Disclaimer: Tom Riddle, Professor Binns and Minerva McGonagal don't belong to me.
FEELINGS YOU CAN'T DENY
Chapter Twelve: Rodney
"Lina Riddle," Clarissa sighed, sitting beside me on my bed. "It does have a ring to it, doesn't it?"
I just laughed and returned to my Herbology report.
"How can you be so calm?" Clarissa squealed. "I mean, you could actually be Mrs. Tom Riddle."
"I doubt that," I muttered, still smiling.
"Oh, but he loves you," Clarissa reminded. "And you love him too, right?"
"Of course I do," I told her. "How could I help it? He's wonderful."
"Well..." Clarissa urged.
I shook my head when I looked at her. "What do you want me to do? Climb out my window and scream at the top of my lungs. Do you want me to break out in song? Do you want me run through the corridors, yelling how much I love Tom?"
"Something like that," Clarissa said, poking me in the side.
"I'd really like to see how you'd react if you had a boyfriend," I laughed to myself.
"Some aren't as lucky as others," Clarissa sighed discontentedly as she lay on her stomach.
"Oh, come on, Clar," I began, laying beside her. "You'll find him, a man who loves you no matter how crazy you are."
Clarissa smiled.
**I make a wish for you
And hope it will come true
That life would just be kind
To such a gentle mind**
-"Remember Me This Way"
"Speaking on which," Clarissa began, rolling on to her side to look at me. "When's the next time you'll see Tom?"
I shrugged, "We have History of Magic with him today."
"Maybe he'll ask you on a real date," Clarissa mused. "Maybe he'll kiss you."
"In class? I should hope not!" I exclaimed, looking at my watch. "Oh, it's about time for class so we'll find out soon enough."
Clarissa jumped up while I stuffed all my books and scrolls of parchment into my bookbag. We hurried out of Hufflepuff common together.
"Oh, Lina!" Clarissa sighed, walking backwards next to me. "Everything wonderful happens to you."
"Wonderful?" I laughed. "How about coming to school three months late and having to catch up on all the homework I missed?"
"Oh, but it was all good because if it weren't for that, you'd never met Tom," Clarissa explained.
She had a point. Tom was worth all that work, especially since I knew now that he cared for me too. I just smiled at Clarissa, who was still walking backwards next to me through the halls.
"Have a nice view?" I joked.
"Just once, I wish I'd meet someone," Clarissa said.
"Wait a second," I said, stopping. "I have to tie my shoe."
"Hurry, Lina," Clarissa said, walking backwards still.
As I laced up my shoes quickly, hoping Clarissa wouldn't get too far ahead, I briefly glanced up just in time to see a guy running through the halls, heading straight for Clarissa.
"Clar, look out!" I shouted.
She turned around just as he collided with her. Books went flying, people screamed. Clarissa ended up on her back with the guy laying across her legs. My first impulse was to run up to her and see if she was OK, but as the guy looked up, I hesitated. The moment he saw Clarissa, his green-grey eyes grew very round and his large ears went red. I knew instantly that he liked my friend.
"I am so terribly sorry," the guy insisted, getting to his feet and holding out a hand for Clarissa. "I was in a hurry and I didn't see you. Please forgive me."
Clarissa didn't reach for his hand. Instead, she crawled around on the ground, feeling for her glasses. The guy took them from where they lay next to Clarissa's knee and put them in her hand. She immediately place them on her face then looked up at her admirer. And boy was he ever tall. He was as muscular as any other athletic male, but his height made him look somewhat gangly. He had a rather long and pointed nose and a mess of curly blonde hair on top of his head. He held out his long arm to Clarissa once again. This time she took it. His extra tallness made her look extra stout as she stared up at him.
"I hope you're all right," he said, not letting go of her hand.
Clarissa nodded very slowly, not taking her eyes off him.
"M'name's Rodney Ellsworth," he told her, smiling. "What's your name?"
"Clarissa Robins," was all she said.
Rodney and Clarissa just stared at each other for a while. Finally, I decided that it was about time we got to class, so I had to interrupt them.
"Clarissa," I began, walking up, "I am so sorry but we have to get to class."
"Oh, dear!" Clarissa squealed, dropping on the floor to pick up her things.
