Never Give Up

Chapter Sixteen

‘This has been going on way too long!’ James stated in an annoyed voice that Amelia wished he wouldn’t use. That annoyed voice usually meant that her cousin was going to start up a fight with her or rant about something. He plopped down next to Amelia at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

The whole hall was lit up in Halloween colours with ominous pumpkins over-looking the tables which were lined with various delicious looking food. Amelia was sitting with Albus and eating the feast which was undoubtedly the best part of Halloween at Hogwarts. She sat away from her “friends” but she caught them giving her looks that would kill her if looks could kill.

James started piling food into his plate, after missing the whole Halloween speech, he was enjoying the feast. Amelia briefly wondered where he had been but the frazzled way his hair was sticking up made her suspect that maybe her cousin had gotten lucky tonight. She chuckled to herself.

‘What are you talking about?’ Amelia asked, watching him take a bite of food and moaning at the incredible, mouth watering taste of it. He chewed for a good minute and Amelia stared at him, frowning slightly. Then she rolled her eyes, ‘take your time.’

‘Amelia,’ James said, after gulping his enormous bite. He glanced down the table at Amelia’s so-called friends and a frown line appeared on his forehead, ‘I know you’re still upset over what they said about your parents. Are they giving you  a hard time?’

Amelia looked down at her food and played with her potatoes by stabbing them with her fork and moving all of her other food around too. Of course, she had to share a dormitory with Naomi, Abigail and Caroline – who were her friends since first and second year. They had made it perfectly clear that they didn't want anything to do with her and that was because of her parents, apparently. Amelia didn't want to sleep in her own dormitory now but she told herself that there was only a year left and then she would leave and they wouldn’t get to annoy her anymore.

‘No, I avoid them and they avoid me,’ Amelia lied, turning to face her protective cousin. The girls had tried to start a fight but things didn't escalate as they would have hoped. She knew that James wouldn’t hesitate in threatening the girls that annoyed her; she didn't need him to do that, ‘don’t worry about it, James!’

‘I do worry about you... and so do your parents,’ James said and dug in his pocket for something as they ate. Albus was watching them curiously and Amelia was watching James with the same expression as before. He handed her a piece of parchment, ‘it’s from your mum and that’s not the only letter she’s sent me. I have tons more.’

Amelia didn't take the letter, she stared at it with her blue eyes that she loved so much since they looked just like her fathers. Although Fred, her father, would always say that she had her Uncle George’s eyes. James thrust the letter into her hand and Amelia sighed, before looking down at it. Albus stared at her for a second and Amelia shot a look at him and then glared which made him look down at his food instantly. She read the letter reluctantly.

Dear James,

Fred is getting anxious as to why Amelia isn’t sending any letter home. I know you get my letters and the excuses you make for her are just that; excuses. Tell Amelia to send us an owl message or her father will stomp down to Hogwarts just to see if his little girl is alright... you know how Fred is.

I hope you are well and enjoyed the cakes I sent you.

Love,

Hermione.

‘She sent you cakes?’ Amelia asked, outraged, and James looked up at her. Albus looked up too, staying quiet, ‘my mother sent you cakes and she didn't send me anything?’