Selenophile // Marauders

|75| Christmas - Part III, Sixth Year

Riley rushed out of the room after Penny. She had gone to the bathroom and locked herself there. Riley wanted to hex Ethan so hard that he would be unconscious for the next few days. How could he say that? Did he have no respect at all...

Besides Ethan, Riley was more than shocked. Vicky was their enemy, Penny's enemy, for the last eight years or so. She didn't see this coming, she didn't even know when it happened but she couldn't believe it. She walked over to the locked door and leaned against it.

"Penny?" she asked softly. No answer. "Penny, please..."

She could hear the whimpers and the sobs behind the door. She didn't want to leave her alone, she wanted to make her feel better, tell her what a dick Ethan was.

"Penny, please, open the door, it's just me..." Riley said this time. Still no answer. She didn't have her wand with her, she could've just used a spell to open the door since she was now of age. she tried talking to Penny once more. She didn't want to leave her alone. The last time Riley locked herself in a bathroom, she had punched the walls.

Wandless magic.

She focused hard and gained all her strength. She put her hands close to the door-knob, but it didn't seem to be working.

"Penny?" she said softly again. "Please, just open the door, it's only me—"

The door suddenly opened, Riley thought it was her who convinced Penny to open the door at first but she was wrong. Penny's chocolatey brown eyes were now red, filled with tears. She wasn't looking at Riley, she was instead looking at the floor.

"Penny?" Riley asked softly. "Do you wanna go somewhere else?" she asked gently. Penny didn't say a word, instead she walked towards the stairs as she wiped her tears away and tried to catch her breath, trying to appear 'normal.'

She faced the dinner table as everyone slowly turned their heads to her. Will seemed confused, he tried to say something but Penny cut her off.

"We're going to the woods," she said simply and flatly, showing no sign of emotions. "Don't wait for us to eat dessert."

"But, Penny, it's dark outside," Adelaide Humphrey said.

"So?"

"So maybe it's better for you to stay inside, warm and safe with us inside," Mr. Humphrey said.

But Penny seemed to have ignored all of those and grabbed her coat as she pulled the door knob and opened the door slightly before hearing Winona Dalton (Mrs. Dalton) say something else.

"William, keep company, go with them," she ordered sharply. Will didn't do anything he just looked in confusion. "Where's Ethan?" Winona asked this time.

"Why do you ask?" Penny turned sharply. "Do you really think that we need a boy to keep us safe? Do you think we're cowards?"

"Penny Humphrey!" Adelaide shouted sternly. "What's gotten into you?"

Ethan appeared by the stairs but then stopped walking as soon as Penny started staring at him.

"Look mother," Penny then said mockingly. "Your beloved son is here..."

She then pulled the door to herself and exited the house. Riley went after her without thinking. Penny didn't stumble or strut, she just walked directly to the woods without saying a single word.

"Penny, please talk to me," Riley said as they reached the woods. The weather was cold, making their cheeks go red and their breath visible as they exhaled.

"I've had enough!" said Penny as she stood by a big tree with all its leaves gone, with only the snow on its branches. "I've had enough of all of them!"

"Sit down, Penny—" said Riley but Penny kept pacing around.

"How can he say that, Riley?!" she yelled. "I thought maybe he would support me and be a good brother... Who is he even to comment on how I feel?! He had no right to blurt it out like that, absolutely none!"

Riley had no idea on how to comfort Penny in this situation. She never really had an idea to comfort anyone in general. She wanted to kill Ethan at this point, but she also needed to make Penny feel better. 

"Look, I know that Vicky isn't the best person," said Penny. "And I don't know how it happened but... it just did!" she said as she sobbed.

"No one can blame you for how you feel, Penny," Riley finally said as she made Penny sit down on the ground.

"Are you mad at me?" asked Penny quietly. "For— kissing Vicky and—"

"No, I'm not," said Riley with a very small and wry smile.

She hated Vicky, she had made her life miserable. All the times she insulted her and her family, the times she bullied her in school, the times she hurt her mentally and physically... They were too much and Riley didn't plan on forgiving Vicky ever for all those.

Nevertheless, Riley also trusted Penny with her life. She wouldn't do something to hurt Riley.

"It feels like I'm betraying or somethin'," said Penny weakly. "You hate her, I used to hate her..."

"Don't feel that way," said Riley reassuringly. "If you like her, then you like her! It's as simple as it is. But I will have a word with your dickhead brother..."

"Don't waste your time on that bastard," said Penny this time with a small smile. "I really wanted to get you two together and make him happy but see how it backfired."