Chapter 5
The rest of second year passed. We grew both in height and in our knowledge of magic. Sometimes, in Transfigurations class, Professor McGonagall would tell of Harry Potter's deeds (with the help of his friends, of course). At this, we'd all listen rapturously, and both Rose and Al would beam.
Sometimes, the Potter and Weasley children were called to the headmistress's office to talk to the portrait of Professor Dumbledore. According to them, he was very nice and that it was a shame we couldn't have met him while he lived.
We spent the summer visiting, and third year couldn't come soon enough. Lily and Hugo were coming to Hogwarts for the first time. Now that they'd seen how much fun we had, they were no longer nervous to go. Of course, they both got sorted into Gryffindor with the rest of us. To James, Al, and Rose's relief, they didn't bother us too much. They made their own friends and saw for themselves the wonder and glory of Hogwarts.
James and Al were both on the Quidditch team. Ella, Rose, Hugo, Lily, and I had a wonderful time losing our voices cheering at the games. We explored Hogwarts by night, just as Al and Rose's parents had done, with the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map, commandeered from James. This wasn't my favourite thing to do, since I was always afraid of getting caught. However, I was more afraid of what I'd miss if I didn't go.
One big event that occurred that year was our first trip to Hogsmede. The trip was scheduled for a few days before Halloween, and it was early October when we saw the notice.
The days grew colder, and as Halloween drew nearer, the castle became overrun with all sorts of decorations, especially in the Great Hall. Plans were made for Halloween parties, and excitement grew with the coming field trip.
The Hogsmede trip finally arrived. We chattered happily on the walk to the town. After stopping for a drink at the Three Broomsticks, the four of us explored the shops. At one point, Ella and Rose got separated from Al and me in the middle of a creepy, Halloween-decorated shop. Halloween had never been my favourite holiday. So when Ella and Rose had gone off to look at something, the shop (which seemed less scary with more people) became quite foreboding. There was a sound behind me, and I spun around, grabbing Al's arm.
"What was that?" I whispered.
"Probably just someone looking for stuff," Al said, looking pleased.
"How do you know?" I asked, pulling out my wand. "It could be anything. Let's leave." I tugged at his arm.
"Alright, alright," Al said as I pulled him along. We turned a corner and bumped into Rose and Ella. I screamed.
"Hush! It's just them," Al said, covering my mouth. "Ow, you hurt my ears," he complained.
"Didn't mean to scare you there, mate," Ella said, laughing.
"Shut it," I grumbled, still jumpy. We left the store and meandered back to Hogwarts. Soon, the ordeal was forgotten.
By fourth year, we were too big to have all four of us under the Cloak at once, and James had reclaimed the Map. Michael was a first year in Gryffindor, and I felt I had to be a good example. That soon wore off as he drifted toward others his age, and I was too busy having fun with my friends to mind my little brother.
My main distraction from my brother and everything else was James. The summer after third year was mostly spent on a holiday to visit my cousins, so I didn't see Al and his family until September 1st, at Platform 9 ¾. Ella and I were chatting when the Potters and Weasleys came into sight. Al and Rose greeted us happily. We all started talking at once, and then… I saw him.
I stopped in the middle of a sentence and stared, wide-eyed and mouth open. It was like a slow-motion button had been pressed. I saw him walk toward us, his hair blowing in the steam from the engine, laughing at something. Next to me, I heard Ella gasp. When I looked at her, I saw (to my relief) that she wasn't looking at James, but at the boy next to him.
"Hot… friend…," she whispered, looking much like I felt. The boy with James had curly, dark brown hair and somewhat of a swagger. I thought he looked rather full of himself, but I quickly turned my attention back to the man of my dreams.
"Remain calm," I told myself. "Act natural."
I turned to Ella and grinned. "Ella, can I talk to you for a moment?" She nodded weakly, and we walked a few paces away.
"Did you see him?" we both asked at the same time. Ella's eyes shown as she added, "Who is that boy with James?"
"Psh, who cares about his friend? Did you not see James?" I asked.
"I care," said Ella, put off. "He was hot. He looks familiar, though. Do you think he was here last year?"
"I dunno. I don't pay attention to who's in our House, really. I was too busy with school and, oh, I don't know, learning magic!"
Ginny, who was attempting to flatten Al's hair, called for us to hurry up and get on the train. We hastily said goodbye to our parents and clambered aboard.
"I'll ask who he is for you, ok?" I whispered to Ella. She nodded.
When the four of us settled into our compartment, I casually asked, "So who was that guy with James?"
