The Amazing Thing About: Friendship. Chapter twenty-six.
Eliza regretted sneaking out with Fred. When morning came she was exhausted. By the time they'd returned inside and she'd made it back to the dorm it was nearly three in the morning. She'd been able to sleep after a while but not for very long. The other girls in the dorm had woken up early and were all anxiously whispering about their last exams of the year. It had woken her up and though there was still time for her to go back to sleep she'd tossed and turned. Eventually she was fed up and she'd dragged herself out of bed and down to breakfast yawning the whole way.
"Where were you last night?" Kelly asked as Eliza tried not to fall asleep at the table. "Hm?" She jerked her head up before it could slip from her hand propped up by her elbow. So far Lee had been nudging her occasionally to keep her somewhat alert. "I'm awake." She insisted earning her a laugh from Hannah on Kelly's other side.
"I woke up last night and you weren't in your bed." Kelly's smirk said she knew exactly what Eliza had been doing but she wanted to drag it out of her.
"You must've been dreaming." Eliza responded.
"I can't believe you would be sneaking around at night with what your ex sent you last." Kelly prodded her in the ribs and Eliza jumped, leaning away from her to avoid another.
"And the night before our last exams? Who are you and what have you done with Eliza?" Hannah added. Eliza shrugged it off. It wasn't like she'd been alone. If she had decided to hop out of bed and go on a leisurely midnight stroll all by her lonesome then she could understand Kelly's concern.
Fred leaned over past Lee with a grin. "It was only a little field trip." He said which earned a snicker from George. "It's all part of our nefarious plot to turn Izzy into one of us." He joked. Fred's grin only grew wider and he began to chant "One of us. One of us." Before Eliza shoved him away, smushing her hand against his face.
"Don't listen to them. I just needed some fresh air. Couldn't sleep." She explained. It earned her a sympathetic look from Kelly but she turned her gaze to her plate. She'd been too tired to eat but with time running out she began shoveling food into her mouth like a mad woman.
During exams she could barely concentrate and struggled through hoping she'd done well enough. Flitwick had eyed her as she stumbled through her counter curse but her performance must have been satisfactory because he didn't say anything aside from telling her she'd improved since the start of the year. But she wouldn't know for sure until the results came out the following week. At least after OWLs there would be no more classes and the students would be able to relax for their remaining time at school.
There was a collective breath of relief at dinner that night. The castle itself seemed to be in high spirits though Hannah was in fits worried over the results they'd be receiving. She was insistent that she had to have messed up somewhere, that she felt it deep down. Eliza, Kelly, and Tasha took up the whole meal trying to reassure her that she was just freaking out. "It's normal." Kelly gushed as she petted her friend's hair soothingly. "We all worry about our results but you've worked really hard. There's no way you failed." She continued.
"I'm sure you did great." Eliza was on her other side holding her hand as Hannah took multiple deep breaths. Tasha was hugging Hannah from behind and the look on her face said she didn't know what else to do. When Lee tried to cheer her up by telling her that if she failed some then that would mean she'd have fewer classes the next year Hannah had begun to hyperventilate. He'd looked confused when the girls all shooed him away.
Kelly had to stay in Hannah's bed that night to talk her to sleep. Eliza sat next to the bed for a while for support but the whole time she was glad that Hannah's worries weren't passing to her. While she was concerned she had forced herself to believe she did her best. It was no longer in her hands. Once Hannah was asleep she went down to the common room where she found Victor sitting at the chess table. He was playing an older student who appeared to be winning by the look on Victor's face.
"Can I talk to you?" Eliza asked him as he looked up from the board. He made to rise immediately but Eliza insisted he finish the game. "It's alright. Arnold would have me in two moves." Victor said and leaned over to shake his opponent's hand. After congratulating the other boy on his victory Eliza pulled him aside to ask him if he'd had a chance to speak with Amelia.
"I did." He nodded as they sat on a small sofa away from the other students in the room. "And?" Eliza asked. Victor sighed and she had a feeling that he wasn't about to tell her good news. "She swears she hasn't been following you." His words made Eliza recline against the back of the seat, arms crossed. She'd been spotted doing it so many times. How could she deny it?
"Why would she lie?" Eliza asked mostly to herself. Victor seemed just as perplexed as she was. "It's strange. She didn't sound like she was lying. She broke down in tears when I called her out on it." He said. Was it an act? Had she only resorted to crying to convince him of her innocence? Eliza frowned. Maybe this was all a misunderstanding. What if it was merely a coincidence that Amelia was around when she felt like she was being watched? None of this was making any sense to her.
"Do you think she cried to get out of it?" Eliza asked.
"I don't know. She swore she would never do that. Said she wanted me to trust her again." He was staring at his lap with a highly uncommon frown. It seemed like she'd put him through talking to Amelia for nothing. "I'm sorry." She said.
"For what?" Victor asked finally meeting her gaze.
