“Well, if you’re friends.” Victoire said, unsure. “Go ahead, put yourself out there. Just, please be careful? You know what boys like Owen are like…”
Narrowing her eyes, she cocked her head to the side. “I’m confused… Is he the quaffle in this metaphor? Whatever you mean, you just have to show you like him.” This was not easy. This poor girl was asking for advice about Owen from the person who was not-so secretly sleeping with said Belcourt. Awkward.
“But how would I do that. Put myself out there?” She questioned, getting more desperate by the second. It was like she was missing something, something important, she just didn’t know what. She nodded, but then looked up. “I know Slytherin.. if that’s what you mean. But I don’t think they’re all that bad.”
Belle frowned. “I’m not sure what I meant either.. I think it was more like the arrow of Cupid. Otherwise it’d be kind of dirty..” She didn’t finish her thought, because if she repeated it aloud she’d surely die of shame. Letting his Quaffle through her hoops, what was she even thinking? “And to show him I like him I do.. what.. exactly? Buy him something?”
Victoire nodded as Belle spoke. “Eighth year. So, you like an older man” she joked, nudging Belle playfully on the shoulder. “Winning his heart? Wow, that’s lovely. Well, all I can say is that you just have to make him notice you in such a way other than just a friend or acquaintance.”
“Owen?” she asked, slightly confused for a moment before the name dawned on her. “Like, Owen Belcourt? You want to be with Owen Belcourt?”. Shit. Well, this could get messy. “Have you spoke to his sister about this? She’s pretty protective…”
She let out a nervous giggle at the nudge and huffed at the advice. “Yeah.. like that’ll be easy.” This was going pretty well, maybe she should pursue an acting career after all. Although she hated this feeling that she get with every lie she told the teacher, it just didn’t feel right.
Nodding at the numerous questions, that all meant that same thing. “Odette and I are friends.. I’m sure she’ll be okay with it. I just.. I wanted to find out how I would.. approach this first, I mean him. How I’d approach him. I mean.. I can’t just watch from the side lines forever. I’m a Quidditch player, I should be out in the field. Maybe let this one Quaffle through.. you know?” Did she just actually make a Quidditch reference? Talking about love? She’d been practicing too much.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
“Still going with Paris. Just because.. I think it’s beautiful. It could also be the fact that I’ve never been there. But having lived here and in Ireland.. I feel like I’ve seen those places now. Sometimes you need a change of scenery.”
“Oh,” Victoire blinked in surprise. Now this, this she was good at. “Right, well it depends what kind of boy he is. If he’s quite quiet or shy, you need a direct approach, but not too forward because they sometimes clam up, but they’re usually the sweeter ones who try to win your heart by actually being a gentleman and not an arsehole. That happened to me with a boy in my fifth year….”
Victoire nodded to herself before noticing that she had gone off topic, “Anyways, if he’s one of your average popular types, they usually like to make less of an effort to win your heart.”
“So, which type is he and who is he? The suspense is killing me!”
So it depends on the boy, this was were it got tricky. Belle doesn’t actually know Owen that well. They hadn’t really talked. “He’s a Slytherin.” Odette’s brother. “And a seventh year.. well eight now.” She summed up, what she knew, leaving bits and pieces out of it. Wait- didn’t that mean he was an adult? Would they actually be legal if they started dating? She should have known there was more behind it. It was R&R of course.
“Maybe I want to win his heart.” The girl offered. A blush starting to appear on the cheeks, why did that always happen when she was nervous. If she just dropped the name she was sure the older one knew more about him that she did. “It- uhm.. it’s Owen.” Glad to have it off her chest, Belle sighed. “Please keep it between us.. if you don’t mind..” She didn’t need this lie to spread through the school. Although she was sure Remus or the other one, would mention it.
Victoire hadn’t heard Belle approach until she was standing in her path. Halting before she trod of the small blonde, she smiled. “Girl talk? I’m not sure I’ll be much use but fire away, I’ll help if I can.”
She knew she was good at the whole ‘girl talk’ thing. She and Rose had them all the time when they were in their teens and Vic prided herself on the fact that she was excellent at giving advice. The only problem was, it helped everyone but herself as she had never actually followed her own advice.
