House Pride & False Prejudice
It is a lie universally acknowledged that a person that is sorted into Hufflepuff must be in want of a brain. It never minds how many different inventors, politics and celebrities passed through the house: the general consensus was that Hufflepuffs? They weren't very smart.
Maybe they never won the Quidditch Cup, or the House Cup, but those things weren't nearly as important as people made them to be – not, at least, to Hufflepuffs. While Gryffindor and Slytherin seemed to thrive on competition, Hufflepuff was more about cooperation. Points didn't matter – being happy did.
Now, Elena found it extremely unfair that their house was the one "tainted" by their lack of victories when Ravenclaw hardly ever won it – and they were supposed to be the smart ones. They were said to be genius and scholars, but she could point a few students that weren't from that house with much better results.
Not that she knew that many students outside her own house – sure, Slytherins acted as if Hufflepuffs were dirt underneath their feet, but Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were generally nice towards Hufflepuffs. Well. People said they were nice – Elena found them mostly condescending.
So, it seemed only natural that she'd feel at the same time thrilled and unsure when the letter came naming her a Prefect. Clearly professor Dumbledore found her trustworthy enough to give her responsibility over other students, it was good to see that her efforts were noted – and, of course, she should also thank Professor Sprout for being unfailingly patient with her in the face of her clumsiness. She could picture that had she been a Gryffindor, Professor McGonagall would have passed her name over because she couldn't, well, behave like a proper young lady; but there was nothing lady-like in Professor Sprout's manner, yet another reason to be thankful for being a Hufflepuff.
She was right where she belonged.
But it didn't stop her from being nervous about meeting the rest of the Prefects.
It became quite clear that she had been right to fear it when she came to find that Bill Weasley had been nominated Head Boy. He had been absolutely annoying as just prefect, but now he was bound to be insufferable. He took a great care to introduce them all to the other prefects – in her year, there had been almost none surprises – Gryffindor had selected Arthur Pendragon, which was a given since he was almost as popular as Charlie Weasley even when he didn't play Quidditch (he was also the head of the duel club, though, and very good at it; Elena would even like him if their parents hadn't always intended them for each other; it was so medieval and none of Arthur's fault, but it didn't mean she could help not liking him) along with Sophia Timor and they looked like a pair of vases in their golden hair and blue eyes; Slytherin, on the other hand, had chosen Arthur's twin sister, Morgana, and the two of them were as different as day and night. Her partner, Mordred, looked more like her brother than Arthur did. Beyond Elena, Hufflepuff had gotten Leon as a peer prefect; which suited her well – she loved Leon, he was sweet and loyal and caring, and the best friend she could hope for. Ravenclaw had chosen Merlin Emrys, who she absolutely adored because he was just as clumsy as she was; although really smart. He also had a way with potions and herbology that she lacked for all that Professor Sprout was her head of house. His partner was a girl she didn't really know – Mithian was unlike Elena in every way; beautiful, lady-like, popular and funny.
So, of course, that was exactly who she was paired with when Weasley decided that they needed to have more interaction with the other houses. Truth be said, it could be worse – Leon had been paired with Mordred, who barely looked at him; and Sophia had been paired with Morgana which would have gotten more of Elena's sympathy if it hadn't been for the effect that it avoided that SHE was paired with Morgana who could do nothing but smirk at her. Of course that it would still be better than whatever happened between the two girls, they had hated each other since forever, and it hadn't gotten better after one's brother had briefly dated the other on the previous year. Arthur and Merlin, she knew, were sort of friends for years although she couldn't stop herself from giggling at the memory of their first encounter, how Arthur had bullied everyone around until Merlin showed up and put him in his place.
That made Mithian look at her funny. Of course.
"What is it?" the girl asked, looking curious.
"I was just remembering..." Elena giggled again. "Merlin and Arthur's first encounter."
She had expected the other girl to dismiss the comment or to laugh alongside, but the girl looked at the same time longing and disappointed.
"They're inseparable", she agreed, after a moment. "Annoyingly so. I think I see Arthur almost more than the other boys in my year; he's always around – either that or they're both gone."
