Let Us All Make History

Hope For The Both Of You

Molly's great assumption of redemption was short lived. She had a wonderful plan to get the boys talking, she was going to make them talk at breakfast, she thought that maybe that would help coax Sherlock out of whatever mood he had crawled into. Now that was interrupted, of course, when he refused to go to breakfast. Victor, who had spent the night on the couch since his room remained locked, was especially grumpy as well, and so now Molly had too angry boys to deal with. Of course Victor was mad because he felt left out, and yet true to her word Molly didn't say anything that had happened between them. She didn't want Sherlock to feel as if she had betrayed him, and yet Victor kept accusing her of favoring Sherlock and playing on his team so to destroy Victor's chances of ever getting him as a boyfriend. It was her fault, he claimed, that he had realized his love for Sherlock and it seemed to also be her fault that he had fallen in love with John. Now maybe the first one was more probable, however the very idea that Molly had told Sherlock to fall in love with John was just ridiculous. He was being childish, as he always was, and it was honestly getting on her nerves. And so Victor refused to go to breakfast too, he instead pouted in the sitting room (for Sherlock wouldn't let him into the bedroom yet) and left Molly to dress and trek up to the castle alone, for she was still hungry. When she arrived at the dining hall she saw that it was quite empty, save for exactly the people who were on her mind. The first person who noticed her was of course Greg, who was obviously watching the door to see who would come through, just in an attempt to flag her down so that she could sit with him and his friends. Now of course this was a nice offer, and quite opportunistic in all honesty. Molly needed to talk to John, for she knew of course that Sherlock wasn't going to be the one to do it, and with one sweep of the near empty Gryffindor table she saw that he was there as well. IT was the usual trio, although John looked rather troubled while Greg looked to be his usual cheerful self, waving anxiously so as to catch Molly's attention. Thankfully Jeanette wasn't at the Ravenclaw table or Molly would've felt rather bad to go and sit with the boys, however today Jeanette seemed to be late, probably sleeping in over the holidays, and so it was the perfect opportunity for some interrogation. Molly smiled and started over to the Gryffindor table, immediately recognizing that she was in the company of some boys she didn't recognize. They were probably from the quidditch team, however they were looking at her with an air of impressiveness, almost as if they didn't que believe Greg's stories of having a brunette vela on his arm.
"Hello Greg, hello boys." Molly said with a smile.
"Molly, ah, gorgeous at even this hour! Mind sitting with us?" Greg said excitedly, nearly kicking one boy away from him so as to make space for Molly to sit.
"It's too early to be flattered, stop it." Molly insisted, however she blushed all the same and took her spot next to Greg.
"Never too early Molly, never too early." Greg assured. John looked up at Molly rather nervously, almost as if he could sense her knowledge to recent events. In fact all three of the boys seemed rather on edge (Greg had a funny way of showing it) all while the strangers seemed perfectly at ease. John looked a bit sleep deprived and weary, as if he had indeed spent his night sitting up and pondering the inner workings of his heart. Molly was quite alright with that, in fact she would almost be happy if he hadn't shown up to breakfast at all. But since he was here she was happy to take this opportunity to talk.
"Where are your two male shadows?" Mike wondered in an effort to make something of a joke about the two boy's absence. John slunk even deeper down into his seat, making Molly sigh heavily and shrug almost shamefully.
"Oh they're fighting again, brooding. Sherlock's locked himself in his room and Victor's been sleeping on the sofa out in the sitting room, neither will come to breakfast and I'm supposed to be the mediator...it's all just so exhausting." Molly admitted with a sigh.
"So you know too?" Greg whispered, looking almost nervously at John before staring at Molly once more.
"Well of course I know, I had to stop him from crying all night." Molly agreed in something of a whisper.
"John's been tearing himself apart too, he keeps going on about how upset he is about having to end it like that...in fact I'm almost daring enough to say that he doesn't mind." Greg whispered.
"You mean he's sorry that he reacted that way?" Molly asked excitedly, letting her voice get a bit too high before she hastily brought it down, covering her mouth nervously and nodding all the same.
"I can hear you, you know? I'm not deaf." John snapped from across the table, to which Molly and Greg just smiled rather nervously.
"We weren't talking about you." Greg said quickly, snapping to attention before shoving his mouth full of toast, just to make it look as if he had been busy with something other than gossiping.
"Sorry John, it's just rather the topic on hand." Molly admitted with a shrug.
"I know, I know..." John groaned, shaking his head and staring miserably at his empty plate.
"He was going to ask Mary Morstan, by letter." Greg whispered between mouthfuls, making Molly giggle rather nervously before quieting and ladling some fruit salad onto her plate.
"How very romantic." She teased.
"I can still hear you! Nothing has changed, Greg you still whisper with the common person's inside voice." John reminded him miserably.
"And my normal voice is..."