“Is it about your hair? Because if it is, highlights are a tricky thing to accomplish, so don’t worry about that”
“Uhm okay thanks.” She was already glad she had the woman listening to her. “It’s not. But that’s not a bad idea..” Focus, Belle. Don’t get distracted. She told herself, much like she did just before a Quidditch game. “It’s about a boy.. How do you.. uhm- How do you talk.. to them?” This was a lot harder than she had expected, actually getting nervous about it. Because now she actually wanted to know what kind of advice Victoire would give her. Not for Owen of course, but in general. She was going to fall in love some day, right?
Nik smiled warmly at the girl and nodded. “Here scoot down a bit and I’ll get in with you.” He told her, pealing off his shirt and he tossed off as far as he possibly could. “Is it shock for a moment cold or is it I have to fully submerge to get over the cold?”
She pushed herself off the side of the pool, so she wasn’t as close to him anymore. If he was going to jump in, she wouldn’t get the worst of it. “I don’t know..” Belle answered mischievously. “Why don’t you just jump in?” And with that she pinched her nose and breathed out, letting herself sink under the water surface.
Peter beamed with pride. “Noah Bratcher, world’s cutest Hufflepuff.” He even wiggled his eyebrows a bit for comic effect. “Sure, why not?” He hoped it wouldn’t be too strong for her… Should he order her a virgin one? That was practically just a smoothie, though. She’d know. He grabbed a drink from the table and brought it over with a smile. “Just one, okay? I’m serious, they’re easy to go overboard on because they’re fruity.”
“Well congratulations then.” Belle chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. “I’m happy for you. You’ve to introduce us sometimes.” While Peter was getting her drink the girl fixed the dress she’d pulled on over her bikini, although it was clear it was just a simple one, nothing too fancy. She wouldn’t even care if it got wet or dirty, which was probably going to happen one way or another. “Mhm, yes dad.” She teased with a smirk. Taking the drink from him she nipped it to see if she liked it. “You were right. It’s good.” Slowly sipping her drink, she stuck out her tongue. “Just ‘cause you’re a few months older than me, doesn’t mean you’ve to watch out for me. You sound like Aiden.. well that’s not really true, I don’t think he’d mind me drinking.. We don’t really talk about these things. I’m rambling again, aren’t I? You can just stop me whenever. Please do.”
Boring, boring Belle. The only interesting you've done so far is snog a girl who then left school. So let's spice up your life. Find Victoire Weasley and ask her for advice on how to approach a boy you like. The boy you like, incase she asks, is none other than Owen Belcourt.
Reading the note from R&R three times to be perfectly clear about her task, she sighed, almost in relief. This wasn’t too bad. Slightly embarrassing sure, but if she remembered properly Owen wasn’t too bad looking. She could pull this off.
Though slightly put off by their rubbing in the fact that Bai had left and that after their kiss, Belle almost got the feeling they blamed her for that. Being boring wasn’t such a bad thing though, if it meant it kept her out of the gossip.
Quickly she went on her hunt for the professor, better to get it over with as soon as possible. Although she did worry for her brother, hoping he got something easy as well, or nothing at all. But knowing Aiden he’d handle it. Spotting the woman in an empty corridor, she quickened her pace to catch up.
“Miss Weasley?” She greeted with her signature polite smile. “Do you have a moment? I.. I’d like to talk to you about something.. Privately.” Even though there was no one near to hear she still whispered the last part. “Girl talk?” Not wanting to get dismissed by the woman as they did so easily sometimes. She made sure she knew it was important.
There really wasn’t a way to describe how Belle felt. Gone. Just like that. Another friend lost. She thought there would be at least a goodbye. Some sign. All that she was asking for was a whisper, a touch, even letter would have worked. But there was nothing. All that was left behind was an empty room. And she. She was left behind. Probably not even mentioned, not even considered in the decision. How long did it take them? Had they made a list? Crossing off all the option that they didn’t like..
Do we r u n?
Should I hide?
