The Dark Mark (The Girl Who Lived part II)

Diary Is To Journal As Doll Is To Action Figure

Our day at the zoo came to an end. We retired to the nearest motel we could find. Mr. Weasley had booked us two rooms. One for the guys, and the other for the girls. Ginny, Hermoine and I all shared a room. "Ginny, do you want to use the shower next?" Hermoine asked. I had already showered. My hair, wrapped in that turbin that only girls could create. I wore plain pajamas. A plain t-shirt and gym shorts. "You can". She said. Hermoine grabbed her belongings that she would need and closed the bathroom door behind her. "Do you want to see something fun?" Ginny asked. 

"It depends. What is it?" I asked her. Ginny handed me a notebook. "The twins gave it to me. They said it contained something interesting". I opened the first page of the book. Everything was handwritten. It appeared to be a diary. Although, Ron often argued that it was a journal. I flipped through a few of the pages, and then I finally understood who's it was. Bits of food had been smudged on each of the pages. Some sort of purple jam-like substance seemed to bind a few of the pages together. "This is Ron's". I said. Each page seemed to reflect what Ron had eaten for dinner that night. For, part of his meal winded up on the pages. "I don't know.... Wouldn't it be a sin to read this?" I asked her.

I should be one to talk of sins, when I possibly commited the biggest one of all. "Are you saying that you don't want to read it? Cause I'll read it myself". She attempted to grab the book from my hands. "Wait, how did the twins get this?" "They stole it. Would you expect anything different?" She asked me. I honestly didn't. I turned to a clean page that seemed to not have less stains. "Dear Journal, Scarlet broke up with Oliver Wood today. I was rather content with her decision. Never liked the bloke anyway". I read word from word from the journal, as Ron had called it.

Ginny took the book in her hands and flipped to a random page. "Dear Journal, Scarlet returned from Umbridge's office. The "scar" in her name would be emphasized. Umbridge made her write "I must not tell lies" with that bloody quill, a thousand times. I swear that I could just-" Ginny stopped reading and turned to another page, handing me the book. One could suppose that it contained all sorts of swearing and profanities that wasn't fit for anyone to read. Curses that I wasn't sure even counted as curses. I began to read the most recently stained page. "I had my chance today to tell her when Harry wasn't there, but I blew it. I couldn't work up the courage. I can't stop thinking about her. She's always on my mind. It feels like I'm going insane. I want to tell her, as if my life depends on it. But I also have Harry's feelings to consider. Though, he seemingly has everything. The fame, the fortune, and now the girl. I know that it's selfish of me, but would it be too terrible if I got something this once, over Harry? I've told myself that she's my sister. Because if I had that thought in my mind, I thought that I wouldn't see her the way that I do. But she's not my sister. She's not related to us. All she does, is share our last name. What do I do? I think I'm in love with Scarlet. Bloody 'ell". I stopped reading, and immediately shut the book. "Scarlet... what are you going to do?" Ginny asked me. 

"I'm not sure". I said. "Well you have to tell him how you feel. You can't let him keep thinking that there's a chance when there isn't". She said. "I suppose. What do I say? It isn't exactly the easiest thing to do". I said. "The truth". She answered, as if it were the simplest thing do in the world. Hermoine exited the shower. We didn't tell her of our findings. We shared a bed, but I still wasn't able to sleep. I wouldn't be able to relax unless I talked to Ron. I walked down the hallways and carried the journal with me. Every step closer tempted me even further to turn around, head back to the room I shared with Ginny and Hermoine, and act as though nothing had happened. 

But I knew that I'd just be running away from the problem. Just like I've always done. Something that this mark on my arm always reminded me of. But this was one of the moments that I could handel. That I needed to. I ever so carefully knocked on the door when I had arrived. I waited for several minutes. Not a sound behind the door. I was about to turn around and return to the room I shared with Ginny and Hermoine. Possibly relieved or regretting my decision to turn around. But the door opened before I was able to feel any emotion at all besides nervous. "Oh George, look at that. It's our dear Scarlet. What can we do for you?" Asked Fred, who opened the door just enough so that he could stick his head out. George put his head on top of Fred's. They appeared to form some sort of totem pole. "Isn't it passed your bedtime? A girl of your age shouldn't be wandering the halls this late". Said George. "It isn't that late. Honestly, I'm only two years younger than you. It's not as if I'm a child". George pinched my cheeks like the elderly would, and pulled my them back and forth. I swatted his hands away, which seemed to be doing no good.

"Isn't she so adorable, Freddie?" George looked down at his twin. "I couldn't agree more, George". "I'm not a child". I protested. I pulled George's hands away from my face. It felt numb where he had pinched my face. "Aww look George, you made her cry". Fred commented, hitting his younger brother by a minute. "I'll tell mom". George threatened. Fred's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare". It seemed as though that was the only threat that worked on them. "Stop it, you two. I'm not here for you. What are you doing up anyway? It's two in the morning". "Just our usual activities". They said. That meant pranking. "Can you get Ron for me? I need to talk to him". Fred tip-toed away to get their younger brother. "So, are you having a rendezvous with Ron?" George asked me. "No, actually. Ron doesn't know that I wanted to meet him". "Does it have to do with that?" George pointed to the journal that was under my arm. 

 I nodded. "I told Ginny that it contained something rather interesting. Which, it does. What are you going to tell him?" "Of course, I have to turn him down. I'm with Harry. I can't let Ron continue to think that there's a chance. That'd be leading him on. And it just isn't right. I can't be with him. I love Harry".  And with each new lie I told, I felt a little piece of my crumble. I didn't love Harry. Or more specifically, I loved him, but I just wasn't in love with him. "Looks like Ron's here. I better go". Ron entered the hallway. He wore a simple shirt and plaid pajama pants. "You wanted to talk?" He yawned, and wiped his eyes. "Yeah. Sit down". I gestured to the spot on the carpet to the left of the door. Ron sat against the wall. I noticed that the door was slightly opened. The twins were eavesdropping. I ignored this. "We need to talk. I found your diary". I revealed the book that I had tucked under my arm, which I handed to Ron. "It's a journal, not a diary!" Ron protested. "I read parts of it too. Including, the last entry". Ron turned red with embarassment. "Look Scarlet, I never would've told you. Especially, now that you're with Harry.... Can we pretend that this never happened?" "Yeah". "Are we good?" "We're good". He gave me a sorrowful smile, which I reflected back at him. The door creaked open. The twins who had been leaning against the door, fell onto the floor. Harry entered the hallway. 

"I can't believe either of you. My best friend and my girlfriend. I never ever thought that you'd cheat on me like this, Scarlet. And with my best friend". He rotated himself so that he faced Ron. "And you. How could you do this to me? I'm your best friend". He didn't scream, as not to wake those around us who were trying to sleep. "Harry...We weren't......It's not..." I stood and reached for his arm. He brushed me off like some unwanted thing. Like a bug. Like a nuisance. "Look Harry, this isn't what it looks like". Ron said, standing beside me. "Not what it looks like? The snake earlier was right. It said that you had a thing for Ron, and just settled for me. I didn't want to believe it. But I guess my suspicions have been confirmed". He loosened the watch that I had given him for Christmas. He tossed it on the ground as if it were trash. "We're done". He said finally, walking down the hall in the opposite direction.