"Exponentially louder." Mike offered, to which Greg smiled proudly, nodding as if he knew that to be correct.
"I'm just stating the obvious John; I mean by letter it's rather sad, really." Greg admitted.
"Just can you please stop talking about it? About anything having to do with the ball, or with romance in general it's just...I'm tired of it." John insisted in a whine not unlike Sherlock's, making him sound a bit remorseful than disgusted. If he was indeed terrified by Sherlock's advances the night before then he would've made it a bit more obvious. He would be showing obvious signs of discomfort; he would be shuffling around, jeering and making cruel jokes about deranged homosexuals, maybe he would be sick up in his dormitory, scrubbing at his cheeks where Sherlock had touched them until his skin ripped off. And yet he wasn't, was he? He was acting normal, regretful...love sick.
"Ya, sorry mate. I'll shut up." Greg promised, going back to his breakfast in something of a shameful retreat. The morning was then filled with pointless conversation that no one was interested in at all, for the only real topic of interest was the one that they weren't allowed to speak about. Instead of talking about who was going with who to the ball they instead talked about the tournament (until John insisted they change the subject, since Sherlock's name kept coming up repeatedly) and then finally they settled on discussing their potions exams at the end of the fall term. Molly seemed to have gotten most of it correct, and she was having a rather fun time correcting the boys as they blurted out their answers, getting them wrong most every time. Out of them all it would seem that John was the most intellectually competent, which was good because he would prove to be a much better match for Sherlock if he had at least two brain cells, maybe more. However he seemed distant, far off in a world that was most certainly not at the breakfast table. It was only after he noticed that Molly was finished with her breakfast that he finally rose to his feet, looking across the table at the boys to see if anyone had any protest.
"Molly, do you mind joining me on a quick walk?" John wondered hopefully, looking almost agonized by the effort it took to force out such a question.
"Yes well...yes of course." Molly agreed immediately, knowing that it wasn't her presence John was after but her knowledge.
"What do you want with Molly?" Greg wondered in a defensive tone, looking almost ready to pull Molly back into her chair even as she rose.
"Oh I was thinking about stealing her from you, because that's the kind of guy I am." John snapped sarcastically, to which Greg just sneered and rolled his eyes passively.
"Ya, I trust you." Greg agreed finally. While they were talking Molly grabbed two stacks of toast and wrapped them securely in napkins, tucking them into her pockets for the boys when she got back. They may be incompetent but they weren't immortal, they too needed to eat sometimes. When she was ready she said a quick goodbye to Greg and then to the rest of the boys, all who chorused back a cheerful farewell before allowing Molly to start off towards the entrance hall with John. It was quite a funny irony, how she had been pressing Sherlock to come to breakfast to talk to him while she was the one that had the pleasure of his conversation. However he didn't seem very much in the talking mood, and Molly was almost positive that if Sherlock had been here John would've clammed up and not spoken a word all morning. Maybe it was better that the mediator had been sent in on another seemingly impossible mission.
"So what's on your mind?" Molly wondered rather obviously as John started on a little trail around the castle walls. This was where Sherlock had said John had taken him; it must be to John what the lake path was to the Beauxbatons trio, just an aimless, meandering walk to clear the mind and soul.
"What, you haven't guessed already?" John wondered rather agressivley, taking Molly a bit by surprise. "I just wanted to get the conversation started I suppose." Molly admitted in a weak sort of voice.
"Sorry for snapping, it's just I've been so on edge since last night! And no one else understands, I imagine that you know everything that's going on in his head so maybe you might help me understand what's going on in mine." John murmured. Molly nodded, feeling a bit of a tugging excitement in her stomach, for it very much sounded as though John was conflicted with something. So long as his mindset wasn't that of complete disgust then there was hope.
"Well before we start, I just wanted to pass the message on that he's very sorry for being so confrontational, but his motive is true and he really is attracted to you. Maybe that wasn't my information to share but...oh well I imagine you've known by now." Molly muttered, making John smile in a rather mournful sort of way.
"Yes I know, of course I know." John agreed with a little sigh.
"He's never been good with um...with resistance." Molly assured.
"Yes I know, I know, I've gathered all this! Sherlock is the easy part, Molly I'm just having so much trouble figuring out what is going on with me!" John exclaimed. Molly nodded, trying not to get too excited as she followed the worn out dirt path around the towering walls of the Hogwarts castle.
"What's going on with you?" Molly asked rather obliviously.
"It's not that I'm falling in love...no I'm quite sure that's not it. It's just that I don't want him to leave me, he's a great friend and a good companion and I'm afraid that after pushing him away he might have gotten the wrong idea. He might think that I really am disgusted with him, when in all reality I was just surprised, that was all. And you can tell him that, too." John admitted heavily, shaking his head as if he was sure he was going crazy.
"I appreciate that John, and I'm sure he'll appreciate it as well. That's half of his agony, he's convinced that now you hate him and you'll never speak with him again." Molly agreed.
