Riley - Chapter Thirty-Three - Understanding
"TELL MEEEEEEE!" I sighed, blushing while spraying the plants with water,
"No!"
"Please? Please, please, PLEASE?!"
"No, Jaye!" She puffed out her cheeks,
"Fine!"
"Not now, anyway." I glanced at Neville across the room from me. He looked up, smiled, and waved. I waved back and sprayed more water.
"Careful, or they'll drown!" Sprout said to me. I stopped spraying them and frowned.
Jaye thought it'd be a good idea to "nominate" Neville and I to watch over the plants after classes.
"Well!" She said, "I have to go meet my Georgie. I'll see you guys later."
"But, Jaye-!"
"BAI!" She walked out and Sprout put her jacket on,
"Neville, I trust you'll watch over her. Don't break anything."
"Yes, ma'am." She smiled at him before walking out. I looked down and put a bit more soil in one of the pots. A warm hand touched mine and I looked up into Neville's eyes.
"Hi." I whispered.
"H-Hey." I looked at his hand and blushed, "O-Oh, s-sorry." He pouted - not on purpose, but I've noticed that sometimes when he frowns, it looks like a cute little pout ^_^ - and moved it. I smiled and finished adding more soil, "You're doing really well."
"Thanks." He smiled and I took off my gloves. I took my hair-tie out and put it around my wrist.
"How long did it take for you to grow your hair that long?" I looked down at a lock that just reached my chest,
"A-About . . . thirteen years."
"O-Oh." He picked up a lock of hair and played with it in his fingers.
Good thing he's not wearing gloves.
"Did you dye it?"
"Some of it."
"What color is it naturally?" I blushed a bit and felt my scalp tingle. The fringe in my eyes turned a sandy blonde kind of color and he smiled, "It's pretty."
"I-It's weird. No one likes weird."
"What if I like weird?"
"Well, th-that's why we're friends."
"I thought we were friends because we're both shy."
"M-Maybe." He dropped my hair and took my hands in his.
"Are you feeling better?" I nodded, "Why'd you pass out?"
"I-I saw something that . . . i-it scared me a-a bit."
"Oh." I nodded, "Well, what was it?"
"I can't tell you." He frowned, "I-I'm sorry."
"It's alright. I just wanted to know so I could make sure it never actually happened. I don't want you to be unhappy."
"Actually . . . if it did happen, I'd be excited."
"Oh." I smiled and kissed his cheek, which turned pink right along with mine,
"You're a good friend."
"What i-if I-I told you t-that I-I like y-you?" I smiled again,
"R-Really?" He nodded. I stood on my toes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him. He blushed and his fingers touched my waist gently, kissing back. Kissing turned to snogging within minutes. "I like you, too."
"Ugh."
"What?" Jaye asked, looking up from her Chocolate Frogs, "What'd I miss?"
"Cho and her crew." She looked to where I was looking at. Cho Chang, Ginny Weasley, Lavender Brown, and the Patil twins all walked by. Ron, Harry, Neville, Seamus, and Dean were sitting in a group on a window sill near ours. When Cho and co. walked by, they all simultaneously flipped their hair and waved. The guys' cheeks burned red as they waved back.
Even Neville.
"Dude!" She whispered, "Ginny's flirting with Neville!" I swallowed the mush of my last chocolate frog and threw the packet down, "WASTED FROG!" I stood up,
"I can't stand them!"
"Who?" Jaye whined, picking up the packet.
"Cho and her friends! Always flipping their," I took my hair from it's tight bun, "their hair!" She ate another one and looked at me, "Oh! My name is Cho Chang, I'm Scottish and Chinese, look at my hair, oh!" I flipped it all over the place. "I can flirt with whoever I want to!" Jaye laughed as I walked over to Fred and George. I smiled and batted my eye-lashes, "Hey Freddie."
"Uh, Riley?" George touched my forehead, "Are you feeling alright?"
"Well, of course I am." I smiled, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Uh, well you're flirting with me for one," Fred started,
"You're not stuttering for two," George added,
"And you didn't wave back when Neville waved at you." They finished.
"Oh." I twirled a piece of hair around my fingers and I could hear Jaye's laughter even more as I smirked, "I'm fine. Just like you, Fred. You're pretty cute." He smirked,
"Thanks. You too."
"So! What're you guys up to this weekend?"
"Jaye and I are going to Hogsmeade."