"You can go on to class, I'll help her," Rodney said, smirking.
He was a Slytherin so we had class together and I knew he liked her, but for some reason, I didn't want to leave my friend alone with him. Still, I didn't want to get any more behind.
"You all right, Clar?" I asked quickly.
"Yes, go on," Clarissa insisted.
I nodded and sprinted off to class. Professor Binns hadn't called roll yet, so I wasn't all that late. I spotted Tom and hurried to sit next to him.
"Do you know Rodney Ellsworth?" I asked as I pulled my History of Magic book out of my bag.
Looking somewhat shocked, Tom said, "Yes, he's a Beater on the Slytherin team. Good guy. Why?"
"No reason, we just bumped into him in the hall," I explained. "Well, Clarissa bumped into him...er, he bumped into Clarissa. Anyway, we met him, and I think he took a fancy to Clar."
"Really?" Tom asked, smiling wryly as he leaned back in his chair.
"They should be in soon," I told him, watching the door.
I felt Tom's hand close around mine. I glanced over at him. His smile was as intoxicating as ever. I couldn't help but smile back. He squeezed my hand, his bright blue eyes scanning my face. For a second, I was sure he was going to kiss me right there in class. But before he had the chance, Professor Binns began calling roll. He went over Rodney and Clarissa's names. I didn't know if it would help to say they were coming so I kept quiet. Soon enough, before the roll was even over, the door creaked open. Binns and the entire class watched Rodney and Clarissa creep in. Clarissa blushed. She wasn't use to so many eyes on her.
"Professor, it was entirely my fault we're late," Rodney told Binns. "I bumped into Clarissa because I wasn't watching where I was going. Her things were scattered all through the corridor, and we had to pick them up."
Binns nodded, saying, "Sit down, then."
Rodney saw Clarissa's discomfort. He put an arm around her and led her up where Tom and I were sitting. I smiled at her as she sat next to me which just made her blush more. Rodney sat on the other side of her. Binns finished calling roll then went on with the lesson.
I quickly wrote a note saying, "Did you see the smile on his face? The way he was looking at you?" then set it on Clarissa's desk. She read over it, then gave me a confused look. After writing a bit, she handed the note back to me.
"What are you talking about?"
"Rodney, he likes you," I wrote.
Clarissa glanced at it. She looked confused again. Quickly she took a peek in Rodney's direction. Biting her lip, she wrote, "Who are you kidding? Why would he want to go with me?"
I shook my head as I wrote my reply. "He likes you. I can tell."
Clarissa took the note, read it, and added something on. She put it on my desk.
"You're saying you have some all-powerful boy intuition? You didn't even know Tom liked you when it was absolutely obvious."
I laughed at this and wrote back, "Just like you don't know Rodney likes you even though it's absolutely obvious."
She wrote, "Lina, look at me. I'm fat. I have glasses. My hair is always a mess. I'm ugly. How could a tall, blonde Beater even consider me?"
Upon reading this, I was shocked. How could Clarissa see herself this way? She was a little overweight, but not enough to be fat. Sure, she had glasses but so did half the school. And no one could call her ugly. She had a nice, clear complexion and soft, brown hair. I loved my friend, and I thought she was beautiful. Being her friend, she would never believe me. If only I could get Tom to tell her without her thinking I coached him.
Clarissa pulled the paper from my hands and wrote something quickly, then returned it to my desk. It read: "No reply to that?"
I didn't care if she wouldn't believe me. I was going to tell her anyway. Quickly, I wrote, "Clar, you're beautiful, and it saddens me that you can't see that. I am beyond positive that Rodney thinks the same. Wait a bit and I'm sure he'll prove it to you."
As she read it, Clarissa let a small smile slip. She shook her head and wrote something. I took the note from her.
"You're dreaming, but thanks for the thought."
I smiled at her, then glanced around at Rodney. He was taking notes. For just a second, though, while his hand was still writing, his eyes strayed to Clarissa. I smiled wider.
A/N: Clarissa's got a boyfriend! Clarissa and Rodney sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. I was seriously thinking of making Rodney Hagrid, but then I thought about Maxime. Hagrid isn't made for anyone else. ANd it comes to my attention that Clarissa could have been Moaning Myrtle. Too late to change it now.
