Chapter 10: Daydreams And Delusions

Maybe Lucy had always been one for daydreams and hopeful delusions, but she kept a cool head of logic and reason underneath. She didn't really expect her hopes and wishes to come true, as much as she'd love them too. That was why she was so surprised when Will Taylor took a seat next to her in the library that night. For although he'd said to her "I'll see you around," after their chance encounter in the corridors earlier that day, she knew that never meant anything, really, and cute guys like Will didn't seek out plain, boring girls like herself. So she hadn't got her hopes up and pushed him to the back of her mind almost right away, not wanting to be left disappointed and alone, like always.

It had been a complete surprise then, when he appeared seemingly out of nowhere and sat down next to her at the table in the library she was sharing with her friends. He looked slightly flustered his smile was friendly when he greeted her. She grinned back and her friends stared between the two of them, wide-eyed with shock. If that hadn't been obvious enough, they then started shooting her and each other meaningful looks and knowing smiles and Lucy just wanted to die of embarrassment. Luckily for her though, Will didn't appear to notice any of it. He was too busy shooting glances over his shoulder. Lucy couldn't see what –or who- he was looking at.

Lucy caught the eye of Cassie from across the table. Cassie was the only one of them not at least a little bit giggly. Her eyes were serious and upon gaining Lucy's attention she mouthed a single word. "Davies."

The guilt hit Lucy right away. Hadn't she just agreed to go to Hogsmede with Matthew? She shouldn't be having thoughts about any other guy, which she certainly had been doing when one came and sat down next to her with his stupid nice eyes and stupid friendly smile.

She automatically got defensive, her usual response to being put on the spot like that. Will had chosen to sit there, she hadn't asked him too, and judging by his distracted manner he was probably only sitting there in order to escape someone else. This wasn't anything. It was nothing personal.

She told herself this but as Will joined their conversation, laughing and chatting merrily, no longer looking around the room, she discovered how much more she enjoyed talking to him than to Matthew. Matthew had been moody, confusing and even a little rude. Will was the opposite. She kept telling herself that him talking to her like this was nothing personal, that Will was one of those people who was friendly and open with everybody (which she knew to be true from seeing him around the school over the years –he was quite popular), but he had his arm around her chair and he kept inching closer and closer to her and she just couldn't help that her heart rate increased, her cheeks reddened and her smiles grew wider and wider.

This couldn't be going anywhere good.

It was their second Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the new term and the class had been instructed to break off into their partners and begin work on their assignment. They were sixth years now and therefore expected to be mature enough to go off and get things done on their own, without having the professor breathing down their necks. Everyone was spread out over the area of lawn that made their classroom, perched on rocks or braving the wet grass. Louis stood on his own a small distance away, arms crossed over his chest, watching Scorpius through narrowed eyes as he approached the class, late.

"Oh, look at you," said Scorpius, upon reaching him. "You're going to go all stubborn-Weasley and not talk to me, aren't you?"

Louis narrowed his eyes further.

"Oh, shut up," said Scorpius, although Louis hadn't said anything. "I've got something for you that you'll like. Sit down."

Louis stared at him. "Why do I have to sit down?"

"Because I can't be bothered standing up."

Scorpius flopped onto the ground in front of Louis, who stayed on his feet, watching him cautiously.

"Come on," said Scorpius, pulling at the hem of Louis's robes. "Don't be scared, I'm not going to bite you." He paused. "Unless you want me to, of course."

Louis who'd been about to sit down, froze and blushed crimson.

Scorpius rolled his eyes as Louis sat down, almost an extra foot away from him. "Calm down, Weasley," he said. "I'm just joking."

Louis glared at him, as threateningly as he could manage. "You'd better be."

Scorpius didn't even look a little scared. An almost frightening smile spread slowly across his face and Louis felt himself shiver as he asked, "What if I'm not?" His voice low, eyes… Louis wasn't sure what.

Louis's eyes widened. He opened his mouth but all that came out was, "Nngrrng."

Scorpius laughed. "I'm sorry, Louis. I don't speak moron."

Louis scowled at him, crossing his arms over his chest. "What was it you wanted to show me?" he asked.

"Clever conversation change," commented Scorpius, but reached into his bag nonetheless. He pulled out a thick, old looking book and passed it over to Louis.

Louis took the book but gave Scorpius a suspicious look. "A book? ...This isn't you making fun of me being a Ravenclaw again, is it?" he asked.

"Me? Make fun of you?" said Scorpius, sounding affronted. "I'd never!" He grinned. "No, it's for our assignment. Open to the page with the marker."

Curious, Louis looked down at the book. Carefully he opened it to the page marked by a torn out piece of paper.

Scorpius leaned forward. "I know it's obvious," he said, when Louis didn't reply right away. "But that's probably why we didn't think of it earlier. It won't be too hard to get one, even though we don't have a license and yeah, I thought you'd like it. But if you don't…"

Louis shot him a look. "If I don't? Are you kidding? I love it! Can we do it? That'd be brilliant" Louis grinned the kind of grin that was so rare on him. Unrestrained, bright and dazzling. It transformed his whole face, made his eyes shine extra bright.

Scorpius couldn't help but grin in return. "Calm down," he said, trying to cover it. He reached out to take the book back. "It's just a Kneazle."

Louis gave the cat-like creature with the giant ears, speckled skin and lion-tail, one last look. "I know," he grinned.

James draped a friendly but commanding arm around Al's shoulder as Al left class, pulling him away from the throng of sixth years exiting the classroom and down another corridor with him. "C'mon little brother, I need to talk to you."