"HA HA HA HA! RILEY! STOP IT!" I looked to see Jaye rolling around, laughing. I giggled a bit,
"Maybe we should go to Hogsmeade tomorrow." I nodded at Fred,
"Sure. I'll see you then." I jumped up and kissed his cheek. Jaye crawled over and pulled on George's hand, standing up.
"Riley!" She chuckled, "I hate you." I shrugged,
"I hate them."
"I'm confused." George and Fred mumbled,
"Ginny and her friends walked by," Jaye took a deep breath, "a-and-" She started laughing again. She whispered it to George and he started laughing. He told Fred what I was doing, but Fred already knew.
He played along.
He was playing along, wasn't he?
...
Wasn't he?
"You were joking?" I nodded.
So he didn't know?
"Oh. I was serious; we should go out tomorrow." I blushed,
"Um, o-okay?" He smiled,
"See you then." I waved awkwardly and he kissed my cheek before walking off. George kissed Jaye and walked off afterward, catching up. I turned to Jaye,
"I have a date." She smiled,
"You have a date." I grinned and hopped up and down,
"I HAVE A DATE!"
"YOU HAVE A DATE!" She grabbed my hands and hopped with me.
"Miss Varner, Miss Greenly, I suggest that you calm down or a detention should be in place." We stopped jumping and hurried off to the common room since our break today was right before supper. We went up to our dorm and the whole group of girls that I imitated sat on Lavender's bed.
I dug through my clothes trunk and pulled out an old Beatles shirt my dad gave me. I also took out a red pair of skinny jeans,
"Rye-muffin, what're you gonner wear?" I shrugged and changed into the clothes in the bathroom. I came out, took off my Toms, and put on the Vans that my dad gave me, "You should wear a skirt!"
"The only skirts I brought were my uniform."
"Oh," she frowned, "I forgot." I nodded and ran the flat irons through my hair. I tucked it under a beanie and frowned at my nose.
I wonder if it'd hurt if I got a nose piercing.
Mum wouldn't allow it.
:O
Which is why I should do it right before she picks me up!
Daddy would think it's cool.
Hmph.
He's cool.
When I finished burning my hair, I used a bit of hair spray so it wouldn't get frizzy. Jaye tied her hair up and asked to borrow my MCR jacket, which I let her.
Privilege of having a girl best friend; borrowing clothes.
Cho and co. laughed again,
"Aw! The emo's are dressing alike!" They laughed and Jaye pouted.
"Whore!" She stormed out and I called after her. I got a bit nervous while searching for my wand. When I found it, I put it in my back pocket and grabbed my iPod.
"Where do you think you're going?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms as the twins blocked the door. "Stay away from Neville; you're just going to hurt him even more than he already is."
"Wh-What?" She rolled her eyes,
"How stupid are you, Riley? He doesn't like you! He never will!"
That's not what he told me a few hours ago :3
"Stay away from my brother, too. I saw you flirting with him in the hall and he doesn't want you."
"B-But-"
"I didn't ask you to speak!" She pushed me back and I fell on the ground, causing them to laugh. I got up and pushed the twins aside, running out. I got to the common room and looked around.
No Jaye :(
I sat in the back of the common room behind a book-case. Whoever were sitting at the table in front of the book-case were playing exploding snap. A card landed in front of me and it exploded. Good thing the only thing the ash got on was my feet.
"Riley?" I looked up, "What're you doing down there?"
"D-Do I know you?" He held his hand out,
"Lee Jordan. Fred never shuts up about you."
"Lee!" I took Lee's hand and he pulled me up, "Riley! What's wrong?"
"Your sister, that's what's wrong." Fred sighed,
"She's always been a bit bitchy." Is what he said after I told him what happened. He and Lee sat down on the couch and Fred pulled me into his lap, holding me close and tight. I placed my forehead in the crook of his neck,
"I didn't do anything to her. I don't even talk to her a-and I don't know why she doesn't just leave me alone."
"Well, you're friends with Jaye and she's friends with Cho; they hate each other. Maybe . . . maybe she hates you because Cho hates Jaye." I shrugged and closed my eyes,
"I hate it here."
"Hey!" Lee said, "Hogwarts isn't so bad! It's only your first year! You'll get used to it after a while!" I nodded and Lee got up and walked away. Fred kissed the top of my head and pulled me closer,
"Sh-She pushed me down, too, you know?" He froze from rocking me - which he was doing, by the way - and pulled me back to look in my eyes,
"She hurt you?" I shook my head,
"She just pushed me."
