AN: All recognisable characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, falling in love with you was beyond my control."
- Unknown
...
If I wear a mask, I can fool the world
But I can not fool my heart
Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
...
Daphne Greengrass stared at herself in the mirror. She had just brushed on the finishing touches of her make-up.
Her wavy blonde hair reached the middle of her back, and emerald-green eyes stared back at her. Her cheekbones had a dusting of blush, and her eyebrows were perfectly shaped. Her lips were slightly pouted, and were a soft colour of fuchsia. Her eyelashes were bold, and brought out her brilliant eyes.
She looked perfect.
And she looked like a complete stranger.
...
"SLYTHERIN!"
Eleven-year-old Daphne hopped off the stool, grateful that she'd been Sorted. She didn't know if she could stand the humiliation of not being Sorted; after all, she wasn't brave, she wasn't particularly witty. She was loyal and hardworking, up to a point, but after hearing that Hufflepuffs were for wussies, she didn't want to be Sorted in there.
She had wanted her younger sister to look up at her in admiration. She didn't want to tell Astoria she was sorted into the loser house, as a boy from the train called it.
But now she could tell Astoria about the pride of Slytherin.
Other first years sat in the seats around her. There was that boy from the train—the blonde one who said Hufflepuffs were losers. Beside him were his two bodyguards. Another boy with black hair and muddy-green eyes took the seat beside her.
She knew his name to be Theodore Nott. He didn't look at her; in fact, he didn't look at anyone. Daphne thought he was the very meaning of Slytherin: cold, slightly unfriendly, wanted to be left alone.
And so she ignored him.
...
Thirteen-year-old Daphne prowled the library. She was looking for this one book for her Potions homework, and it just simply chose not to exist for her.
She sat down, huffing, having given up ever finding the elusive book, and decided to work on her Transfiguration essay first. She worked steadily, only looking up occasionally to check the clock. She knew she should be back in the common room by 8pm, and she still had to work on the Potions essay as well.
She wasn't particularly stressing; she was achieving an average of E's in her classes. She just wanted the Potions essay over and done with, so she could read Hogwarts: A History.
When it was half an hour to eight, she stood and packed up. She pulled all her books into her bag, and walked around the Potions section, searching one last time. She noticed someone was looking through the shelves.
Theodore Nott.
Daphne ignored him. She and Theodore never talked; she hardly saw anyone talk to Theodore Nott. He preferred being by himself, and everyone respected his wishes.
She was interrupted from her mulling by spotting the book she'd been looking for. She reached an arm, and grabbed the book at the exact same time Theodore Nott did, too.
She blushed a little at the contact, and withdrew her hand. Theodore Nott pulled it down, looking at her. Without saying a word, he offered her the book.
"Oh, no, it's alright, you can use it first," she mumbled.
His muddy-green eyes stared into hers. "No, it's okay. I saw you walking around the library before; were you looking for this book?"
Daphne prevented her mouth from dropping with great difficulty. Theodore Nott had just spoken to her? What was the world coming to? "Oh, um. Yes, but it's okay, you can read it first."
He gently pushed the book into her hand. "No, I insist. You must have spent a while looking for it."
"Oh, well, um. Thank you," she said softly, still blushing.
He seemed uncomfortable being around her. He turned, and began to walk away. Without thinking, Daphne reached out a hand and held his arm, pausing him.
"Wait," she said. He turned around obediently, his eyes questioning. She blushed again, before offering her hand. "I'm Daphne. Daphne Greengrass."
He stared at her, as if he couldn't believe she was talking to him. Regardless, he shook her hand. "Theo Nott."
He continued on his way, leaving a blushing Daphne behind.
...
Pulling on the green dress, Daphne scowled a little. She couldn't be called the dress-y type. She looked at herself in the mirror, and declared herself passable, feeling incredibly self-conscious.
"Wow, Daph," she heard a voice behind her say. "You look gorgeous."
She smiled at Pansy Parkinson in the mirror. She and Pansy had formed a light friendship over their four years at Hogwarts. They weren't bosom buddies—Pansy preferred hanging with the more open Tracey Davis—but they were friends enough.
"Come here," Pansy said lightly. "I'll add a bit of make-up on your face. Turn a few heads."
Daphne grinned a little. "Do you think that'd be okay with Blaise?"
