Vera has a tendency to make an entrance. Actually, entrances are her thing. She likes to walk in a room and know that everyone is looking at her and forming an idea of who she is and where she's been. Everywhere she goes she does this, even to places that she's already been with people she knows.
Take tonight for example. I was sitting in the small flat I had bought in London alone, studiously avoiding anything that would give me any indication of the date or really anything that mildly resembled something you'd find at a wedding. So in short, I was reading Hogwarts, A History. I was silently thanking my aunt for convincing me to keep all my text books on the basis of "You never know when you'll need it." And I was actually successful for a little bit. I didn't think of Vera for a good hour.
I swear; it's like she has a sensor for when she's not present in my thoughts. Because, right when I was about to fall asleep over my old text book, there was a knock on the door. I got up grudgingly and shuffled over to the door. When I opened it, I will admit that I was a bit stunned.
She was soaking wet. I hadn't realized it was pouring outside. But this isn't really what had me flabbergasted. You see, she's rather attractive in my opinion, well, in a lot of people's opinions. And there she was, with clothes that were plastered to her stupid body showing off every one of her stupid curves and muscles. She looked up at me with her pale brown eyes and I realized she had been crying.
Vera doesn't cry. I stepped aside immediately and let her in.
She stepped inside and shivered and looked at me. "James," she croaked. I stepped over to her and put my hand on her shoulder tentatively. I was a bit scared. Not only had I never seen her cry (not going to lie, I was a bit at a loss for what to do), but she had made it perfectly clear the last time we had been around each other that I was not to touch her, or look at her. Or do anything that really involved her and me.
I was so convinced she was going to turn around and kick me in the kneecap. She had done that once before, and I was in no way eager to repeat the experience. But she didn't kick me. She curled up against my chest and started to sob. I just held her close and let her get it all out. "James, I don't want—I can't—James…"
"Sh," I whispered, "It will be okay." I was lying of course. But I didn't know what else to say. But it seemed to work. She stopped crying as hard as she had been and reached her arms around me and pulled us closer together.
I had missed having her so close.
You see what I mean? She can make an entrance. Although, I will admit, the first time
I saw one of her entrances, I was less inclined to give her a hug than I was to hide under a seat.
"James, can't I sit by you for just the first little bit?" Al asked.
I looked at him. "Hell no," I replied. I didn't mind Al. But there was no way that I was going to let my little brother sit by me. He was a first year, and I was a second year. It just wasn't done.
He looked down at his feet sadly and started to shuffle away down the corridor. I almost called for him to come back. I wonder if I had if I'd be sitting here with Vera. But I didn't. I just turned to go find my friends. I knew that had saved me a seat.
That's when I saw Vera. She was leaning in an open doorway and staring out after Al.
She had been taller than me then. She had hit her growth spurt early and had been taller than most everyone until her fourth year. Her height was the first I noticed about her back then though.
The next thing was her eyes. They were shockingly pale and managed to pierce everything around them. I could tell from just her eyes that she was smart. And not only in school thing; she looked like she understood people and events. She looked like a plan in place for everything and everyone around her.
I will admit here, in my thoughts to the universe, that I was really intimidated by her. She had an air of confidence that eleven year olds are just not supposed to have.
"Well you can come sit with us if you like," she called out to my brother.
Al had spun around. He was a bit confused. Understandably so. When he was little no one outside of our family talked to him. They just didn't talk to him. He was shy and always relied on me for social events.
"I—uh, well I was going to go and find my cousin—"
She had smiled at his awkwardness. It wasn't a mean smile. Her smile made her a lot more approachable. "Well, isn't that just your luck because Miss Rose Weasely has already joined us."
Rose had poked her head out of the compartment and smiled down at him. This really made him relax. He walked towards the compartment and there was a flurry of greetings from the various kids huddled into the apartment. He really wouldn't ever go anywhere without this little group of friends again.
Vera had stared me down. Like her said, her gaze made me uncomfortable. It was terrifying for some reason. I looked away and when I looked back up, she was already turning back into the compartment. I will admit I awkwardly stared after her, wondering who in God's name she was. I probably would've stayed like that until we reached Hogsmede if one of my friends hadn't come up behind me and pulled me after him.
I can't believe that I'm remembering that time. That first time we saw each other. I mean, out of all the memories to have while holding a beautiful girl in your arms, the memory of when you saw her as a little girl and she scared the shit out of you? Romantic.
Although, as I tilt her head up to look at her face and look into her eyes, I have to admit that she still terrifies me. But then I was terrified of her. Now I'm terrified for her. Of losing her, of her doing something stupid, of her just forgetting about me, or of her never forgetting about me. Her eyes get me on this train of thought. Dammit.
She gets on her tiptoes and kisses me. I kiss her back. With our eyes closed, I can forget for a minute that she scares me. I can focus on the fact that I love her.
