Act Your Age

Riley had no idea how she got into this situation. She tried to look back on her life to see where she messed up that would leave her in such a horrid place, but she couldn't think of anything. Sure, she fought with her siblings but any kid with seven siblings would too. At the end of the day, she loved them so much, well most of them anyways. Riley liked to think that she was a good person. She helped her best friend defeat death multiples times in her young 14 years of life. She believed that she was a good friend, a good sister, and a good daughter. She was a daddy's girl for sure and being a twin made her have a secure connection with Ron. So she asked herself again. How did she end up having lunch Colin Creevey, Harry Potter's biggest fanboy?

After an hour of crying to her older brother, Charlie, about boys, she decided to eat some lunch alone. She wanted some piece of mind but once she made eye contact with Aleksander, Neville's desperate face popped into her mind and without a thought, she sat across from Colin Creevey and his friends. When she realized what she did, it was too late. The usual crowd she sat with looked at her confused but Aleksander looked angry.

"I heard that Harry Potter was almost sorted into Slytherin, is it true?" he asked excitedly.

Riley just shrugged, "No idea."

"Is it true that he has a crush on Cho Chang?"

Riley just shrugged again not caring about Harry and his stupid crush.

"Cho Chang?" one of Colin's friends asked confused. "I thought he had a crush on Riley."

The girl mentioned chocked on her pumpkin juice as her face turned just as red as her hair, "N-n-no! He does not!" She stood up and began to walk out of the great hall when Aleksander walked up to her and put his arm around her waist.

"Riley." He smirked.

"Riley." A voice that came from behind them mocked him. Riley did not even have to turn around to know who it was.

"Why don't you keep your hands to yourself?"

'There's the other one,' she thought.

Riley opened her mouth to make a snarky remark, but Aleksander beat her to it, "I understand what you might be thinking. Trust me, if I was an older brother I too would be so uptight and irrational about who my little sister is dating. But I can safely say it is her choice after all, and you both will just have to learn to live with it."

Riley gave them an apologetic look as Aleksander led her out of the great hall. "Hey, be nicer to them! They are my brothers."

"They are all up in your business all the time. When are you going to grow up, Riley? You expect all these guys to fight your battles and then go around your little castle acting tough. That's why you're on the losing side, Riley. Grow up before the ball. I don't want my date to be a child." he scorned before leaving her behind, and in that instant, it all clicked. Riley Lydia Weasley had royally messed up.

It felt like a lifetime since she actually spent time with her brother that wasn't in a classroom but there she was finally sitting next to her favorite sibling, waiting for the first tournament to start. "I am so nervous for him."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Whatever. He's probably basking in the glory."

Riley didn't reply feeling too weak to fight back, so she just looked around, "Where's Hermione?"

"Probably with Potter. Why are you here?" Ron asked her. "I thought you choose his side."

"There is no side. Harry just needed me."

Ron scoffed as Hermione made her way towards them and sat next to them. Riley hugged the girl before noticing her pink face. She raised an eyebrow questioning it.

"Whatever you do, do not believe the dumb story on the paper tomorrow. It is not true!" Hermione cried out. "That wicked woman just barged in and made accusations that just are not true!"

"But I thought that Vi-"

"Between Harry and I!" Hermione interrupted Riley. Her date with Viktor was a secret, and the only person who knew was Riley. Viktor was not her type, but since no one else asked her to the ball, she agreed. Plus Riley was also going to the dance with a Durmstrang boy who made her feel slightly better about her decision.

"You know, Colin Creevey's friend accused me of the same thing yesterday." Riley gasped. "Can't people just be friends nowadays?"

"What like you and Neville?" Ron laughed which resulted in him getting hit but not by Riley.

"Oi!" Fred shouted.

"That's our sister you're bulling there," George informed.

"I do not need you two to protect me. I can take care of myself." Riley replied angrily.

The last conversation she had with Aleksander started to bother her. Was she not as strong as she believed herself to be? Did she hide behind her brothers?

"It's starting!" She snapped before turning towards the stage, and she hoped that Harry would come out of this unharmed.