Falling For

School had started again and I had awoken from the post-Christmas blues with a plethora of white chocolate, slow songs and warm coffee by the fire. Together with the power of Angelina and Katie, I was back on my dainty feet and ready for the brilliance of education. I had taken it upon myself to avoid everyone with blazing red hair, rough fingertips and cheeky grins.

“Mignon,”

I was sitting in the library, piddling through old Charms books (to appease Professor Flitwick, who was being an absolute pain) until I had ended up staring out the window at the light and the beautiful snow that hugged the windowsills.

Looking up at the voice, I saw Noël Molyneux, a boy with high cheekbones and startlingly blue eyes, staring back at me with a small look on his pretty face. I stared back at him, blond haired and wide eyed as he smiled, taking the chair across from me.

“You look sad.” He finished. I knew Noël through my father, and although not ‘great’ friends we were still acquaintances. Whenever I visited my dad, we usually ended up at a classy lunch with his esteemed peers - and like me, Noël was often dragged along despite his protests. It was nice to have him around, as he was always well-mannered and well-groomed - with a weak smile and shiny eyes that always seemed to hold plenty of respect for me. “Your father wanted me to check on you.”

“That’s nice of him.” I forced out bitterly, slightly peeved at the thought of my father at a time like that. He had sent me another book on wizading law for Christmas; another to add to the pile of ‘never read’. “What does he want to know?”

“Just how you are going.” His accent was thick and awkward but I bit through it. I felt a little connection to him with our native names, and that made it easier to tolerate his slow thoughts. Though, it was a little odd conversing with him after much time apart – the last time seeing him was when he was covered in exotic Beauxbatons girls during the Triwizard tournament.

“I’m great!” I lied through my teeth and he grinned at me, his all-knowing eyes seeing straight through my little lies; white, slightly crooked teeth flashing against the tiny dimples in the bottoms of his cheeks. His jawline was tense underneath the smooth pale skin that he had been graced with, while I sat stodgy in my cold chair. I always felt like a frump around him.

“Of course you are.” He pointed at me and tsk’d before sitting back in his chair. “Hogsmeade tomorrow?”

“Yes, everyone’s going.” I pointed back and he grinned.

“No, I am asking. Hogsmeade tomorrow. You and me?” He withdrew his finger and I let my brow naturally rise.

“Oh?” Curiously leaning forward at the thought of human company outside of my own house. He was a Ravenclaw, obviously quite intelligent and beautiful – as all Ravenclaws were. Trying to hide from the thought of moving on, I turned off my lonely conscious and smiled blankly, nodding like a broken baby-doll that had been un-loved in it’s early years. He brightened, curling his boyish lips into a perfect smile while he placed both his hands on the table.

“I will meet you under the large clock at 10.” He told me simply, giving me a curious nod before floating off behind a bookshelf. I looked at my fingers and frowned before nodding back; completely aware that he was gone but still obliged to return the rather large favour.



I instantly regretted accepting Noël’s request as soon as I stepped to the side to wait for him. Breathing smoke under the giant swinging pendulum, I waited for him as hundreds of students burst out from the mouth of the castle. And I waited, and waited, and waited in the freezing cold as I watched unfamiliar faces filed passed, filled with some recognisable but certainly unwanted remembrances; like Pucey and his new girlfriend, or Potter and his unwanted feeling of heir.

Hiding my face in my hands like a child, I watched absently as everyone walked past as I blended into the snowed walls with my pale blond hair and light skin. Bursting with nerves, I tied my stomach in knots and chewed my tongue to tidbits while I waited and waited and waited.

“Mignon!”

It wasn’t exactly Noël, who I was really hoping for; it was Angelina – followed by a red-faced Katie and a dumbstruck looking Lee. I pretended to brighten, allowing them to hug me and coo about my pinked cheeks and wide eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Angelina asked, pushing her curly black hair out of her face. I perked, suddenly embarrassed. I didn’t really want her to know about Noël. It was only days ago that I was rolling around in agony in my own bed, sobbing over my ex-boyfriend who had left me cold-hearted and rugless.

“Waiting.” I answered sweetly and her brows rose suspiciously.

“Oh?”

“Yes.” I nodded, folding my arms.

“You sure you don’t want to come with us? The twins are still getting ready, you can leave when they come near.”

“No, I’m fine. I’m just waiting for a friend and--- Oh.”

The twins had appeared earlier than expected. My eyes widened even more and my pupils dilated – breathing like a over-worked farm dog and shivering like an abused willow. They came nearer, Fred hidden underneath his large hat and ‘F’ sweater with a large grin on his face; George looking melancholy and disheveled in his matching ‘G’. At least I wasn’t the only one that had been broken by the inconsiderate separation.

Fred was instantly over to Angelina, curling her under his arm with a warm kiss on her head and a swift pat on the bum. I watched in angst as her cheeks bloomed with roses and her fingers tightened into his jacket. I hid in my scarf timidly, wanting to shrink back into the wall like I had originally planned.

“Oh, Mignon!” Fred staggered, caught off guard by my downcast figure wallowing in my own pitiful self-worth. George visibly flinched as he realised that I was there, keeping his eyes away after we made quick hazel contact over the heads over our mutual friends. “I haven’t seen you in a long while. How have you been?” He continued, trying to act casual but it was most obviously strained.

“I’ve been great.” I forced out, smiling awkwardly while staring at my fingers. “Studying, sleeping, photographing, the usual.”

“You forgot eating.” He cheerfully tried to joke and Katie laughed nervously.

I laughed awkwardly and tried to think of what I could have said - the silence leaving an ugly stain on our conversation. Blank faced and brutally honest, Angelina scowled at me before shaking her head.

“I hope we're not being serious here, because your clothes are looking a bit baggy--“

“Mignon!”

Noël had finally appeared, letting me escape that little tirade that had formed around me. Everyone swung around as Noël pushed through them, gracefully taking my arm and smiling down at me. When he looked at me, it seemed like that boy and I were the only ones in the world. Everything stopped working and I was breathless in those startling blue eyes. Unlike George, who when he looked at me everything just when quiet – everyone just went silent and let us be us. I still can’t decide which was more beautiful.

“Are you ready?” He kissed both my cheeks in greeting, as he usually did when we met on the holidays. Looking up finally from me, he noted my Gryffindor friends and cocked his head. “Oh, hello.”

“Hi.” Fred greeted flatly. “Who are you again?”

“Guys, this is Noël. Noël this is Angelina, Katie, Lee, Fred and George.”

“Ah, nice to meet you all.” He beamed like a gentleman, making me smile softly before he gripped my hand again. “I’m sorry for interrupting your congregation, my friends, but I’ve promised Mignon a nice lunch in Hogsmeade.” It was almost horrifying, how oblivious he was about his arrogant tone.

The accent did that to him some times, which is why girls tended to stay away from him. It always seemed to make him out to be a French pig – a serious-looking, blatantly-rude French pig. But I knew that he didn’t mean to seem like that.

“Would you like to go?” He asked me, his hand warm in mine.

I couldn’t help but beam at him, looking over my friends – that same smile soon sliding off my face.

“I’ll see you some time soon, then?” I asked them quietly and Angelina nodded, taking in Noël before cocking her neck to excuse me. Fred stared at me for a second, frowning and shaking his head and scoffing – leaving me to feel about as small as my compassion for Potter.