"Is this a problem?" Elena asked, unable to stop herself. "I mean, you don't like him?"
"I like him well enough" she sniffed, looking away. "I just feel... He takes up too much of Merlin's time."
Elena looked at her partner and even if Mithian was trying to hide, Elena could see through her.
"You like him!" it made her feel confused. "Merlin. You like him like him."
Mithian looked at her, bewildered.
"Is this news?"
"What do you mean?" Elena asked, confused. "Shouldn't it be?"
Mithian shrugged.
"I just figured..."
"What?"
"That Leon would've told you, since you're so close" he took a deep breath, "About when he asked me out last year?"
The blond girl shook her head – she had known about the plan, of course, but since her friend never spoke of it again, she thought he had thought better of it. Leon was amazing, but Mithian was just... One of those girls everyone wanted and she didn't want him to get hurt.
"He did? I thought he had given up on that. I mean. No offense, but I was pretty sure you'd say no – I just didn't expect Merlin to be the reason."
"There's nothing wrong with him" Mithian replied, clearly trying to hold her temper and failing.
"Of course not" Elena agreed, and it may have been a bit too quick because the brunette looked at her suspiciously. "He's absolutely precious – adorable, even – but I would've thought Arthur was more your type – all princely and well-built, and popular. It'd be a good match."
Mithian scoffed at the thought, and Elena kept her silence as they walked through the rest of the wagons. Trust her mouth to ruin a completely decent conversation.
The thing was that when Weasley said they should work more with people on the other houses, he really meant it. As soon as the first day of classes begun and their patrolling schedules for the week were given, Elena saw that she had no rounds with Leon. Honestly, she was working with everyone else, just not with him.
That night, for example, she'd be stuck with Morgana – as if having to come back to school wasn't punishment enough.
In the end, it wasn't as bad as she had thought. Morgana prattled on a lot about how awful Sophia was (everyone agreed), how annoying her brother was (Elena couldn't disagree), how hot Bill was (honestly, it didn't even need to be said). They had laughed and had fun, and somehow she had found herself grateful that even if she did end up married to Arthur against all her wishes, it still wouldn't be so bad – not when she had Morgana to mock him with and not when she offered to train with her for broom races (Elena couldn't walk without tripping in her own feet, but she surely knew how to use a broom).
The following night she had spent with Mordred, and he had been silent but nice – his eyes were guarded, though, unlike in the previous evening when they had crossed him following Arthur like a puppy. Morgana had mocked both mercilessly for it, but Arthur seemed equally mortified and proud, while Mordred seemed impervious to her mean comments – probably too used to them.
The night after that she walked around with Sophia, and once more she found herself liking Morgana more than she had thought possible before. The girl was awful and there was no way to disguise it. It was also the first night they actually found something in their patrolling; Gwen Smith and Lance Benoick had been snogging in an empty corridor and Sophia had not only taken points from both Hufflepuff (for Gwen) but also from Gryffindor (for Lance) but also resorted to calling the girl a slut although they hadn't been doing anything other than kissing and had been together for over an year.
The fourth night, finally, she was once again with Mithian. Elena couldn't explain why she wanted to be on rounds with her again so badly, but probably it was because she felt awful about bringing up something that was clearly painful. As the two of them walked away from the Great Hall and took a turn towards the generally empty hallways of the ground floor, Elena couldn't help but speak.
"Do you hate me?"
Mithian looked at her, clearly completely at loss.
"No?" the other girl said, tentatively. "Why would I hate you?"
Elena shrugged and the shrug became a tumble that only stopped with Mithian's arm securing her through the elbow.
"I thought... You were upset, that day, on the train."
Mithian gave her half a nod and half a head shake, before smiling.
"I was... surprised, not upset. I can't understand why you'd think Arthur was my type – I mean, word is that you are meant to marry him."
Elena snorted at that, and Mithian looked at her evenly.
