Chapter 4- Saturday Study Group
It was Saturday. A beautiful warm, sunny, Saturday. And obviously a much needed one, at that. Both Elizabeth and Emma stumbled into the dining hall around noon, waking up just minutes before and neither had bothered to put on their robes.
" Well, well, well doesn't this remind you of home?" Elizabeth said laughing
" uh huh" yawned Emma rubbing her eyes. " Thank God I got to sleep in. It felt great."
Both girls sat down together alone in one of the corner tables. They were bursting at the seems to tell their stories of the past few night, and so eating danishes, and crepes, each took a turn explaining in great detail her latest love affair.
" Yeah," said Liz blushing, " it was amazing, talk about snogging till the sun came up."
" Oh my gosh Lizzie," said Em beaming, " I am so HAPPY for you!! I didn't expect you to ever do something like that, let alone sneak out of your room, for a boy and make out all night, for crying out loud that's something I would do!" They both laughed at this smiling brightly at each other.
" So what exactly have you been up to then Missy?" Asked Liz already knowing the answer.
" Well Draco and I have gotten really close, I mean we are together almost every night, and we talk about everything. He's such a sweetheart to me..." Emma stopped and surveyed Liz's face. " I know you think he's a prat Liz, but if you just gave him a chance and got to know him...Oh stop scowling!!" Emma hit her from across the table on the arm. " Seriously Lizzie, think about how much fun we would have on a double date, he's really not that bad, if I like him, then you're bound to like him too. You just need to give him a chance."
" Yeah you're right." Mumbled Lizzie. " A double date would be fun, maybe during Hogsmeade.."
" Hogsmeade? That's in February for goodness sake. I was thinking like next week."
" Well maybe, I'll talk to Harry about it, ok?"
" Yeah ok." Said Emma sounding disappointed.
" In fact," added Liz quickly, " I should go find him, I think the Gryffindor sixth years are having a study group today over the potions homework Professor Snape gave us. You can come if you want. Just meet us down by the pond, near that big willow, ok?" And with a quick hug she disappeared up the stairs.
Emma was dumbfounded. 'She didn't even give me time to put my arms around her' she thought startled. 'Is she really that infatuated with Harry that she can't sit here and talk with me?' Emma thought suddenly nervous.
" No, no, you're overreacting." She said aloud to herself. She took the last bite of her crepe and stood up to go upstairs. ' Well if she needs to find Harry, then I should find Draco' she thought and walked away.
~*~
Draco was in the common room playing what looked like a game of cards with Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, and two other Slytherin she'd never met. They all seemed so interested in their games. Everyone except Pansy. She was staring at Draco like he was a delectable dessert, and was slowly moving closer to him whenever he wasn't looking. The table they surrounded was covered in an enchanted deck of cards. Each face card was arguing with the other, while the hearts and diamonds boasted about their beauty, and the clubs and spades spoke of their strength. Each player would pick up a card of his choice and wait for his opponent on his left to do the same. When they were both ready, they players would release their cards and watch as they would attack one another. They would go through all of the cards this way until one of the players was declared winner and then the next person on the winner's left was forced to battle. It was a very loud and looked relatively gruesome with all of the shredded cards and broken hearts scattered on top of the gorgeous glass table.
Emma's heart began to beat a little faster as she walked behind Draco and put her arms around his neck leaning over the couch. Everyone in the group looked up when Draco reached a hand from his cards and locked it around Emma's. Then to her surprise they looked down. Everyone except Pansy. She shot Emma a look before scowling and turning to the girl sitting next to her.
" Millicent," she hissed. " That's the new one. Emma Lee Enright."
Millicent looked up again, this time with a sour look on her face and stared at Emma observing her face in great detail before turning back to Pansy and whispering something Emma couldn't hear. Emma felt like her lungs were boiling. She needed to get out of there.
" I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go with me to a study group, to work on the potions homework today?" Asked Emma playing with Draco's hair
" I can't go now; I'm in the middle of a match." He said without turning to look at her.
