Thanks to Raanah for betaing :)

You think you're the only mess. You think your life is the only one that's a jungle—a jungle filled with over-grown trees and weeds where flowers should be. Oh, silly girl, how mistaken you are.

Everyone is unhappy, everyone is sad. Sometimes they're good at hiding it (haven't you heard— denial is a marvelous thing), but everyone has something to be upset about. Sure, they have things to be happy about—but sadness is always there, lurking in the corners. Deep inside themselves, they have insecurities, fear, anxieties. They have words that can rip off their masks and make their hearts bleed out. No one's life is as simple as it appears, everyone has it hard and everyone has it rough.

Maybe, you should give pretending a chance. Sometimes, when you pretend long enough, on that rare occasion, once in a century, you feel bliss. Try it out, girl, maybe it'll work for you. Of course, when reality hits, the pain strikes much harder, and the disappointments are much rougher.

But sometimes that pain's worth it, worth those brief moments of denial.

You haven't seen, though. You haven't seen the tears. Haven't heard the sobs late at night (well, you're fast asleep by that point) coming from the bed next to yours.

You wouldn't dare to imagine that Dominique Weasley has anything to cry about, wouldn't dare to imagine that she even has the capability to cry.

Because you've seen the sarcasm and wit that makes others back away. You've seen that smile and heard Dominique's laughter so many times, always surrounded by groups of friends. What would she have to cry about, you ask.

Well, where should we begin?

Her sister Victoire is everything anyone (everyone) wants her to be, everything she knows she could never be. Victoire has the proper motivation, the perfect attitude and the poise to be anything in life… and then there's Dominique. Dominique couldn't keep her mouth shut to save her life, couldn't imitate calm and serenity for even a moment. While Victoire is all hopes and dreams and optimism, Dominique's realistic and blunt and honest…she knows her limitations and knows everything she'll never be.

Then there's Louis. There's his depression that no one in her family even acknowledges, there are the marks on his arms that shouldn't be lining a twelve-year-olds body. Dominique wants to help, tries desperately to help, but she's losing faith. Nothing's helping and she feels selfish for thinking of her problems when her brother is hurting so badly. She decided long ago that she would be there for him, that she would be strong for him. She doesn't falter in her strength (at least not when other people are watching). Some nights, it all comes crashing down.

Dominique's addicted to sleep potions, dreamless potions, any potion that has to do with sleep, really. She tries desperately not to use them, but late at night her strength falters (she feels so weak). Then the horrendous dreams and the terrifying nightmares prance across her mind, mocking her silently, relentlessly, night after night, scorching her thoughts and blazing fire through her soul. She takes them to soothe the pain… but the pain never really goes away.

Agony.

Memories of the deaths… memories of Grandma Weasley.

Distress.

Flashes of pain…Louis' scars dripping with blood.

Misery.

Inappropriate feelings…James' face far too close to her own.

Are you convinced yet?

(The sad part is: knowing this won't make your own pain disappear. Knowing others are suffering won't dull your own pain. It might stop the jealousy.)

Thanks for reading and your thoughts are always welcome and appreciated. :)

For: Not for the faint of heart competition (Operation Angst)

Harry potter spells competition (Langlock)