Written for the Well this is S t r a n g e by misswhiteblack.
Oh, and J. K. Rowling owns the all-powerful Harry Potter.
(Molly's point of view)
"I'm sorry, what's your name again?" I hear a voice ask from behind me.
I turn to see none other than Scorpius Malfoy. And by Gryffindor, he is looking at me for the first time, like, ever.
I am about to say something, anything, when he continues.
"Red hair, freckles, all that...you must be a Weasley. Question is, which one?"
Odd, I had always thought that I'd be happy when he talked to me for the first time.
"Molly," I say awkwardly, "Molly Weasley."
Scorpius doesn't seem to hear me, he just keeps talking.
"You know me, of course," he says. "I saw you in class earlier, and you can do a pretty good hex."
"Er...thanks," I say, though I don't really mean it.
It doesn't feel like he has complimented me, not at all.
"We're starting meetings for a dueling club tomorrow, in the great hall after class. You want in?"
I had always thought that Malfoys would speak in full sentences, at least.
It's not even cute, like I had thought it might turn out to be.
"Maybe," I say doubtfully. After all, there'll be other people there, people my age.
No one of my social status would ever agree to such a thing as this.
But Scorpius will be there, a little voice in the back of my mind tells me.
Besides, I have no social status, nothing to lose. Nowhere to go but up...
"Be there, just one meeting. Bring a friend, if you'd like."
He obviously doesn't know that my friend count adds up to a grand total of zero.
"I'll go," I find myself saying, and I blankly watch him nod and walk back down the hallway.
That's when I realize the full extent of what I have just agreed to do.
(Lysander's point of view)
"Lysander!" someone calls, sounding quite far away.
I'm not sure what surprises me more, the fact that someone just called my name, or that it's Molly.
Her flaming red hair- perhaps I could secretly call her Pyro in my mind- is waving like a banner in the sky behind her as she runs.
And, well, she is running towards me.
I tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear, pretending not to have heard her as she is just ten feet away and still running.
Molly (Pyro?) nearly collides with me, and I step to the side just before she runs right into me.
She starts to trip, so I take her wrists to steady her and keep her from falling face-flat on the ground.
"Hey," she says, "I'm not sure if you remember me, but we met outside after dinner..."
How could I possibly forget talking to her as we met each other on that path by the lake?
How could I forget her telling me how she had no friends, and me telling her it was the same for me?
Or how we were both shadowed by our siblings, Lucy Weasley for her and Lorcan for me?
Maybe someday she can be my friend.
I probably should say this out loud instead of staring dumbly at her like I have no idea what she is talking about.
"I'm Molly Weasley. I know you're Lysander Scamander, so...nice to meet you. Again," she adds.
"I remember, I was just...thinking!" I blurt. Completely brilliant, aren't I?
"I was wondering if you'd like to...er..." Molly trails off in embarassment, her cheeks nearly as red as her hair.
Please be asking me to Hogsmeade, please, please be asking me out, I think.
"You see, there's this dueling club, and we're allowed to bring a...somebody...I don't really know anyone, so..."
She has trouble saying the word 'friend,' I realize.
"I'll go with you," I say, or I'm about to, at least.
Because that's when I hear a voice off to the side yell a hex in our direction.
The blazing light surges toward us, and I whip out my wand.
"Protego!" I yell, shielding Molly from what looks to be the Bat Bogey Hex.
Scorpius Malfoy strides up to me and says, "You'll do, too. The duel club meeting's after class tomorrow."
Was this all a test? Have Molly and Scorpius simply been sent by McGonagall to test me in dueling?
So Molly doesn't actually like me, it was probably all a lie.
Furious, I point my wand at Scorpius's retreating back and yell, "Turn around and fight, then!"
The blond boy spins around, his wand already out and- just great- pointed at me.
Molly backs away, clenching her wand in her hand but not holding it up.
"Lysander, I-"
"Bloody hell!" I exclaim; a spell has shot me straight in the chest in the half second I took to glance back.
It is as though a lightning bolt has struck me, but nothing more.
It lasts a moment, then disappears.
I close my eyes, wondering if this is really happening, and when I open them, that idiot Malfoy is gone.
Well, as far as I can see. He could still be spying on me.
I don't notice that I am backed up against a wall and leaning on it until I feel someone's fingers on my wrists.
"Are you okay?" Molly asks worridly. "Merlin, that was so- Are you hurt? What did that idiot do to you?"
"He is an idiot," I agree, ignoring her other questions.
She didn't conspire against me! Yay- I mean, yes!
"But are you-"
"Perfectly fine," I assure her, "Just a brief feeling of being stabbed in the chest with several assorted knives at once."
I suppose that came out wrong, because her eyes widen.
She is still holding my wrists, this time examining them for any signs of hexes.
"Really, I'm great. If you still want me to go to the dueling club, thing-"
"Never," she says, grinning. "We should start an anti-dueling club club," she adds.
I laugh, saying, "We could call it...the coolest club ever that consists of a mere two people but is still awesome."
"Friends?" Molly asks, offering her hand.
Am I supposed to shake her outstreched hand? Or do I hug her?
I honestly have no idea, so I take her hand in mine and press it to my lips for a moment, then let it go.
"Friends," I agree.
Though, with any luck, it'll go beyond that.
"My little Pyro," I mutter softly to myself.