A/N: Just to clear it up Sophie is Penelope Clearwater's aunt. Sophie's
little brother is in Ravenclaw but since he's not terribly important to the
plot I hadn't really mentioned him. You all may or may not like me after
this chapter but it will get better I promise.
Katzztar, have you figured out what "Involucrum Homunculus" means yet?
* * *
Molly and Sophie found the rest of their school books and paid for the lot. Then they headed back out to the Alley.
"Isn't that, Arthur?" Sophie directed Molly's attention across the street. It was Arthur. He was talking to a 6th year Ravenclaw girl. Molly couldn't recall her name. The girl laughed. She was obviously flirting.
"Well, see you at the meeting, Arthur." The girl giggled, waved and skipped off out of sight.
"Arthur?" Molly cried, the beginnings of jealousy were showing on her face.
"Molly!" He turned to her excitedly and hugged her, not noticing her scowl. He stepped back and stuck out his chest proudly, "Ta da."
Molly just stood there looking hurt at the smile on his face.
"Well?" He looked at Molly expectantly. Then he began polishing the badge on his robe. "I'm a prefect." He was beaming.
"Who was that?" Molly pointed in the direction the Ravenclaw girl had disappeared.
"Who?"
"That person you were just flirting with."
"What I wasn't . . . oh. . . that was just Mattie McKinney. She's a prefect, too. She had just come over to congratulate me."
"That's not what it looked like from over there."
Now he could see she was angry, "Molly, I would never. . ."
"Why haven't you written me?"
He looked shocked, "I sent you an owl about every day. I was wondering why you hadn't written me."
"Liar!" she shouted causing several people on the street to stop and stare.
"Molly, please," Sophie tried to calm her.
Molly lowered her voice a bit on the verge of tears, "Do you want to see other people, Arthur?"
"No Molly I. . ." He had been about to say, 'I love you,' but she cut him off.
"Well maybe I do." She didn't know why she said it. She certainly didn't mean it. But there it was and she couldn't take it back now.
Arthur stared at her for a moment with his eyes full of hurt, "If that's what you want, Molly." He slowly turned and walked away down the street.
Molly's tears were falling freely as she watched him go.
"Why did you do that?" Sophie slapped her arm.
"I don't know."
* * *
"Mum, why did you do it?!" Molly burst into the Leaky Cauldron with tears streaming down her face. Sophie was right on her heals gasping for breath from the run.
Molly's mother was sitting at a small table reading Witch Weekly, waiting for them. She looked up from her magazine calmly, "Do what, dear?"
"Why did you keep Arthur's letters from me?"
"Keep your voice down," she wiped a tear off her daughter's cheek, "He's a bad sort, dear. Just look what he did to you."
"He's not, Mum." Molly was not keeping her voice down and was attracting quite a bit of attention, "He offered to marry me."
Mrs. O'Grady was looking nervously around at the other patrons in the pub. She didn't like being stared at especially for something like this. "We'll discuss it when we get home."
"No, Mother, I'd like to discuss it now. What about the letters I wrote him?"
"They were never sent." Mrs. O'Grady mumbled.
"You've ruined everything. I love him, Mother. I always will, and now he hates me and it's all your fault!"
"Er, Molly," Sophie had also noticed everyone around them staring, "Maybe we should just go back to your house."
"Fine," Molly spun around, flung a handful of floo powder at the fire and yelled,
"O'Grady place." She stepped into the fire and vanished from the pub. Sophie followed and found Molly weeping on her bed.
"Oh, Molly," Sophie sat on the bed next to her, "It's going to be okay, really. You and Arthur are gonna get married and have loads of kids and live happily ever after."
"You sound like that old gypsy Madam Fairweather from Divination." Molly wiped her eyes on her pillowcase.
"She did seem to think I had the gift," Sophie raised her eyebrows and smiled.
* * *
Molly and Sophie found the rest of their school books and paid for the lot. Then they headed back out to the Alley.
"Isn't that, Arthur?" Sophie directed Molly's attention across the street. It was Arthur. He was talking to a 6th year Ravenclaw girl. Molly couldn't recall her name. The girl laughed. She was obviously flirting.
"Well, see you at the meeting, Arthur." The girl giggled, waved and skipped off out of sight.
"Arthur?" Molly cried, the beginnings of jealousy were showing on her face.
"Molly!" He turned to her excitedly and hugged her, not noticing her scowl. He stepped back and stuck out his chest proudly, "Ta da."
Molly just stood there looking hurt at the smile on his face.
"Well?" He looked at Molly expectantly. Then he began polishing the badge on his robe. "I'm a prefect." He was beaming.
"Who was that?" Molly pointed in the direction the Ravenclaw girl had disappeared.
"Who?"
"That person you were just flirting with."
"What I wasn't . . . oh. . . that was just Mattie McKinney. She's a prefect, too. She had just come over to congratulate me."
"That's not what it looked like from over there."
Now he could see she was angry, "Molly, I would never. . ."
"Why haven't you written me?"
He looked shocked, "I sent you an owl about every day. I was wondering why you hadn't written me."
"Liar!" she shouted causing several people on the street to stop and stare.
"Molly, please," Sophie tried to calm her.
Molly lowered her voice a bit on the verge of tears, "Do you want to see other people, Arthur?"
"No Molly I. . ." He had been about to say, 'I love you,' but she cut him off.
"Well maybe I do." She didn't know why she said it. She certainly didn't mean it. But there it was and she couldn't take it back now.
Arthur stared at her for a moment with his eyes full of hurt, "If that's what you want, Molly." He slowly turned and walked away down the street.
Molly's tears were falling freely as she watched him go.
"Why did you do that?" Sophie slapped her arm.
"I don't know."
* * *
"Mum, why did you do it?!" Molly burst into the Leaky Cauldron with tears streaming down her face. Sophie was right on her heals gasping for breath from the run.
Molly's mother was sitting at a small table reading Witch Weekly, waiting for them. She looked up from her magazine calmly, "Do what, dear?"
"Why did you keep Arthur's letters from me?"
"Keep your voice down," she wiped a tear off her daughter's cheek, "He's a bad sort, dear. Just look what he did to you."
"He's not, Mum." Molly was not keeping her voice down and was attracting quite a bit of attention, "He offered to marry me."
Mrs. O'Grady was looking nervously around at the other patrons in the pub. She didn't like being stared at especially for something like this. "We'll discuss it when we get home."
"No, Mother, I'd like to discuss it now. What about the letters I wrote him?"
"They were never sent." Mrs. O'Grady mumbled.
"You've ruined everything. I love him, Mother. I always will, and now he hates me and it's all your fault!"
"Er, Molly," Sophie had also noticed everyone around them staring, "Maybe we should just go back to your house."
"Fine," Molly spun around, flung a handful of floo powder at the fire and yelled,
"O'Grady place." She stepped into the fire and vanished from the pub. Sophie followed and found Molly weeping on her bed.
"Oh, Molly," Sophie sat on the bed next to her, "It's going to be okay, really. You and Arthur are gonna get married and have loads of kids and live happily ever after."
"You sound like that old gypsy Madam Fairweather from Divination." Molly wiped her eyes on her pillowcase.
"She did seem to think I had the gift," Sophie raised her eyebrows and smiled.