One Day

by silver-nightstorm

Because really, all she had done was change friends. This wouldn't effect the rest of her life. And, one day, she would apologize. One day, she would regain her trust. One day, she would make everything right.

Because really, all she had done was change friends. This wouldn't effect the rest of her life. And, one day, she would apologize. One day, she would regain her trust. One day, she would make everything right.

One Day

By silver-nightstorm

Words: 828

XX

"You're so stupid, Alecto!" They would laugh.

"But I'm not!" She wanted to reply. Because she really wasn't. Oh, Alecto Carrow knew better than the rest that she wasn't particularly pretty, or interesting, or wealthy, but she did know that she was smart. The hat had wanted to put her in Ravenclaw but Alecto Carrow always did what was expected of her so she made the stupidest decision of her life and asked to be sorted into Slytherin.

So maybe she really was stupid. But the hat thought she was smart so that must count for something, right?

She was in her third year when she finally got sick of it all. She was tired of trying to prove to others that she really was smart. She was tired of needing to prove that to others. So she simply stopped.

One day, on March 7th of her third year at Hogwarts, Alecto Carrow knocked on the door to the Ravenclaw common room. She knocked, and knocked, and knocked until Emmeline Vance opened the door and, upon seeing Alecto, laughed.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed. "Just answer the riddle like normal, silly!"

And Alecto started the first step of her big act. She blushed - which wasn't too difficult to fake because she wasn't really faking it, not really - and mumbled as she tucked a piece of red hair behind her ears, "I couldn't solve it." It was the moment that changed everything.

Emmeline, in her normal, big-sisterly ways, made an Aww!ing sound and pulled Alecto into the cozy Ravenclaw common room. She kept saying mindless consoling words that Alecto hardly paid attention to. Deep, deep, down, Alecto felt guilty. Emmeline was the only person who truly believed that she was smart. Couldn't she at least tell her the truth?

But no. For any deception to stand, there must be no exceptions. None. Ever. Period. And Alecto knew that better than anyone.

And even though Emmeline was the nicest girl she ever knew, Alecto knew just as well that she could never tell her the truth. She could still remember that day when she sat crying in the hallway earlier that year and Emmeline, without even knowing who she was, had come up and given her a big hug. Alecto had spilled her heart out to the pretty older girl. Travers had called her ugly and although she didn't particularly care for him, it still hurt when not one person jumped to her defense including her older brother. And Emmeline Vance had laughed. And she pulled Alecto's hair out of her stern bun and fluffed it up around her face.

"There!" she had said. "You're as pretty as a flower! And don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"

She had been the nicest person Alecto had ever known. And she still was the nicest person Alecto knew.

"Alecto? Alecto! Are you all right?"

She was pulled out of her musings by Emmeline's voice and noticed, belatedly, that she was crying. "It's nothing I... I just can't believe I couldn't solve the riddle," she sniffed hesitantly. "I... I guess I'm just stupid..."

"No!" Alecto jumped, shocked at how vehemently Emmeline protested. "No you're not! Don't you ever say that! It's just a silly riddle!"

Alecto just cried harder because she knew it wasn't enough. Emmeline would always defend her unless she did something so horrible, so unforgiveable that...

Three weeks later, Alecto was laughing with Bellatrix Black. She could she the barely suppressed disdain in the eyes of the other Pureblood girl. She knew that Black disliked her just as much, and probably more, than she disliked her. She knew that the Black girl was just the type of friend that her brother would like and Emmeline would hate. And she knew that she needed to join this cause that she spoke so fondly of.

"You wouldn't believe it, Alecto!" sighed Bellatrix. "The Dark Lord... to stand in his presence is such a gift! He is so powerful and so influential. To have him fight for Purebloods is the best! If you and your brother and your family join us, our cause would be furthered! And those filthy Mudbloods would return to their place!"

Emmeline passed the duo, just in hearing range, laughing with a blonde girl in her year. And Alecto took the last step. She gave sixteen-year-old Bellatrix Lestrange a big grin and said, with her heart heavy in her chest and her throat threatening to close up on her, "Oh, I totally agree! Those filthy Mudbloods have no right to anything in this world!"

Thirteen-year-old Alecto Carrow forced herself to remain outwardly oblivious of Emmeline's tears and concentrate instead on Bellatrix's proud expression. Because really, all she had done was change friends. This wouldn't effect the rest of her life. And, one day, she would apologize to Emmeline. One day, she would regain her trust. One day, she would make everything right.

XX

The Fanfiction Tournaments Competition - TOURNAMENT 3 THIRD YEAR - FINALS

The Ultimate Death Eater Competition - Alecto Carrow - "It was the moment that changed everything"

The 'Stretch Your Limits' Competition - Medium - Write about a Ravenclaw. You must write over 500 words.

The School Subjects Competition - Arithmancy

The Greek Mythology Competition - Athena - Goddess of wisdom, warfare, battle strategy, heroic endeavor, handicrafts, and reason

100 Characters Competition - Alecto Carrow - eyes

100 Different Pairings Competition - Alecto Carrow / Emmeline Vance - common room

The Pairing Diversity Boot Camp - Alecto Carrow / Emmeline Vance - oblivious

Inspiration Challenge - trust

Honeydukes Competition - Acid Pops