Tarnished and Hurt | James Potter [A Short Story]

Chapter 6

Ophelia didn't like small talk. She hoped James did most of it for her, as she entered the bistro.

A couple, hand-in-hand, was already sitting on a small table. Beside them were two other pairs of couples; one fairly young, and the other much older.

Everybody immediately smiled at James and Ophelia.

"James, my boy! It's good to see you. How was school?"

Ophelia recognised Fleamont Potter immediately. She had always looked up to him, as a young girl interested in his potions.

"School was alright, Dad. Got through Potions without blowing anything up this time." He winced, as if reminded of a certain memory.

"Hello, dear. It's wonderful to meet you. You must be Ophelia, right?" James' mum ushered them both into the seat across from her.

"Yes, Mrs. Potter." Ophelia shot the woman a smile that she hoped looked polite and friendly.

"Call me Euphemia, love. We're all family here." Euphemia waved a hand.

"As lovely as it is, to see Ophelia and Mira, and to know that our children can pull at least some girls," Mr. Potter winked at Ophelia, "we need to be properly introduced to them."

Euphemia looked expectantly at James and another boy that looked Ophelia's age.

"James, can you do the honours?" The boy asked him.

James raised an eyebrow, but replied nonetheless, "Sure."

James turned to Ophelia, "Lia, this is my mum and dad," he nodded over to them.

They smiled gently at James and Ophelia.

"This is my Uncle Charlus and my Aunt Dorea. This is their son and my cousin brother, Jenner." James introduced Ophelia to the boy and the older couple sitting at the very corner of the table.

"And this," James offered a friendly smile to the girl sitting beside Jenner, "I believe, is, Mira. She's Jenner's date."

"You can call all of us by our first name," James' Aunt Dorea told Mira and Ophelia.

Mira beamed at her, and Ophelia smiled right back.

"Now," Euphemia clapped, and huge amounts of food appeared on the table, "Let's get started with the food."

Euphemia shot a smile at the waitress, who was standing a few tables away,

The food consisted of milkshakes, sweet treats, and all kinds of desserts from all around the world.

It turned out to be a sort of a ritual in their family—to order only sweet foods.

It was a good thing that Ophelia had a sweet tooth. She wasn't sure the average person could consume so much sugar at a time.

As she ate, Ophelia found herself engaged in a long conversation with Fleamont. As they settled into their discussion, the topic of potions arose, igniting a passionate exchange between them.

They delved deep into the intricacies of potion-making, talking about different ingredients and techniques with fervour.

Fleamont, with his wealth of knowledge and experience, shared fascinating insights and anecdotes, captivating Ophelia's interest and admiration. His enthusiasm was infectious, and Ophelia found herself swept up in the conversation, eager to learn more from the seasoned potions expert.

They talked during nearly the whole thing, their conversation flowing effortlessly as they exchanged ideas and theories.

Fleamont's wisdom and guidance opened new horizons for Ophelia, inspiring her to explore the world of potions with renewed curiosity and determination.

Fleamont was like a walking potions encyclopedia, dropping all sorts of knowledge bombs on Ophelia. And she was totally into it, soaking up every bit of wisdom he had to offer.

She chatted happily, indulging heartily in the meal before her without a care. 

Freed from the need to maintain any pretense, she even allowed the occasional snort to escape amid her laughter, embracing the genuine joy of the moment.

James, Euphemia and Mira often chimed in.

It seemed as though Jenner, Dorea and Charlus mostly only kept to themselves.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over their surroundings, Ophelia realised how much she had learned from her time spent conversing with Fleamont, James, Euphemia and Mira.

Their discussion had not only deepened her understanding of potions but had also forged a connection between them—a bond of mutual respect.

By the time they wrapped things up, she felt like she'd gained a whole new perspective on potions, not to mention a newfound appreciation for Fleamont's knowledge and wit, James' humour, Euphemia's ability of telling stories about Fleamont's failed experiments, and Mira's occasional jokes that made her laugh till her stomach hurt.

In that quick moment, she felt like she really fit in somewhere.

Ophelia finally got why she'd decided to go out tonight—it was out of pure curiosity. She wanted to know what a date was actually like.

Leaning back and watching a loud family laugh and talk around their dinner, she couldn't help but smile. 

And then, it hit her, over and over again: this was really her first actual date.

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Classes started right the next day.

"You know that ugly girl, Hestia Jones?" One of the popular girls, Jane, asked Ophelia.

Hestia was one of Lily's close friends. 

Ophelia didn't really think Hestia was ugly. She had buck teeth, but according to Ophelia, Hestia still looked pretty.

Not that she would have the courage to say that to Jane.

"Yeah, what about her?" Ophelia responded instead.

"She's dating Rabastan." Jane told Ophelia.

"Dating?" Ophelia whirled around.

"I know, right? The nerds are totally ruling the scene now." Jane sighed.

Ophelia shut the locker, as Jane walked away.

"Why does it take me forever to even get Theodore to consider dating, and then some girl swoops in and snags him in a heartbeat?" Ophelia muttered to herself, fully aware that Anya was within earshot. "And how the heck does her stupid friend manage to snag Rabastan? I waited ages. I put up with his crap for all that time."

Anya just listened to Ophelia patiently.

"And even if I say that Theodore's the jerk, I just can't bring myself to hate him." Ophelia blew out a breath.

"You think you still love him, that's why." Anya told her best friend.

Ophelia chuckled bitterly, "Saying I love him makes me feel stupid for the first time. It's like admitting I'm weak and pathetic. Here I am, getting all worked up over how much I supposedly love him, while he's off kissing the girl he actually loves."

Anya was silent.

"And that girl isn't me." Ophelia sighed again.

"So what do you do now?" Anya asked Ophelia, her tone sounding careful.

"I have to stick to the same old routine," Ophelia looked up at the ceiling. "I've got to meet everyone's expectations. Can't let anyone down. And... And everyone's expecting me to act like some bitchy, psycho ex-hookup going after Theodore's girlfriend. They want me to be the villain."

Anya kept her gaze on Ophelia, her expression not revealing much, yet inside, she felt a mix of concern and sadness. She watched as her friend's actions unfolded, realizing the toll unrequited love was taking on her.

With a forced smirk, Ophelia turned to Anya, though the pain lurking beneath the surface was evident to both of them. "Guess it's time to give them a show they won't soon forget," she muttered, her voice tinged with bitterness.