[1] BoAtHouSe » DrAcO mALfoY

eighteen » bump in the road

Another day at the library, Melanie thought as she sat in the library studying for Transfiguration. It was a sunny Saturday.

After what had happened at the Quidditch match, her friends had branded her as something near a blood traitor. Now they didn't hang out with her like they used to. It was all childish. Melanie was not a blood traitor. Was being friends with a muggle-born and a pureblood who was friends with muggle-borns so bad? Melanie came from a long line of pureblood ancestors, the Avery family was a proud family; part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.

So why was being friends with one Weasley so bad? Not to mention, Ron had definitely gone back to hating her.

Melanie was lonelier than ever. Her daily routine was wake up, do classes, go to the library, sleep. She was skipping on meals, all so she didn't have to endure her friend group's glares.

The only good part about this was that Melanie could get much needed studying done. She was literally running through all her subjects, except for Transfiguration.

Melanie was definitely getting better at Transfiguration, but she still wouldn't be able to get an E on her O.W.L. And she definitely wouldn't be able to turn Draco into a ferret, like she had said.

"Melanie!" A voice whispered from behind her.

"Ron, hi," Melanie said in surprise.

Why was Ron Weasley here? Didn't he hate her..?

"Where've you been?" Ron pulled out a chair and sat next to Melanie. "You've been skipping dinner and breakfast and all that. It's like you're never around anymore. What's wrong?"

Melanie usually wasn't one to confess what she was feeling, but with Ron, somehow the words were tumbling out.

"Well, my friends kind of hate me, I'm trying to practise Transfiguration, and... Well, I thought you hated me too... You know, after that stupid song..." Melanie trailed off.

"What song?"

"The song they sang at the Quidditch match the other day. Weasley is our King?"

"Oh, that. You weren't even at the Quidditch match... Right?" Ron asked unsurely, he hadn't seen her there.

"I was there! But I kind of left mid-game, that horrible song got on my nerves," said Melanie, remembering the Quidditch match last Saturday. "...And I might have set that stupid Parkinson's foot on fire, I don't know what happened to her..."

"You - Set - A - Girl's - Foot - On - Fire?!" Ron said between laughs. "Honestly, Avery, I didn't know you had it in you. First snapping at Umbridge, then making Malfoy vomit slugs, then threatening him, now setting a girl's foot on fire?"

Melanie had heard those words before, from Blaise. Blaise who thought she was a blood traitor now, even though they had been friends for years. Remembering that her friends hated her made Melanie upset once more. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she missed having someone to have some good banter with.

"Hey. What's wrong? You got quiet all of a sudden." Ron scooted closer to Melanie, a worried expression on his face.

"My friend had said the same thing. I kind of miss them, is that bad?" Melanie wasn't used to saying her feelings out loud, especially after this week of loneliness.