The Mute Girl

Chapter 2

Again anything ictalized is sign language and anything bolded is written down.

First year passes by pretty quickly. I make zero friends because who wants to be friends with someone they can't understand. But I'm fine with it. Some of my teachers learned sign language so I could sign answers to them and receive house points. My other teachers give me house points for excellent essays. When I go home for the summer, my aunts and uncles and cousins all give me looks of pity when I see them. I mostly keep to myself. Soon I am getting ready for my second year. I am excited because while I am at school, I feel like myself. Like I am not hiding my true self. We go shopping for my school supplies. Then September 1st rolls around and I get on the train. Again an uneventful train ride. I just read books and listen to some music. The welcoming feast is very tasty. Then the school year starts. On a Wednesday the second week of school, I am walking down the hallway and then I bump into someone. I look up and realize it is Fred Weasley the second. Fred is one of the most popular kids in school even as a second year. He helps me pick up my stuff.

"Sorry about that. I should have been looking where I was going. I didn't hurt you did I?" Fred asks. I shake my head and give him a small shy smile. He returns it with a bigger and brighter smile.

"I'm Fred Weasley. And you are?" He asks me. I pull out a card that says;

"My name is Elizabeth Huntly." He reads it a little confused on why I didn't just say that. He gives me a smile. I give him a small wave and I walk away to go to Potions class. Fred who is in my house, catches up to me and walks with me. When we get to class, I expect him to go and sit down with his friends but he follows me to the desk I am sitting and sits with me. When the bell rings and class starts, I feel eyes on me. I turn my head to see Fred staring at me. When he realizes I caught him, he looks away blushing slightly. I feel myself smile as I carefully study him. He is really cute with his caramel like skin tone and his "I just woke up and came to class" hairstyle red hair. Prof. Slughorn is our Potions teacher and he decides to drop a small bomb on our class.

"I hope you are comfortable with where you are sitting and who you are sitting with because they will be your partner for the rest of the year." Everyone is shocked. I mean I don't mind because Fred is really kind and smart. Fred's friends look like they are about to protest on his behalf. James Sirius Potter does just that.

"Prof. Slughorn, can I switch partners?" He asks. Prof. Slughorn, who really likes James, just raises an eyebrow.

"With whom and why Mr. Potter?" Prof. Slughorn asks him.

"Well because I don't want my cousin to be stuck with the mute so I want to switch partners with her." I feel tears start to prickle at the corner of my eyes. Fred just stares at his cousin shocked at his words. Everyone except Prof. Slughorn and Fred is laughing. I put my head down so no one sees my tears.

"Mr. Potter! That is not appropriate! Now you may not change partners and you also lost 25 points for Gryffindor. And you have detention with Prof. Longbottom for the next two weeks." Prof. Slughorn says leaving everyone shocked that he punished James. At the end of every class, I stay behind to help Prof. Slughorn clean up. This time Fred also stayed. So Prof. Slughorn, Fred, and I all cleaned the classroom in silence. Prof. Slughorn turns to me.

"I am so sorry Miss Huntly. Mr. Potter was out of line saying that to you. I will be sure to report this to Headmistress McGonagall." I look over at him and smile at him.

"Thank-you Professor. I really appreciate it and all you have done to help me since I arrived at Hogwarts." I sign to him. He smiles at me. Fred watches curious. Then he speaks up.

"Is that sign language?" He asks me. I nod nervously. He smiles at me.

"That's so cool. Think you could teach me? I have always wanted to learn how to use sign language. Also I wanted to apologize for what my cousin said, I definitely don't agree with what he said. He was way out of line." I feel my small shy smile grow to a big and bright one. We walk out of the classroom together and head to the Great Hall for lunch. When we get there, he sits with me instead of his friends.

"Why aren't you sitting with your friends?" I write on a pad of paper and show it to him. He reads it and sighs.

"They should not have laughed at what James said. So I am going to give them the cold shoulder and the silent treatment. Maybe even write a letter to our grandma. But all I know is that I am not talking to them. They should not have done that." I smile at him.

"Did you mean it? When you said that it was cool and you wanted to learn." He reads it.

"Yes. It really is cool and I really want to learn. It has always been an interest of mine. So when can I start learning?" I smile at him. We finish our lunch. Then we both headed off to Transfiguration class. From then on the days pass by quickly. The Saturday after we bumped into each other in the hallway, we meet up by the Black Lake to talk about me teaching him sign language. In the three hours we are sitting there, I manage to teach him how to sign 'Hi', 'How are you?', 'Good Morning', 'Good Evening', and his name. The months pass by and soon enough, it is Christmas time. We walk through the hallways, Fred talking about Christmas with his family. I listen and smile because it is obvious how important his family is to him and how much what they did to me hurt him. When I return to my dorm room that night, Roxanne Weasley is sitting on her bed halfway through packing her stuff for the holidays. She looks up when I enter. I give her a small polite smile.

"Hey Elizabeth. Can we talk?" She says to me. I raise an eyebrow and sit down on my bed giving her my full attention.

"So how is my brother doing? I never talk to him anymore. I just want to make sure everything is okay." I give her a small smile and grab my notepad.

"Fred is doing fine. He misses you and your cousins. He hasn't said that but I know that you all are close so I know this must be killing all of you." Roxanne nods her head.

"Listen, I'm sorry. What James said was not cool and the fact that I laughed was not cool. I really am sorry. It's just hard to understand you, you know due to the whole not talking thing." I cock my head to the left side and just stare at her. She starts to fidget.

"What are you wishing to achieve by this conversation Roxanne? What do you want?" Roxanne sighs.

"For one, I want to talk to my brother again which I know he won't allow until I apologize. Two, I truly wanted to apologize. It was really wrong. I also want to be your friend." I regard her.

"I will tell Fred you apologized and I accept your apology but as for being friends, I will have to think about it. I mean I want to be friends with you but you hurt me. That may not be something I can't forgive very easily."

"That makes sense. If there is anything I can do to help you, let me know okay? We are dorm mates for the next five and half years. Also you have very nice handwriting." I smile shyly at the compliment.

"Are you going home for the holidays?"

"Yeah I am. I'm excited to see my family who doesn't attend Hogwarts again. What about you?"

"I am staying here. I prefer the quietness of the castle to the hustle and bustle of the holidays with my entire family." Roxanne tilts her head to the side while watching me. Then I remember something that I could use her help on.

"Actually there is something you can help me with. I can't figure out what to get Fred for Christmas." Roxanne smiles at me.

"I have an idea. One of his favourite things to do are puzzles. He loves to figure things out. So maybe you can get him something like that." I smile gratefully at her. She finishes packing and leaves the room.