w00T! The big Two-OH!
This is offically the longest thing I've ever written. Thank you for sticking with me this long! I hope you've been enjoying reading it as much as I've been enjoying writing it. :D
--Chapter 20-Not What I'd Expected--
"Oh, wow! That's lovely!" Zarah exclaimed, slowly turning my ring around in her hand. We were both on our way to Hogsmeade on a sunny Saturday. Zarah was meeting a fellow Ravenclaw at the Three Broomsticks, while I was on my way to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.
"It is, isn't it?" I asked cheerfully. I took the ring back and slipped it on my finger.
"I wish a guy would buy me jewelry," she sighed wistfully.
I laughed at that. "Zare, you've got more jewelry then Angelique. I think whatever a guy would buy you, you'd already have something like it."
"But it's just stuff I've bought. There's no real meaning to it."
"I guess not. . ."
Zarah and I reached the Three Broomsticks sooner then I had thought possible. Zarah turned to go in. I waved and continued on my way, fighting my way against the steady stream of students on their day off. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was packed as usual.
"Hey, Enna!"
"Hi, Lorelei. Do you need help with that?" I nervously eyedthe large box she was carrying.
"Oh, thank you, but no. It's quite light really. Just a bit cumbersome.
"Did you come in for anything in particular?"
"I need a new set of Exploding Snap cards."
"Another?"
"You'd think I'd learn not to lend them to the twins," I sighed with mock remorse. "They got Alice this time." Not that I was going to complain about that. Recently, she had been even more uptight and nasty towards me when Ricky wasn't around.
"Alright, the card display is in the back near the counter. Follow me." Lorelei, with her large box, cleared a decent sized path all the way to the back. She placed the box on the counter and tossed me a deck of cards. "Don't worry about it," she said dismissively when I pulled out my purse.
"I've got to pay."
"You're a friend of the family."
"I'm a customer as well."
"Tell you what. You come and get something to drink with me and we'll call it even."
"But, how does that cover the cost of the cards?"
"You're thinking too mathematically, hon. George! I'm taking my break!" Lorelei escorted me out ofthe store,down the busy street, and into the Three Broomsticks. "Now," she said. "I'm going to get a drink. What would you like?"
"Um, butterbeer, please," I stuttered. Okay, this was weird. Last time I'd seen Lorelei she'd been rather cold towards me.
"Here you go," she handed me a foamy mug and sat down in the seat opposite me. "Did you see the paper this morning?"
I shivered slightly, but nodded. Yes, I had seen the paper. . .
I was sitting on a couch in the Gryffindor's common room trying to catch up on all the work I had to do. Ricky was helping me out the best he could, going over his notes from the last few weeks, giving me tips, stuff like that. Alice was sitting nearby looking like an angry cat.
"Look!" Maddie waved a piece of paper in front of my face.
"Hmm?" I asked distractedly. "Ricky, do you have notes on Professor Longbottom's lecture on those weird smelly plants?"
"I think," he replied.
"Guys!" Maddie exclaimed in an annoyed tone. "Mum's written something about the werewolves' imprisonment in the paper! There's some stuff about you in here, En."
"Isn't that considered a 'conflict of interest?'" I asked.
"It wasn't mum talking about you, silly! She interviewed a few of the other people that were there."
"Oh," I felt my face turn pink. "Well, I don't--"
"And it's really neat sounding too. Listen, this is a comment from a Ruth Duncan, 'She was so sweet, that Lupin girl. Though she looked exhausted herself, she went around helping everyone.'
"Geez, En, are you a saint or something?"
This is exactly why I never did tell anyone about what had happened during full moon (well, partly actually). I figured if I went around telling people about it that it'd make me sound snotty and self-righteous.
That, and the night weaved its way into my nightmares far too often as it was.
"D-did it say who was behind everything?" I asked uncomfortably.
"Um," Maddie scanned the page, ". . .yeah it does, 'Frank Carter, who has before tried to rid England of werewolves single-handedly, was the main force behind this ordeal.
"'Together with the head of the Department of Magical Creature Regulation, E. L. Umbridge (the daughter of the late D. J. Umbridge), the pair formed a plan to contain the werewolves by holding them in a remote location.'
"And it goes on how they have their own personal issues with werewolves and 'half-breeds' as that Umbridge woman put it. Anyway, that's what drove them to scheme out the entire idea. They might have succeeded if not for Tonks and everyone.
"Hmm, according to this, the man died shortly after full moon due to heart failure. There's a picture."
I gave the picture a half-hearted glance before turning back to my work. A moment passed and I did a double-take. My stomach felt like I'd been punched, and I began shaking like mad. No longer able to think, let alone hold a quill, I just stared at the picture.
"En?" Veronica, the first to notice, put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"I-it's. . ." I motioned helplessly at the newspaper. Most of my friends, who'd never seen the man, looked at me in confusion. Ricky, on the other hand, recognized him right away. He took the paper from out of my sight immediately, and wrapped an arm around me.
"It's fine, En."
"I never wanted to see those eyes again," I whispered and leaned into his embrace. Not that I entirely cared at the moment, but Alice was turning rather red.
"He's gone, Enna. He won't be able to hurt you anymore," Ricky reminded me.
