Do You Believe in Magic?
Chapter One
An Early Stroll
Disclaimer: All this nonsense is pure crap. Hogwarts and Harry Potter and all that brilliant stuff comes from J.K.Rowling. My stupidity and weird, warped sense of humor is responsible for the rest.
A/N: This is a jump-start story. Cecilia is passionate about Harry, but shockingly, Brian seems to fancy Cecilia. LOVE TRIANGLE! Brian asks Cecilia to join him in taking a brisk walk around the Hogwarts grounds. Get ready for some serious action. It's intense.
Brian smiled. "It'll be quick. I promise."
Cecilia looked at him questionably. "Cross your heart, hope to die?"
"Hey," he laughed, "a promise is a promise. Consider my eyeballs completely covered in needles, bleeding to the point of a near-death experience."
They walked in silence toward the doors outside. Every now and then Brian would sneak a glance at Cecilia, as to decipher what she was thinking. Cecilia pretended she didn't notice.
The instant they stepped outside, the temperature changed from stuffy and warm to cool and refreshing. Neither of them dared to make any comments, unsure of what to say.
After a few moments of what seemed like endless silence, the scenery around them suddenly shifted. The sun peaked out of the horizon, revealing rays of maroon and streaks of gold that ornamented the sky. The still lake water twinkled magically. Sunlight streaked through the trees and exposed the castle in a mystical way. It was, by far, the most romantic thing either of the two had seen.
Brian's hand lowered to his side, and slowly made its way into Cecilia's.
Not even noticing her hand was in Brian's, the girl was lost in deep thought. I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be leading him on. What if he gets the wrong idea? I really don't want him to think I like him. Oh, God it's so beautiful out here. What I would give to be with Harry right now, holding his hand, watching the sun rise--
At the thought of hands she looked down to find that hers was snuggly settled in Brian's. Surprised, she involuntarily jerked it back. Brian stopped in his tracks and muttered something that sounded like "sorry".
"I'm sorry, Brian, I didn't mean to. It's just that--"
Brian interrupted her. "Oh, no don't worry about it. I'm sorry. Sometimes I act like a rhino lost amongst a stampede of wild animals. Especially around you. What can I say—you bring out the animal in me."
Cecilia was at a loss of words. What could she say?
They stood there for a few beats, avoiding eye contact; both too embarrassed to say anything, Cecilia wondering how long it would take before Brian resorted to snorting and pawing at the ground to affirm his attributes of that of a rhino. Finally one of them got up the nerve to say something to the other.
"So, should we go inside?" Brian nodded to the school.
"Well, yeah, but first I think we should get something straight," Cecilia said.
"Sure," he shrugged, emotionless.
In the distance, a unicorn trotted toward a tree next to the lake. It surveyed the area, checked to make sure it was safe, and then delicately put its mouth into the water and began to drink from it. Cecilia watched it for a moment, and then said, "What exactly do you think is going on here, Brian?"
"Just a friendly stroll in the morning," he said carelessly.
Cecilia stared at him.
"Ok, ok, I admit, it was a little more than friendly, but I, well I guess I thought--," he looked to the ground and his voiced lowered. "I guess I thought you might, you know, like me again."
Cecilia was dumbstruck. Like him? Again? I thought we already ended this…why does he want me to go through this again? Doesn't he realize I don't feel the same way about him anymore? After all those times he beat me in the head without mercy with a baseball bat until I could barely stand the pain anymore, he still doesn't understand that I have never appreciated his affectionate love pats?
Cecilia sighed, hung her head, took a deep breath, and gave him a long look. "Brian, I thought we agreed to just be friends."
"I know. But, well, I couldn't stop thinking about you." His voice was almost inaudible.
Cecilia blew out some air out of the side of her mouth. Great, she thought, now I'm the bad guy. Or girl. Whatever.
"I don't know how to say this, but, Brian, I'm just not good enough for you. You need someone pretty. Someone smart and interesting who can slide down a banister without falling off and fracturing her collarbone and then, shortly after, perfectly peel a banana using only her toes. You don't want to date me…again."
Oh crap. She mentally smacked herself. I can't believe I just said that. Why can't my brain function like a normal organ?
Brian laughed weakly, sort of like a chuckle. "Yes I do."
"Look, I'm getting hungry. And pretty soon one of us will have to use the laboratory. And I don't think we should do this again." Cecilia backed away from him, heading toward the school and left Brian standing all alone and frowning slightly, thinking, How in the name of Dumbledore did she know I had to take a shit?
No matter how hard she tried, Cecilia could not pay attention. And this was very uncharacteristic of her usual attentive self. On most days, she really enjoyed Transfiguration. In fact, she looked forward to it. Professor McGonnagall was the just about the only teacher who really liked Cecilia. Despite her tendencies to constantly suggest of her uncanny ability to perform human transfiguration to a milk dud. Cecilia was constantly making reference to Muggle candies, especially if they resembled a highly developed turd.
The night before kept replaying in her mind, over and over again until she grew sick of herself and everything she ever said to Brian. And she really didn't want to think about how the very person who was dominating her thoughts was sitting two seats diagonal to her, sitting indignantly and occasionally diving for his wand so he could reapply his hourly skin moisturizer…
Brian was ignoring Cecilia. He tried not to remember the look on her face when he told her that he had been thinking non-stop about her for the past year. He didn't want anything to do with her every again. He knew her like the back of his hand, and he knew that the reason she didn't like him any more was that she liked someone else now. And he would make her pay for making him look like a fool.
A/N: Oh, yes, harsh…I know. This is beginning to take the form of a twisted soap opera. There is much more to come. Review and you will receive. Reviews make the world go round. IN MY OPINION.
The Eagle