Al crinkled his nose but followed him. "Do you have to?"

James pulled a face and dropped his arm from Al's shoulder. "Unfortunately."

They stopped walking, having reached a quiet section of corridor.

Al crossed his arms and leaned against the stone of the castle wall. "What's he doing here?" he asked, nodding towards the curly-brown headed figure at James's side who looked like he really didn't want to be there. "Be nice, Al," warned James. "This is Will Taylor, my reinforcement."

"Reinforcement?"

"Well, I wanted to get the other two Quidditch captains, but they were busy and I hate them. So I have Will instead. He plays for Gryffindor."

Al looked at him skeptically. "He's not very threatening."

"You say that now," joked James, "but who knows what dark secrets lurk behind this handsome face." He gestured dramatically at Will, laughing. "I know I have my suspicions..."

"I'm not hiding anything," snapped Will, in a reaction much stronger than expected. He pulled away from James and stormed off down the corridor.

James stared after him, blue eyes wide and surprised. He turned to Al. "Well I don't know about you," he said seriously. "But I'm convinced."

Al sighed. "What do you want, James?"

James started digging through his bag. "To tell you that you can't have the pitch every night, you silly prat."

He pulled out a crumbled piece of paper from within the mess of lolly wrappers and joke products that his school bag consisted of. "Here's the schedule. Please try to repress your sneaky Slytherin ways and stick to it."

Al took it with a roll of his green eyes. "Bye, James."

"But-"

"Goodbye."

"Git."

Lucy loved her friends, she really did. She'd trust them with her life and would do anything for them in return.

They were the basis of all her best memories and had stuck by her side through all the highs and lows of the teenage years so far. She loved hanging out with them, laughing and talking and joking and gossiping, but sometimes it all got too much. Living in such close quarters, being constantly surrounded by people; it was draining. Sometimes Lucy just needed a break, some peace and quiet, a little time to herself.

What Lucy loved most was to draw. She'd slip out of the crowded, bustling common room and make her way out onto the grounds, sketchbook under her arm. She'd lean against the cool bark of a tree trunk and in the shade of its branches, she'd draw.

The glistening lake, the snow capped mountains, the old castle; it was a beautiful backdrop. Sometimes she'd draw it.

Mostly though, she drew people. Characters and creatures that all had names and personalities and stories she could never seem to write down. Every few days she'd come back down here and allow herself to get lost in the worlds of handsome princes, beautiful princesses, brave commoners and petty thieves. It was her escape, her chance to forget the problems of real life.

It was how Lorcan had first noticed her (quill in hand, dark hair tucked behind her ear so it didn't fall in her face as she drew, concentrated expression and small smile tugging at her lips), but she didn't know that.

It was how Matthew Davies found her, after classes on the second day back. Him, freshly showered with wet hair and clean clothes. Her, too lost in what she was doing to notice him until he flopped down beside her on the grass and flicked his fringe out of his face.

"Hey."

Lucy jumped and slammed her sketchbook shut. "M-Mathew," she stammered out in surprise.

"Lucy." He grinned. "See, I remembered it."

Lucy slipped her sketchbook beside her, hoping he wouldn't ask to see it. "Uhh, well done," she said.

"Thank you," he replied, sounding genuinely proud of himself. There was almost awkward silence for a few moments before Matthew announced. "I just had Quidditch practice."

"That's …great," said Lucy, unsure how she was supposed to reply to that. "How was it?"

"Brilliant, of course," he replied. "Can't tell you any more though, wouldn't want to spill any team secrets to a 'Puff." He laughed.

Lucy joined him, somewhat stiffly. She found herself having to bite back the urge to tell him that she didn't care what his stupid team was doing.

Luckily Lucy was saved from having to think up a response that wasn't, you know, offensive, when Matthew spoke up again.

"Gryffindor have their training tomorrow," he said. "Are you going to go watch?"

"Why would I do that?" asked Lucy, confused.

"Don't you have cousins on the team?"

"Yeah, a few. I generally don't watch their practices though. James would probably freak out, think I was spying." She laughed and rolled her eyes. Her cousin was ridiculous.

"I'd bet he doesn't tell you anything then? About his team?" asked Matthew, sounding almost disappointed.

"It's not like he doesn't trust me," said Lucy, thinking that was what he was implying.

"Of course not!"

He sounded surprised and honest and Lucy found herself smiling. For a moment there she'd started to suspect that he was only talking to her in order to find out inside information about her cousins' Quidditch teams.

"James is pretty out there," said Matthew.

He didn't sound harsh or judgemental and Lucy could nod in agreement. "He is, but that's why we love him."

"I heard he was switching around his whole line-up. Bringing in new players or something?"

Lucy laughed. "No, not quite. I think he was switching Fred and Ellie Wood though. Putting Ellie in Keeper and giving Fred the Chasing spot."

Matthew nodded, digesting the information. "Pretty risky move," he commented, "this late in the season."

"They're both brilliant players, though," said Lucy, immediately defensive of her cousin's captaining ability. She was a loyal Hufflepuff to the bone.

"I know," replied Matthew with a pained smile. "That's the problem."

Lucy spared only a fleeting longing thought for her unfinished sketch as their conversation went on. It felt good talking to a boy like Matthew, even if he spoke more of himself and Quidditch and school work than anything she liked. It was still attention that she didn't usually receive and it was reserved just for her. It also helped that Matthew was really quite good looking and very nice. Lucy thought back to the night before in the library, and thought that maybe she'd judged him too quickly then.

Maybe this was going to be easy.