For the rest
Of my life
In deafening silence her thin figure swayed through the room. Her feet turning as she twirled, her dress fluttering around her. A giggle escaped her pink lips, though there was no joy in the air. It wasn’t a play of the wind, she had just created. No. The twisted, insane like sound had come from the small girl standing in the middle of an empty room. Once belonging to two friends. Perhaps they were more, they probably were. There was a time when the blonde had thought she meant something to them as well. But now.. it was clear she’d had imagined it. That they were perfectly fine just being together. Belle did not belong, not in their plans.
Can we fly?
Do I stay?
We could l o s e
We could f
a
i
l
Not that she really desired to be with them right now. To be considered. To be thought of. That was what the girl wanted. All. She wanted. With a wicked smile on her face, she fell down on the bed. It creaked underneath her weight. Her legs dangling freely over the edge. Lifting her hands in the air. She held them high above her face, staring at her fingers and she moved them. As if reaching for something, so close, yet so far. And she knew then, she would never manage to reach it. Never manage to take a hold of it. Because no matter how hard she tried it kept moving away, just out of reach. Another giggle disrupted the thick air around, this time it ended with a sincere smile on her pale features. “I hope you’re happy.” She whispered, dropping her hands to her side with a sad sigh.
In the moment
It takes
To make plans
Or m i s t a k e s
Frail hands pushed her up into a sitting position, the bed protesting with soft groans. A rash decision. She knew they would have made up their minds quickly. Otherwise there might have been some form of a farewell. It made her anxious. To think that someone could disappear out of your life so quickly. And the reason.. Why such a hurry? Perhaps everything was slightly worse than she’d thought up till now. Not that it was an excuse. To just leave. Pack everything and leave everything, everyone.. behind.
30 minutes, a blink of an eye
30 minutes, to alter our lives
30 minutes, to make up my mind
30 minutes, to finally decide
Was there nothing left for them here? She wondered. Her legs now straightening, carrying her across the room once more. Touching the walls with the tip of her fingers, letting the hard surface rub against her skin. Hoping to collect the memories that were buried deep within the wallpaper. There was nothing, not a thing. She’d never been in this room before, even if the memories were there for her to collect, they weren’t hers. They would never be. All that was left was the one that she had safely put away in the back of her mind. Subconsciously her hand had moved to her mouth, her fingers brushing against her lips. As if still remembering the lingering lips that had collided with hers not too long ago.
30 minutes, to w h i s p e r your name
30 minutes, to shoulder the blame
30 minutes, of bliss, thirty lies
30 minutes, to finally decide
Carelessly her hands moved once again, with one flick of her wrist the closet flung open. A smile spread across her face, just as she had thought. It withheld only one piece of clothing. One item she couldn’t have taken with her. Belle reached out for it and grasped the soft fabric. Taking it out of the closet she spread it out on the bed. “All clean again.” She said to herself. Knowing the house elves probably put it back in the closet the night before, or even this morning. Not yet knowing she was gone. “I’ll uphold our deal.” The girl spoke to the dress softly.
Carousels
In the sky
That we shape
With our e y e s
Swiftly she moved, dress falling rakishly on the ground, beneath her feet. Stepping out of it, she slipped the lesser fabric over her skin. The new dress fitting her just barely. Exposing more of her skin than any other dress she’d ever wore before. And even those were just a few. Her legs moving on their own accord. She stood before the mirror, staring back at herself. A girl she no longer recognized. Eyes distant, lips slightly parted. And she had to admit, she quite liked the color. Black. It suited her mood. Speaking her grieve for her. Sucking in a deep breath, she did her best to keep her head held high. Not to blush. Confidence.
Under shade
Silhouettes
Casting shade
Crying rain
A tribute that’s what this was. A tribute to remember all those who had fallen. Disappeared and gone away. There was no real change to ever see them again. It had never really occurred to her until it affected her so personal. So close. People leave. It was part of life. But it still hurt. It hurt so much.
Can we fly?
Do I stay?