" Well maybe after you're done?" She asked hopefully
" After I'm done I have Quidditch practice." He said in a voice clearly annoyed.
" Oh." Said Emma softly. She took her hands away from his neck, and looked at Pansy who had a large smile spreading her thick, chapped lips. 'Whatever' thought Emma turning to leave the room rather loudly, hoping to attract Draco's attention. But as she could see, he never looked up.
~*~
Emma Lee looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her light green eyes staring back from behind a mist of tears. Her eyelids were puffy; her hair that was pulled into a loose ponytail was now laced with curly pieces falling out all over the place. She leaned down over the sink, filling her hands with the cool water, and splashed her cheeks. 'This is all so stupid' She thought to herself. Ripping a piece of paper towel out of the dispenser she rubbed it violently over her face feeling its harsh texture against her hot skin. She tossed it into the wastebasket only to hear a loud *pop* less than a second later. The noise startled her so badly that she almost fell over and as she turned to see where it came from a smokey gray mist was floating up from the trash. " What the hell?" Emma said aloud. She walked cautiously over to it, leaning to peer into the bottom of the basket where her dirty paper towel had been just seconds before. The basket was completely empty. "Enchanted garbage cans?" She said aloud, " God you'd think people had better things to do with their time than bewitch trash baskets. At least at Beauxbatons School they use magic for USEFUL things." She stopped suddenly, looking up at her reflection. This was the first time she had even thought about her old school. The professors, her old friends, her beloved campus. Sighing loudly she looked into the mirror again at her green eyes. Her eyes had always been one thing she disliked about her appearance. Everyone who knew her well could tell her mood by her eyes. Green was upset or angry, light green meant she had been crying, light blue was happy, gray was sleepy, dark blue content, and turquoise was rebellious or as Liz called it " Her dangerous color." " Oh I forgot about study group!" Realized Emma, looking away from the mirror at last and running out of the lavatory.
~*~
Liz looked up from her work to see a disheveled and out of breath Emma coming down the hill to the shady tree near the pond. Next to Liz, Harry looked up too.
" I'm glad you invited her." He said " I think if you two are close I should at least get to know her a little better."
" Hi, sorry I'm late." Said Emma to the group of hard working Gryffindors. Hermione looked up and smiled, as did most of the other's sitting close enough to hear her.
" Oh that's all right," Harry said smiling, " and we just started anyways." And he beckoned for her to sit next to Liz in the shade of the big tree. " So here's what we've got so far." Liz said showing Emma the first page of potions notes they took. " You can copy them real quick, then we'll start the next chapter."
Emma took the notes and started copying while the people around her waited for her to complete them. There was complete silence for a few moments when a voice to her left spoke in a patronizing voice, " So how's your new boyfriend? You know, Draco Malfoy?" Everyone in the group looked up at Emma. She felt a blush cross her cheekbones and blossom.
" He's fine." She replied coolly. " Why do you ask?"
" Well maybe its because he's just about the most cruel and coldhearted student that's been in Hogwarts since Tom Riddle?" Continued the voice. Emma turned to look at him, her heart thumping loudly in her ears.
" Dean!" Said Hermione, " That is quite enough." And Hermione then turned to Emma Lee and said something that Emma thought sounded like " He didn't really mean it."
" Tom Riddle? As in Lord Voldemort?" She asked, using all of the courage she possessed to say his name without wincing. Almost everyone in the group gasped.
" Blimey!" Squealed Ron, " Soon everyone will be saying his name like it belongs to any Tom, Dick or Harry. No offense Harry."
" None taken." Said Harry quickly, he was still staring at Emma. She was a lot braver than he had thought previously.
" She's quite right Ron, fear in a name is ridiculous." Said Hermione sending a small smile to Emma.
" Emma?" Asked Liz quietly, " can I talk to you?"
Elizabeth held on to Emma's arm and pulled her away from the group who was all still staring at her.