"No I will, I definitely will, this doesn't change anything of course." John assured.
"It doesn't?" Molly wondered in a very impressed voice, for she knew that if this same thing happened to her it would be just a little bit uncomfortable at times.
"Well no, of course not. I've been friends with girls who had fallen in love with me; it's perfectly natural, actually. Or so I've been told." John assured humbly.
"That's good; actually I'm very impressed by you. Most boys go running in screaming after Sherlock has...well come clean I suppose." Molly admitted with a shrug.
"This has happened before?" John wondered with a bit of a smile.
"Oh yes, yes it has. Like I said, Sherlock falls in love easily and destroys his chances even easier." Molly agreed with a bit a smile.
"Well like I said, I don't want to lose him. And maybe...well I don't know. I don't know." John muttered, cutting off whatever he was about to say and making Molly grin all the same.
"It's not a sin if you're considering it John, it's really not." She assured.
"I mean it kind of is, I'm straight, that's what I've been led to believe. I'm straight and he's...well it would be really weird, wouldn't it? I just don't think I'm into that stuff." John admitted with a small shudder.
"I rather assumed that was the case." Molly agreed with a sigh.
"You assumed?" John guessed.
"Well ya, you look straight. That and you couldn't figure out that Sherlock was gay until he literally tried to kiss you, so that alone helps me determine that you've been living so deeply in the world of heterosexuality that you hadn't even considered the possibility of a completely different perspective." Molly agreed. John blinked, obviously trying to figure out if that was an insult, a complement, or just a casual statement.
"He did try to kiss me, didn't he? He said something in French too, I really didn't understand it but...well I imagine it was something romantic." John admitted in a small voice, as if his brain was still trying to comprehend all that had just happened.
"You don't seem disgusted John, that gives me hope." Molly admitted with a smile.
"Hope?" John wondered with a blink.
"For him, of course. And for the both of you." Molly clarified, which made John look almost about ready to concoct some sort of denial before he obviously thought better of it.
"Don't get too hopeful." He warned, to which Molly smiled a bit sardonically, for she was always good at knowing things before anyone else did. John, of course, was no exception. She could see in his eyes that he was in love, she could hear it in his voice, and most importantly she could sense it in his very presence. Why else would John have called her out here privately if he didn't want his words to be heard by his friends? Why else would he crave such secrecy for such a seemingly unimportantly confession, just talking about how he still wanted to be friends with Sherlock? Well of course that suggested that there was something else there, hidden among his silences and twisted between the lines of his words. No he was thinking something and saying something else, Molly knew the feeling more than anyone, the feeling of trying to hide what they really felt for fear of shame. She had watched her friends suffer through the same emotions, knowing they wanted something and yet knowing enough to keep that desire a secret. John wanted to say it; oh those words were on the tip of his tongue, just bursting to get released through his lips! Love, that was what was on his mind, and Molly was quite sure she knew how to get it out. It may just take a week, maybe even a ball. Maybe it would take Sherlock Holmes in white dress robes, falling into the hands of his suitor and twirling him around the dance floor before John finally realized what he really wanted wasn't just friendship. Friendship was just...unnecessary at this point. It wasn't meaningful enough, it wasn't right. John would realize that in time. 

Sherlock POV: Sherlock was true to his word, he always was andthat was something he was proud of. And so when he told Molly that he wouldn'ttalk, approach, or even come near to John Watson he was being completelyserious. That is why he didn't leave his room until he had to, until ChristmasEve. Of course Sherlock walked around the lake a couple of times, mostly alone,sometimes with Molly, but never with Victor. Molly had told Victor ofSherlock's troubles over the break, and even though Victor respected his wisheshe was still making it all such a big deal. Now he was mad at Molly forchoosing Sherlock's side, and he was mad at Sherlock for getting Mollyinvolved, and it would seem as though he was drifting farther and farther awayfrom his usual gang. This trip to Hogwarts, what should've been his savinggrace, the cement that would hold them all together, well it was seeming totear them all apart. Victor was fading away, argument after argument ensueduntil finally Victor had made it clear that he didn't want to be around themanymore. He disappeared completely one day, telling neither Molly nor Sherlockwhere he was or what he was doing beforehand. They were half ready to call asearch party before he finally showed up past sundown, stumbling home in hisslacks and shirt, carrying his jacket over his shoulder and smiling ratherwidely. They didn't want to ask, however Victor had made some allusions to thefact that he had been with the Durmstrang boys for the whole day. The only timeSherlock ever saw him was at meals and when they were going to bed, since theyhad no classes they were doing an excellent job of avoiding each other, andSherlock was proud to say he had almost completely illuminated that parasiteout of his life. But Victor wasn't his problem; no Sherlock was struggling withmuch worse problems this week, all leading up to Christmas Eve...his debut.