The Girl From Hufflepuff

Chapter 7

Florence walked down the stair to the dungeon when she heard someone running to catch up with her. "Hey Florence, wait up!" Oh Florence knew that voice. She stopped, turned around, and smiled. The young girl ran up to her.
"So- I just- want- wanted to know if- you wanted to come join me- at the lake today?" Lily said as she tried to regain her breath.
"Ha, ha! Yeah Lily, let's go." Florence said turning around. They walked back up the stair together. They had made it about halfway to the lake when Lily asked.
"So, do you really like my James or that slytherin boy? I don't care and I won't say anything to James. I'm just really curious." She looked at Florence hopping for an answer.
"I don't know and trust me I wish I knew." Florence sighed. "Every time I look at James he just looks so sad. But when I look at Nile it makes me so happy."
"Look Florence, you should know James truly likes you. You're the girl he's told my family about since his first day here. Every letter he sent home talked about the girl from Hufflepuff." They turned the corner and went out the doors to the giant lake. The land was coven with white fluffy snow and with each step they took, they left deep footprints.
"I know. I don't want to hurt him. I truly don't. I hate to see him so sad."she answered as they sat down in the damp snow. Florence leaned her back against the large trunk of a tree.
"Do you really know? You're literally the only girl he's ever wanted but for some reason you don't want him." Lily sat down facing the lake, arms resting on her knees. "Do you know how rare that is? He loves you and you barely even look at him."
Lily never turned and looked at Florence as she talked. She looked down for a moment, "I saw you with the slytherin boy. Don't play with my brothers feelings please. I am begging you, He is a good boy."
Florence didn't know how to answer. She looked down at her own hands thinking with a piece of wood. All she wanted was a peaceful break, why did so much crap have to happen around Christmas, she thought. At that moment she heard the noise of footprints being made in the snow.
"Do you mind if we join you?" Jame asked, Bradie standing behind him with his hands in his jacket pockets.
  "No, no sit down. Me and Lily were just talking." Florence answered clearing her thought and smiling at him. Lily turned around to them and the four sat in a almost circle shape. All facing one another, they sat their awkwardly for a minute. James moves his fingers through his thick, messy brown/black hair. Florence was across from him, she smiled and laughed a little bit. "What is with your hair? You can never make it go down."
  "It runs in the family actually all the guys have it. My dad, grandfather, me." He smiled along with her.
  Braidie interjected "You know their family made the sleekeazy hair gel. It is a really powerful hair gel but not even that could make the potters family hair stay down." They all laughed at the comment. Florence became curious about Bradie. All she knew was he was James best friend.
  "How long have you two been friends?" She asked them.
  They looked at each other for a moment.
  "Do you want to tell 'er?"
  "Nah, you can."
  "Ok."
  "Can someone please tell me?" Florence said interjecting their conversation.
  "Ok, ok." James started. "On our first year here. We boarded the hogwarts express as normal but, you see, Bradie here wouldn't know that since he's a muggleborn." He was pretty panicked by everything that had been happening."
  "I was freakin out, pretty much. I had to run through a wall, there were people appearing out of nowhere beside me carrying random objects like old boots. It was pretty crazy to me." He interjected.
  "Anyway when we got off the train the first years, as usual, went with Hagrid to ride across the lake on boats. Well this one was like no way." He looked at Bradie for a second before continuing. "I went up to him and calmed him down. We rode on a boat together and talked the whole way there to keep Bradie from freaking out again. After we got to the sorting ceremony we continued to talk. Then we both got sorted into gryffindor together and we've been best friends since."
  There was silence for a few moments before James eyes became filled with curiosity.
  "Since you got to ask us a question, can we ask you a question?" He asked, fingers twiddling in his lap.
  "Yeah, I guess." She became slightly nervous.
  "Why aren't you going home for Christmas break?" He asked.
  "Like I said before. My house is too hectic to go home around this time. It's just easier to stay here." She answer him rubbing her ear for a moment, getting a little annoyed that he would ask. "Why do you want to know?"
  "I don't know I just think your lying." He answered back, gaining back his confidence.
  "How would you know I'm lying?" She questioned getting more angry.
  "You have a tell. You tug on your ear when your lying and both times I ask you tugged on your ear." He said slightly blushing and running his fingers through his hair again.
  "Look it's none of your business, ok? I don't have to tell you anything." She stood up and started walking away angrily.
  "Ugh good job James." Lily said hopping up to run after Florence who now had tears in her eyes. "Hey Florence wake up."
  Florence stopped by the doors of the castle, far enough from James or Bradie to hear their conversation. "What?" She said mad.
  "Are you crying? Oh my gosh, Florence what's wrong?" She asked placing a hand on Florence upper arm.
  She pulled her arm back at the slight touch. That had been the arm she had hurt and it scared her when anyone touched it. She thought they might try to hurt to hurt her more. Florence wiped away her tears. "I'm fine." She answered and walked through the doors.
  "Florence." Lily contemplated whether or not to go in after her. She decided to not and turned and walked back to the lake.
  Florence walked back to her common room, still crying hoping to find Casey.