Status: Complete
Eleanor & Fred
Goodbyes & Hellos
“Eleanor! If you aren’t down here in five minutes, you aren’t getting anything to eat before we leave!”
I groaned, continuing to stare at myself in the broken mirror upon my desk. The last twenty minutes had been dedicated to making myself at least feel presentable, but were of no use. My chocolate-brown hair was just as simply straight as always, just reaching my shoulders, tucked behind my ears. My eyes, matching in color, still would not grab attention hidden behind my glasses, even with the eye liner and mascara I had applied for the first time since summer started. Beautiful lips were fuller than mine. Super models were taller than me.
Everything about me was wrong.
Deciding that I didn’t want to starve on the way to the train station, I grabbed my trunk, full of robes and school supplies, and dragged it down the stairs behind me, flinching at the loud clunking noises it made.
I ignored the dirty looks from my parents as I sat down at the table. All that was left was a piece of toast and one piece of bacon. I snatched it up before anyone else could claim it and ate quickly.
“Surprised you’re still here,” my father mumbled as his eyes scanned the Daily Prophet. I ignored him, not having a response. Why was I still there?
In my family, I was the black sheep. Or rather, I was the only white sheep. I was completely and fully loved until my first year at Hogwarts. When my parents got the letter explaining that I had been placed in Ravenclaw, they came to school claiming that there must have been a mistake. Surely Slytherin was where I belonged. My family had been in that house since the school opened. When they were finally convinced that the sorting hat did not make mistakes, I became the unwanted child.
My brother, Elijah, was friendly with me, but he knew that to stay in our parents’ favor he could not get close to me. At school he spoke with me occasionally, but most of the conversations were awkward. I could not ignore the harsh feelings I had for him because he never stood up for me at home.
The previous day I had turned seventeen. I had every intention of leaving until I realized that I had nowhere to go. I would never ask a friend’s family to carry the burden of having an extra mouth to feed. My parents said that they would not kick me out until I was finished at Hogwarts and, though I despised them, I was grateful. Living on my own was not something I was ready for.
Once Ava, our house elf, cleaned the table, my brother and I loaded our trunks into the back of the family car and climbed in. His owl, Evart, was sleeping in his cage placed in-between us on the seat. I had not bothered to get an animal of my own because I was not allowed to keep one at home.
“So are you excited about your sixth year, Elijah?” I stared out the window as my parents conversed with my brother, knowing I would not be brought in to the conversation.
Instead, I thought about my friends, Alice, Weston, and Julian.
Alice was my closest friend and very different from me-even in appearance. Her hair was bright blonde and her eyes a sapphire blue. She was 5’6” and thin, immediately attracting attention from boys. While I was shy and content with watching, she loved to be the center of things and never cared if she made a fool of herself. I admired her all the more for it.
Weston was Alice’s boyfriend, though you would never guess it. He was more quite than I was and could almost always be found with his nose in a book. His hair was short and light-brown, his eyes hazel, and he was nothing above ordinary according to all of the girls in our year. He’d never shown an interest in quidditch, or anything other than books for that matter. His best friend was Julian.
Jay, as he was called, was one of those kids that could be serious when it was needed, but usually kept a smile on everyone’s face with his crazy antics. His nearly-black hair had been singed several times, as well as the eyebrows above his green eyes, during crazy stunts and dares he’d performed. Out of all of my friends, I knew I could always count on Jay to take my mind off of the stresses of life.
After what seemed like centuries, we arrived at Kings Cross Station. I followed my family through the barrier onto platform 9 3/4, immediately in search of familiar faces. I said my quick goodbyes to my family, knowing that they would not miss me, and boarded the train. I waited for most of the other students to disappear inside compartments before beginning to search for the one in which my friends were seated. I passed compartment after compartment with almost no luck. Finally, I spotted them.
“There you are,” Alice grinned, standing to wrap me in a hug. “How are you? I’ve missed you so much!”
“I’ve missed you so much,” I echoed. “Help me with my trunk?” Once my luggage was stored in the racks above, I sat next to Julian, Wes already seated beside Alice. “Tell me everything about your summer.”
“Well,” She began, “I tried, as tradition, to write you, but my letter was sent back. Seriously, your parents are mad. A few weeks in Wes came out to see me.” She shot a loving glance his way and I wished that I knew what it was like to care for someone in that way. “We traveled a lot with my family.”
“Yeah,” Jay commented, grinning, “Well, my summer was loads better than all of yours.”
I listened to my friends compete, all of them knowing I had nothing to add to the conversation. The topic was discussed until about half-way to Hogwarts when the compartment door was knocked on. As it slid open I looked up to see Fred Weasley, looking unusually sheepish.
“Hello, everyone,” He nodded, before turning his gaze to me. “Can I, erm, speak with you?”
“Me?” I asked stupidly, my face reddening.
