Wait. You Like Him Too? PV Amelia Lerelle

A refreshing morning breeze danced through the air, tempting Amelia to linger in the grounds on such a stunning morning for longer. Not much temptation was needed for the girl to be persuaded, for no tasks called her back to the coziness of the common room. No homework. No clubs. No waiting to-do list covering three sheets of paper. There was something truly perfect about being so free. Unusual, but perfect. The first time in quite a while.

As such, Amelia had decided to take advantage of her freedom, taking great pleasure of one of her leisurely walks on the school’s grounds before the day truly started. Then she intended to entertain herself with the lengthy tale of haughty Mr Darcy and his complicated personality, and perhaps enjoy herself with Piper. It seemed, to the young Hufflepuff at least, like a most enjoyable day.

It was intended to be a solitary walk, yet company would have certainly been welcomed. In fact, with the cheery mood taken into account, almost anything would have been easily accepted by the Hufflepuff. So, when Amelia was addressed by a girl who, while she had seen before, hadn’t met, she offered a bright smile.

“It does,” she returned when the girl spoke, “I’m Amelia, by the way.” She added by way of introduction, before raising her eyebrows as if to ask for the other girls name.

Last year this conversation would have had Amelia stuttering with nerves, but since then she had changed considerably. It was if Hogwarts had worked some magic on her. She didn’t have to force herself to continue the conversation, or worry of making an assumption wrong anymore. Instead she just… spoke.

“It’s really pretty this early in the morning. I don’t usually come outside at this time, but I’m certainly not regretting it.” Amelia grinned, gazing up at the watercolor painting of the sky, an awed expression coming across her face. “You seem rather happy?” She suggested, for there was nothing at all to contradict such an assumption. Hopefully she wasn’t prying into someone’s business, but from experience most people were perfectly happy sharing good news.

A soon-to-be friend? Wondered Amelia, picturing herself sitting by the other girl’s side, laughing at some story in ten minutes time. It seemed like a lovely picture. The perfect way to fill a morning like this.

Avery. The name reminded her of birds flying freely through the morning sky. A refreshing ring to it, the name did have.

As introductions were made, Amelia couldn’t help return Avery’s grin. Her rosy cheeks lifted gleefully, pulling the rest of her face with it. Early as it seemed to be roaming the grounds and conversing with another student, Amelia would eagerly have woken to the beauties of the morning any other day. It was a high compliment that the small girl was still in awe of the sheer beauty that the school and its surrounds held. Maybe she never would get used to it.

Amelia smiled cheerily as Avery continued to speak. Her somewhat laid back expression paved into interest and a happiness for her new acquaintance at the mention of a ‘boyfriend’. That was until the girl spoke her final two words.

It was as if the air in her lungs had evaporated, leaving her breathless and empty. “Mikey Forville?” Amelia repeated in shock, her eyes widening, streaks of horror clinging to her face. The question would achieve nothing, but Amelia was grasping at the hope that her ears might have betrayed her.

It didn’t make sense. Mikey Forville. The boy in the tower. The reluctant letter writer of Ravenclaw. The one that had written to her. And most importantly, the one that had made her stomach spin and her cheeks flush. Him.

Avery was with… him? The name no longer reminded her of freedom. It was a cage, cruelly stealing away everything that mattered. The words spun around Amelia’s head, as she attempted to process the idea. I barely know the boy, Amelia attempted to assure herself. Maybe everything was an overreaction of her imagination. But, surely not. Was their first meeting in the tower simply placing them as acquaintances? Had his charming behavior and the way he had said ‘I hope to see you again human of Hufflepuff’ simply the acts of a friendship? And the elegantly written letters, which she had spent hours responding in her prettiest font, was their nothing to them?

When you like someone, being rational seems to go out the window. Suddenly a nod from a boy creates a beam and a blush. But, Amelia refused to believe she had been mislead. Not by herself. There had been something between them.

It was all too complicated. The way the feelings were bubbling through her, desperate to gain control and overturn her prior happiness. The hurt. The disappointment. The frustration. And that bubbling tickle in her stomach as she thought about him. No. It couldn’t be happening.

A coldness that swept across the Hufflepuff’s face, wiping it clear of any other emotions. Her voice had lost the freedom it had before, and frozen into a sharp, almost sarcastic tone. “Oh, that’s wonderful for you! I couldn’t be happier for you.”

The beaming smile of a carefree girl had merged into a cold frown, only by the prompting of two words.

There’s something odd about disappointment. It’s like the world comes crashing down around you, spilling the rubble of your hopes and happiness in distressed, broken piles. Mikey Forville. Avery. Mikey. Not me. The words spun around Amelia’s head like a current of whirling horrors. Surely, it was a joke. An impossible potential.

It would be a lie to say Amelia wasn’t prone to exaggeration of her emotions, yet somehow this was different. She hadn’t lost a mark on an assignment and still got an O. She hadn’t received a gentle reprimand for being a little late to class, which had had barely any impact on her professor’s impression of her. She hasn’t even gotten frustrated in the sanctity of the library. Because this time it wasn’t her fault, right?

She couldn’t even call it heartbreak. Because for heartbreak you had to lose something, and she hadn’t ever had Mikey. He had never been hers to lose. He hadn’t liked Amelia as anything more than a friend. She had been a friend. Those words hit Amelia hard, spinning a bitter fog through her mind and slowly piercing a spear deeper into her heart.

Lost among the cruel workings of her thoughts, Amelia was only bought back when she heard the sound of a girl’s voice. Avery. The concoction of too many different emotions caused a smirking glare to cross the young girl’s face, before she forced it into a controlled frown.

“I’m fine. It’s none of your business.” The words came out sharp, harsh. The tone of someone who was clearly not fine.

It was unfair to Avery. Amelia knew that the moment the words came out of her mouth. The girl didn’t seem to be intentionally upsetting the Hufflepuff, and returning with rudeness was, quite frankly, rude. It seemed however that, once more, Amelia’s feelings took over and her reaction was led by them.

It was unfair anyhow. All of this. And somehow, the cruel hurt that pinched at the young girl’s chest made up for the sharpness of her words and her snarling expression. Fairness was overrated anyway.