"Oh. I'll get mum to yell at her." I smiled,
"Thanks, Fred." He nodded and I hugged him. He hugged me back and sighed.
"Riley?" I turned and my eyes slightly got wider,
"H-Hey Neville."
"C-Can I talk to you for a second?" I nodded and Fred let me get up. I walked away with Neville and he looked more nervous than usual,
"Are you feeling okay?"
"Y-Yeah, I-I am. I just . . . d-do you really like me?"
"Y-Yes." He smiled and I smiled as well, "Why?"
"D-Do you maybe wanna b-be my girlf-friend?" I bit my lip,
"N-No. I-I'm sorry. I-I'm too young to be d-dating."
"Aren't you thirteen?"
"Twelve."
"O-Oh." He frowned, "O-Okay."
"S-Sorry."
"It's fine." I stood on my toes and pecked his lips. He blushed and I smiled,
"Maybe in two years." He nodded and kissed me again. I walked over to Fred and sighed. He chuckled and pulled me back into his lap, hugging me close.
Saturday came and I was extremely nervous.
I DIDN'T PICK ANYTHING OUT TO WHERE!
"Stop panicking, Rye!"
"But I have to look pretty!" Jaye sighed and walked over to my bed since my clothes were drawn out upon it. She tapped her chin while looking at the clothes. She then gasped. In the end, I ended up wearing a pair of blue skinny jeans, a white tank-top, a red cardigan, and a pair of black UGG boots. I flat ironed my hair again and she got dressed in - shockingly - a purple skirt, a white tank-top, and a purple cardigan with purple Converses. We got our bags before walking down to the common room.
"H-Hey Riley." I smiled at Neville, waving, "I-I thought you weren't going to Hogsmeade today?" I blushed a bit,
"O-Oh, F-Fred asked me."
"O-Oh." I nodded and bit my lip,
"W-Well, I-I'll see you later." He nodded and I caught up with Jaye. We nearly got lost, but we made it to the Hogsmeade line. I gave Filch my slip and joined Jaye in the back of the line. Fred and George walked over to us when we started walking. George kissed Jaye's cheek and Fred just ruffled my hair. I whined while trying to fix it, "That took forever to do!" He chuckled and put his arm around my shoulders. When we got to Hogsmeade I was . . .
What's the word?
Curious?
No :S
It has to do with excitement.
"Wow."
"It's epical!" I chuckled at Jaye and we went to a place called Zonko's.
All the jokes and pranks and stuff isn't really my cup of Coke :S
"What's this?" I asked, picking up a purple rock.
"Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder." I went to put it on the shelf, but dropped it.
Causing the whole batch to fall over.
The shop went dark and I couldn't see anything.
I started to freak out because Fred let me go.
"Lumos." There was a wand in my face, spreading light in a little area, "You're fine, Riley. I'm right here." I nodded, "Okay?" I nodded again. The lights came on and he put his wand away. A man I guess to be Zonko walked over, looked at the mess, and sighed.
"Uh, s-sorry."
"Don't worry about it, young lass. It was an accident." I frowned and walked away.
"RILEY!" I ignored Jaye and kept walking. "Riley what's wrong?"
"Yeah! Zonko said it was an accident." George said,
"It's not your fault." Fred mumbled,
"Just leave me alone." They frowned at me as I walked off. I got lost and ended up in a forest of some sort. I sat down on a tree stump. Blackish liquid hit the snow and I sniffed, wiping the tears from my eyes.
I'm such a screw up.
"Hey!" I looked up and saw Draco walking towards me, "What're you doing here?" I tried to stand up, but he pushed me back down. "Stay seated." He sat beside me, "What's wrong?"
"Why do you care?"
"Uh, because we're related." I sighed and shook my head,
"I'm just really misunderstood."
"How so?"
"Everyone thinks . . . I-I'm just shy and stupid. But I-I'm only shy because my mother makes me feel awkward to be her daughter. I don't feel like she loves me, I feel like . . . like she's living through me. My dad doesn't care what I do; as long as I'm safe and I'm happy. He supports all my decisions, b-but . . . my mum is just-"
"I know exactly how you feel." I looked at him and he nodded, "My parents are the same way except . . . my dad's really controlling. My mum is just like your dad; she's fine with everything I do as long as I'm happy." I sniffed and he pulled me into his side, "I'm misunderstood, too. You're not alone."