"Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one."
-Grandmother Willow (Pocahontas)
"Okay, even I will admit that it was brilliant," Justin said that night in the common room.
"I don't think they planned to leave in front of everyone," Scarlett said. She bit her lip. Of course she didn't think. She knew.
"Even so," Justin answered, shrugging. "And the fireworks, too. Those were genius, actually."
As it turned out, the bangs that Scarlett had heard before sneaking into Umbridge's office had been another one of Fred and George's products in action. Fireworks. Scarlett had heard through the grapevine that one even took shape of a dragon and chased after Umbridge.
Justin continued to talk about Fred and George's grand exit, but Scarlett wasn't really listening. She just sat next to him and stared into the fire. She hadn't told Justin anything about sneaking into Umbridge's office and that included the fact that Fred and George had created a diversion for her. The main thing on her mind now, however, wasn't that she had kept yet another thing from her boyfriend, but instead, the fact that she hadn't been able to find any proof that Umbridge had lied to her. It seemed that it was all up to Professor Sprout now and the entire ordeal was making Scarlett anxious. Not to mention, she also had the fact that she still hadn't told Justin the truth about Fred weighing on her mind.
"Scar, what are you thinking about? You're completely zoning out on me," Justin said.
She didn't answer right away. Finally, she looked up and gave him a reassuring smile. "Just about this whole Umbridge thing. I just…I want to prove she's lying."
"It'll be okay. Somehow, things will work out."
"What if it doesn't work out?" she asked, looking down at her hands.
Justin reached out and put a hand over hers. "Then it doesn't work out and you'll find another great career."
"But I need to be a Healer," Scarlett whispered, "for my dad."
"He died on impact, didn't he?" Justin asked tentatively. "There's nothing anybody can do for those cases."
"That's not the point. The point is that I can give other people a shot. Maybe I can be the one who prevents some other little girl from losing her father and ending up like me."
"I'm sure your dad wouldn't hold anything against you if you didn't become a Healer. Besides, Umbridge is the one who did something wrong and she'll get in trouble for it. It's nothing you did."
"Maybe it is. Maybe she's right and I'm just a terrible student."
"Scarlett, please," Justin scoffed. "I've seen how much time you spend on your work. There is no possible way that you are failing that class. Even Professor Sprout doesn't believe it. And, you know, I'll still love you no matter what your future career is."
Scarlett's throat instantly constricted. She hated herself for making everything so complicated. Every day that she waited to tell Justin the truth, things got worse. And he kept saying things that made her never want to tell him. Like what he had said just then.
"Are you okay?" he whispered, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"You're so nice to me," she answered quietly, "and I don't deserve it."
"Why not?" Of course you do. Scar, is this still about your grade? Listen to me. You aren't a bad person. Umbridge is the one making your life a living hell. She's the one who doesn't deserve kindness from anyone."
Scarlett sighed. "I suppose you're right."
Justin kissed her temple. "Love you."
Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut. If she was being honest with herself, deep down, she loved him back. How could she not after how good he always was to her? She felt terrible about the way she was feeling, and she knew it couldn't last. That's why she didn't want to let herself feel it. At the same time, she knew it was there somewhere. It had to be. She probably would be able to admit it so much easier if she hadn't had the Fred issue in her mind. So, even though she knew it was going to make everything even more difficult, and even though she wasn't even completely sure what she was feeling, she whispered the words back to him. "Love you too."
"Yeah?" Justin asked, grinning.
She nodded.
Justin grinned wider and kissed her cheek. Scarlett wanted to cry. Sometime within the next two years, she was going to have to break his heart.
"Why did you tell him you loved him?" Erica asked that night as the two of them got ready for bed.
"Because I do," Scarlett answered.
"You're sure?" Erica asked. "You don't think you're in love with him because he's in love with you?"
"No, I definitely feel something. I don't know if I love him as much as he loves me, to be honest, but it could be because I have other issues floating around in the back of my mind. And if I didn't, I really could be able to be completely in love with him. Justin's just…he's always so nice and I, well, I can't not love him. There's no use denying it. If I feel something, even if it's something small, I might as well tell him, even if it just complicates things."
"Yeah, I would say it's going to complicate things," Erica snorted. "You really shouldn't have said anything. If what you're feeling is deep down because of Fred, then I think there's no use in telling him."
"Look, I can't help it. I know things are complicated."
"You should have told him about Fred before either one of you felt deeper feelings for each other. You really should have told him before he even asked you out."
"No, I couldn't! And every time since then has been a terrible opportunity."
"Not every time," Erica argued. "And don't say anything about wanting to enjoy your relationship first because it's crap. It was crap when Fred said it, and it's crap now."
"Erica," Scarlett said sternly.
"If you don't say something to Justin, then I will," Erica continued.
"You wouldn't!" Scarlett gasped.
"I would," Erica retaliated.
"You can't," Scarlett said desperately. She lowered her voice again. "Honestly, I think it's something I need to do myself. Like you said to me before, Justin needs to hear it from me and nobody else."
