Jaden walked outside Hogwarts' brightly lit campus, hoping it would rain soon. Her shoes padded the dry grass and stone steps as she idly made her way to the great hall for lunch. She had some spare time before everyone else arrived and she enjoyed the serenity of being alone among such tall trees and boulders. She appreciated every smell, for there were hundreds of them floating about. Above, two owls flew above; one taking a letter from somewhere inside the school, another delivering one. They cooed when they saw each other, and one flapped its wings abruptly, causing a feather to come loose. They were so close that she thought she could catch the feather, but it floated off in the breeze. She had a sudden urge to follow and find it. Why not, she thought. I have time. Maybe I'll start a collection or something.
She watched it drift past some shrubs and lift back into the air right when she thought it would land. She carried on like this for five minutes more, surprised at her amusement over something so simple, even childlike. When she finally picked it up and examined it, she found that it was worth the chase. It was dark gray with spots of silver and some black on the edges. Lost in thought, she didn't notice the approaching footsteps.
"Am I interrupting?"
Jaden looked up, startled. It was Bryan, a six-year like her. He wore his yellow and black scarf loosely around his neck, shirt untucked.
"Not really." She placed the feather in her robes, a little embarrassed. He came closer to talk with her, jumping down from a rather high ledge, his medium length blonde hair rising as he fell, landing skillfully. "I was just about to go to lunch," she continued. He smiled. He was nice enough, but there was still something off about him that told her to stay away. Once, their fourth year, she'd caught him looking her up and down oddly. It wasn't quite a lustful look, just extremely interested. There had been something not right in his grey eyes. Odd, but not enough reason for her to avoid him completely.
"I'll walk you," he offered, smiling down at her. He was fairly tall for his age. She didn't answer, but began walking instead. As they walked, he tried to talk with her.
"So we're almost finished with school. Have any plans for summer?"
"Not really." Jaden didn't ask if he had plans.
"What do you usually do?"
She shrugged. "Hang around at house, do chores for my grandma."
"Really? Sounds pretty boring."
"Well thanks. I bet you have a whole vacation planned to the moon or something, don't you?"
He laughed. "Something like that." They were almost to the great hall now. "Wanna come with? I think I have an extra seat in the new spaceship my parents bought. Gets muggle TV and everything."
She laughed, but turned immediately to sit at Gryffindor table when they stepped inside. She had a hard time being social most of the time, and had no idea whatsoever how to handle a boy who might be interested in her. The only advice her grandmother would give her on the matter was that no boy who took the time to talk to and spend time with a girl just wanted to be friends, and Jaden was far from wanting a boyfriend in her life. She turned her attention to the sandwich in front of her, all thoughts of Bryan smothered.
Bryan, however, did not stop thinking about Jaden. He could see her from where he sat at the Hufflepuff table, though he tried very hard not to stare. But somehow her dark, almost black, hair always managed to fall in just the right place, her beautiful green-blue eyes dazzling in the daylight. He wondered if she knew how graceful every move she made was, how she even ate elegantly. Since he'd seen her, he automatically separated her from the other girls. She was different, though she and most other people didn't notice. It was in her step, the way she carried herself…her scent. Every time he tried to forget about her, it only made him think of her more, imagining her with him. He'd written her poems and countless letters, had even drawn her portrait one day in class, though he would never give them to her or let anyone see them.
He ate slowly, picking at his food, lost in thought. If only she knew how he felt. Would she tell him she felt the same? Would she be angry? He didn't want to take the risk of losing their already too few encounters, though sometimes he would fantasize himself asking her out and her saying yes. They were beautiful thoughts which now consumed his entire day, and then when he dreamt of her at night.
Jaden's day passed calmly, with only a couple homework assignments. She volunteered to help Professor McGonagall put away some classroom animals that they'd been working with that day, having nowhere but her dorm to return to and no one waiting for her. She had a few acquaintances, but none of them interested in her as much as Bryan, who she wasn't sure she could quite call a friend. When she was finished helping McGonagall, who thanked her appreciatively, she grabbed her bag and began to walk to her dorm. She said hello to Professor Flitwick on her way, who smiled and nodded. It was warm with a cool breeze, which she felt as she took the long outside to get to her dormitory. Once she arrived, she was surprised at what she found.
Bryan was standing off to the side of the entrance, arms crossed, one shoe against the wall behind him. She didn't know what to think of that. Was he waiting for someone? She refused to think he might be waiting for her, which was in fact the case, for Bryan perked up and went to her once he noticed she'd arrived.
"Erm, hi."
"Hi," she said awkwardly. He put his hands in his pockets, looking a little nervous. He didn't speak for a while.
"Something wrong?" she asked, wanting to get started on her homework.
"No, I just…just wanted to ask…" he moved a hand to his hair, rumpling it. Then he looked her in the eyes, being captivated once more. He let out a somewhat-frustrated sigh. "Never mind. It's nothing. Sorry." Then he was gone. Just like that. At any other time the situation would have been funny, but he had seemed so distraught, struggling with some internal decisions to which she was not aware. But soon her was out of sight, and she really did need to get started on her homework.
Bryan had ran the rest of the way back to his own room, ignoring the few people who asked if he was alright as he stormed through the common room. He got to his room and slammed the door, disappointment drenching him in anguish. Why couldn't he just ask her? He felt like such a coward.
A rustling caught his attention over by his bed. He turned to see Clint, a guy he knew a little, rummaging through the box he kept hidden under his bed. Clint stared back at him with wide eyes, knowing he'd been caught red handed. In his hand he held a stack of letters written for Jaden, a poem in the other. They both froze for a second, but Bryan was quicker to recover, storming over to Clint and tearing the pages from him.
"What did you read?" was all Bryan could get out. He was shaking with fury.
"Not much…. the box was open-"
"Bull shit! I keep that thing locked for a reason."
"Yeah… It's a good reason too. You're freakin' obsessed with that Jaden chick. Seriously, are you stalking her or something? " Clint tried not to smirk, but Bryan saw it. In an instant Bryan had him pinned down on the floor, punching him repeatedly in the face. Clint hadn't expected such a reaction, and was unprepared. When he finally pulled out his wand, Bryan grabbed it from him, throwing it over his shoulder, getting out his own and pointing it to Clint's chest. He used a few spells he'd picked up from a friend he used to have third year. They were spells that were banned on school grounds, or really anywhere else, but they weren't exactly under the category of Unforgivable. But they still hurt like hell, and Bryan knew it from experience. Clint writhed defenselessly under the spell, a line of blood emerging from his ear.
"Stop! I didn't-AH! Stop!" Bryan released him from the spell but did not get off of him. He enjoyed the look of terror in Clint's eyes. He deserved to pay for sticking his nose where it didn't belong.
"If you ever touch anything of mine again, I swear I'll murder you in your fucking sleep." To make sure he got the point, Bryan stood up and kicked Clint brutally a few times, until he was coughing loudly. Bryan cleaned up the papers and put them back into the box, which had been unlocked using a spell, he guessed. He would be sure to put extra spells on it to ensure that no one ever opened it again. He was sweating and still cross when Clint scuttled over to the door.
"Freak," was all Clint could say before sprinting from the room, holding the side of his head with the blood. Bryan waited a long time to feel some sort of guilt, but it never came. With time, he only felt better. He knew that Clint had earned what he got and he would not bother him again. But what surprised him was how good it made him feel. The experience of his fist pounding against Clint's jaw, watching him tremor as the spell flooded over him, how he shook with horror. Though he wouldn't let himself think on it too much, he almost wanted Clint to pull something again. So he could be taught another lesson.