We could l o s e
We could f
a
i
l
Now her reflection was crying. Tears slipping from her eyes, like the first raindrops from a grey cloud in the sky. Slowly she touched her cheek, whipping away the salty tear with a flick of her finger. Her fist balded as she closed her eyes and took another deep breath. Before she opened them once more she turned, facing the door. The door of the room she had entered for the first time today. A room she’d thought she would be familiar with one day. As she strode towards it, she walked out of the room without regret. Closing the door behind her, leaving all her hopes and dreams in that empty room. There wouldn’t be laughter or joy in that room anymore. No more sleep overs or sloppy kisses. No more games, no more fights. No more nothing. For the residents that had occupied that room for so long were now gone, to never return. And they didn’t even say goodbye.
Either way
Options change
Chances fail
Trains derail
30 minutes, a blink of an eye
30 minutes,to alter our lives
30 minutes,to make up my mind
30 minutes,to finally decide
30 minutes,to whisper your name
30 minutes,to shoulder the blame
30 minutes,of bliss, thirty lies
30 minutes,to finally decide
To decide
To decide, to decide, to decide
To decide
To decide, to decide, to decide
To decide
“Hi!” Lil was a little envious of the way Belle’s hair actually moved under the water, how she could actually get wet, but at least Lil could talk underwater. She waved. “How’s the water?”
Noticing the girl, she waved back, smiling brightly. Answering even though the water took away her words. “Lovely.” She mouthed, getting an idea. She liked being underwater and now that someone joined her it was even more fun. So she pretended to have a tea party.
“I’m taken, not blind!” He shrugged off the awkwardness pretty easily. He didn’t really like for people to see the scars, but he could talk about the accident in vague terms pretty easily after all the times he’d explained it this year. “Just one and you might be fine, but the fruity ones taste good, so people never have just one.” He rolled his eyes, but smiled. “Eh, hopefully these are the ones I use to do stuff I haven’t done since muggle primary school. They can go.”
“Taken? I didn’t know that. Who’s the lucky one?” Belle asked trying to hide her extreme curiosity. Hands clasped behind her back as she waited patiently for him to spill his love life. She giggled at his logic. “You make a good sales pitch. Get me one?” The girl asked, batting her lashes at him as she gave him her sweetest smile. Belle normally hated being treated like a girl, but wasn’t today about doing something you usually wouldn’t? This one time she could take an advantage of her gender, right?
“I’ll admit, he’s got a cute bum.” There was definitely too much alcohol in his system if he was openly admiring people. “It’s fine, really. I’ve talked about it so much, it doesn’t bother me. ‘S that broom accident. Left me with some pretty bad scars on my back.”
He cleared his throat and looked around nervously, thinking maybe he should let Belle change the topic. “I drink a little, mostly at parties. I’m a bit too fond of margaritas, especially how Odette makes them. What about Ravenclaw now?”
“Ah Peter!” Belle exclaimed with a surprised giggle. “Can’t argue with you though.” She had to admit. “Oh.. right. Glad it didn’t infect your sense of humor, though.” The girl lightened the mood easily. “I should try those then. Although.. I’ve heard I’m a lightweight. So I probably shouldn’t..” Belle mused aloud. Shaking her head at his question. “Nothing.. just thought that.. A Ravenclaw like you would be against drinking alcohol.. you know with it killing off brain cells and all?”
“I don’t know what we could do. If we don’t pay the fee…” Nora shook her head. “If they don’t have any dirt on us to dish out, they’ll probably do something to people close to us.” The admission task they’d have to do was nagging at Nora’s mind. “I don’t think we should worry about that now, though. The whole point of coming was to have fun,“ Nora reminded Belle.
“Don’t really wanna think about it either.” Belle agreed. Immediately thinking of Aiden, she bit her lip. “Right. Don’t steal my lines, by the way.” She joked and grabbed the others hand. “C’mon lets get something to drink!” Dragging the girl to the drinks.
Nora swept her gaze over the room, picking out classmates and staff she knew. “A lot of people came to this thing,” Nora noted. “Looking for anyone in particular?”.
“Yeah.. despite the.. consequences.” Belle shook her head and smiled up at Nora. “Nah. Just thinking what we should do to safe our asses. It’s gotta be something good. Any ideas?”
