For those who don't know peanuting a tie is when the label is peeled off as a rite of passage or least it was in my school. Xoxo
The ceiling of the great hall is starry and Gwen finds it beautiful, she used to watch it change day to day but things lose their charm after time. She just got used to it but for some reason it seems important now, she spies Severus squished between Malfoy and Goyle. She wants to go over and kiss him right here and now but Mary is talking to her in detail about a dream she had about Remus Lupin.
"And then he kissed me in front of everyone," she blushes as they reach the table. She would never say anything in front of the man himself but it's not like everyone doesn't know that she's madly in love with Moony anyway.
"That's a great present," Gwen smiles sitting next to Lily. She is used to covering for her friends when it comes to their bizarre fixations with the Marauders. "Anyone else get anything nice for crimbo?" Everyone starts to talk over each other about tickets to quidditch games and other brilliant sounding presents she even shows off her new necklace.
It's nice to get everyone talking again and it's just like old times. They can all be friends again even if it's just for the evening.
"Are you going to Slug's dinner party tomorrow?" Lily asks as they head up to the girl's dorm.
"Merlin no," Gwen shudders. "I can't think of anything worse than having to answer questions about my father. Why don't you just ask James?" She smiles but she knows that she's just crossed the mark. She's just edgy because Sev hasn't even said hello to her yet and now it's too late. The look on Lily's face is that of shock and embarrassment that fills Gwen with shame. "I'm sorry Lil's I just miss my Sev, "she smiles.
Lily nods, "He couldn't take his eyes off you and he wasn't the only one."
Gwen looks at her, "Who was the other?" She doesn't care but it's nice to get a little attention even if it is unwanted.
"Sirius," Lily smiles, "And you didn't even notice, that's great Gwen."
Sirius was looking at her, she would have skipped at the news a few months ago but she shouldn't be so happy about it now. She smiles as she climbs into her bed under the covers with no intention of sleep not when the dorm is alive with girly gossip about those silly little things that when you're a sixteen year old girl seem so important.
The next day brings her first potions class of the year and she can't wait to see Sev, she even styles her hair differently. They take the passage behind the portrait to the classroom trying their best to be on time as they know the points in the Gryffindor jar isn't as full as it should be. Sev is talking with his friends and he blanks her when she says hello.
"Sev, did I do something wrong?" She asks but he doesn't even look at her. "Severus?"
Slug opens the door and lets them all in. Lilly sits next to Mary right at the front; she really is a total bookworm. Gwen might be clever but she is no boffin, her tie never needed anyone to peanut it and she certainly never sits at the front. She picks a table in the middle hoping that he'd sit next to her but of course he doesn't. She takes out her textbook and the new pheasant tail quill that Fletcher made as a present.
Bella makes an origami bird out of parchment and flies it at her table she opens it to find a nasty note about she's ugly and officially dumped. Gwen will not be so easy put off not after everything that has happened between them. She looks over at Severus who is furiously scratching notes into that book of his and he doesn't meet her glance making a lump form in her throat. This can't be happening.
"Thirty points from Gryffindor for lateness," Slug sighs as the door bangs open and three of the Marauders enter lead by a defeated looking Remus. "Now to make up some lost points Miss Llewellyn can you tell me what this is?" He asks holding up a curious looking seed.
"Is it a bezoar?" She says at a guess.
"Quite right m'dear, ten points granted to Gryffindor," he smiles. "Now can anyone tell me why you might want one if you're ever offered a drink from a stranger?"
Gwen knows this one and her hand jots up in the air, "To save you from being poisoned," she smiles desperate for some points.
"That's another ten points, well done, no doubt your father knows all about them," he smiles getting sort of misty eyes when he talks about her father.
"Yes sir," she nods.
Sirius who is now sitting next to her smiles "Brains as well as beauty, shame to see them wasted."
She gives his leg a swift kick under the table, "Shut up," she chuckles.
The class finishes and she puts her things away slowly wanting to wait for everyone else to leave so she can talk to Severus. He is walking with his friends and yet she follows him, "Sev?" She calls taking his arm but he just shrugs her off. "What's occurring?"
He looks at her, "Meet me by the lake."
She nods, "Ok," she watches him walk on and hurries off to the lake for their free period. She puts down her brown leather satchel and sits down he isn't here yet but Jigsaw finds his mistress and rubs against her shins. "Hey boy, caught any mice yet?" She smiles but the smile doesn't meet her eyes. She looks around her hoping to see him but he's not here so she takes out her transfiguration text book and starts to read. She gets to the fifth page of the new chapter and shivers with the cold.
A raven lands on her knee and drops a note on her lap before taking off again, she unrolls the parchment to find that he isn't coming. "Great," she sighs holding her face in her hands. She remembers what her father always says about dusting herself off and carrying on when she fell over so she does just that. She has a class to go to after all.
She races up to transfiguration and throws her arms around Lily needing her dearest friend to comfort her. "He stood me up," she says wondering exactly where her fighting spirit went. She's the welsh dragon for Merlin's sake.
"I'm sure there was a reason," Lily smiles doing that lovely all too understanding thing that she does all too well.
"Like he's bored of me," she sighs.
"What with your neuroticism, how can anyone be bored of you?" She teases in a nice way that only good friends can get away with. "You're just being paranoid."
Gwen nods, "Yeah, I do that. Don't I?" She plasters a huge smile on her face to keep up appearances. She just can't shake the feeling that he's trying to avoid her like he's hiding something from her and it hurts too much for words.