The Threads That Bind Us

Chapter 4

Fidelity wished she could be poetic. Writing poems felt unnatural to her, and she disliked the ones she wrote. She didn't like reading poems either because she often found them hard to understand, which diminished her enjoyment of them. Yet, every now and then, she encountered a poem that she found truly beautiful and she longed to capture that same fervor in her own writing.

She'd read poems written by men about women, and stories of men falling hopelessly in love. Fidelity yearned for someone to feel that passionately about her.

She often felt lonely and overlooked. Though she enjoyed spending time alone, she sometimes felt like she was the only one putting effort into her relationships. Her thoughtfulness and selflessness often went unrecognized, leading her to question if something was wrong with her. In reality, it was simply that others didn't think as she did.

Someday a boy would come along and see these qualities in her and cherish them. He would love her as she had always wanted to be loved, the way she had begun to doubt was even possible. He would see her true beauty. She just didn't know it yet.

*****

One Saturday morning, about a week into term, Fidelity sat in the library. She had completed all her homework and wanted to spend some time reading. Although she found the common room more comfortable, it was too crowded, so the library seemed like the perfect retreat.

Fidelity nestled into a secluded corner of the library, her legs draped over one of the arms of a comfy chair. Immersed in her book, she didn't notice when someone sat in the chair next to her.

After a few moments of silence, the person coughed. Fidelity startled and looked up.

"Noah," Fidelity sighed, sounding relieved. "I didn't even see you. How long have you been there?"

"Only a couple of minutes."

"How are you doing? Are your classes going well?" Fidelity asked conversationally.

"As well as they can," he laughed. "Thanks for asking. How about you? Are you enjoying your book?"

"Oh, yes, it's great." Fidelity blushed slightly.

"What's it about?" Noah inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"Oh, you know. It's actually a muggle book so it's kind of hard to explain." Fidelity read books by muggle and wizard authors. Usually fiction unless it was for school.

"May I see it?" Noah asked, extending his hand.

"Sure," Fidelity said with a shy smile, handing him the book.

"Ah, I see," Noah grinned, "romance."

Fidelity's cheeks flushed a deep red. Noah's smile widened as he returned the book. Fidelity clutched the book in her lap and looked up at him, a bit bashful.

"They've just announced the first Hogsmeade visit," Noah continued, "it's the second week of October. We talked about hanging out sometime, so I was wondering if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me."

"Yeah, that sounds wonderful." Fidelity smiled and so did Noah in return.

"Great. Well, I'll leave you to your book." Fidelity's cheeks reddened again at the mention of her book. Noah stood, gave her one last smile, and walked away. He glanced back at Fidelity, but she didn't see.