" Maybe this was a bad idea..." She looked up into her best friend's eyes, and then realizing what she saw, grabbed her arm tighter. " Emma why have you been crying?"
" I haven't been crying." Emma muttered looking away, growing increasingly uncomfortable under Elizabeth's grip.
" Your words lie, but your eyes give you away." Elizabeth said firmly. " Oh Emmy, what's the matter?" Elizabeth's kind words and warm hug encased Emma and she could no longer hide her emotions from her closest friend. Tears streaming from her cheeks, her eyes blazing green, her lip quivering she crumbled under the arms holding her. Her knees buckled and she fell to the earth, still held by Elizabeth. Nearby, a concerned Harry sprang to his feet, running to see what had gone wrong, and why Emma Lee had fallen.
" Harry, it's ok!" Yelled Elizabeth, " We'll be fine." He stopped and understood. Slowly turning around, his face flushed with uneven breaths he went back to the shade of the tree, a frown still plastered on his face. Elizabeth held Emma close attempting to get her back on her feet.
"Come on love," she said softly to Emma while pulling her towards Hogwarts. They gradually made their way up the stairs to the Gryffindor girl's dormitories. And there Emma fell, face down, onto Elizabeth's pillow, still sobbing.
" Emma what's wrong? Are you that upset over what Dean said? He didn't mean it, honestly. Its just that Draco has a dark past with Harry and his friends, a past I'm sure will not impact his future or anything..." She trailed off as Emma's crying seemed to diminish slightly.
" It snot just dat Wizzie." She said with glistening eyes and a plugged nose. " Its averyding." Her soft hiccups and puffy eyes made Elizabeth's heart hurt. 'Have I been there for her?' she wondered to herself, 'was this my fault?'
Emma spoke again, this time a little more clearly, " Draco's been treating me differently. And everyone's been saying things about me. They are all either jealous of me, or because they think they know me because I'm involved with him. I just don't understand it, he's so sweet to me when he wants to be, and then today. That prat wouldn't even look up from his game to talk to me." She paused and sighed, heat spreading her face, the anger rising in her eyes. " Of course he'll come down and see me, and tell me sweet things when we are snogging and alone. But whenever he's in school, or with people, Uhhh!! Maybe I don't know that much about him Lizzie. Maybe he is just another stupid prat..." She put her head in her hands and sighed loudly. Elizabeth handed her a hanky, and she blew her nose so loud it sounded like a foghorn. She did this one or two more times before Elizabeth spoke.
" Emma, I think that if you see something in him, and you want to make it work, then you should talk to him. Make it work. But only if you think its worth it. I'm sorry everyone is being mean to you about it. I know how that feels. Cho Chang has been giving me a look every time she sees me, and I haven't even met her." Elizabeth smiled gently. " You just need to do what's right for you. And I will support whatever happens, I'll always be there for you. Even though this week I really haven't been..." her voice trailed off and she met her friend's eyes feeling guilty. Her ears turned a shade of red before she continued. " But it won't happen again, and I'm sorry. Everything with Harry has just turned my world upside down, and I need to learn how to balance it all." She let out a breath and watched Emma's face for a sign of what to say next.
" I understand." Emma said slowly. " You know no matter how hard you try to get rid of me I'll still find you, and when we go home I'll still sleep over every night until you talk to me." She smiled and leaned over the bed to hug her savor. " Thank you Lizzie."
" You're welcome," Lizzie squeezed back. " Now no more of this inside crying stuff on such a gorgeous day. Anyways, if I'm not correct you have a man to talk to." She winked and got up from the bed, pulling her friend over to the mirror. She gave Emma some concealor to hide the puffy bags that had appeared from her crying and some mascara.
" There, good as new, and you look gawgeous darling!" She said in her best Gay voice," Go get that rough tough Draco and show him who's boss!!"
And with that, the two girls parted ways, each with a perfect afternoon in their grasps, and the relief of a friendship that was stronger than ever.
