So...here's one of those little in-between chapters that I was mentioning. This one's based on just after the new term...after the Christmas Holidays, I guess. A little one before Easter. (I think)
Notes
Looking down, Alwyn lowered himself onto the ground, ignoring everything around him. The new term had just started, and though he had homework, albeit not much, barely anything, really, he decided to ignore it until the night before the due date, which gave him time to do as much brooding as possible.
He had convinced his parents to let him stay at the school over the holidays; it was just as well- he hated the lot of them, including the house-elf...
"Avoiding the brooding menace, we are!" a voice whisper-screamed as she passed him; this comment wasn't responded to by either him or the girl's companion. With a snort, Alwyn lay on his belly, staring into the warm fire in front of him. Maybe he should do his Charms homework...although, he only got it as a punishment for using Wingardium Leviosa on his arch enemy, A'ishah. Yes, he already considered her as an enemy. He found out the spell in an old book that had belonged to some long-forgotten ancestor; in Alwyn's mind, he'd wanted to try the spell out and A'ishah had just been at the right place at the right time...
Alwyn reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a crumpled piece of parchment with perfect handwriting on it. It said:
Alwyn,
I just wanted to let you know that, what you called me all those months ago? That really hurt me. It keeps me awake at night, and I've been lacking sleep for weeks now.
Oh, and hitting me? That hurt. A lot. What did I do to you? I may be of non-wizard birth, but, as Lillian keeps telling me, I am proud of being what I am. I'm almost glad that we're in the same House; I can taunt you with my Muggle-ness, and I'll be able to get away with it.
Sincerely,
A'ishah.
Alwyn frowned as he once again reread the note. It was so uncharacteristic of her...too uncharacteristic. He was pretty sure that A'ishah, no matter how she felt, would never be this blunt. In fact...
Getting up, Alwyn swept over to were said Hufflepuff was sitting alone, her friend most probably in the dorms already.
"Mudb-uh, A'ishah!" he winced at the use of her proper name, but seeing that the room was rather crowded...
Thrusting the note into the now-startled girl, he snapped; although in a quieter voice that before,
"Did you write this?"
Quickly scanning the note, the first year looked up at him with a cool expression, showing neither affection nor hatred.
"No," she replied quietly, staring unblinkingly at him with her blue-grey eyes. Alwyn took a deep breath, controlling the urge to lash out in anger. But not anger at her, though...
"Then, who did it?" he growled, emphasising the last three words by almost hissing them out. A'ishah seemed unfazed and replied calmly,
"Lillian. And, I say sorry on her behalf. She shouldn't...interfere, no matter how much she feels its right."
"How do I know you're not lying?" he said suspiciously, his eyes narrowing threateningly. Shrugging of his death-look, she turned back to what she'd been doing before he'd interrupted (she'd been reading) and replied smoothly,
"I've never lied in my life, I swear. Not even," here, she looked up again and peered at him speculatively, "to myself."
Alwyn froze at this; immediately he knocked back that momentary feeling of dread. Damn those eyes that could see through everything! But, he hastily assured himself, you're not lying! You hate her kind, and you're parents do love you beyond anything else!
The bittersweet relief flooded over him
That's right...he thought calmingly, believe that. Believe that or believe nothi-
"Which is what you're doing right now, isn't it?" Now, A'ishah sounded genuinely concerned, and looked at him with a little more interest. Alwyn looked away, his eyes squeezed shut.
Ignore her...ignore her...he thought-snapped. But, this was a futile thing to try and do, obviously.
"Alwyn-," she began, but was cut off by Alwyn saying in a desperate, pleading, loud voice,
"Get away!"
With that, he ran to the boy's dorms, leaving behind a confused-looking A'ishah.
...where did that come from O.O
Hope you enjoyed!
~Padfoot