"Not if I can help it" Elena answered, honestly. "Arthur and I just... We have nothing in common. You and him on the other hand – it just seemed to fit. I mean, you're both gorgeous, popular... Unlike Merlin or me."She gave a sigh, and as she saw Mithian's expression she rushed to apologize. "Not that Merlin isn't gorgeous, I mean, have you seen that mouth? Gosh, what a stupid thing to say, of course you have, and he's clever too, and funny, and I'm totally not saying he's not worth it, it's just..."
Elena couldn't explain it, not really, how weird it made her feel.
"Just what?"
"He's just so clumsy!" she said, finally. That made Mithian laugh.
"You're one to talk!"
It was Elena's turn to blush and stutter, unsure.
"Yes – that's the point – he's exactly like me. Clumsy, with a perpetual inability to straighten his clothes and is always putting his foot on his mouth."
Mithian raised her eyebrows at the comment.
"It seems like you have a crush on him" she said, frowning.
Elena let out a loud guff of laughter that rang through the empty hallways.
"Believe me, he's not my type."
Mithian didn't seem to believe her. There was something absolutely closed off about her expression.
"If you say so..."
And once again Elena was feeling left like a fool. But that was ok – that was what Hufflepuffs were known for after-all.
On Friday she made the rounds with Arthur, and it was just as she expected – he was polite, but distant, as he had always been. One thing you had to give Arthur was that he was nothing if not a gentleman.
On Saturday, her partner was Merlin and she didn't mean to say anything, really, but of course that what she meant to say and what she actually said were completely different things – they often were.
They had been walking and talking for some half an hour when her mouth took the best of her.
"So, what's with you and Mithian?"
Merlin seemed startled at the question.
"What?"
"I mean, why aren't you two a couple already?"she pressed, unable to stop once she started. Even through the candlelight she could see his neck and the tip of his ears had gotten red.
"I like Mithian a lot..." the boy said, looking everywhere but Elena. "But I don't think it's like that..."
"Why not?" Elena pressed, confused. "I mean – she's gorgeous, and smart, and just everything one could ask for."
Merlin gave her a funny look she didn't completely understand.
"Yes" he agreed, nodding. "It's just..." his shoulders sagged. "It's more complicated than that."
It took Elena just a moment to figure it all out.
"There's someone else" she said, and he gave her a half-nod, his whole features tinted in red. "And does this someone else return your feelings?" she asked, sharply.
It broke her heart the way his face fell, the answer clear even before he shook his head and answered.
"I don't think so."
"You wanna know what I think?" Elena asked, not waiting for confirmation before moving on. "I think that whomever this girl is, she's not worth it if she doesn't see how amazing you are" that made Merlin look at her, startled. "I mean, you're a great guy, and easy on the eyes too, and smart and if she doesn't see it, she's not worth it. There's no point in pining for someone who's blind when you have someone as wonderful as Mithian wanting you."
Merlin gave her a long, funny look and tripped as they were now climbing the stairs to the thirds floor. Elena tried to help him, and only ended up getting herself stuck in one of the steps that everyone knew that must be hopped over (she often forgot, it was true, she was used to getting stuck). Merlin moved on to help her, his just sprained wrist making it harder, and they were found in a matter of seconds by Arthur and Morgana, who lost no time in making fun of Merlin's clumsiness and Elena being a perfect match for him. As Arthur said that, she saw Merlin's face grow red with embarrassment rather than his usual anger and he clearly bit back one of the funny retorts that were known to be the basis of their friendship.
He looked helpless as Arthur continued to taunt him, and while the blond prefect didn't see it, Elena saw the way Merlin looked at Morgana, as if pleading, and the knowing, dismissive smirk in her face.
Oh, wasn't that just great?
"I know your secret" Elena said, sitting by Merlin's side in the next breakfast. The boy looked at her, completely startled.
"You what?" he squeaked, and she patted him on his hand.
"You're in love with Morgana" she announced, a smile on her lips. "And she's both you're best friend's sister and just too much for you. I get it – I mean, I get the appeal, she's just shy of perfect, but Merlin..." the blond girl sighed. "You really should give Mithian a chance."
"You get the appeal?" was his only answer, a smirk on his face.
"I do, I mean – you just need to look at her to see it, but, really, no offense but she's never going to go for you – honestly, isn't she seeing Mordred?"