It was Saturday. A beautiful warm, sunny, Saturday. And obviously a much needed one, at that. Both Elizabeth and Emma stumbled into the dining hall around noon, waking up just minutes before and neither had bothered to put on their robes.
" Well, well, well doesn't this remind you of home?" Elizabeth said laughing
" uh huh" yawned Emma rubbing her eyes. " Thank God I got to sleep in. It felt great."
Both girls sat down together alone in one of the corner tables. They were bursting at the seems to tell their stories of the past few night, and so eating danishes, and crepes, each took a turn explaining in great detail her latest love affair.
" Yeah," said Liz blushing, " it was amazing, talk about snogging till the sun came up."
" Oh my gosh Lizzie," said Em beaming, " I am so HAPPY for you!! I didn't expect you to ever do something like that, let alone sneak out of your room, for a boy and make out all night, for crying out loud that's something I would do!" They both laughed at this smiling brightly at each other.
" So what exactly have you been up to then Missy?" Asked Liz already knowing the answer.
" Well Draco and I have gotten really close, I mean we are together almost every night, and we talk about everything. He's such a sweetheart to me..." Emma stopped and surveyed Liz's face. " I know you think he's a prat Liz, but if you just gave him a chance and got to know him...Oh stop scowling!!" Emma hit her from across the table on the arm. " Seriously Lizzie, think about how much fun we would have on a double date, he's really not that bad, if I like him, then you're bound to like him too. You just need to give him a chance."
" Yeah you're right." Mumbled Lizzie. " A double date would be fun, maybe during Hogsmeade.."
" Hogsmeade? That's in February for goodness sake. I was thinking like next week."
" Well maybe, I'll talk to Harry about it, ok?"
" Yeah ok." Said Emma sounding disappointed.
" In fact," added Liz quickly, " I should go find him, I think the Gryffindor sixth years are having a study group today over the potions homework Professor Snape gave us. You can come if you want. Just meet us down by the pond, near that big willow, ok?" And with a quick hug she disappeared up the stairs.
Emma was dumbfounded. 'She didn't even give me time to put my arms around her' she thought startled. 'Is she really that infatuated with Harry that she can't sit here and talk with me?' Emma thought suddenly nervous.
" No, no, you're overreacting." She said aloud to herself. She took the last bite of her crepe and stood up to go upstairs. ' Well if she needs to find Harry, then I should find Draco' she thought and walked away.
~*~
Draco was in the common room playing what looked like a game of cards with Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, and two other Slytherin she'd never met. They all seemed so interested in their games. Everyone except Pansy. She was staring at Draco like he was a delectable dessert, and was slowly moving closer to him whenever he wasn't looking. The table they surrounded was covered in an enchanted deck of cards. Each face card was arguing with the other, while the hearts and diamonds boasted about their beauty, and the clubs and spades spoke of their strength. Each player would pick up a card of his choice and wait for his opponent on his left to do the same. When they were both ready, they players would release their cards and watch as they would attack one another. They would go through all of the cards this way until one of the players was declared winner and then the next person on the winner's left was forced to battle. It was a very loud and looked relatively gruesome with all of the shredded cards and broken hearts scattered on top of the gorgeous glass table.
Emma's heart began to beat a little faster as she walked behind Draco and put her arms around his neck leaning over the couch. Everyone in the group looked up when Draco reached a hand from his cards and locked it around Emma's. Then to her surprise they looked down. Everyone except Pansy. She shot Emma a look before scowling and turning to the girl sitting next to her.
" Millicent," she hissed. " That's the new one. Emma Lee Enright."
Millicent looked up again, this time with a sour look on her face and stared at Emma observing her face in great detail before turning back to Pansy and whispering something Emma couldn't hear. Emma felt like her lungs were boiling. She needed to get out of there.
" I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go with me to a study group, to work on the potions homework today?" Asked Emma playing with Draco's hair
" I can't go now; I'm in the middle of a match." He said without turning to look at her.