FEELINGS YOU CAN'T DENY
Chapter Twelve: Rodney
"Lina Riddle," Clarissa sighed, sitting beside me on my bed. "It does have a ring to it, doesn't it?"
I just laughed and returned to my Herbology report.
"How can you be so calm?" Clarissa squealed. "I mean, you could actually be Mrs. Tom Riddle."
"I doubt that," I muttered, still smiling.
"Oh, but he loves you," Clarissa reminded. "And you love him too, right?"
"Of course I do," I told her. "How could I help it? He's wonderful."
"Well..." Clarissa urged.
I shook my head when I looked at her. "What do you want me to do? Climb out my window and scream at the top of my lungs. Do you want me to break out in song? Do you want me run through the corridors, yelling how much I love Tom?"
"Something like that," Clarissa said, poking me in the side.
"I'd really like to see how you'd react if you had a boyfriend," I laughed to myself.
"Some aren't as lucky as others," Clarissa sighed discontentedly as she lay on her stomach.
"Oh, come on, Clar," I began, laying beside her. "You'll find him, a man who loves you no matter how crazy you are."
Clarissa smiled.
**I make a wish for you
And hope it will come true
That life would just be kind
To such a gentle mind**
-"Remember Me This Way"
"Speaking on which," Clarissa began, rolling on to her side to look at me. "When's the next time you'll see Tom?"
I shrugged, "We have History of Magic with him today."
"Maybe he'll ask you on a real date," Clarissa mused. "Maybe he'll kiss you."
"In class? I should hope not!" I exclaimed, looking at my watch. "Oh, it's about time for class so we'll find out soon enough."
Clarissa jumped up while I stuffed all my books and scrolls of parchment into my bookbag. We hurried out of Hufflepuff common together.
"Oh, Lina!" Clarissa sighed, walking backwards next to me. "Everything wonderful happens to you."
"Wonderful?" I laughed. "How about coming to school three months late and having to catch up on all the homework I missed?"
"Oh, but it was all good because if it weren't for that, you'd never met Tom," Clarissa explained.
She had a point. Tom was worth all that work, especially since I knew now that he cared for me too. I just smiled at Clarissa, who was still walking backwards next to me through the halls.
"Have a nice view?" I joked.
"Just once, I wish I'd meet someone," Clarissa said.
"Wait a second," I said, stopping. "I have to tie my shoe."
"Hurry, Lina," Clarissa said, walking backwards still.
As I laced up my shoes quickly, hoping Clarissa wouldn't get too far ahead, I briefly glanced up just in time to see a guy running through the halls, heading straight for Clarissa.
"Clar, look out!" I shouted.
She turned around just as he collided with her. Books went flying, people screamed. Clarissa ended up on her back with the guy laying across her legs. My first impulse was to run up to her and see if she was OK, but as the guy looked up, I hesitated. The moment he saw Clarissa, his green-grey eyes grew very round and his large ears went red. I knew instantly that he liked my friend.
"I am so terribly sorry," the guy insisted, getting to his feet and holding out a hand for Clarissa. "I was in a hurry and I didn't see you. Please forgive me."
Clarissa didn't reach for his hand. Instead, she crawled around on the ground, feeling for her glasses. The guy took them from where they lay next to Clarissa's knee and put them in her hand. She immediately place them on her face then looked up at her admirer. And boy was he ever tall. He was as muscular as any other athletic male, but his height made him look somewhat gangly. He had a rather long and pointed nose and a mess of curly blonde hair on top of his head. He held out his long arm to Clarissa once again. This time she took it. His extra tallness made her look extra stout as she stared up at him.
"I hope you're all right," he said, not letting go of her hand.
Clarissa nodded very slowly, not taking her eyes off him.
"M'name's Rodney Ellsworth," he told her, smiling. "What's your name?"
"Clarissa Robins," was all she said.
Rodney and Clarissa just stared at each other for a while. Finally, I decided that it was about time we got to class, so I had to interrupt them.
"Clarissa," I began, walking up, "I am so sorry but we have to get to class."
"Oh, dear!" Clarissa squealed, dropping on the floor to pick up her things.
"You can go on to class, I'll help her," Rodney said, smirking.
