Title: No One Should Ever Be Alone
Rating: K
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Colin Creevey, Minerva McGonagall
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 642
Summary: Colin is always alone, and Minerva wants to change that.
Notes:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Magical Objects & Their Uses Class – Write about a character who's shy, or struggles to make friends.
Rummikub: Prompt Used – Colin Creevey
Game of Life Challenge: prompts Used – Gift, Honor, Acting
Stratego: Prompt Used – Fire
Fanfiction Tournaments Competition: Write about a known Hogwarts Professor (I chose McGonagall)
Taming the Muse Livejournal Challenge: Prompt Used – Gorgon
Minerva sighs as she watches her lions. There is Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Their heads are bent together, whispering to each other urgently. She wonders what they're up to before shaking her suspicions away. No matter what the three of them do and how many rules they break to do it, their hearts are always in the right places. She knows the three of them are a gift to the Gryffindor house. They are dedicated, brave, and have honor, just like true lions. She couldn't be more proud of them.
Her gaze goes over the room, seeing how friends all gather together. There are groups playing gobstones and chess. Others are doing homework or just reading for fun. Others are simply talking. Many of the girls giggle as they watch the boys. More than one pair of eyes lingers on Harry, and Minerva knows the humble savior isn't even aware of the extra attention, too caught up in whatever he's doing with his own friends.
She continues to move her gaze around the room, and it lands on Colin. She frowns. The young boy is alone. He seems to always be alone, something that is odd for a Gryffindor. They usually travel together, but Colin never seems to have company.
He's playing with his camera, taking pictures of everyone in the common room. Everyone ignores him, though, used to Colin's annoying photography.
Until now, Minerva has never noticed how Colin seems to always be alone, on the fringe of the socializing, never included, but always there, watching and waiting. She knows he's acting like he's fine with it but wonders if he's truly not bothered. The camera is a way for Colin to hide. Minerva understands that for the first time as she watches him look through it, zeroing in on his next picture. The camera makes it so Colin doesn't have to get involved; it's a safety net, a protection from heartbreak.
Walking over to Colin, she pauses and looks at Dean's drawing before she completely passes by the table he's sharing with Seamus. It looks like a picture of a gorgon. She wonders how Dean knows what the Greek creature even looks like as it's not something his year, or previous years, have studied. She shakes the thought out of her head and continues on her way.
She stops before Colin, and he raises his head, fire in his eyes. When he sees it a professor that fire cools. "Hello, Professor McGonagall."
"Mr. Creevey." She nods. "Is there a reason why you're here all alone?"
He shrugs as if it's no big deal. "I'm always alone."
"Well, you shouldn't be. Why don't you go join in on one of the groups? Maybe you can join your brother and his friends."
He looks longingly at Harry's group, ignoring her words about Dennis, and Minerva prays he's not going to choose that group. She still remembers how much he annoyed Harry during his first year. He shakes his head, though. "They all find me annoying."
She smiles softly. "That's probably because you're constantly sticking your camera in their faces. How about you let it go for a bit, and just go by yourself."
He seems to clutch the camera tighter to his body. "I'm not sure I can."
"You won't know unless you try," she prods.
He bites his bottom lip, and she knows he's thinking about it. She's not sure if he'll change his approach at all, but at least the thought is now buzzing around in his head like an angry pixie. She'll keep an eye on him, and hopefully he'll learn that he doesn't have to hide behind his camera. Next chance she gets, she's going to make him get out of his comfort zone and socialize without his camera around his neck. No one should ever be alone.