"Then why aren't you telling him?" Erica raised her eyebrows.
Scarlett groaned. "You don't understand. It's so difficult. And it's been difficult since the very beginning. It's so easy for you to sit there and tell me the right thing to do, but you don't know what it's like to be in this position when your feelings are involved as well."
"But your feelings are only making it worse!" Erica exclaimed, laughing in disbelief.
"Well, excuse me for feeling things," Scarlett answered, crossing her arms. "Don't you think I know that I'm making things worse? I know Justin's going to get hurt. I know I'm going to get hurt. I know it and I hate it, but everything's just snowballing out of control and I just—," She stopped and sighed. "I know I'm messing things up. I don't need you to constantly remind me. It makes me feel worse than I already do, which is pretty terrible."
"Good, you should feel terrible," Erica snapped, clearly still angry. "Besides, I thought things were changing between you and Fred."
"Oh, please, not this again," Scarlett said, throwing her hands up in disbelief.
"I don't understand why you're being so stubborn about this. It's like you think falling for Fred is impossible and ridiculous. You really are so opposed to trying."
"It is impossible, so why try?"
"It's not impossible. You made the vow in the first place, didn't you?"
"We were nine and stupid."
"Whatever," Erica mumbled. She crawled into her bed and pulled the covers over her head.
Scarlett ran a hand through her long, thick hair and sighed before crawling into her own bed and turning on her side, away from Erica. She felt a lump in her throat but forced it down. No matter how much she wanted to, she wasn't going to let herself cry.
"I swear, if this is the matching necklace to my earrings and bracelet, I'll hit you," Scarlett said, looking at Justin.
It was nearly a week after her argument with Erica and the two of them had hardly spoken at all. It also happened to be Scarlett's eighteenth birthday. She had been hoping to have made up with Erica by now, but it hadn't happened and it made Scarlett even more upset. Instead of showing it, though, she tried her best to disguise her negative feelings and appear to be nothing but completely and totally happy.
"No, it's not the matching necklace," Justin assured Scarlett now with a smile, "I promise." He repositioned himself on the common room couch so that he was sitting sideways and facing Scarlett.
She carefully untied the bow and opened the box. Inside was a necklace, but it was different than any of the other jewelry Justin had given her. It was a simple gold, circular locket.
"What do you think?" Justin asked as Scarlett reached into the box and pulled the necklace out.
"It's so pretty," she whispered. She lowered the necklace into her palm and gently began to open it. "Are there pictures in it?"
"No," Justin said, "not yet. I thought you should choose what pictures go in there. Maybe you'd want one of me." He smirked before becoming serious again. "Or maybe you'd want one of your dad."
Scarlett smiled somewhat sadly. "Thank you so much," she said. "It's beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it."
"I love it," she whispered.
"Turn around, I'll put it on you," Justin instructed.
Scarlett did as he said, handing him the locket as she did so. She felt his fingers brush the back of her neck briefly.
"There," he said quietly, as Scarlett turned back to face him. "It looks beautiful."
Scarlett snuggled up against him. "Thank you."
"Happy birthday," he whispered, kissing her temple. He paused. "You're still not speaking to Erica?"
"No," Scarlett sighed. She had told Justin that she had had a small argument with Erica, but she hadn't said about what. Even when she had argued with her best friend about telling Justin the truth, she still couldn't do it and she couldn't tell him anything that would have to lead to her telling the truth. It really was a huge mess.
"I think she misses you," Justin stated.
"Why do you say that?"
Justin pointed to the common room doorway. Scarlett looked up to see Erica standing there, looking at her with a half-smile and a gift wrapped box in her hands.
"One minute," Scarlett said to Justin, standing up and approaching her best friend. "Hi."
"Hi," Erica said quietly. "Can I talk to you?" She gestured up to the girls' dorm.
Scarlett nodded. "Yeah, of course."
They walked up to their dorm together. Erica sat down on her bed and fiddled with the box in her hands. "I wanted to apologize to you."
Scarlett sighed. "For what? Everything you said is true."
"But I was sort of mean about it. You were right about me not understanding because I'm not in your place. It's just…from my point of view—well, yes, it's easy for me to tell you the right thing to do, but I don't actually have to do it."
Scarlett nodded. "You're still, right, though, and I will tell Justin the truth, but when I feel ready. I do feel horribly about everything. I don't want you to think that I don't care."
"I know," Erica nodded. "And I also know that I should just be there for you instead of constantly lecturing you."
Scarlett sat down next to Erica on her bed. "That would actually mean so much to me, to be completely honest."
Erica cracked a smile. "So we're okay again?"
"Yeah," Scarlett replied, half-smiling.
"Good, because I have this for you. Happy birthday." Erica passed Scarlett the box in her hands.
"Thanks," Scarlett said quietly. She opened the box to find a new scarf.
"My mother taught me how to knit without magic," Erica said. "I only knew how to knit with magic, but I thought learning how to knit the Muggle way would be useful for later. You know, when I'm off actually making my designs a reality. Next, I'm going to learn how to sew the Muggle way."
