Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Hogwarts or etc, only Sarah, and the plot here and there.
Sarah skipped out of the pitch with her shoes in hand. She was quite happy, and she missed the large stone that was tossed right in front of her path. She only noticed it when she tripped and landed on her hands and knees. She thought the stone had always been there, until she heard laughing.
Turning, she saw some older students, slytherins, the lot of them. She gasped when one stepped forwards and she noticed that it was a ravenclaw. They had another rock in their hand, and they were aiming it at her.
"Why...?" She coughed and shivered slightly, the now November air was quite chilly.
"You're a mistake"
She hadn't been expecting this, not so soon. She thought that she might have been able to have a few more months, maybe a year before-
A rock hit her on the forehead and broke her concentration. She raised her hand and realized that she was bleeding. A cough escaped her and the group of older students laughed at her again. The ravenclaw didn't seem as amused, though, and began throwing handfuls of pebbles at Sarah.
She staggered to her feet and ran for the safety that Hogwarts represented. She didn't have to deal with this if she didn't want to! That's what her mother had told her, many years ago, and she believed it. She had to.
The front doors opened easily and she started to calm down and headed up the stairs, only to notice that the second floor girl's bathroom was flooding.
Always curious, Sarah wiped her forehead free off blood and wiped away the tears that she hadn't been aware that she had been crying. She walked into the bathroom and heard someone sobbing.
"Ah, hullo?" She was tentative; if the person didn't want her there, she would leave very quickly.
The sobbing continued uninterrupted.
Sarah tiptoed in farther and turned a corner, only to see a girl sitting on the floor in the corner, crying. Sarah didn't hesitate to sit down right next to the girl and put her arm on her shoulder. She was not very surprised when her arm slipped right through and became very cold. So, this person crying was a ghost.
"Leaving me, just because I'm dead?" The person taunted as Sarah rose.
"Not really. I just figured that you wanted to be alone." Sarah spoke truthfully.
"Because I'm dead, right? You hate me because I'm dead!" The other person became hysterical and started sobbing again.
"No! Not at all! I don't hate you! In fact, I think that you're rather brave"
"Stop lying to me!" The ghost wiped her face and rose, starting angrily at Sarah. "I know that you think I'm pathetic! You think I can't hear the girls talking about me? They call me Moaning Myrtle. That's not a good name, if you didn't realize"
"I don't think that they mean it quite like that-" Sarah was cut off by the distraught ghost.
"They talk about me all the time. 'Can you believe that Myrtle?' 'No, what this time?' Just because I'm dead doesn't meant hat I don't have feelings, I still feel!" Myrtle was on a good rant, now. "I hate them all, just as they hate me! It's not my fault that I'm like this, I mean, I had no choice"
"STOP!" Sarah screamed. Her cheeks were flushed with anger and her chest heaved. "What do you mean it's not your choice? Somewhere, you chose-" Myrtle snorted.
"And what would you know about it, you're alive." She said alive as if it were some disgusting thing.
Sarah opened her mouth and then closed it. The anger was gone from her body, and she was suddenly tired.
"If you want to believe that, Myrtle, go ahead. One person isn't going to change your mind." She smiled sadly and left the bathroom, heading back to the tower.
At the fat lady's portrait, she met up with Fred, having completely forgotten their earlier conversation.
"S-sarah! Did you, ah, talk to that person you were looking for?" He was beet red, but Sarah was too busy thinking to really notice.
"What? Oh, no. I was sidetracked, but it wasn't that important." She brushed a few stray pieces of hair from her face and said the password, entering the common room. Fred remained out in the hall.
"Wasn't that important?" He was very confused. "I guess... maybe it isn't as good as I thought it was. Why isn't it that important? I mean, I'm glad that she likes me, but why did she put it off like that? If I knew for sure that she liked me, then I wouldn't wait for anything. Maybe she actually does like someone else, then"
"Are you going in or not?" The fat lady asked, more than a little angry at having to wait.
"Oh," he flushed a deeper red and gave the password before entering and heading straight up to his dormitory and bed.