That made him splutter and look truly as if he was about to get sick. She patted his back in comfort, but that only made Merlin lean too much on the table and sent the jar of milk spinning through the table. Some people gave them exasperated looks, as Merlin ran to magic away the milk in his clothes.
"He's her nephew – half-nephew, something like that" Merlin replied, finally, not looking at her. "I'm sure they aren't dating."
He ran to drink a rather large sip of his milk, and Elena used the opportunity to press her point.
"Still – you should give Mithian a chance."
"What are we talking about in this fine morning?" Arthur asked, sitting himself across Merlin, as if he didn't have a whole other table – then again, no one seemed to blink an eye at it, it was a common occurrence. His eyes took the mess in the table, Elena's concentrated face and Merlin's milk whiskers, the way some of it was still dripping through the corner of his mouth and frowned in question.
"Morgana's love life" Merlin replied at the same time Elena said "Merlin's love life."
That made Arthur raise his eyebrows, seeming as if he was going to be sick.
"Not this again... For the tenth time, Merlin, Morgana's out of bounds" Merlin seemed even more uncomfortable now, and Elena pitied him. "Really, do you think you can compete with Bill Weasley?"
"It's nothing like,..." Merlin started, but Elena's shocked words drowned his.
"She's seeing Bill Weasley?"
Arthur shrugged and Merlin nodded, both looking somewhat queasy at the idea although probably for completely different reasons.
"I was telling Merlin he should give up on Morgana and go out with Mithian instead" Elena filled Arthur in the conversation, and the blond's interest was perked up by that.
"That's a great idea, Elena" he replied, as Merlin's face burn with embarrassment. "You should go out with Mithian."
"No, you should go out with her" answered Merlin, childishly.
"Trust us, Merlin, we know what's best for you" Arthur said, and Elena giggled at his eyebrows raised in taunt and challenge.
"Gosh, you're horrible people" he complained, putting his mug away and standing up in a swirl of robes and loud voice. "You're so perfect for each other – I hope you have a dozen of blond haired meddlesome babies and forget that I exist."
He turned around and left the two of them behind, absolutely ashamed, as all the eyes in the great hall turned towards them.
The thing about Hufflepuffs is that they're really hard working. And hard-work involves not stopping until they finally fulfilled their tasks, and Elena had given herself the task of convincing Merlin to take Mithian out before Halloween – and has Halloween was in two days, she had very little time to make him ask her out.
This, of course, was easier said than done. She used every opportunity she had to press the point, always being careful not to do it around Arthur lest Merlin decided to pair them up again; but Mithian had been right – finding one without the other was almost impossible. If she didn't know better, Elena would think they were the in same house for how often they were together.
"They pine when they have classes apart" Morgana agreed, two weeks afterward. "It would be cute if it weren't so annoying."
"I'm trying to get Merlin to ask Mithian out" she confided, with a sigh, and that made Morgana laugh.
"Good luck with that."
It was clear by her tone that Morgana didn't think she'd be successful, and it struck Elena as both rude and too cock-sure since it was her the object of his unrequited passion. She clearly didn't care about him that way, but she acted as if Mithian could never even be considered as something of a competition and that was just awful.
Because Mithian was competition – she was gorgeous, smart, funny and had an unending patient with Elena's clumsiness and with Arthur's sudden inability to survive, with Morgana's teasing and Sophia's mean streak, she knew how to keep her silence around Mordred, and how to be nice to Leon without leading him on, at the same time she was close to Merlin and never pushed her feelings to be acknowledged or deal it, and was, all and all, just an amazing person.
Elena was just reminding Merlin of that for the second time that day when he stopped dead in his tracks and turned towards her.
"Don't you think you're a bit over-invested in Mithian's love life?"
Elena could do little but blink at him.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"It's just..." he made a general movement with his arm, motioning to everything around. "You seem keener on me asking her out than she is."
"That's because she's giving you space" replied Elena, shaking her head. What a silly thing he was. "Because she doesn't think she can compete with Morgana for your affections."
"For the tenth time" he said, tiredly. "There's nothing between me and Morgana, there has never been and there will never be."
