It's a Fine Line
CHAPTER I
Written by*: Laura and Utopia
The library was its usual that evening, nicely quiet besides the fluttering of the books sorting themselves out above, a blessed sanctuary for the curious of heart. In his secluded, well-lit corner nook, a teenaged boy with wavy bangs hanging to his cheek bones was perusing the pile of books he had set on his lamp table. His eyes flit over the spines and covers of the tomes, searching for a title which peaked his interest. The Labyrinth and the Sorcerer, no, no, he had read that one in his fourth year. He let the story float into the stream of books above him, knowing it would find its correct spot on the shelves by itself. As a Ravenclaw, the boy had spent his six years trying to absorb all he could from the vast collection the Library offered; it was not uncommon to fall upon the same book more than once, considering his literary taste was limited to adventure novels and muggle studies.
More titles with which he was familiar passed, and he began to become frusterated until he saw a red volume with golden leaves embossed into the cover. Fascinated with the bold colors, assuming some association with the Gryffindor house, he opened the untitled work to devour the new read. Inside was a story of a nervous herbologist and a wood nymph, how they met one spring while sewing seeds at a field and fell instantly in lo—
Immediately the Ravenclaw closed the book and sent it into the stream above his head. Sure, he loved adventure stories, but a romance? You have got to be kidding. His name was Liam O'Connor, and above all things, he was not a romantic—he did not believe that enduring love existed on this side of the grave. He scrunched his nose and the long, crooked figure of his father ascending on the stick of a broom, leaving him holding onto his beloved mother, her stomach swollen with the twins, and crying. Liam shrugged off the memory with a quiet chuckle and stood from his arm chair to gaze at the shelves for something else. He hated the idea of wooing women. All through the years, his peers and elder students all seemed to fall in love with a different person every week, breaking up with and cheating on anyone willing to date them. Liam didn't want to be rejected… and he didn't want to hurt any one. Therefore, why pursue a relationship at all?
Whilst gathering a new pile of books together, Liam's stewing thoughts were broken by loud laughter as someone pushed him from behind. Liam tumbled to the ground with his arm full of muggle studies books, and the tomes grunted in protest as they fell to the floor. The Ravenclaw blew his hair from his face and glared up at his attacker with annoyed green eyes.
"H-hey!" He stammered, realizing the guy standing above him was the Beater from the Slytherin team, Thomas Jameson. He was a rude jock who seemed to have everything… Good grades, a dad, a fun sister, looks, confidence… yeah, this guy was pretty much good at everything. Thomas smirked down at Liam.
"Oh," He said, pushing his long black hair back, and then he got down to Liam's eye level, "what are you doing down here, Bookworm?" He mocked, patting Liam's face, "Better get off the floor before you mess up your uniform, eh?"
The Slytherin walked away, laughing spitefully. The brunette picked himself off of the ground and dusted off his robes, which were now covered in dust from the old books that had fallen around him. His throat was dry with fear, and he wished he had had the courage to punch Thomas in the face when he had had the chance. The bully had picked on him since the very first year, and he had never even once stood up to the creep.
How different one person can be, yet come from the same egg. You see, Thomas had a sister named Maria; they shared the same number of years, the same household, the same face, yet so different. Now, Liam had never officially met Maria, but she seemed to be kind hearted and friendly; especially compared to her Slytherin brother. In fact, which House was she even in? Huh…
Liam decided he was tired from reading and was ready to go back to his tower and sleep. With a sigh he turned the corner of the book case to collide into the very girl he had been thinking about.
*Disclaim: Hogwarts and canon characters are owned by J.K. Rowling.
A/N: word count is 762.