The next day passed, and then the next, and so on and so forth, until it was winter holidays. Sarah started to drift away from the group, dreading the rumors that she knew were going to start to spread. She distanced herself the most from Fred, neither of them mentioning that night at the quidditch pitch. It was the third day of holidays when Sarah realized how much she had distanced herself.
She was sitting at the breakfast table, eating early, and enjoying the silence and the falling snow when she got an owl. The bird was old, and crashed into her glass of milk. She helped it up and took the letter carefully from it's leg.
Realizing that it was from Fred and George, she blushed. She hadn't really remembered that they had gone home for the holidays with their older brothers.
Sarah;
How goes it? Hope you're holiday break is going good so far! We know that this is kinda early, but we wanted to make sure you're having fun! We sure are. Our little brother Ronald is scared of spiders so we've been having a grand old time with a few candy ones we bought in Diagonally during our Christmas shopping yesterday. We got you a present! Don't worry, we don't expect TOO much in return. Just a few hundred galleons worth of candy.
Have lots of fun for us, okay?
Fred and George
Sarah smiled to herself, a warm fuzzy feeling invading her at her friend's concern. Then she noticed that there were two other letters attached to the owl in 'inconspicuous' places. It seemed as if both the boys had written her a letter that they didn't want the other one to know about. She opened George's first.
Sarah;
I know that we sent you another letter, but I'm worried. Fred keeps moping around, and it's getting worse. It started two months ago, and he still won't tell me what's wrong. Do you know? I can't stand it! Please, if you have any ideas at all, let me know. I need to talk to you in person about some ideas I have, but not until we get back. I think he might-
She dropped the letter, refusing to read any further. If he put what she thought he would, then... she shook her head to clear it. She was not going to let this happen. It wouldn't happen if she didn't want it to.
She skipped to the end of the letter.
-and so when I get back, we'll talk, right?
Thanks for listening, you're a great friend.
George.
She put the letter in her pocket and tried to forget about it, picking up Fred's letter and opening it carefully.
Dear Sarah;
I know that we already sent you a letter, but I just wanted to make sure that you're okay. George said that you'd been a little weird lately and (there was a large blotch here, as if someone had written something and then crossed it out) I wanted to make sure you're okay.
Fred
She wasn't hungry anymore, so she picked up her school bag and headed up to the library. It was chilly there, but she didn't mind as she picked a book about the mysteries of the wizarding world and settled herself down for a long read.
She didn't notice the passage of time until the librarian came over and asked her to leave the library, as it was closing. Sarah blushed slightly and left in a hurry.
Her dormitories were empty as she snuggled into the bed and tried to sleep. As soon as she closed her eyes, she remembered the letter, and tried to force herself to stay in the bed. Involuntarily, her hand reached out and took the letter from the pocket of her robe that was sitting on a chair near her bed.
-but not until we get back. I think he might like someone we know. I'm also worried about you. You're pulling yourself farther and farther away from us, and that makes me very worried. What are you afraid of? Fred and I would never do anything to hurt you, you know that. Right? If there's something else bothering you, you have to tell someone, even if it's not me. You just need to get it out, believe me. I would suggest a diary, but those are too easy for someone else to read (Ginny stopped trying to keep one when she was seven). So please, tell someone. I know that anyone would be willing to listen, even Fred. He's a bit dense, but even he could help.
Sarah was about to cry. Fred was part of the problem, though!
Just try it, and so, when I get back, we'll talk, right?
Thanks for listening, you're a great friend.
George.
She wanted to scream at him. Why did he have to notice? Guys were supposed to be dense! She screamed into her pillow instead and wrote them back a letter.
George and Fred;
Yeah, I'm fine! Thanks for owling me. Don't worry, I have a present for you guys, even though I think you might have to share it. I'm having lots of fun, too! Just today, I got so caught up in a book that I stayed there until I was kicked out! I know this may sound weird, but neither of you two worry, okay? I'm fine! George, we can talk if you want, and Fred, don't worry. Both of you are like mother hens, sheesh! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'll send your presents to you by owl, and I hope that you guys have fun. I'll see you after holidays.
Sarah
She put the letter on the chair with the letter that they had sent her, and then turned over and tried to go to sleep.
