Burning Flames {Harry Potter + Doctor Who}

The Beautiful Thing About Laughter

Rose's POV

I held out my phone in front of us, tapping the screen so the front camera would be activated. Just as I took the picture, Jack tilted his head and kissed me on the cheek. I let out a laugh and closed out of the camera app and went to go post it, knowing full well that this would be the last I see of the social media world until the end of camp. Just as I hit "Post," the booming voice of Headmaster Rassilon immediately silenced the bus.

"Saying that we've arrived, please start to gather all your belongings that you took with you on this bus and wait until the bus has stopped to stand up," he instructed, although this seemed tedious because nobody would dare be so ignorant to leave behind their electronics. He sat back down and everyone started to talk again, save for some rustling of bags being moved.

"Hey, Doctor, don't forget to bring your stethoscope!" a voice yelled from the back of the bus.

Beside me, Jack let out a laugh, but I looked at the Doctor who was sitting by himself in the seat in front of us. He remained staring ahead at the school bus seat that was torn, foam trying to escape and graffiti etched across the entire back reading messages like "Hi" and "___ was here." I slipped out of the seat I was sharing with Jack discreetly as to not catch the attention of Headmaster Rassilon who was very strict with rules, and slid into the seat so I was sitting right next to the Doctor. I rested my hand gingerly on top of his in a friendly and comforting gesture.

"Don't listen to them," I said quietly. "They've got nothing to care about, so they just decide that it's okay to bully other people. I think your name is unique, so don't let it get to you. I get that it's hard. Please, just don't let it get to you."

"How would you know that it's hard?" the Doctor asked seemingly forcefully, although the way it came out sounded hurt. "Everyone loves you, and nobody would ever insult you. I'm not like you, and I never will be, so what's the point in trying to comfort me? The only time you'll ever have to acknowledge my existence is this very trip, and then we'll all go our separate ways for college."

"Don't think like that," I tried again, this time speaking more softly, but took my hand away from his. "You've always been smart, and people look up to your intelligence. If people truly hated you, why would they go to you for help in academics? It's because they-"

"-know that they'll get all the answers out of me," the Doctor interrupted. "Basically, they use me. They don't really like me; they're just trying to get out of doing their own work."

I frowned, realizing that he would be harder to crack then I'd thought. Project was a dirty word for it, but that's what the Doctor was going to be for this summer: my project. I was going to make him better, and make him realize that he can be great if he only opened up a bit more.

"Look, I get that I didn't exactly try to be your best friend for twelve years," I admitted hastily, "but Jack and I can be your friends. I want to be your friend, but like I told you yesterday: You've got to let people into your life. You can trust me."

The Doctor looked me in the eye for the first time and the corners of his mouth twitched up the slightest they ever could, but I knew they had. I smiled in return and was going to say more, but then the school bus came to a halt and everybody was standing up, slinging their bags over their shoulders and flowing out of the cramped space we'd been stuck in for the last forty minutes. I let everyone get out of the bus before we did, gesturing for Jack to go ahead, and once it was just us, I took the Doctor's hand in mine and stood up. His hand immediately tensed and his expression was somewhat shocked and embarrassed, but it disappeared in a matter of seconds as if it was never there. I reached into the seat behind us and took my bag with my other hand, leading the Doctor out of the bus and giving a quick "thank you" to the bus driver.

As I continued to lead him out of the bus and onto the dirt path that lead to the camp itself, our classmates started to whisper and I saw people failing at trying to hide their fingers pointing at our clasped hands. Sighing lightly because people couldn't understand the meaning of friendship anymore without thoughts of love clouding their eyes, I looked over at the Doctor and started to laugh. He seemed puzzled at first, but then at last, he cracked a smile and started to laugh along with me until the only sound that could be heard as the seniors from Chiswick High walked towards the camp that we'd be calling home for the next two months was our laughter.