Up In The Air

a story by lovedmunds

January 15, 2020.

Albus leaned against the big tree near the Black Lake and closed his eyes. The winter breeze made him tighten his robe and scarf. Ah, he cursed himself for forgetting the fact that the winter wasn't completely over yet. All the students near the Black Lake looked at him strangely as they preferred to remain silent outside rather than having lunch inside Rhe Great Hall.

"Here, take this," said someone next to him.

Albus opened his eyes and smiled mischievously. "Thanks, Miss Secret Admirer," he joked.

"Oh, shut up!" Albus laughed as Ashley smacked him on the arm. "Speaking of which, why did you choose to meet outside? Are you crazy? The weather is extremely cold, you dumb! Oh, Merlin, I prefer to stay in the Ravenclaw common room if it weren't for my curiosity."

"Well, so that no one eavesdrops, of course. Could it be… you really thought that I would confess my feelings to you?" asked Albus with a horrified expression.

"Why would I think something like that? You must be kidding! Just tell me the secret. I'm already frozen!"

"Hey, don't be in too much of a rush to leave," said him. "I wanted to ask first, why do you like James? I mean, he's ... popular. He's also liked by almost half of the Hogwarts students. But when it comes to being handsome, of course I'm more handsome than him."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

"I'm serious, Ash. Look me in the eye." Albus brought his face closer to Ashley's.

Albus's emerald green irises looked even more beautiful due to the reflection of the snow falling from the sky. Ashley admitted, Albus's eyes were very beautiful. But ... how could she possibly like her best friend?

Ashley blinked a few times before pushing Albus away. "You do like me, don't you?" she said, her voice dripping with venom. "You seem to want to make me fall in love with you, you know."

"Of course not, you idiot! My eyes are prettier than James's, right? Come on, just admit it."

"Yes, your eyes are beautiful." Albus smiled triumphantly.

"I still can't believe you liked James just because at the age of nine, James saved you from a stray dog."

"That's been a long time coming, you know! The way I feel now is of course different!"

"So you do admit that you like my brother, eh?" Albus teased. "But your excuses are so corny, Ash."

"Well, isn't your reason for liking Emma cliché too? Enemy to lover? What century is this? Nineteenth century?"

Now it was Albus' turn to roll his eyes in exasperation. "I don't love her, okay?"

"Denial, you love her, Al! Oh come on! You think I only met you a year ago?"

"Al likes who?" asked someone suddenly along with the sound of footsteps in the snow approaching.

Ashley and Albus immediately froze.

"Oh, hello, James," Ashley greeted with an awkward smile.

"Oh hey Ash. Who is the girl Al likes? Is she a student at Hogwarts?"

Albus looked at Ashley with a pleading look. "Eum… that… I—"

"We're talking about one of the muggle actresses, James. Albus likes a muggle actress," Ashley answered nervously.

"Really?"

"Yeah, princess movies are all the rage lately. Don't you know that movie? The princess character looks really pretty there. I think you should watch it with Lily, James."

Albus, who didn't know anything about what Ashley was talking about, just looked at him confused while agreeing.

"I think action movies are more interesting. Sorry, Ash. Since when, by the way, did Al like princess movies?"

"I watched one with Lily last week."

"By the way, what are you doing here, James?" she asked.

James smiled at Ashley. "Just, you know. Bored."

Ashley, who felt her face flushed because James had just smiled at her, immediately lowered her head. Albus immediately lightly stomps Ashley's shoes lightly to tease her.

"Well, how about you, James? Who's the girl you're currently attracted to?" asked the original Albus.

"You're too curious, Al," James sneered.

"Just let me be. I also want to tease you, you know!"

"It's Emma, isn't it?" Ashley's low voice immediately made the two brothers look at him. The Potter brothers, who had previously been teasing each other, were now silent.

"How did you know that?" asked James in a surprised tone

"It's kinda obvious, if you ask," said Ashley with a small smile.

"You... like Emma, James?"

"Yes, don't make fun of me, Al!" James looked back at Ashley. "Come on Ash, quickly tell me which unlucky girl Albus likes."

"I...don't know either," said Ashley doubtfully. "But we'll find out soon."

"I don't like anyone, you know!" replied Albus.

"At first I thought you liked Ashley," said James. Albus and Ashley were surprised by his words and exchanged glances.

"Us? Liking each other? Are you joking?"

"No, James. We're just ... bestfriend. Al is like my older brother, but I don't have any feelings for him. It's for ... someone else," Ashley said, looking at James quite deeply.

"Who's that lucky boy?" asked James curiously.

'It's you, dumbass!' Albus growled in his heart.

"Forget it. You' won't know him either way," Ashley said with a faint smile.

"You'll know it soon. Real soon. If only that tiny brain of yours works harder." Albus said that while giving his brother an annoyed look.

"I'm not stupid."

"You are!"

"If I'm stupid, I'll never successfully prank you!"

"Your head is just full of stinky pranks!"

"Don't fight. You both have your strengths, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever," Albus and James said in unison.

"Alright, I'll go to the Great Hall for lunch. Are you sure you don't want to join me, Ash?" asked James.

"Yeah, fine. I'm invisible."

James chuckled. "You too, Little Bro."