“Uh, yeah…”
Unsure of what he wanted, I followed him out into the hall.
I groaned, continuing to stare at myself in the broken mirror upon my desk. The last twenty minutes had been dedicated to making myself at least feel presentable, but were of no use. My chocolate-brown hair was just as simply straight as always, just reaching my shoulders, tucked behind my ears. My eyes, matching in color, still would not grab attention hidden behind my glasses, even with the eye liner and mascara I had applied for the first time since summer started. Beautiful lips were fuller than mine. Super models were taller than me.
Everything about me was wrong.
Deciding that I didn’t want to starve on the way to the train station, I grabbed my trunk, full of robes and school supplies, and dragged it down the stairs behind me, flinching at the loud clunking noises it made.
I ignored the dirty looks from my parents as I sat down at the table. All that was left was a piece of toast and one piece of bacon. I snatched it up before anyone else could claim it and ate quickly.
“Surprised you’re still here,” my father mumbled as his eyes scanned the Daily Prophet. I ignored him, not having a response. Why was I still there?
In my family, I was the black sheep. Or rather, I was the only white sheep. I was completely and fully loved until my first year at Hogwarts. When my parents got the letter explaining that I had been placed in Ravenclaw, they came to school claiming that there must have been a mistake. Surely Slytherin was where I belonged. My family had been in that house since the school opened. When they were finally convinced that the sorting hat did not make mistakes, I became the unwanted child.
My brother, Elijah, was friendly with me, but he knew that to stay in our parents’ favor he could not get close to me. At school he spoke with me occasionally, but most of the conversations were awkward. I could not ignore the harsh feelings I had for him because he never stood up for me at home.
The previous day I had turned seventeen. I had every intention of leaving until I realized that I had nowhere to go. I would never ask a friend’s family to carry the burden of having an extra mouth to feed. My parents said that they would not kick me out until I was finished at Hogwarts and, though I despised them, I was grateful. Living on my own was not something I was ready for.
Once Ava, our house elf, cleaned the table, my brother and I loaded our trunks into the back of the family car and climbed in. His owl, Evart, was sleeping in his cage placed in-between us on the seat. I had not bothered to get an animal of my own because I was not allowed to keep one at home.
“So are you excited about your sixth year, Elijah?” I stared out the window as my parents conversed with my brother, knowing I would not be brought in to the conversation.
Instead, I thought about my friends, Alice, Weston, and Julian.
Alice was my closest friend and very different from me-even in appearance. Her hair was bright blonde and her eyes a sapphire blue. She was 5’6” and thin, immediately attracting attention from boys. While I was shy and content with watching, she loved to be the center of things and never cared if she made a fool of herself. I admired her all the more for it.
Weston was Alice’s boyfriend, though you would never guess it. He was more quite than I was and could almost always be found with his nose in a book. His hair was short and light-brown, his eyes hazel, and he was nothing above ordinary according to all of the girls in our year. He’d never shown an interest in quidditch, or anything other than books for that matter. His best friend was Julian.
Jay, as he was called, was one of those kids that could be serious when it was needed, but usually kept a smile on everyone’s face with his crazy antics. His nearly-black hair had been singed several times, as well as the eyebrows above his green eyes, during crazy stunts and dares he’d performed. Out of all of my friends, I knew I could always count on Jay to take my mind off of the stresses of life.
After what seemed like centuries, we arrived at Kings Cross Station. I followed my family through the barrier onto platform 9 3/4, immediately in search of familiar faces. I said my quick goodbyes to my family, knowing that they would not miss me, and boarded the train. I waited for most of the other students to disappear inside compartments before beginning to search for the one in which my friends were seated. I passed compartment after compartment with almost no luck. Finally, I spotted them.
“There you are,” Alice grinned, standing to wrap me in a hug. “How are you? I’ve missed you so much!”
“I’ve missed you so much,” I echoed. “Help me with my trunk?” Once my luggage was stored in the racks above, I sat next to Julian, Wes already seated beside Alice. “Tell me everything about your summer.”
“Well,” She began, “I tried, as tradition, to write you, but my letter was sent back. Seriously, your parents are mad. A few weeks in Wes came out to see me.” She shot a loving glance his way and I wished that I knew what it was like to care for someone in that way. “We traveled a lot with my family.”
“Yeah,” Jay commented, grinning, “Well, my summer was loads better than all of yours.”
I listened to my friends compete, all of them knowing I had nothing to add to the conversation. The topic was discussed until about half-way to Hogwarts when the compartment door was knocked on. As it slid open I looked up to see Fred Weasley, looking unusually sheepish.
“Hello, everyone,” He nodded, before turning his gaze to me. “Can I, erm, speak with you?”
“Me?” I asked stupidly, my face reddening.
“Uh, yeah…”
Unsure of what he wanted, I followed him out into the hall.