"I know, but I though. . .I didn't think. . ." I whispered quietly, shaking even more. Ricky tightened his grip.
"Shh."
"Who is he?" James picked up the paper, and inspected the photo.
"It's the man who tried to kill her four years ago in Hogsmeade," Ricky explained softly. My other friends looked at me in shock.
"Sorry, I didn't meant to bring up anything like that," Lorelei apologized with a horrified expression on her face.
"It's not like you knew," I shrugged and sipped my drink.
"So how's school going?"
"Okay. I'm very busy. I've got a bunch of make-up work, current work, plus the Farewell Ball to plan. Oh, and Head Girl duties."
Loreleigave me a sympathetic smile. "I can help you if you ever need it. Mainly with the Farewell Ball though, considering the fact that you're moresmart enough to do the school stuff on your own."
"Thanks," I replied gratefully. "Ricky's even agreed to work on the decorations a bit since I'm so busy." I twisted the ring on my right ring finger absentmindedly.
Lorelei was silent for a few minutes. When she spoke she had a strange expression on her face. ". . .Out of curiosity, did you and and William really break up?"
"Um, yes, why?"
"Well, I just. . ." Lorelei's voice faded before she completed her thought. I cocked my head to the side confused. She was looking cautiously happy about the news. But why would she be happy that we broke up? My thoughts raced before settling on the memory of the day that William and I were atWeasley's Wizard Wheezestogether.
"You're happy that William and I broke up? Is it because that you think that I'm not good enough for him?" I demanded.
Lorelei, shocked out of her own daydreaming state, looked at me wide-eyed. "Why would you think that?"
"Because you never seemed happy that William and I were dating, and now you do."
"Of course I don't think that! Why would I? For years I've always thought that you'd end up a Weasley yourself. I just didn't think that the Weasley you were going to marry was William." I blinked in surprise. "I know you care for William, hon, but I just never figured that it was in the same way you cared for Ricky." Lorelei smiled at me. "Now I know I was right."
". . .You think I'm in love with Ricky?" I clarified skeptically.
"Well, more recently I would say that I know you love him," Lorelei shrugged. "And I'm pretty sure that he loves you too."
"But he's my best friend!"
"So? Ron and Hermione started out that way."
"Oh my gosh, this is sounding so clichéd." I slumped back in my seat.
"Do you deny that you love him?"
"No! Yes! I don't know." I covered my eyes with my hands. I was now seriously confused. "Why in the world do you think that I love him?"
"Just the chemistry that the two of you have whenever you'retogether is reason enough to think that. And the fact that his girlfriend is nervous about you two is another good reason." Lorelei laughed suddenly. "My goodness, I'd almost forgotten--Hermione's been planning your wedding since you were five."
My face heated up. When we were five, Ricky and I decided that we were going to get married one day (hey, we were bored). We invited everyone to come, even though we never gave a month, day, or year for that matter.
"We were five!" I shouted. People turned and looked at me in surprise. I blushed and sat back down in my seat.
"It was just so cute though! I still have that purple and green invitation that you gave me and George."
I groaned and put my head down on the table. Why did people always have to bring up your most embarrassing memories? Just yesterday Veronica had to bring up my whole broomstick accident (I just broke my arm, nothing too major), and James and Sirius were teasing me about it the rest of the day.
"I'm not in love with Ricky, Lorelei. He's my best friend, nothing more."
"What ever you say, Enna. What ever you say." Lorelei grinned impishly and finished her drink.
Late that night, I was still wide awake. I tossed and turned, but I couldn't find a comfortable position. What Lorelei had said was still haunting me.That plus the factany memory of Ricky and me that could be considered a 'romantic moment' kept flashing through my mind were not exactly settling thoughts.
"Ugh!" I kicked the covers off me and climbed out of bed. Pacing the room, I inwardly ranted and raged all the reasons I shouldn't, couldn't, be in love with my best friend. Yet, as soon as I though I was going to go mad from everythingracing through my mind, all my thoughts, worries, reasonings, and concerns cleared, leaving only one thought One simple, pure, and almost relieving thought in my mind.
I was in love with Ricky.
I sat on the edge of my bed, staring into space.I reached out and touched the petals of the rose on my bedside table. "I'm in love with my best friend," I murmured. From her perch near my reading lamp, Primrose gave a delighted squeak, as if to say, Finally!
I stood up suddenly, and after a moment's hesitation, sat back down. It wasn't as if I could do anything about it tonight. The entire castle was asleep. I could go through the passage way, but I highly doubted that Ricky would appreciate me waking him up for something that could wait to be said.
And the fact that he had a girlfriend stood firmly in place. As much as I disliked Alice, I didn't want to be the kind of girl that steals a guy (like Ricky would agree to it in the first place).
With a sigh, I snuggled back under the covers and fell into a fitful sleep.
Okay, not my favorite chapter, but I wanted to resolve the whole Lorelei issue (and this seemed like a good time to do it), but this all seems rushed.
I'll blame all the work I've been doing lately. Stupid history and lit! Darn you to heck! lol.
That been said, I won't blame you if you don't like it.
Just one last note (It's midnight, I should really be in bed), the next chapter's going to take place directly after this one. That is, when she wakes up from her sleep. Yeah, um, obvious much, eh? -.-'
Thanks for reading,
Anne