He was a Slytherin so we had class together and I knew he liked her, but for some reason, I didn't want to leave my friend alone with him. Still, I didn't want to get any more behind.
"You all right, Clar?" I asked quickly.
"Yes, go on," Clarissa insisted.
I nodded and sprinted off to class. Professor Binns hadn't called roll yet, so I wasn't all that late. I spotted Tom and hurried to sit next to him.
"Do you know Rodney Ellsworth?" I asked as I pulled my History of Magic book out of my bag.
Looking somewhat shocked, Tom said, "Yes, he's a Beater on the Slytherin team. Good guy. Why?"
"No reason, we just bumped into him in the hall," I explained. "Well, Clarissa bumped into him...er, he bumped into Clarissa. Anyway, we met him, and I think he took a fancy to Clar."
"Really?" Tom asked, smiling wryly as he leaned back in his chair.
"They should be in soon," I told him, watching the door.
I felt Tom's hand close around mine. I glanced over at him. His smile was as intoxicating as ever. I couldn't help but smile back. He squeezed my hand, his bright blue eyes scanning my face. For a second, I was sure he was going to kiss me right there in class. But before he had the chance, Professor Binns began calling roll. He went over Rodney and Clarissa's names. I didn't know if it would help to say they were coming so I kept quiet. Soon enough, before the roll was even over, the door creaked open. Binns and the entire class watched Rodney and Clarissa creep in. Clarissa blushed. She wasn't use to so many eyes on her.
"Professor, it was entirely my fault we're late," Rodney told Binns. "I bumped into Clarissa because I wasn't watching where I was going. Her things were scattered all through the corridor, and we had to pick them up."
Binns nodded, saying, "Sit down, then."
Rodney saw Clarissa's discomfort. He put an arm around her and led her up where Tom and I were sitting. I smiled at her as she sat next to me which just made her blush more. Rodney sat on the other side of her. Binns finished calling roll then went on with the lesson.
I quickly wrote a note saying, "Did you see the smile on his face? The way he was looking at you?" then set it on Clarissa's desk. She read over it, then gave me a confused look. After writing a bit, she handed the note back to me.
"What are you talking about?"
"Rodney, he likes you," I wrote.
Clarissa glanced at it. She looked confused again. Quickly she took a peek in Rodney's direction. Biting her lip, she wrote, "Who are you kidding? Why would he want to go with me?"
I shook my head as I wrote my reply. "He likes you. I can tell."
Clarissa took the note, read it, and added something on. She put it on my desk.
"You're saying you have some all-powerful boy intuition? You didn't even know Tom liked you when it was absolutely obvious."
I laughed at this and wrote back, "Just like you don't know Rodney likes you even though it's absolutely obvious."
She wrote, "Lina, look at me. I'm fat. I have glasses. My hair is always a mess. I'm ugly. How could a tall, blonde Beater even consider me?"
Upon reading this, I was shocked. How could Clarissa see herself this way? She was a little overweight, but not enough to be fat. Sure, she had glasses but so did half the school. And no one could call her ugly. She had a nice, clear complexion and soft, brown hair. I loved my friend, and I thought she was beautiful. Being her friend, she would never believe me. If only I could get Tom to tell her without her thinking I coached him.
Clarissa pulled the paper from my hands and wrote something quickly, then returned it to my desk. It read: "No reply to that?"
I didn't care if she wouldn't believe me. I was going to tell her anyway. Quickly, I wrote, "Clar, you're beautiful, and it saddens me that you can't see that. I am beyond positive that Rodney thinks the same. Wait a bit and I'm sure he'll prove it to you."
As she read it, Clarissa let a small smile slip. She shook her head and wrote something. I took the note from her.
"You're dreaming, but thanks for the thought."
I smiled at her, then glanced around at Rodney. He was taking notes. For just a second, though, while his hand was still writing, his eyes strayed to Clarissa. I smiled wider.
A/N: Clarissa's got a boyfriend! Clarissa and Rodney sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. I was seriously thinking of making Rodney Hagrid, but then I thought about Maxime. Hagrid isn't made for anyone else. ANd it comes to my attention that Clarissa could have been Moaning Myrtle. Too late to change it now.