"Oh, that's Orion Castingson," Rose answered. "He's in our House, in James' year."
"Yeah, he's been to our house a couple of times. You don't… you don't like him, do you?" Al asked.
"Ha! No. I don't even know him," I said. "Why do you care?"
"No reason, it's just that… he's not very nice to me."
"Well, of course not, you're his best friend's little brother," Rose reasoned.
I made an effort to sit by James at the start-of-term feast, but the closest I got was three seats away with Al, Rose, and Orion in between. Ella had more luck; she managed to sit directly across from Orion. I split my attention between staring at James- which was hard since he was on the same side of the table and I had to look around three people- and watching how it was going with Ella. Orion and James hardly glanced in our direction except for the time Orion asked Ella to pass the potatoes (and she drooled for a week afterwards).
Back in the dormitory, Rose turned to us. "Alright, what's going on with you two?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, not meeting her eyes. I busied myself with setting up things on my nightstand.
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about. I saw the way you both were gawking at Orion."
"I wasn't looking at him, I was looking at James," I said, then instantly clapped a hand over my mouth.
"A-ha!" Rose cried, pointing at me in triumph. She smirked. "So it's just Ella that likes Orion."
"Isn't he cute?" Ella gushed, letting it out now that she didn't have to hide it.
Giddy with the excitement of fancying a boy, I suddenly jumped up. "Captain Ella!"
"Yes, First Mate Mae?" she replied, joining in.
"It's time for a plan of action! What say you?"
"Aye!"
"You're both mad. I'm going to bed. We have class tomorrow." Rose pointedly climbed in bed and rolled away from us.
"No matter! Hoist the sails, matey! Onward, to the Sea of Men!" Ella cried.
"Aye, Cap'n!" I yelled, making a mighty fist.
"Now, what shall we do first?"
"Um, I don't know. I've never done this before," I said, becoming serious.
"Me neither."
We sat in silence for a moment before Rose rolled over and said, "If I might make a suggestion, I'd say the first thing to do would be to talk to them."
Ella and I looked at each other as if she'd just revealed a huge secret. I grinned. "We take the plunge together, mate!"
So began "The Epic Quest to Make James and Orion Like Us", as I dubbed it. I tried to make my hair look nice, but it didn't always cooperate. I tried to talk to James, but he didn't really pay me much attention. Nothing seemed to work.
"It's because they think of us as kids," Ella complained after her failed attempts.
"And since James has known me for awhile, it's even worse. He probably still sees me as the eleven-year-old he first met." I pouted.
No matter how much we whined, however, we would not let Rose help. "I know we can do this! We just need more time," I said.
Al, being a boy himself, had no interest in helping either. At one point, when we asked him for advice, he told us to "do your girl stuff without me."
Meanwhile, Rose had quickly (and easily, I might add) become the girlfriend of a boy named Jacob in fourth year Ravenclaw. Needless to say, Ella and I were quite jealous. Poor Rose. In addition to bearing our attitudes, she had to put up with Al and James always asking where she'd been and if Jacob had "tried anything." Rose wrote to her mother to complain, who only said they were behaving just like Rose's father had when his sister dated boys.
One day, sometime after the Christmas holiday, Ella bounded up to me. "You will never guess!" she exclaimed.
"What?" I asked excitedly.
"Just a moment ago, I dropped my books- and not even on purpose this time! And then guess what? Orion helped me pick them up!" She beamed.
"That's fantastic! Then what?"
"Then I came to tell you," she said, smile fading. "Why?"
"Ella!" I sighed, exasperated. "Why didn't you talk to him?"
"I said thank you. Way to ruin the moment, Mae," she said, pouting.
"Sorry, I'm just frustrated. Nothing seems to be working."
Back in the common room, Ella and I were talking when Al plopped into the seat next to me. A piece of parchment fluttered out of his bag as he dumped it on the floor. I bent to pick it up. Thinking nothing of it, I read a few lines of crossed-out text:
Your eyes are
Your laugh is like a tinkling bell
When you're around, I feel
"What is this?" I asked, giggling.
Al snatched it away. "It's nothing," he mumbled, stuffing it in his pocket and looking at the fire.
"Tell me! Do you like someone?" I asked, eyes widening at the thought. "Who is she?"
"No one!" Al shouted. He got up and raced to the boys' dormitory.
"That means 'Yes, I do like someone'," Ella said, grinning.
Please review! All Harry Potter characters belong to JK Rowling. All other characters (aka Ella, Mae, and such) are mine.
