our secret moments

chapter seven

Frances

I hear vigorous knocking at my door. It Fallon, I can tell.
"Frances, open the door." She says.
I pull on a black silk robe, and head to the door. If she saw me last night, I will get a big lecture and a thousand hugs. I do not want a thousand hugs.

She does hug me, as soon as I open my door. She kisses me head.
"Thank Merlin, you're fine. I was so worried."
"Were you?"
"Yes, I got a note, saying I should check on you. I can here straight away."
"Who sent you the note."
"I don't know, does it really matter? A person with a flower name, I think." She kisses my head so many times, it almost hurts.

Her hair is a mess, and she's wearing a quidditch jersey, she does not play quidditch. She smells a little like sweat and boy.

"Whose the the guy?" I pull away from her grip, and sit down on my bed.
She blushes. "No, let's talk about you. You look disgusting."
"Ouch, well, so you do." I say. She sits beside me.
"Well, this totally fabulous guy. He won the triwizard tournament."
I notice the "Diggory" and 7, on the jersey. Of course it is Cedric Diggory.

She goes on about how amazing he is to her, it feels like hours. But it's much better than talking about why I was in the astronomy tower floor last night. I know if I mention a guy, she will ramble. It's her one soft spot. Hufflepuff guys.

She does care so much for me, but she also likes to have fun. I am glad.

Fallon doesn't leave me alone for the whole day, she only leaves my side to shower. Even then, she makes me sit outside and talk to her thru the door. She makes me eat, and drink and obscene amounts water. She brings me around like her pet, really.

I sit in a soft, big chair in the Hufflepuff common room, when Diggory comes in.
"Aren't you Fallon's sister?" He asks me, smiling.
I look up at him. "Mhm."
"Well, nice to meet you, little Avery." He shakes my hand. He has big, soft hands. I see why Fallon likes him. He's like Pansy father, not like ours.

Fallon likes sweet guys, the ones who bring you flowers, and kiss you in the forehead. The ones who talk about you like you are the most incredible creature on the planet. Diggory is the most popular guy in Hogwarts, but for good reason. Everyone loves him. He went to the Yule ball with Cho Chang, but they ended up with other people at the end of the night. She was seen kissing Harry Potter, and Diggory was out flying with a mystery girl. The girl was my sister.

Many Hufflepuffs have greeted me, and asked if I'm okay. It's in their nature, and I am the little sister of the most popular girl in Hufflepuff house, how seems to have a thing with the most popular guy in all of Hogwarts. That brings me a lot of attention.

I try to not make myself known, I don't care for attention. I want people to think I'm smart, not that I'm some Hufflepuffs sister.

I spend the day thinking and reading and talking to Fallon and other Hufflepuffs. I am bored for most of the day. The hufflepuff happiness burns my skin, they are too nice.

When the clock turns ten at night, Fallon lets me go back to my own dorm. I'm exhausted, and will probably sleep for the next day.

Pansy walks in front of me in the hall. It's only us two, I try to be quiet. I don't want her to turn around. She's been on my mind today, I will admit.

Her black hair sways lightly as she walks, she's wearing a black skirt and a huge, green knit sweater. Her shoes make small clicking sounds as she walks on the hard floor.

It hurts that I can't give her a hug, or laugh about stupid things.

She showed me something different in her, something I hadn't seen in a lot of years. Something she vouched to not feel again. She would not just do it from the greatness of her heart, she would not carry someone, or sit with them in the shower, getting herself soaking wet.

She would leave them, or call on Madame Pomfrey.

She disappears into the dungeon, and I go up the stairs to ravenclaw.

I stare at the ceiling for hours, until 2 o'clock in the morning. My head feels full, and my body awake. I cannot fall asleep.

I think about how foolish I was. Getting high, and going to the one place Pansy happens to go to. It was all a coincidence. I know she likes to look at the stars, but still. How could I know she would be there last night.

I promise myself to never do it again. I am extremely bad at keeping promises.

I could have spent the time I was high on school work. I could have read a book, many books. I could have cleaned my dorm, talked to Fallon, wrote a letter to mother.

I get up, grab two books, yarn and knitting needles, my toothbrush and some clothes. I shove them in a small back.

And before I know it, I am in front of her door.