"Where'd your mother learn how to knit without magic?" Scarlett asked.
"From a book," Erica shrugged. "You know her; she's always looking for challenging projects."
"Wow," Scarlett said. She picked up the scarf. "It came out really nice. I love it!"
"I'm glad," Erica said. "I actually had to start over a few times. Knitting the Muggle way is hard."
Scarlett giggled before leaning over to hug her friend. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Erica replied. She noticed the locket Scarlett was wearing. "Is that from Justin?"
Scarlett nodded. "Yeah, it is."
Erica was quiet for a moment. "Do you actually love him?"
"I think I do," Scarlett said, "but I think I'm trying to…suppress it. I really want to just let myself really love him, but I know it won't work out. Maybe it's a little selfish, but it'll still be hard for me in the end."
"So you're just going to let him have feelings for you while you try to not have feelings for him to prevent yourself from being even more hurt when the time comes."
"I'm not doing it to prevent myself from being hurt. I think it's almost involuntary. I can't let myself truly love him when I know that it'll be almost pointless. And that's why it's a tiny bit selfish. If I could do something right now to make sure Justin wouldn't get hurt, I would do it. No matter when I tell him, he'll be upset."
"True, I suppose," Erica sighed.
"You're not still thinking of telling him, are you?" Scarlett asked quietly.
"No." Erica sighed again. "You were right. It is you who should tell him. He'd hate to hear it from me or anybody else."
Scarlett nodded. Before she could say anything else, an owl flew through the open dormitory window and landed on her lap.
"Who's that from?" Erica asked curiously.
"I don't know," Scarlett answered, pulling the small box from the owl's leg.
"There's a note attached," Erica pointed out as the owl flew back through the open window.
Scarlett picked up the note and read it silently. Scar, since you inspired our newest product, we thought you should be one of the first to have one. Shop's doing really well, by the way. Happy Birthday. See you soon. From, Fred (and George, too).
Scarlett smiled and held the note out to Erica, who quickly read it.
"What do you think?" Scarlett asked.
"I think," Erica began, "that you should open the gift."
Scarlett smiled wider and opened the box. Inside was a fortune cookie. "Oh, no," she laughed, picking it up. "I'm almost afraid to open it. It might squirt water at me or something."
"Just do it," Erica advised with a shrug.
Scarlett took a deep breath and cracked the cookie open. Inside was a little slip of paper, just like in a real fortune cookie. She picked it up and read it out loud. "Marriage lets you annoy one special person for the rest of their life." She groaned. "I can't believe him."
"There's something written on the back," Erica said.
Scarlett flipped the paper over. In Fred's handwriting it said Can't wait to annoy you! She actually laughed out loud. "I really can't believe him. I bet all of the fortunes are going to be like this…ridiculous ones that are for a laugh and not serious at all."
"Are you going to save it?" Erica asked.
Scarlett smiled as she twirled the paper in her hands. "I don't see why not."
"You should," Erica said, picking up half of the actual cookie and eating it.
"I thought you were so against things that Fred and I do together while I'm still with Justin," Scarlett smirked.
"No, not really," Erica answered. "I suppose it is harmless."
"It is," Scarlett assured her.
Erica smirked. "Sometimes you two are kind of amusing, actually."
"Amusing, how?" Scarlett asked.
"Well, just the way you talk to each other."
"Which is how?" Scarlett asked curiously.
"Like you aren't afraid to tease each other. You don't worry about how the other will react. It's like you two never even grew apart in the first place."
"It is easy to talk to him," Scarlett said. She remembered the day she and Fred had talked out in the stands of the Quidditch pitch and he had said the same thing about her. He had said it back at Grimmauld Place, too.
"Well," Erica said, "that's good. At least you have to marry someone who you like to talk to. It's better than Malfoy."
"Or Crabbe," Scarlett giggled.
"Or Goyle," Erica added, wrinkling her nose.
"Or Marcus Flint," Scarlett groaned.
"Really, you got off pretty easy."
"Yeah, although I wouldn't have ever picked any one of them to make an Unbreakable Vow with in the first place. I wasn't that dumb as a nine year old."
"I'd say you were," Erica teased.
Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Thanks."
"Anytime," Erica answered, stretching out on her bed and grinning.
Scarlett smiled and tucked the fortune into a pocket of her bag for safekeeping before scribbling out a note to Fred.
Dear Fred,
Thanks for the gift. It's funny that you said you can't wait to annoy me because it just so happens that I can't wait to annoy you either. Not much has been going on over here unless you count the fact that everyone has caused nearly more mayhem in the few weeks since your departure than you and George caused in all of your years here. I'm glad the shop's doing well. I knew it would. No word about Umbridge and my Defense Against the Dark Arts grade yet. Hopefully soon, though. I'll keep my fingers crossed. See you soon. Say hello and thank you to George for me.
Always, Scarlett
A/N: Oh Scarlett and her confused feelings complicating things even more, but things will work out! I know exactly how the breakup between her and Justin is going to happen, so just hang in there. It'll happen before you know it :)
Thanks for reading!