" Well maybe after you're done?" She asked hopefully
" After I'm done I have Quidditch practice." He said in a voice clearly annoyed.
" Oh." Said Emma softly. She took her hands away from his neck, and looked at Pansy who had a large smile spreading her thick, chapped lips. 'Whatever' thought Emma turning to leave the room rather loudly, hoping to attract Draco's attention. But as she could see, he never looked up.
~*~
Emma Lee looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her light green eyes staring back from behind a mist of tears. Her eyelids were puffy; her hair that was pulled into a loose ponytail was now laced with curly pieces falling out all over the place. She leaned down over the sink, filling her hands with the cool water, and splashed her cheeks. 'This is all so stupid' She thought to herself. Ripping a piece of paper towel out of the dispenser she rubbed it violently over her face feeling its harsh texture against her hot skin. She tossed it into the wastebasket only to hear a loud *pop* less than a second later. The noise startled her so badly that she almost fell over and as she turned to see where it came from a smokey gray mist was floating up from the trash. " What the hell?" Emma said aloud. She walked cautiously over to it, leaning to peer into the bottom of the basket where her dirty paper towel had been just seconds before. The basket was completely empty. "Enchanted garbage cans?" She said aloud, " God you'd think people had better things to do with their time than bewitch trash baskets. At least at Beauxbatons School they use magic for USEFUL things." She stopped suddenly, looking up at her reflection. This was the first time she had even thought about her old school. The professors, her old friends, her beloved campus. Sighing loudly she looked into the mirror again at her green eyes. Her eyes had always been one thing she disliked about her appearance. Everyone who knew her well could tell her mood by her eyes. Green was upset or angry, light green meant she had been crying, light blue was happy, gray was sleepy, dark blue content, and turquoise was rebellious or as Liz called it " Her dangerous color." " Oh I forgot about study group!" Realized Emma, looking away from the mirror at last and running out of the lavatory.
~*~
Liz looked up from her work to see a disheveled and out of breath Emma coming down the hill to the shady tree near the pond. Next to Liz, Harry looked up too.
" I'm glad you invited her." He said " I think if you two are close I should at least get to know her a little better."
" Hi, sorry I'm late." Said Emma to the group of hard working Gryffindors. Hermione looked up and smiled, as did most of the other's sitting close enough to hear her.
" Oh that's all right," Harry said smiling, " and we just started anyways." And he beckoned for her to sit next to Liz in the shade of the big tree. " So here's what we've got so far." Liz said showing Emma the first page of potions notes they took. " You can copy them real quick, then we'll start the next chapter."
Emma took the notes and started copying while the people around her waited for her to complete them. There was complete silence for a few moments when a voice to her left spoke in a patronizing voice, " So how's your new boyfriend? You know, Draco Malfoy?" Everyone in the group looked up at Emma. She felt a blush cross her cheekbones and blossom.
" He's fine." She replied coolly. " Why do you ask?"
" Well maybe its because he's just about the most cruel and coldhearted student that's been in Hogwarts since Tom Riddle?" Continued the voice. Emma turned to look at him, her heart thumping loudly in her ears.
" Dean!" Said Hermione, " That is quite enough." And Hermione then turned to Emma Lee and said something that Emma thought sounded like " He didn't really mean it."
" Tom Riddle? As in Lord Voldemort?" She asked, using all of the courage she possessed to say his name without wincing. Almost everyone in the group gasped.
" Blimey!" Squealed Ron, " Soon everyone will be saying his name like it belongs to any Tom, Dick or Harry. No offense Harry."
" None taken." Said Harry quickly, he was still staring at Emma. She was a lot braver than he had thought previously.
" She's quite right Ron, fear in a name is ridiculous." Said Hermione sending a small smile to Emma.
" Emma?" Asked Liz quietly, " can I talk to you?"
Elizabeth held on to Emma's arm and pulled her away from the group who was all still staring at her.
