A/N: Wow. That was fast. It's kind of short and filler-y though. The next chapter will take a while more, since I don't have anything written yet and there's some actual plot happening. Enjoy!
Thanks for the review BlackBloodRose64! I have returned the favor!
Disclaimer: Do you really think my writing could even pass for Jo's? I thought not.
Chapter 3
Decisions
Four days. I had four days to decide. Not nearly enough! On the one hand, there was Harry, my real family. On the other, there were Aiden and Lea, my best friends since pre-school. How was I supposed to choose?
Aiden and Lea were supportive. "You could just go for the first year." "We can make it through the year." "Just think– free tuition! And you get to go to jolly old England too." "We'll write every week." "We'll see you at Christmas!"
It didn't really help all that much. But I thought about it. For three long days, all I did was sit distracted in Paige and Storry's and stare at my book without really reading it. Lea dragged me there, but pretty much left me alone during the hour of study. She knew better than to disturb me. Quidditch was different as well. I started zoning out in the middle of the game. After getting hit in the nose with the Quaffle, Aiden and Lea dragged me home and told me to just sit and think about it in my room where nothing could hurt me.
I sighed and stared up at that yellow spot on the ceiling. Things were so messed up. Ophion came up to greet me, but didn't make any real conversation. He knew I was upset. A flickering tongue ghosted across my cheek– it his form of a comforting hand on my shoulder. After a few minutes of silence I gathered up the courage to ask.
/What d'you think, 'Phion? Should I go?/
The garden snake was quiet, but eventually he said, /I think you should./
I turned my face to look into his gleaming eyes. /Really?/
/Think about it, Megan. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Will you ever get another chance to meet him?/
I knew at once who he was talking about.
/Do I even want to meet him? I didn't grow up with him, why should I even care?/
/And you say I'm a bad liar,/ hissed Ophion. /That was weak. You do want to meet him and you know it. Even if you didn't grow up with him, you spent the first year of your life sharing the same crib. You're curious, and you want to know him. If you go to Hogwarts you can./
/I can't know him if I go, Dumbledore said I can't even tell him we're related. How dumb is that?/ I responded impatiently.
/But that doesn't mean you can't get to know him or be his friend,/ insisted the snake.
My resolve was beginning to crumble. Was Harry really worth my two best friends? But they'd still be my friends if I went, and then he'd be my friend also. I buried my face in my pillow and Ophion took that as a sign that I didn't want to talk to him anymore. I heard him murmur a good-bye and slither off the bed and out of the open bedroom window, leaving me to my thoughts.
If I decided yes, then I'd have to decide by tomorrow or else the owl wouldn't arrive in time. I felt like sleeping through the rest of the day and the next so that it would just be over and too late to decide or dwell on it. But I couldn't. My nerves wouldn't let me.
I had gotten three opinions and they'd all said they would be happy for me if I went. But I wasn't sure if I would be happy for me. One year. That's all I really had to do. Maybe. Maybe, maybe, maybe.
I sat up in bed. Marco and Dana. I'd ask them first. They would be the final opinions. I paid no mind to the fact that I already had three out of five in favor and that they would probably say yes too.
After searching the house and finding no trace of either of them, I concluded that Dana was probably gardening on the rooftop. I found her among the azaleas.
"Hey, Mom," I interrupted, kneeling down beside her.
Dana glanced up and her face, smudged with dirt, lit up. "Hi, honey. What are you doing home so early?"
Gingerly, I fingered my nose, which still smarted slightly from the Quaffle hit. "Got hit during Quidditch. I'm okay," I added quickly, seeing her eyes darken with worry. "No blood. Lea and Aiden brought me home."
"If you're sure you're okay," she said skeptically. "How're you holding up?" I could tell she wasn't talking about my nose.
I shrugged and dug a finger into the dirt at my feet absentmindedly. "I don't know. It's just such a huge decision." I looked at her through my eyelashes.
Dana nodded and refilled her watering can with a quick "Aguamenti." "Sweetie, you know I'll be happy whatever you choose. Sure, it would be nicer to have you closer to home. I mean, Hogwarts is in northern Scotland! But I think it would be good for you to learn more about your native culture."
"I hadn't even thought of that," I said in surprise. "I always forget I was born in England. I don't even have an accent."
"Well," said Dana, smiling widely, "if you really want my advice, I think you should go to Hogwarts. I know you, Meg. If you don't take this opportunity, you'll always be thinking 'What if?'"
I was so deep in thought, that I didn't noticed the much-hated nickname. Alright, so next up was Marco. I found him in his study, working on his modified computer that he had bought at Wires. He told me much the same thing as Dana had. He would be happy no matter what I chose. Hogwarts was a great opportunity. I could always choose to transfer back next year.
"Sweetheart, take a chance," he said, leaning over his desk and taking my hand in his. "You're one of the cleverest girls I know, but sometimes you have trouble with doing just that. This is a huge opportunity. Don't let it pass you by."
A few hours later I was filling out the form, with a glint of determination in my eye and the barest of hesitation in my scrawl. I would go to Hogwarts. I would do my best in class. I would make friends. I would keep old ones. I would learn about my heritage. And I would learn about my brother.
See that button right down there? Click it and leave a comment. Also, there's a poll up on my profile. What house do you think Megan should be in? I've already half made up my mind, but I would like your input.