She shook her head. "We think we'll be having lunch here, James."

"Alright, then. But don't linger here for too long. You'll catch a cold."

"Of course, we won't miss our class too." James smiled at Ashley and Albus and left them for the castle.

After James left, Albus immediately pulled Ashley's hand away from where they were before.

"Are you trying to take me away or what? Come on, tell me quickly before I get even more annoyed!" exclaimed Ashley.

"Okay, okay. It's a secret, remember?"

"You've already said that like five times or more, Al."

"Okay. But… I don't know where to start."

"You wasted my time, silly! Just tell me already!"

"Okay, okay, don't you think Emma has changed a little?"

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Changed? Emma Malfoy? I don't think so."

"Really?"

"Oh Merlin! You really want to know?"

"Why are you so excited? Is there something wrong?"

"You like Emma Malfoy, Albus! You like her!"

Albus turned his eyes away. "No, way! Why would i like her? Never!"

"You're too denial, Al. I sometimes…feel like that when I'm around someone." Ashley replied to Albus happily. "God, Albus has grown up so fast!"

"Oh please, I will never like her! I'll ask Scorpius, then. At least he's not as in love as you are."

"Well, if you won't be embarrassed, then of course, ask him. He's Emma's brother after all."

"You're not helping, Ash."

"At least I'm trying to help you," she said. "But mark my words, you love her, and that's it."

"Whatever."

.oOo.

September 1, 2020.

"Ash," said Albus as he opened the compartment door.

Ashley, who was enjoying some bread, immediately turned to face Albus as he entered. "Oh, hi, Al."

This year, Albus chose not to join the same compartment as his Slytherin friends. He was afraid that he would run into Emma Malfoy and face the fact that what Ashley had said a few months ago was true.

"Why'd you join me here? Care to tell me what's going on?"

"Nothing, Ash. In my compartment, Diana will be rambling on and on with Scorpius. I just need a bit of peace. That's why I'm here."

"Is it because of Emma?"

Albus fell silent. "I...don't know," he said finally. "Lately, I've been feeling something for Emma. When I think of her, my heart beats faster than usual."

"I know you won't admit it, Al. But trust me, you have something for her."

"It feels so wrong, yet so right. I've never felt like this before. I'm still not sure if I like her or not."

"You know you like her, Al. You're just... scared to admit it, because... James has a feeling for her too," said Ashley, smiling sadly.

"You sure about that?" asked Albus doubtfully.

"One hundred percent, Albus Severus Potter."

Knock! Knock!

Someone knocked on their compartment door twice. Albus and Ashley looked at each other in surprise as they tried to figure out who it was who had knocked so urgently.

Oh! Hi, James. What brought you here? Aren't you going to the Prefect Compartment?" asked Ashley.

'Luckily Ashley had closed her compartment door earlier,' thought Albus.

"I already did, but I want to give you two something." James took out two boxes from his jacket pocket. "Black one for Al, blue one for you."

Ashley took the blue box offered by James. "Thank you."

"Yep, that was your fourteenth birthday present. Well, you gave me a birthday present, so why I'm not giving you any? I bought it with my own money, so please keep it safe, okay?" said James with a sweet smile.

"Thank you so much, James!"

"Then what is this? My birthday is already past you know!"

James smiled mischievously. "Ah, that one... it's very special for you."

"Is it one of your stupid pranks again?"

"Well, see for yourself. I shall get going now. The prefects will be held a meeting soon. See you at Hogwarts, Ash."

"See you later, James," she said as he turned away and returned to the Prefects' compartment.

"Can't you believe that? Your brother said 'see you' to me!" shrieked Ashley happily.

Albus covered his ears in exasperation.

"Ouh, sorry. I shouldn't have screamed like that. Now let's see what James has in store for us."

Albus looked at the black box in his hand hesitantly. "You first. I'm not sure about the contents of my gift."

"Ok..."

Ashley slowly removed the silver ribbon from the little blue box James had given her. She couldn't help but smile as she opened the box.

Two hairpins in the shape of flowers and leaves.

"Merlin, this is so beautiful!"

"It's just...a hairpin. What's so special about it?"

"It's from James, that's why it's so special!"

Albus rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You're really crazy in love, Jashie."

"Shove off! Now, let's open yours!"

"Okay..." Albus opened his black box slowly, but suddenly—

Boom!

Smoke poured out of the black box and filled their compartment with thick, acrid fumes. Ashley hurriedly opened their compartment door to let out the noxious air.

Albus shouted, "Ashley, your hair!" as he pointed at Ashley's hair. Shocked, Ashley immediately looked at her hair and her eyes widened when she realized that one-third of it had turned purple.

"Merlin, your hair too, Al!" shrieked Ashley before taking a mirror from her bag and handing it to Albus.

Two-thirds of Albus' hair is also purple. True to his suspicions, James worked on him again. But this time, it wasn't just him being bullied by his older brother, but Ashley too.

"Oh, sorry, Ash! I was supposed to be the only one getting pranked, but you got pranked too this time."

She smiled. "It's okay, Al. You don't have too. It's kind of funny, to be honest."

"Don't say that it's fine just because James is the one who pranked you, Ash."

"I'm not lying, tho."

"Yeah, whatever."