"Which is why you should ask Mithian out" agreed Elena, happy that he was seeing sense, and Merlin just huffed.
"Elena, sweetheart" his voice was strained. "Why do you think Mithian is a good match for me?"
"She's just..." Elena shook her head, at loss for words. She had already told him everything before.
"Kind?" he asked, and she nodded. "And really bright? And with an amazing sense of humor?"
"See? You know it too."
He nodded his eyes full of some mysterious feeling.
"Yes, and what else?"
"Well, she knows how to deal with clumsy people, for example" Elena said, her head tilting. "I mean, she'd never taunt you as Morgana and Arthur do, she never does that to me at least, and..."
"Doesn't she now?" Merlin said, cutting through her, with laughter in his voice. "What else?"
"She knows how to listen – she values other people's perspective. She's always attentive when someone tells her something."
"And?"
"She's funny – she makes the best jokes, really, when you're expecting her to look at you funny she goes and does something so childish that it cracks you up."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Do you find her beautiful?"
"Yeah" agreed Elena, nodding enthusiastically. "I mean – she has such a pretty nose, and it really fits her face, and her eyes may be brownish, but they aren't dull, they're deep, and you seem to like thin lips – she has them too. And boobs, of course, all you boys think about and she's doing well in that area" Elena tilted her head, a bit confused. "I think, at least, but really..."
"... But, really, Elena, you're not thick. Can't you see it?"
"What?"
"That everything you're saying – it's not about Mithian being perfect for me, it's about how she's perfect for you!"
"No!" Elena denied, quickly, just as her mind took a complete detour to actually wonder how the other girl would taste like. "No, it's not like that."
"It is exactly like that" he said, unbending. "And I'm sorry, I won't ask her out so you'll feel like you're dating her by proxy."
"You're totally and completely..."
"It's alright" Merlin said, all his harshness gone, his eyes soft and understanding – and how Elena hated them. "It's quite alright. Haven't you heard that music? It's ok to be gay."
"I'm not" Elena squeaked, and wasn't that just great?
Merlin snorted at that and shrugged.
"Well, I am. So, please, do us both a favour and quit trying to hook me up with Mithian."
Merlin turned around and walked away, and suddenly everything made sense.
Of course Merlin wasn't in love with Morgana. Merlin had never been in love with Morgana. Merlin would never be in love with Morgana. And of course Morgana knew who he was in love with, of course she would scoff and laugh when she spoke of setting him up with Mithian because, really, that would never work. And, clearly, Mithian had figured everything out ages ago, because she was not stupid, and maybe, just maybe, there was some truth to what people said about Hufflepuff being stupid because there had been obvious all along and she had been too blind to see that Merlin had been pining for Arthur for years. On the other hand, Arthur seemed to be also completely oblivious, so, maybe it wasn't a House thing.
… She was, of course, not ready to think about the other things Merlin had said, because, really, it was just ridiculous – not the being gay part, of course not, because even if she had denied him vehemently, she had always known she liked girls far better than she could ever hope to like boys – but, no, not Mithian, not like this. She'd never…
…Go there, because, really, she didn't anything to be more complicated in her life, damn.
"So, Merlin likes boys" Elena stated to her new friend as they got rounds together again that night.
Mithian seemed a bit startled by her sentence, but gave her a shrug and a nod.
"Figured it out?"
"Nah" Elena shook her head, walking alongside her. "He had to tell me."
Mithian snorted, but it wasn't unkind – she was clearly picturing the scene.
"Were you very disappointed?" the Ravenclaw asked, grinning at her.
"Not really" Elena replied, frowning and shrugging. "I mean – at least it makes me understand why he refused to see reason and ask you out."
Mithian gasped and turned towards her in surprise.
"That was why he ended up telling you?"
Elena's mouth, of course, was her downfall. She should have kept quiet.
"I kinda was trying to talk him into it?" she asked, running a hand through her hair in an effort not to look at the other girl.
"Elena!" Mithian said, but her voice was full of fond exasperation, the same sort of tone she had heard Arthur using with Merlin a thousand times, and her heartbeat picked up totally against her will. "You shouldn't have."