"For having you talk to her. I should have done it myself. It was wrong of me to put you in that position." She said feeling regret eat away at her. If she'd stopped to think for a second about how it would be on him instead of worrying about herself he wouldn't look the way he did now. She'd been selfish and basically pushed him to speak to her knowing good and well he didn't want to.
His brow furrowed as she set her hands on her knees and got to her feet. If there was one thing she'd learned this year it was that running from problems only made them worse. If she wanted to figure out what was going on then she'd have to do it herself. If this was all some silly misunderstanding she was going to kick herself and there would be no end to the guilt she'd feel for having accused Amelia of stalking her.
"Eliza?" Victor leaned forward and grabbed her by the hand. She looked down at him with an arched eyebrow. "What are you going to do?" He asked. That was a good question but she'd already pretty much made up her mind on the easiest solution. "I'm going to talk to her." She said and pulled away from him. Compared to holding hands with her friends it was different when Victor tried. Something about him touching her made her heart skip a beat.
He jumped out of his seat. "Now?" He asked and his reaction made her laugh. "No. Right now I'm gonna go to bed. It's late. I'll talk to her tomorrow." She said. There was no way she was going to be able to try to locate Amelia just before curfew. She was most likely already in the Hufflepuff common room or in bed. Victor's shoulders relaxed and he nodded. "Alright. If I see her around tomorrow I'll let her know you're looking for her."
While she insisted he didn't have to do that Victor dismissed her saying it was the least he could do. In her bed she reflected on her time getting to know him. Even though she'd initially been uncomfortable around him due to his interest in her he'd become a great friend. He was good-looking and charming. He always tried to be there for her or make her smile if she was having a rough time. He made her laugh. Eliza couldn't deny that there was a part of her that was very attracted to him. It was just a part she didn't want to acknowledge.
The next day during breakfast Eliza tried to spot Amelia at the HufflePuff table but didn't see her in the great hall at all. Considering she'd come down a little late it was entirely possible that she'd missed her. So she spent the first half of the day spending time with the girls. With Hannah back to her usual plucky self they all had another 'girl's day'
While it was unfortunate that Hermione and Ginny didn't join them it was as if everything in the world was right as she and her friends reminisced on the year. A lot of it was Hannah teasing Kelly for being so mopey that she'd be away from Oliver over the break. Cas and Tasha made Eliza promise that she'd write to them which was easy enough to agree to. She'd come to care very much for them and being away from them over break was going to be hard.
When she saw the twins next they were lurking and appeared to be up to no good as per usual. She stopped and talked with them a bit and told them her plan to speak with Amelia and they agreed to let the girl know she was wanting to talk if they saw her. Not wanting to be a part of whatever they were plotting she'd left them to it and joined Harry and Ron for a few games of Exploding Snap in one of the courtyards.
Harry was in a wonderful mood, in fact they both were, which made her curious. When she asked about their high spirits the friends had shared a look before Harry launched into a fantastical story about how they'd found out the truth about Sirius Black. Ron added details in a hushed tone and Eliza tried to follow it the best she could. From the sound of it they'd had quite the adventure the same night she'd snuck out of her dorm to meet up with Fred. "Wow. Well, I'm very happy for you." She told Harry. He sounded so ecstatic to have met his godfather and to have learned the truth of who'd betrayed his parents. She hadn't expected the tale but she thanked him for trusting her enough to tell her. There were times she could feel that they were leaving some details out but she didn't push for them.
Eliza stopped by her dorm to put Rikki inside and packed a few of her things. With all the students out and about in the halls there was a little too much excitement and she didn't want him wandering off on his own. She tucked her Christmas gifts carefully into her luggage and stopped to admire the photo Alicia had gifted to her. As she looked down at it she felt excitement flutter in her chest. She couldn't wait to see them again. She planned to hug them until they got sick of it and even after that she would be latching onto them every second she got the chance.
With most of her things packed aside from a few changes of clothes she left Ravenclaw tower just before dinner. She was smiling and humming to herself a jaunty tune as she made her way when someone stopped her. "Eliza?"
Eliza turned to see Amelia jogging to catch up to her. Eliza immediately felt uncomfortable as the girl came to a stop in front of her. Even in an oversized sweater and pants, she was beautiful. "I heard you were looking for me." The girl said and Eliza nodded. "Yeah. I was." Her words were awkward and she didn't know how to go about broaching the subject. She'd been waiting to catch sight of her all day but she hadn't thought of how to proceed once she found her. With the way the girl was looking at her expectantly she floundered for a moment before her anxiety got the best of her.
"I was hoping we could talk." Eliza blurted and she felt her face flush. Okay, that was embarrassing. She'd wanted to sound assertive but instead she sounded like a nervous schoolgirl. Amelia stared at her for a long moment before a slow smile appeared on her face. "I was hoping we could too." The girl said and Eliza deflated. That was good. It didn't sound like Amelia was angry or ready for any type of argument.
"Can we walk?" Amelia asked and Eliza nodded. "Of course." She motioned for the girl to lead the way. Amelia's smile was warm and she hooked their elbows together as if they were friends. They passed the great hall and left the castle. Eliza was actually glad for the fresh air as it greeted them on the grounds. With the sun going down and most of the students inside she felt at ease. She'd been nervous to try to have a conversation with Amelia in front of others and have a bunch of people whispering and gossiping.
