Rose Petals ✿ Remus Lupin - Discontinued :(

Chapter 12

Holy shoot over 100 reads? Thanks guys : )

-Hannah

-- -- -- -- --

Being a second year was indeed less stressful than a first year. The professors knew everyone already, the students had already made friends, and they'd already been sorted into their houses. Plus, they had some power over the first years who looked up to all of the older students. One thing Belle had noticed was that the first years did look short, even to her, who'd only grown an inch over the past summer. They looked like little toddlers walking for the first time. Belle wondered if she looked like that when she first arrived.

Just like first year, classes did fly by fast and soon Belle found herself three weeks into the school year already. It was a Saturday, and Quidditch tryouts were scheduled for before lunch. James was going, as was Sirius and Eileen, but Belle had politely declined. She'd been terrible at flying last year when they did mandatory broom lessons with Madam Hooch, who hated Belle with a passion. It was mostly because the first two classes Belle refused to leave the ground due to her fear of heights. So she stayed in her dorm when the other girls left to watch Eileen tryout, leaving her alone.

It had only been forty-five minutes and she'd already completed her homework, taken a shower, and cleaned up her side of the room. She was bored, even more bored than she'd been over the summer when her father wasn't home to take her to the hospital to talk with her mother. After a few minutes of staring out the open window, she got up and went to go brush her wet hair and dry it with the spell she had recently learned. But as she passed the large body mirror next to the bathroom, she paused. Slowly, she stepped back until she was right in front of the mirror.

Belle had never truly looked at herself, and now that she did, she couldn't help but notice flaws and more flaws, especially in her face. Her eyes were too big, her lips too small, her nose too bulky. Her brown hair was lifeless and thin, and the freckles that covered her nose were hideous. Her eyes, which were normally a vibrant hazel, looked boring. She wasn't naturally stunning like Rose, she wasn't nicely tanned like Eileen, she wasn't extravagant looking like Lily. She was plain, boring, brown hair and muddy eyes. She was Boring Belle. How fitting.

She stepped away from the mirror, now viewing her full body. She had a flat chest, and a flat bottom. She looked like a child, unlike Rose who had filled out over the summer. She wasn't athletically fit like Eileen. She didn't have Lily's utter confidence that made anyone turn and gawk at her. She was bulky, and short, and seemed to have too much extra fat in her legs and arms. Bulky Belle.

Her style isn't as cute as theirs. She doesn't strut around like they do. She didn't speak her opinion on everything like they do. She doesn't wear size A bras like they do. She wasn't like them. She read books while they made more friends. She drank pumpkin juice while they drank tea. She ate too much while they ate just enough. She was weird, James and Sirius both said it themselves. Bizarre Belle.

Bizarre, Bulky, Boring, Bizarre, Bulky, Boring.

The words seemed to run on replay though the girl's mind. A frown overcame her lips and her stomach dropped down by her feet. How weak she was.

The door creaked open, and the voices of her friends laughing filled the room, where Belle scrambled up from the floor. Not only were the girls entering, but the boys as well, all laughing and smiling. They were probably talking about me, Belle thought. She calmed herself, putting on a fake smile as she stood awkwardly next to the dresser she and Rose shared. The laughter quickly faded when Lily called the girls' name.