Some Badgers like Snakes

Jacob

"Guess who." Elle's voice sang as her hands slipped over my eyes.
She giggled and gave up a second later, swooping down to sit next to me on the grass and giving me a quick peck on the cheek.
It had been almost two weeks since the..."incident", as students and faculty had come to call it, and she was slowly returning to her cheerful self.
"Hey." I couldn't help but give her a half smile, she was honestly too adorable.
"Whatcha doing?" She wiggles her eyebrows, her eyes trailing down to my hands trying to subtly catch a glimpse of what I was working on.
"Nice try." I mocked sliding the sketch book behind me.
She rolled her eyes.
"Why are you so secretive? Just show me already." She pouted playfully.
"Not yet." I teased, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.
She narrowed her eyes defiantly, shaking her head to let the hair come tumbling back in front of her face.
"You're a pest." I mumbled, turning back to my sketching.
"I'm your pest." She mocked.
I pretended to gag. She laughed.
"I am though." She whispered seriously.
"I know." I smiled quietly.
She seemed satisfied with the end of the conversation and flopped next to me with her head on my shoulder.
She gazed up at the sky and the leaves of the trees above us starting to change colours.
"So, what're your plans, for the holidays?" She asked after a little while.
"Oh not much, you?" I asked uncomfortably shifting the question back to her.
"Probably just be with mum." She sighed.
"We usually eat a good meal just the two of us. We don't 'subscribe' to Thanksgiving apparently, just get takeaway and watch a film." She smiled.
"Sounds good." I mumbled.
"Yeah."
Silence.
"She wants to meet you you know."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, says I should bring you along sometime." She chewed her lip nervously. "I mean...if you'd want to."
"Oh, well I mean yeah of course I want to." I stuttered.
"Ok."
"Ok."
"But?" She rolled her eyes.
"I mean it's already basically the long weekend. I believe my parents are expecting me to come down, I can't exactly cancel now." I tried to sound convincing.
"Fair enough." She agreed.
"Just thought I'd, I don't know, bring it up." She tried to smile.
"Well yeah, I mean I'm glad you did too. It's just...not possible...right now." I assured her.
She nodded.
"Maybe we can plan something for the next one, Christmas." I blurted.
She lit up, "Really?"
No Jacob, no what are you saying?!
No not really, tell her no, tell her it's a mistake. You know you can't do this-
"Yeah sure why not." I heard myself say.
I heard the voice in the back of my head face palm.
You've done it now you big idiot, it rolled its' eyes at me.
"And Christmas, oh Jake it's such a big holiday. We can go to your parents' place and I'll meet them and then we'll still have a whole week to hop on a train and you can meet mum. Oh it'll be perfect!" She grinned.
I could practically see the gears in her brain whirring, a puzzle she'd been toiling over and was finally clicking each piece into place.
"Definitely." Was all I could say, giving a weak nod of the head and trying to look enthusiastic.
"I'm so excited. This will be perfect, I'm going to go write to mum right now and tell her the news." She kissed me on the cheek and skipped off.
What?
What just happened? Did I just-did I just agree to-to introduce Elle to my parents?! Oh.My.God. What did I do?
I ran my fingers through my hair, I couldn't possibly do this.
My parents would never understand, they were too crazy to ever meet Elle. I mean it's not like I'm ashamed of her, she's amazing, I-I hated myself for feeling this way. I imagined the look on their faces if Elle walked through the door for Christmas dinner. They would scrutinize her, she didn't deserve to feel the way I know they would treat her. I refuse to put Elle through that.
I'd just, I guess I'll just have to wait. Once it gets closer to winter break I'll make up a story and tell her we just can't go. And then I'll just keep making up stories for the...rest of our lives.
I started wandering the halls, eventually ending up in the library.
My thoughts trailed off.
Yeah, that wasn't going to work would it.
"Well it's going to have to." I muttered to myself.
"Talking to yourself there Jakey poo?"
I felt my eyes roll so far back into my head I swear I saw brain.
Not this, not now.
"Tut tut, we aren't ignoring me now are we?" She tapped her garish fingernails against the bottom of my chin.
"Always." I mumbled, ripping her hand from my face swiftly.
She looked taken aback for about half a second before regaining her annoying persona.
"Oh I see how it is. Don't want to spend time with me just because of your friends? Or should I say ex friends." She smirked devilishly rubbing my arms.
I shifted uncomfortably, trying to un clutch her fingers from my sleeve.
"Why do I make you uncomfortable?" She clicked her tongue reaching up to drape her arms around my neck.
I stepped out of the way taking slight satisfaction in the millisecond of watching her stumble forward awkwardly.
"Please, if I were you I would worry a little more about your relationship with my ex friends." I chuckled.
I swear behind all that ridiculous makeup she actually did blush.
"What do you mean?" She asked innocently. "My relationship with Ethan is fine thank you very much."
"Yeah, and how's it going with Dylan?" I smirked.
I saw a speak of fire behind her eyes as she fought the urge to lunge at me.
"Excuse me?" She whispered back threateningly.
I laughed casually, watching her try not to visibly squirm.
"Please, don't act like it's not obvious." I laughed.
"I don't even talk to you guys anymore and I still noticed months ago. You guys have both been flirting hardcore for weeks."
"I am dating Ethan as you know very well." She muttered nervously.
"And just oh so casually cheating on him with his closest friend Dylan right?" I asked sweetly.
Her fake smile slipped off her face completely.
"Look here ya little wanker." She growled, grabbing the front of my shirt and twisting it tightly to pull me closer.
"If you tell anyone this I will freaking murder you and bathe in your blood." She snarled.
"Wow ok, that's a big step." I mumbled.
"Look loser, I don't know how you managed to get away with that whole attack on the Slytherin dorms, and trust me when I say that isn't over either, but if you double cross me I will ruin that whole little thing you have going with that...Eloise or whatever."
"Elle." I corrected coldly.
"Yeah Al whatever, like I care. I will destroy that relationship in two seconds."
She released me, shook her head and gathered herself.
"Was that, was that a cockney accent there? A little uh, cockney accent I detected there?" I smirked.
She scowled.
"You're on thin ice Flint." She seethed.
She flinched as if she were about to hurl herself at me but stopped abruptly.
"Ugh." She stomped her heel and stormed out.
I saw Dylan lean against the doorway as she approached, perking up at the sight of her.
She shoved him aside and pushed through,
"Arrrrrrraaaaagh!" She screeched as I heard her stomp down the hall.
Dylan's face went white  he glanced around the room before scurrying after her.
I stifled a smirk.
What had I been doing before all...this?
Oh yeah Elle, wants to meet parents, big problem, very tragic.
I decided to use my time in the relatively deserted library to my advantage, grabbing a quil and parchment.

Dear Mother,