They shared glances as they went until finally Eliza couldn't take it anymore. "Is this as weird for you as it is for me?" She asked and Amelia laughed before nodding. "Moreso actually." She said and the fact that they were laughing was a good sign. It reinforced her belief that this might have all been a misunderstanding.
"I've actually been wanting to talk to you for a long time." Amelia said. "Ever since I first saw you with Victor." She sounded embarrassed by the confession and Eliza was glad she wasn't alone. Amelia seemed to be a much nicer person than Eliza had assumed and it made her wish she'd just talked to her in the first place instead of letting things get out of hand and jumping to conclusions.
Eliza tilted her head. "Then why didn't you?" She asked. From what little she'd seen of the other girl she appeared shy. It was hard to believe she was the same girl who'd started a fan club dedicated to her ex-boyfriend. She had apologized and said she broke the club up so maybe she'd matured and gotten over that. But then again she had tried to talk to Victor about Connor so what had that been about?
"It never felt like the right time." Amelia said with an awkward chuckle. Eliza could understand that. How many times had she been going through something and not been able to talk to anyone about it? Too many. "You're always with someone. Your friends, those twins...Victor." There was a slight tug down on her lips when she said his name. It was only for a moment but Eliza noticed it.
"I'm not interested in Victor, y'know. He's just a friend." She didn't know why she felt the need to reassure the girl but she did it all the same. It was obvious she was still hung up on him. Eliza couldn't be mad at that.
Amelia turned her head and scanned Eliza's face as if to see if she was lying. Whatever she was looking for seemed to satisfy her and she smiled softly. "I know." She sighed. They were headed away from the castle on a path she'd taken with her friends on one of their outings. It lead to the boat house where first-year students were usually ferried across to the school. It had to be an enchanting experience to float across in the dark as the castle came into view all lit up. Unfortunately due to the dementors the new students had been denied that experience and had to take the carriages with the rest of them.
"It was just hard to see you with him. I mean..After all we've been through..." Amelia heaved a heavy sigh and Eliza could imagine what it would be like to see someone you were in love with get close to someone else. She may have been a little crazy for what she did in the past but Eliza was seeing that she was just a hurt girl. "I'm sorry." She said and Amelia tightened the grip on her arm in a light squeeze.
"First time I saw you with him was Hogsmeade." Amelia's gaze was distant as if she were recalling the moment. "You two were coming out of that quill shop. I heard him tell you that you have elegant hands." Eliza couldn't remember seeing Amelia but she hadn't known who she was and she'd been occupied. Victor had definitely not been subtle that day and she hadn't been able to focus on much else. "You do." Amelia quickly added and held up her own hand. "Better than these." She giggled.
Her heart constricted at the way Amelia was so willing to talk down about herself. "Don't compare yourself to me. Please. You're stunning." Eliza said. She knew exactly how insecurities could tear someone apart and even if she didn't agree with Amelia's actions didn't mean she deserved to feel that way about herself. The girl let loose a sudden laugh which startled Eliza but she wasn't put off by it. Amelia didn't appear threatening at all. "You're really sweet." Amelia said with a small smile.
"The way he looked at you.." Amelia breathed in deeply through her nose and Eliza felt her fingers twitch a bit on her arm. That had to be a painful sight to see. Victor had been stuck to her side during the trip and Eliza was regretting every going with him. "But you didn't give Mr. Perfect hair and sharp jawline a chance." Amelia tossed her a wink and a giggle.
"So you were following us?" Eliza asked. This was at least a good chance for her to ask the questions she'd wanted to.
Amelia nodded. "For a while." She admitted hesitantly. "But I noticed I wasn't the only one." She said and Eliza frowned. "What?" She asked. She hadn't noticed anything of the sort. "A girl. Heartbroken little thing." Amelia tsk'd. "I stopped her and asked her what she was doing. She was embarrassed. Went on about how she couldn't bear to see Victor with you. That they belonged together." Amelia's tone had taken on a teasing note.
The story was taking a creepy turn but Eliza wanted to hear the rest. Just how many girls pined after Victor in such an eery way? Amelia glanced her way. "It gave us something in common, she and I. So I listened to her until I couldn't handle anymore of her whiny babbling." Amelia raised her voice a tad and Eliza could have sworn she heard a crunch somewhere but she was too invested in the story to register it.
"She did leave me with something though." Amelia smiled fondly. "She'd given me a precious gift." It sounded like the girl was recalling a lovely memory, her tone taking on a dreamy quality. "She gave me a way to you."
Eliza's brow furrowed in confusion and she shivered. Amelia seemed to take it as the breeze causing it and put her arm around her shoulder, pulling her in. It would have felt like a friendly gesture if the arm around her shoulders didn't seem to be shifting beneath her clothes. The severity of the situation, however, didn't process until the next words were spoken.
"That's the only reason I didn't kill her."