i love you

hard before it's easy

For the next few days, the energy seemed to have shifted with Emily. Although Mia hadn't known her for too long at all, she felt she had never grown to know someone so well so quickly. She put off asking what was wrong until she felt if she ever wanted to be as close to Emily as she did, she'd have to grow up and find a way to say the hard things.

"Is everything alright?" She whispered as they sat in a back corner of the library working on some Arithmancy homework together.

"Hm?" Emily answered glumly, not looking up from her book.

"Oh...I mean...I don't know. You've just seemed a little down is all." Mia hoped desperately that she hadn't already crossed a line she didn't know was there.

"Oh...I'm sorry," Mia couldn't believe she would apologize for being upset. She'd been nothing but perfect and she felt sorr—"It's just...Scar has been trying to contact to me." And the other shoe dropped. Mia wasn't sure what to say. Every emotion possible coursing through her in a matter of seconds. She was upset with herself for putting Emily in that position knowingly and then angry that Scar would make her feel this way and then—"It's okay though, really." And Mia knew it wasn't.

"What exactly...has she been saying?" Emily took a deep breath and once again Mia felt herself regretting ever being given a mouth to use to begin with.

"It's just...Scar and I were—are friends...you know?" Mia felt sick at the statement. "She's just...not very happy with me right now..."

Mia asked an obvious question which sounded more like a statement in return, "Because of me..."

"Yes, but, it really isn't your fault! I said yes to seeing you and I was her friend...I made the mistake." Mia felt like inflicting the Cruciatius Curse on herself right then and there. "Not a mistake in that way though...really. I'm glad I said yes." Mia earnestly hoped that she wasn't just saying that to remove the awkwardness of the conversation and that she truly, honestly meant it. She decided to just believe so anyways. Mia had one more thought, however.

"How...how does she know we've been spending time together? I mean...has she seen us?" Emily lowered her head at this question, shaking it gently after a few moments.

"No, um...I wore your Quidditch sweatshirt to Potions the other day and she noticed. I hadn't even known she was in that class I mean she hadn't been showing up to any classes at the start of school and it happened the one morning I wore it she just—"

"Emily, really it's okay. It's not your fault. Just...did she say something to you?" Emily smirked resentfully at the thought and nodded, still looking to her lap.

"Yeah uh, she said something around the lines of, 'Nice sweatshirt, Em. I used to have the same one.'" Mia's face was flushed with anger and sadness. She had still been ignoring Scar and had no intention of changing that any time soon. But she hated knowing it would effect Emily this way. She hated to be any part of the reason she looked so broken.

"I'm sorry, Emily...I—I mean, did Snape have anything to say?" Desperately hoping that at least one person stood up for the only girl who deserved standing up for.

"No, you know him. Always favoring the Slytherin and snickering when a Gryffindor get's any kind of bad attention," Mia frowned. "It's alright though, Sophia chimed in and I just moved on." Mia tried to smile but was still feeling somewhat defeated. She had always liked Sophia and remembered fondly when they had been friends for a bit in second year. She was glad someone had something to say but wished she could've been there to wipe the smug look off Scar's face that she could picture so clearly in her head. Emily looked up and noticed Mia's solemn expression, placing a hand on her knee. "Really, Mia. I'm okay. I think I was just scared to tell you."