" Maybe this was a bad idea..." She looked up into her best friend's eyes, and then realizing what she saw, grabbed her arm tighter. " Emma why have you been crying?"
" I haven't been crying." Emma muttered looking away, growing increasingly uncomfortable under Elizabeth's grip.
" Your words lie, but your eyes give you away." Elizabeth said firmly. " Oh Emmy, what's the matter?" Elizabeth's kind words and warm hug encased Emma and she could no longer hide her emotions from her closest friend. Tears streaming from her cheeks, her eyes blazing green, her lip quivering she crumbled under the arms holding her. Her knees buckled and she fell to the earth, still held by Elizabeth. Nearby, a concerned Harry sprang to his feet, running to see what had gone wrong, and why Emma Lee had fallen.
" Harry, it's ok!" Yelled Elizabeth, " We'll be fine." He stopped and understood. Slowly turning around, his face flushed with uneven breaths he went back to the shade of the tree, a frown still plastered on his face. Elizabeth held Emma close attempting to get her back on her feet.
"Come on love," she said softly to Emma while pulling her towards Hogwarts. They gradually made their way up the stairs to the Gryffindor girl's dormitories. And there Emma fell, face down, onto Elizabeth's pillow, still sobbing.
" Emma what's wrong? Are you that upset over what Dean said? He didn't mean it, honestly. Its just that Draco has a dark past with Harry and his friends, a past I'm sure will not impact his future or anything..." She trailed off as Emma's crying seemed to diminish slightly.
" It snot just dat Wizzie." She said with glistening eyes and a plugged nose. " Its averyding." Her soft hiccups and puffy eyes made Elizabeth's heart hurt. 'Have I been there for her?' she wondered to herself, 'was this my fault?'
Emma spoke again, this time a little more clearly, " Draco's been treating me differently. And everyone's been saying things about me. They are all either jealous of me, or because they think they know me because I'm involved with him. I just don't understand it, he's so sweet to me when he wants to be, and then today. That prat wouldn't even look up from his game to talk to me." She paused and sighed, heat spreading her face, the anger rising in her eyes. " Of course he'll come down and see me, and tell me sweet things when we are snogging and alone. But whenever he's in school, or with people, Uhhh!! Maybe I don't know that much about him Lizzie. Maybe he is just another stupid prat..." She put her head in her hands and sighed loudly. Elizabeth handed her a hanky, and she blew her nose so loud it sounded like a foghorn. She did this one or two more times before Elizabeth spoke.
" Emma, I think that if you see something in him, and you want to make it work, then you should talk to him. Make it work. But only if you think its worth it. I'm sorry everyone is being mean to you about it. I know how that feels. Cho Chang has been giving me a look every time she sees me, and I haven't even met her." Elizabeth smiled gently. " You just need to do what's right for you. And I will support whatever happens, I'll always be there for you. Even though this week I really haven't been..." her voice trailed off and she met her friend's eyes feeling guilty. Her ears turned a shade of red before she continued. " But it won't happen again, and I'm sorry. Everything with Harry has just turned my world upside down, and I need to learn how to balance it all." She let out a breath and watched Emma's face for a sign of what to say next.
" I understand." Emma said slowly. " You know no matter how hard you try to get rid of me I'll still find you, and when we go home I'll still sleep over every night until you talk to me." She smiled and leaned over the bed to hug her savor. " Thank you Lizzie."
" You're welcome," Lizzie squeezed back. " Now no more of this inside crying stuff on such a gorgeous day. Anyways, if I'm not correct you have a man to talk to." She winked and got up from the bed, pulling her friend over to the mirror. She gave Emma some concealor to hide the puffy bags that had appeared from her crying and some mascara.
" There, good as new, and you look gawgeous darling!" She said in her best Gay voice," Go get that rough tough Draco and show him who's boss!!"
And with that, the two girls parted ways, each with a perfect afternoon in their grasps, and the relief of a friendship that was stronger than ever.