Disclaimer: I do not own anything. That honour belongs to one J.K. Rowling.
Diary of a Painted Girl
I gaze into the mirror. It's painted, and is puckered in places as though someone had painted the surface a century ago and then left it for the elements to savage. I lift my hand to my face, and in the mirror a cracked cream-colored hand mirrors my own. Casting my attention away, I glance around my surroundings; my little square, my painting.
I sweep my gaze over my painted vanity at which I am sitting, the painted bookcase at the other end of my frame and the cozy settee beside it. Not wanting to, but being forced, as if by gravity, my gaze finally falls on the painted door. The door that leads nowhere. The door that remains forever locked. This is my life. My painted life. As I am a painted girl.
I was painted in 1902, as my human self lay dying. Maybe that's why I feel more than other painteds. I don't really know why, but I do know that I feel. I feel lonely, I feel sad, I feel trapped, and I feel very annoyed that they have placed my portrait in the darkest gloomiest most obscure corridor in the castle. One may think that this is the source of the afore mentioned feelings, but that is not true. It may be a very obscure corridor, but because of these reasons, there are dozens of night-time patrons to my hall. I am certainly never lacking in entertainment.
I settle down in my chair for an evening of watching- for even if I cannot live life, I can still watch it go by. As if on cue I hear a giggle, then a scream of delight, and finally a streak of brown, followed shortly by a streak of white-blonde.
The girl associated with the streak of brown stops just to the right of me, still within my line of vision (thank goodness!). Even through the dark I notice a few things, the way her back is pressed to the wall, arched slightly, the way her eyes are dancing, and her coy smile draws him towards her. I can't see the boy, his face is hidden in darkness, but what little light is cast from the far off lantern does shed a faint glow over his hair. He moves stealthily, as if he were a predator, gaining distance on his prey. And yet when he reaches her, I can see the gentleness his hands possess as they gently tuck a strand of hair off her face. I can feel his love for this girl radiating around me, filling me and it almost makes me sick.
He leans in gracefully, yet it is her soft lips that close the final distance between them. Her once-smiling lips have disappeared into a passionate embrace; the likes of which I can remember only too clearly. I turn my focus back on the couple, pushing away the pain that threatens to override me.
He breaks apart.
"You know that I am yours. Forever" he whispers, as silent as a summer's breeze.
"I know" she whispered back, closing the distance between them once again.
He breaks apart again.
"But I have to know. Do you believe this is real? Because if you do, we need to be free from sneaking around." He whispers pleadingly. "We need to be free" he whispers into her neck.
She bites her lip and glances sideways before breaking into another grin before whispering;
"I told him tonight. I did it."
He looks astonished for a moment before breaking into a grin identical to her own.
"So this is real?" He clarifies.
"As real as anything in this world, and then some," she smiled.
He looks as though some final tension has been soothed from his mind; his face is transformed, his mask thrown away.
They embrace once more, this time with a heated passion, the likes of which takes me aback. The energy from these two young people is unlike anything that I have ever seen before. And I have seen a lot.
They part several minutes later.
"I really should go" she whispers.
His face is in her hair, breathing her in.
"I know. But it's ok, because we have tomorrow"
"And tomorrow" she adds smiling.
He gives her one last fierce kiss before whispering with all the tenderness in the world;
"I love you"
He leaves the corridor and she is left alone with her happiness. She leans into the wall; a radiant smile stretches across her face.
"And tomorrow" she whispers to herself.
She ambles over, looking the full part of the love-sick puppy that she is, and grabs the lantern lying there. From my left I notice a tall figure coming from the opposite direction to where she is heading. I can't see much but a streak of red in the lamplight. He grabs her from behind, gently but with no grace at all.
She screams and pivots. Immediately he catches his mouth on hers. For a second it looks like she will let him kiss her, but reactions occur. She pushes him back.
"What don't you understand about me saying it's over?" she snarls.
"I thought that was j-just a fight" he stammers, looking at the ground. "I thought you loved me"
I can tell that this comment softens her.
"Then I am sorry for that, but all that I want from you is my best friend. "
"Yeah, sure"
"You're acting as though we had this long-winded relationship. No. We went out a few times and then it was over. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but I can't love you the way you want me to."
She walks over to him and gives him a peck on the cheek before turning to walk away.
I can tell that this boy didn't feel the same way as her; to him the relationship went as far back as he could remember. As far back as when the two first met.
As her presence faded, so did his self control. He slumped to the ground and started to shake. I watch him for almost half an hour, he is right below my portrait.
He stands up suddenly and walks away, dejectedly towards what I can only assume is the direction of his common room.
I feel badly for him, but I know something he doesn't. Life will go on, and he will have the chance, unlike me, to find happiness.
A/N.
I had this idea for a portrait's perspective, and the things that go on in the castle because they're always talking about the portraits being around and I thought; imagine what they must see and hear!!!
I plan on it being a collection of short stories which will jump around between different generations, as well as taking a look at her life.
So let me know what you think!
Xxoo
Hannah
