Petals & Thorns | Fred Weasley (UNDER REVISION)

four

SONG OF THE CHAPTER: attention • charlie puth

The grounds were picturesque under the glow of the golden rays of sun. The green grass was growing lighter and beginning to die in patches, reminding her of the seasons change. In due time, the warm September air would turn brutally cold, making her regret every minute she spent inside and taking the sun for granted. Just outside of the front doors, Adalinda sat with her back against the brick of the building. A book laid open on her lap as she rested, the pages nearing the end and her attention undivided as she made her way through the most gripping part of the novel.

She was trying her best to soak up the last bit of Vitamin D she could before the year succumbed to the winter months, not that it ever made a difference in her complexion. No matter if she never went inside, sunbathing until she burnt to a crisp, she would turn back to ghastly white immediately after all the struggle. She was alone for once, nobody there to bother her and nobody there to keep her on e do e. It was nice not to be crowded by the usual group she was caught up in, and she rarely had time to herself outside of her dorm room.

It had been weeks since they started their new year at Hogwarts, yet nothing happened that was noteworthy or exciting. She studied hard, kept to herself, and hid away in the library whenever she could sneak away unscathed. In the time being, Addy's parents were happy to receive notice that her and Adrian were now officially in a relationship. She was happy to see that at least someone was pleased with this news, because she certainly was not.

She shifted in her position, stretching her limbs and her back after sitting in the same position for so long. She heard a few cracks and pops as she let her legs extend outward, heaving a sigh of relief as the tension began to subside. The Saturday afternoon was calming, and an abundance of free time was something she never knew much about. There wasn't much to do around the castle anymore, aside from homework and causing trouble. Being someone who never got into trouble much, her homework was done the day it was assigned. With quidditch being cancelled, they had nothing to do other than wait for the arrival of the other schools. It was an exciting thought, but it was growing old with every Saturday that remained boring and pointless.

The pages of her novel fluttered in the slight breeze. She kept a steady hand on the book to ensure she would keep her place, her eyes scanning the lines at lightning speed. The angry purple fingerprints on her arm turned to a dull yellow, nearly gone from her memory and her body. The two had no more incidents since the common room, and all things considered, were getting along fine. Even so, fine was a stretch when considering their main form of communication was her turning down his advances and forcing feelings that would never truly arise.

In the distance from her, if she looked up for long enough to notice, she would have been able to spot the Weasley Twins shooting Whiz-Bangs back and forth at each other. On her right, a few Hufflepuff girls were chattering away as they sat in the large windowsills to the entrance hall. Down by the lake, some young Slytherins were watching the ripples in the water, pointing excitedly every time a flouncing tentacle from the giant squid popped into view. On the walkways, many people passed by but never seemed to stick around, which was perfectly fine by her. The less noise the better in her opinion.

It was calming to her, seeing everybody go about their business without a care in the world. She felt a little more grounded when she was outside of the castle, and she made a much better wallflower than she did a centrepiece. Life wasn't as confusing and she could breathe without a weight on her shoulders. Sitting under the trees and the clouds made her feel small, comfortable, and she was happy when she was in time with the earth. She wished she could go unnoticed more often. It made her realize that not everything was about who was the most powerful—sometimes, life was simplest when everybody existed as equal, just navigating life for the first time.