Pansy tutted while pointing her wand at Daphne's face. "Honey, that's the point; we're going to make Blaise jealous."
Pansy stepped away a minute later, and Daphne gazed at her new reflection. "Wow, that's beautiful. Thank you so much, Pansy."
The dark-haired witch smiled at the blonde. "You're welcome, Daph."
Daphne left for the common room, leaving Pansy to put on her dress. She carefully descended the steps, careful not to rip the green dress. She was met with the pleasantly surprised looks of her house-mates.
Blaise Zabini stepped forward, looking at her blissfully. He reached for her hand, and Daphne gave it to him, a little giddy. Together, they walked out of the common room and down to the Great Hall.
She and Blaise received a lot of appreciating looks. She positively glowed. She liked this feeling of being accepted, like she'd finally found her niche in the school, not just in Slytherin. She liked having people think her pretty, having people recognise her, and not because she seemed to be the only studying Slytherin.
She liked the attention.
As she entered the Great Hall with Blaise, she noticed one person look at her, then look away in the next moment, as if not liking the way she looked.
Theodore Nott.
Her eyes took him in, standing a little stiffly with Millicent Bulstrode. His jaw was clenched, as if he was restraining himself with great difficulty. She tried to wave at him, but he wasn't looking. She frowned a little. Wasn't Theo her friend?
She tried to tug Blaise in their direction, but Theo seemed to have caught on to her plan—he walked away with Millicent holding on to his arm.
For the first time in her life, Daphne felt a stab of jealousy.
...
She could safely say everything had changed since the Yule Ball of their fourth year. She had spent the remainder of that year being brushed off by Theo, who seemed to want nothing more of their friendship.
She had also spent the remainder of that year crying in the girls' dormitory, the light make-up on her face melting as the tears spilled.
Theodore had been her friend since their third year. He wasn't particularly loquacious, but he'd been there. He accepted her for who she was, books and nerdy looks and all. And now, he was just shrugging her off, not talking to her anymore.
The rebuff had caused her pain. So much pain. She didn't even know why Theo's continuous ignoring of her caused her all that pain. It wasn't like he was friendly with everyone else.
But that's what made her friendship with Theo so special, Daphne realized. Because she was the only one he talked to, and he was the only one she confided in.
She didn't know what to do anymore. Pansy had found her crying once, and had asked her what was wrong. She had freely told Pansy what had happened, and the girl had had a knowing twinkle in her eye. She had whispered to Daphne that maybe Theo became jealous of Blaise. Daphne had refused to accept that; why would Theo ever become jealous of Blaise? She had asked Pansy why she was feeling like that, if it made sense, and the dark-haired witch answered confidently.
Daphne liked Theo.
At first, Daphne had been tempted to adamantly deny it. But now, looking back on those times they spent together, maybe she had.
Maybe she had fallen in love with Theodore Nott.
...
Daphne reached up a hand, and scrubbed the make-up off, her eyes unblinkingly taking in her reflection. Fifth-year had come and gone; Theo had pretended she didn't exist, and she'd taken the pain and buried it by becoming one of those girls.
She knew it was to get back at Theo for hurting her. She'd found the Slytherin boys had been attracted to her when she wore the make-up, when she left her books, when she became one of them.
She was just human; she wanted to feel liked, loved. She wanted to be appreciated. If Theo couldn't give her that, despite the fact that she liked him, then she'd had no choice but to move on, didn't she?
She left studious Daphne behind, opting for popular Daphne.
And she'd regretted it. Her O.W.L.s had suffered. Her shock and humiliation when the owl came in with a single E and a collection of A's, P's, and even D's were enough to jar her out of herself. She'd have to try her absolute best to get back on track this year, so that she could pass her N.E.W.T.s with higher marks.
She came out of the bathroom make-up free. She pulled all her books into her bag—much to the surprise of Pansy and Tracey—and proceeded out of the girls' dormitory. No one looked at her, no one smiled at her, no one noticed her.
No one, but him.
Theodore Nott.
...
I am now in a world where I
Have to hide my heart and what I believe in
But somehow, I will show the world
What's inside my heart, and be loved for who I am
...
.
.
.
AN:
Written for opaque-girl's challenge in the Gringott's thread.
Dedicated to Ellie and Lucy =]
Reflections by Christina Aguilera
Review your thoughts and opinions.