"I know" the other girl said, limbs flailing in a haste to apologize. "It was not my place, but, really, I just…"
Mithian giggled, shaking her head.
"You can't help yourself, I know" she shook her head once again. "You're amazing like that."
Elena stopped, dead in her tracks, her mind running faster than she wished it to.
"You're not mad?"
Mithian shook her head, smiling.
"I'm honored that you'd go that far – surprised that Merlin would tell you…"
"I bet it hurt you like hell when he first told you" Elena said, unable to hold her words.
"A little, but, really, it's ok. I've always known – even before he said anything, even before I figured I was into him, even before… I've always known there was no place in his heart for anyone but Arthur" she shrugged. "It didn't make me like him any less - knowing that it would never be – I've always had a thing for impossible loves, really, it wasn't the first time" she sighed looking Elena through the corner of her eye. "Certainly won't be the last."
And that was something that Elena knew too well – wanting what she could never have; and isn't it just what she had gotten herself into while trying to set her new mates up? She took a deep breath, walking again and reaching Mithian's side.
"You never know" she said, punching her friend lightly. "You might get lucky next time."
"Let's hope so" Mithian agreed, smiling prettily at her, and Elena was so far gone it wasn't even funny. "You know what, whatever else, this whole Merlin-debacle has given me more good things than bad things."
"What do you mean?" the blond asked, still a bit off-track after such a smile.
"I got you" Mithian said, punching her arm back, much more lightly than Elena had. "A good friend is hard to find."
"A good friend?" she replied, finally, recovering from the sentence, and walking in step with Mithian. "I feel like I've just brought back your pain and things you'd rather forget – that's not what a good friend would do."
"Believe me" Mithian said, her eyes shining with mirth and affection. "You didn't – you made it better" she captured Elena's fingers in her hand, squeezing it. "You make it better – as you do with everything."
And if Elena's heart soared with these simple, friendly words, no one needed to know. There was no one around to second-guess her open smile, or the way she squeezed Mithian's hand back, no one to watch the way their fingers intertwined or how the other girl pulled her closer, head tilting down and lips brushing her cheek lightly before she turned and made it into a kiss – a real kiss, soft and honest, that Elena replied with absolutely zero technique and all the feeling she had been ignoring in these last few weeks, and, really – she should really, really thank Bill Weasley.
When Mithian pulled back, there was a mischievous streak to her smile.
"Classroom?" she asked, her voice low and tentative, head tilting towards one of the many empty classrooms around them. Elena could do little but nod, a smiling spreading in her face as they giggled and walked toward one of the doors, opening it…
But there were people already inside – it took her but a moment to fully grasp what she was seeing – the desperate way Merlin was inside, clutching to Arthur's black-and-red robes, the way Arthur pulled at Merlin's blue-and-silver tie, their lips locked in a desperate kiss for a split of a second before both turned towards them – Merlin looking sheepishly and Arthur relieved.
"Oh, finally!" the blond said, looking at Mithian, although that was what Elena had been about to say – or think. "I was getting tired of pretending"
"What?" Elena said, absolutely confused, as Merlin slapped his friend – boyfriend? – arm.
"Well done, Mit" he said, standing up. "Come on, Arthur, let's find another empty classroom – let them."
"You owe me one" Arthur said, still looking at the Ravenclaw, and Elena saw that Mithian was blushing and her head started to rush, bits and pieces fighting to get into place.
"Did I miss something?" Elena asked, looking from the retreating boys to the brunette beside her.
Mithian only giggled, shaking her head and pulling Elena close.
"God, I love Hufflepuffs."
And while Elena knew it was probably something she should have objected in the sentence and tone, she found it very hard to care as Mithian cradled her face and kissed her again.
It took Elena a while to understand just how her so-called friends had all conspired to make her finally notice Mithian – that, it seemed, had pinned after her for years. She knew she should've felt angry at all of them – Morgana and Bill, Arthur and Merlin, but, really, she (and Mithian, of course) felt nothing but the warmest gratitude to those that by bringing her into their inter-house insanity had been the means of uniting them.