The Rise And Fall Of The Stag And The Doe

Roar

In the Gryffindor Common room, there were a surprisingly small number of people. During the months of January the room was normally packed with students all fighting the cold and trying to stay entertained, but with the skyrocketing amount of homework and the depression that had begun to cling to the students, it was just Lily, Dorcas and Marlene, snuggled up in blankets, in front of the fire.

Lily stretched and yawned, her red hair everywhere. "...I'm so tired."

'Then why don't you go to sleep?" Dorcas asked, her own eyes closing.

"I don't want to walk back to my dorm." Lily whined.

"Then sleep upstairs with us. We can copy my bed," Marlene suggested.

The redhead smiled and rubbed her eyes. "We'll see. I might just sleep on this very floor..."

"Oy!" Marlene called out as a small girl tried to walk past them. "Esmee! Do you not say hi when you see us now?"

Esmee shifted over to them, "Hi."

"What's up? You're acting all twitchy." Dorcas called out.

"How do you know? Your eyes are closed." Marlene questioned.

Dorcas waved at her dismissively. "I'm all knowing...Cooper, sit tell us what's got you all anxious."

Esmee bit her bottom lip. "Well...are you sure?"

"Yes," Lily announced.

"Now, what's wrong?" Marlene interrogated Esmee.

Esmee said, "I...I fancy Michael Trenton."

"Knew it, called it." Dorcas smirked arrogantly.

Marlene swatted at her, before turning back to Esmee. "Explain. What's going on?"

"I...fancy him...and we cuddled the other day...and I don't normally do that but we hung out so late it just...happened...and the way he talks to me and stands so close to me...I just don't know what's going on."

"You...shouuuuuld say something." Dorcas told her. "It's going to eat you up if you don't."

Esmee Cooper threw herself onto the plush carpet, in a heap of emotions, her sleek black hair clung to her white, terrified face for dear life as she asked, "I just...what if he rejects me?"

"Well-" Lily began in a sympathetic voice, but Marlene raised her hand and leaned back in her armchair to stop her.

"I feel," Marlene began stoically, "As the Queen of Rejection, I will take this one."

Lily busted out laughing, but raised her hands and gave up the floor regardless.

"Esmee, it sounds like, and looks like, from what I've seen, he likes you. Now there are a million reasons he could not be telling you or doing anything about it, but the only reason that it scares you is that he possibly doesn't feel the same way. Which, believe me, I know is terrifying. It's vomit worthy to put yourself out there all naked...and vulnerable-"

"Not exactly heading in the right direction Mar," Lily interjected darkly.

"Right," Marlene nodded swiftly, "But here's the thing, I've been rejected a lot and I don't regret it, you want to know why?"

Esmee scrunched her face up, "...Because you're hot."

"No...but flattery is a wonderful thing." Marlene blushed before continuing, "Because I got over the person and was able to realize something, no guy is more important than me expressing my own feelings. If he doesn't like me, that's his problem and then I can walk on and find someone else, someone more fitted to me, that will like me."