Unrequited

8

Asphodel had been cooped up in her old bedroom for the past two days, never daring to step foot outside of the door. She couldn't go back to her family, now that they had fallen apart. And they'd been broken for longer than Asphodel had thought. That's why she never came over during Christmas, and that's why she had to stay over James's house the whole entire summer.

Asphodel heard a knock on the door and buried her head into her pillow. "Asphodel, you can't stay in there forever." Came her mother's hushed voice at the other side of the door. "Did you eat the dinner we gave to you the other night?" Asphodel didn't reply.

"Alohomora," Asphodel suddenly wished her mum was a muggle as soon as her mother swung the door open and shoved the wand back into her pocket. "Darling, please understand,"

"Ob court I 'nderstad." Asphodel said with a muffled voice behind the pillow.

"What?" Her mother put her hand on her shoulder and Asphodel turned her face.

"Of course I understand." She repeated. "I get that everyone isn't perfect and that we have conflicts we can't always resolve between one another, but I just don't like it."

"I'm sorry Asphodel." Her mother said simply before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "It might take you a little while to get over it, but take all the time you need. Just don't forget that your father and I will always be here for you. We are still your parents and we still love you very much."

"Okay," Asphodel replied, "I want to go back to Hogwarts for now."

"If that's what helps, you may leave. Write letters to us, alright?" Her mother ran her fingers through Asphodel's hair one more time before getting up and leaving the room. "Your father and I will be waiting downstairs."

"Asphodel I'm so sorry," Faun said and gave her a big bear hug.

"It's okay, it's not your fault." Asphodel replied.

"Why didn't you want to stay just a tad longer? You didn't miss anything important here, I promise." Faun sat on her bed as Asphodel unpacked her belongings.

"I need some time to get over it all I guess." Asphodel answered and pulled out a mysterious grey sweater from her bag. "What the,"

"Is that yours?" Faun scooted closer to get a better look.

"Oh," she remarked as she turned the sweater over to reveal in nice knitted letters, Falmouth Falcons, "it's James's. I must have left it in this bag over the summer."

"The Falmouth Falcons suck," Faun scoffed before realizing how rude that came out, "sorry, I meant that they aren't my favorite team. They haven't necessarily been winning lately."

"Well they always have a chance before the championship." Asphodel said optimistically.

"If James knows anything about Quidditch, it's that the Holyhead Harpies are the best team." Faun replied and ignored Asphodel's previous comment.

"Um sure," Asphodel said with doubt. "I should return this either way; who knows how long he's been looking for it."

"You can give it to him after you finish unpacking." Faun said and threw the sweater aside.

"Has Hogwarts been any different without me?" Asphodel asked.

"No, but we have been missing you." Faun replied and smiled.

"We?" Asphodel emphasized again.

"Yeah," Faun answered, "James and I have. I don't think he knows why you left. Only I do, since you just came back."

"Oh no," Asphodel face planted into the bed and gulped her tears away, "how am I supposed to tell James what happened to my parents? They were like his second set of parents."

"Well they're still alive and he can still visit them on separate occasions. Divorce is nothing he hasn't heard of." Faun reassured.

"I know, but still." Asphodel replied.

"You don't have to tell him if you don't want to," Faun shrugged, "but I'm sure he'd like to know. And if you don't tell him now, I'm sure he'll find out sooner or later."

"I do want to tell him, but how is he going to react?"

"Asphodel, his emotions are different than yours. We're all sad for you, trust me, but they aren't his parents, they're yours. James cares deeply for you and your parents I'm sure, but I don't think he'd want you to bring a looming atmosphere everywhere you go, and I'm sure he doesn't want to carry that sadness on his shoulders for long either." Faun gave Asphodel another hug.

"I can't tell him yet. Not when I haven't recovered physically." Asphodel pulled the sheets over her head. "And maybe I won't recover mentally at all, but I hope I will just a tad bit before I tell him."

"Okay," Faun adjusted the pillow underneath Asphodel's head, "get some rest. That will help ease your mind. I'll bring up some food from the Dining Hall. Ooh, how about a nice dessert?"

"Thanks, but it's okay. I ate at my parent's house before I left." Asphodel replied.

"So you mean to tell me that you won't even want a nice, spongy, frosted Petit Four?" Faun gasped with exaggeration. "What has this world come to? What a shame, Asphodel, what a shame."

"Get the Petit Four."

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A/N: Hey! So my WiFi/Internet won't be up and running today due to some random installation in my house, so the only device that I can work offline of is my phone for some reason. I'm totally fine with that except for the fact that the shape of the quotation marks have changed(?) I'm not sure you guys might have noticed that but it did.

Anyway enjoy! -Teddy