are we still friends? pv Closed

can we be friends? / are we still friends?
i've got to know / if we can see each other

By the time Catriona was six, her parents had already made several things in their household quite clear. They were the Prescotts, they reminded her and Niamh, and Prescotts obeyed their parents. Prescotts did not slouch or mumble or stumble or stop. Prescotts knew what to say exactly when to say it and Prescotts could hold a conversation. Prescotts were talented at everything and perfect. Nearly so.

Catriona would always despise her parents, a little bit. She hated how much control they had and how much control she let them have, because no matter what, she’d always wanted them to be proud of her, their daughter. Whether it be her excelling in her studies, or taking advanced lessons, or doing something her parents approved of, she always craved that little satisfactory smile and the “Good, Catriona” her mother gave her whenever she received news of whatever her daughter had been up to lately. She hated how much pride she took in this and how much she depended on her parents’ liking of her, and no matter how much she tried to fight it, she did.

But occasionally, if she was furious enough with her parents, she decided to rebel. She’d retaliate in some petty, immature action that almost always resulted in a long talking-to and angry curses spoken into her pillow. She would always vow that this time, she’d never go back, but she eventually did. Every time.

One of her parents’ rules regarded who she was allowed to talk to. They did not like the idea that their daughters might ever be influenced by others who had their own twisted ideas for how the world should work. Anyone with muggle blood was strictly off-limits. A Prescott shouldn’t have to even acknowledge such low-lifes, her parents told her over and over again. If anything, they were doing her a favor.

Because her parents monitored every person she ever spoke to, growing up, Catriona didn’t have many friends. She only ever talked to her twin sister, Niamh, who was her best friend and partner-in-crime, or other children of prestigious pureblood title. Catriona wished for more. She wanted to have proper friends, to have fun, to live without her parents’ watchful eye all the time.

There was … one incident, when Catriona was seven. She’d been angry with her parents, and stormed outside to the beach behind their property. The sounds of the waves lapping against the shore had always made her feel calmer, so she went back there to cool down, especially after fights like these. The sand would always sparkle at her, as if winking, and the wind rustling gently through the trees seemed to greet her. It was a private area, owned by her family, so she hadn’t expected to find someone there, playing in the sand.

At first, Catriona had been rather rude, expecting the other girl to run off and leave so Catriona could have her private thinking place back. She was still fuming from the harsh words her parents had exchanged. After these fights of theirs, Catriona always needed her space to calm down. But when the mysterious girl didn’t leave, and somehow managed to make Catriona feel even calmer (and people rarely did this, mind you), she was officially intrigued. She wanted to know everything about this girl and why she already felt so safe with someone she barely knew.

They only managed to talk briefly before the girl left, in the blink of an eye. Catriona didn’t even catch her name before she was gone.

Catriona returned to the beach more and more frequently in the weeks after, but the girl never visited again. All that Catriona had left of her was a bracelet she’d been given. It was a small, unnoticeable little thing; a silver chain with small clear beads and multiple star charms, as well as some small loopy pieces, was all Catriona had left of the dubbed Star Girl. Whatever it was about Star Girl that had made Catriona so captivated about her, she wasn’t sure, but she’d never taken the bracelet off again. Catriona liked her jewelry, and even though she’d layer multiple other expensive bracelets and chains on top, at the end of the day, when she took them all off, the star bracelet would remain. She always insisted that it would never come off to anyone who tried to argue.

But the Star Girl was well and truly gone. Catriona never saw her again, though to be honest, she didn’t have that many more places to search, and after four years, had already lost hope. By this time, she’d accepted that she probably wouldn’t find her ever again.

Now, she was eleven, at the Hogwarts library, and still dedicatedly wearing the star bracelet. Catriona found that the library was her new safe space, since there wasn’t really a beach here to make up for it, and besides, she liked the quiet and tranquility. The Prescotts had had their own massive library at home, but to be honest, Catriona had never taken much to it. It was old, dusty, and rather boring, at least according to her—she much preferred places like the music room, which felt like it came alive every time she practiced an instrument. The library here, however, felt welcoming. This was her first time exploring it, anyways, so during her walk-through, she’d already picked up several titles that had looked interesting enough on the spine. She found a nice, empty table near the back to spread her choices out and picked one, opening it on the surface to begin flipping through it.

Though Catriona wasn’t a very antsy person, and was actually quite good at sitting still, she’d developed a habit of fiddling with the star bracelet on her wrist. She liked the clinking sound the charms made when they shifted, and how she could turn them over and over with her fingers and never get tired of the motion. It relaxed her, just like the Star Girl’s presence had.

As she was reading, Catriona’s head was bent over the desk in concentration. Her hair obscured her face, and she played with the star bracelet as she scanned the words in front of her. She was calm. She was comfortable. She was level.