still lake, faceless figures wearing the same dark robes and a drop of blood. — ( kenaz, they/them, twenty-five, gmt. )
𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
Born and raised to know his worth, Regulus Black is better than many of his peers by virtue of his blood. How many can claim such a heritage without marring (any who would go against them are quickly pruned)? Proud of his heritage, Regulus is keen to play a part in creating a greater world order, where witches and wizards can be restored to their rightful place, ruling over the muggles who stumble blind and ignorant, unable to be anything better. The only mar on this otherwise fantastic plan is his wayward brother, whom Regulus still loves despite his myriad of faults. He is hopeful that one day, Sirius will see sense.
Fiercely loyal to his friends and family, Regulus is someone you want to have on your side. He’s not afraid of darker spells although he well knows how to play innocent should the light side come calling (although why should they hide their true nature?). Regulus is particularly interested in different branches of magic, including those outside the ken of witches and wizards, after all magic is what gives him his superiority.
Despite his exterior, which Regulus is convinced is him and leans into as much as he can, at heart there is a softness. He knows he must play a part to make the world better because he has been born with such advantages. He knows that the wizarding world must take over the muggles because is there anything more self-destructive than muggles and their wars? With his family who remain loyal to the cause, he can relax and give in somewhat to his anxieties to please them and be a son that his parents can be proud of.
welcome back to hogwarts, XENOPHILIUS LOVEGOOD ! enclosed here you will find all the necessary equipment for the upcoming school year. we await your owl by no later than twenty-four hours from now, or else you will lose your spot ! cha eunwoo is now taken.
trigger warning: death and grief
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎
( * 💀 / cha eunwoo, cis man, he/him ) — is that xenophilius lovegood i just saw rushing down the corridor? i hear they’re a twenty-two year old ravenclaw, returning for their sixth school year, but their friends would tell you that they are tenderhearted & forebearing as well as escapist & melancholic. if you want to know more about them, i guess i could tell you that they’re half-blood, and from what i hear, they’re currently allying with the order. when our divination professor looks into their crystal ball, they see: the incandescence of a dying constellation ; the shards of a broken heart glimmering like star fragments ; a dark monster of grief and mourning which devours the boy’s trembling frame ; the quiet courage it takes to begin to heal ; and the bloom of flowers which grow through the melting snow in early springtime — ( edie, she/her, 25, aest. )
𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
xenophilius lovegood has not always been a lover of strange and scarcely-heard-of creatures. in fact, his first encounter with any such creatures only began a few years ago —— in the aftermath of the passing of his mother.
in the excruciating silence of his grief and loss, xenophilius felt a melancholy unlike any other take hold of him —— and in that space of grieving, he found it calming to not think of his mother as gone forever ; but simply hiding —— in the shadows of his softest dreams, or in the gentle glimmer of starlight which lit up even the darkest of nights. as he began to delve into his mourning and healing process, xenophilius began working through his pain through metaphors ; imagining that his mother was visiting him each night in the form of a starlighting —— a creature which made the feeling of moonlight on your skin feel warm despite the cold of night ; referring to the grief that had consumed him as a heliopath —— a fire spirit which caused destruction and havoc by burning everything in sight ; leaving snacks of grapes beneath his bed to attract blibbering humdingers —— creatures which he expressed had an appetite for ripe grapes and devoured bad dreams (leaving only sweet dreams and happy memories behind when they left ) ; and speaking about the moon frog —— a creature who in fact wasn't a frog at all, but was closer in shape to a bear —— who danced on the moon and sang lullabies to those who had passed away and now lived on as stars in the sky, keeping them company and giving them updates about their loved ones on earth (the moon frog had wonderful eyesight and could see every inch of life down below ).
while xenophilius speaks of these creatures in ways that seem very real ; deep down, he knows that these creatures do not exist in the physical realm. but in his heart, these creatures are the most real thing xenophilius knows, as after all ; these creatures are both as real and yet as invisible as xenophilius' feelings of grief, loss, and pain.
welcome back to hogwarts, GWENOG JONES ! enclosed here you will find all the necessary equipment for the upcoming school year. we await your owl by no later than twenty-four hours from now, or else you will lose your spot ! sydney park is now taken.
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎
( * 💀 / sydney park, cis woman, she/her ) — is that gwenog jones i just saw rushing down the corridor? i hear they’re a twenty - two year old gryffindor, returning for their seventh school year, but their friends would tell you that they are persevering & protective as well as exacting & irascible. if you want to know more about them, i guess i could tell you that they’re of unknown blood status, and from what i hear, they’re currently allying with the order. when our divination professor looks into their crystal ball, they see: a girl nailed to a burning crucifix — engulfed by the games of fear and ignorance; a phoenix soaring through the clouds — reborn from tragedy through fire and ash; a well-guarded heart that is much too big for her body; a wand raised and aimed in defense of others; and the way a stadium full of people changing your name helps you feel like you exist, you matter, you are cherished, you are loved. — ( edie, she/her, 25, aest. )
𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
an column on gwenog in the daily prophet reads :
GWENOG JONES : THE TRUTH BEHIND QUIDDITCH’S RISING STAR
at only 22 years old, gwenog jones is slated to become the youngest member of the renowned welsh all-witch quidditch team, the holyhead harpies. she’s become known as the hot-tempered darling and wunderkind of the wizarding world’s favourite sport ; but in this column, we investigate ms. jones’ darkest secrets and tragic beginnings.
left at st. materiana’s home for boys and girls as a newborn baby, gwenog grew up in a muggle orphanage ; all brown pinafores, poorly played pianoforte, and small meal rations programmed like clockwork around bible studies and home economics classes. when the child’s magic began to manifest, gwenog was branded by the sisters of the establishment as a child of the devil —— and the girl was tortured using cruel muggle methods.
a special taskforce of ministry aurors and oblivators not come to intervene ; who knows what would have happened to gwenog jones ?
years on now ; gwenog jones has, against all tragic odds, somehow found herself as a fully functioning member of society. she is a student with fair grades at hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, and, more prominently, she has become gryffindor quidditch team’s fiery captain and beater. perhaps the violence of the sport and the aggression of the beater position bring a bleak familiarity to the memory banks of ms. jones ; allowing to her to excel in the sport.
as it stands, gwenog jones is soaring on her way towards dizzying heights —— but here at the daily prophet, we’ll keep a watchful eye on her, and have a bet placed that she’ll crash and burn just as quickly as she rose to stardom.
/
gwenog grips the paper with trembling fingertips ; her breaths escaping her with ragged edges which cut away at the most tender parts she holds within her. a sob wrenches itself from her chest as she casts the column aside —— pulling her knees close as tears run like rivers down the curve of her cheeks.