Underwater Calls

Siobhan knew that something was wrong. She hadn’t been able to get a word out of Laura since the morning, and she hadn’t even seen Draco all day to ask him if something had happened. Rosabella watched Siobhan as she watched the door, waiting for either to make an appearance.
“You do know that being so obvious will just give away what you were trying to not make obvious?” Rosabella stated, turning the page in her Defence against the Dark Arts book. Siobhan looked over to her best friend, rolling her eyes.
“Look, you really don’t need to be giving me grief about this. Im not doing anything wrong other than pushing those two in the right direction. You know as well as me that Laura likes him and you can see that he likes her.”
“And, my dear friend, don’t you know of his background?” Rosabella softly muttered, not wanting to risk being heard by other students. Siobhan sighed as she shook her head.
“I know of his background, Rose. Which happens to be the same as my brother’s at the moment. But think about it – does Draco really look like he wants to be part of it? Haven’t you realised that he has slimmed in the last couple of weeks? I’ve been spending time with him and I can clearly read between the lines. Something is really wrong with him right now, but he is still trying with Laura, even though she doesn’t realise it,” she said hurried, wanting to get her point across.
“I know your take on this and I think that we know mine too. But what we have to consider is Laura’s take on this, because, hello. It is her life,” Rosabella said, shaking her head. Siobhan then let out a small laugh before resuming her staring duties, as if looking intently at the door will bring the awaited people more quickly.
“It is her life, Rose. But she has to be able to pursue some detours to really live it.”
And just then, as if wishing had done the trick, Laura pushed opened the heavy oak door and stepped into the lesson, her eyes distant and elsewhere while she was there in person. Her feet took her to her seat automatically, and she sat in front of her friends, sighing heavily as she let her head hit the desk.
“It’s been a long day guys. Please try refraining from making any sudden jumping movements onto my back.”
Rosabella looked at Siobhan, who shrugged before sitting up straight, ready for class.
She had the rest of the evening to find out just exactly what was going on.

Rosabella was settled on her bed, reading through her Potions essay as Siobhan paced around the room, waiting for Laura to come out of the bathroom. She had been in there for nearly an hour, and Siobhan had steadily lost her cool and was finding it hard to stay still. As she sighed once again, Rosabella merely looked up at her before resuming her thorough read through her homework.
“Really Rosabella?! Can you just sit there reading that parchment when you clearly know something has been up with your best friend and most probably Draco Malfoy?!” she screeched in a whisper, her eyes big and full of impatience. Rosabella sighed before sitting back against the bed frame, looking at her friend as she twirled her quill in her hand.
“Yes, I know Siobhan. Something has been up with Laura, but I don’t feel the need to meddle with her business and I know that she will tell us when she is ready to speak about it. Considering that you have known her for seven years, it’s kind of surprising the lack of patience you have when it comes to dealing with her. I thought you’d be used to her ways,” Rosabella said, watching Siobhan as she narrowed her eyes at her.
“You two are hopeless,” Siobhan said, settling for that. And before she can say anything else, Laura opened the door and stepped out the bathroom, dressed in her nightie and hair slicked down her back, the water droplets making her hair glisten.
“Why are you two bickering about now?” she said, dropping beside Rosabella as she twisted her hair up into a loose bun. Siobhan sat down too, tapping her long, beige painted fingernails against her knee.
“You and the oh-so-gorgeous Draco Malfoy, of course. We know something’s up, so you best spill the beans.”
Laura raised an eyebrow at Rosabella, who shrugged as she waited for a response too. They had disturbed her study time, so they might as well get it over and done with now.
“I see why you annoy some people so much, Siobhan. Nothing happened – and that’s the whole point. He came to walk me to the castle when I was out by the lake the other night, and he tried to kiss me -”
“WHAT?”
“But I didn’t let him kiss me, which is why it has been awkward,” Laura finished, ignoring Siobhan’s outburst.
“It hasn’t just been awkward Lar! You two are like love sick puppies, either watching each other when the other one isn’t or watching each other watch each other! Can’t you just get with him already?!” Siobhan said, giving Laura the puppy eyes. Laura shoved her away, scoffing.
“You’re so annoying Siobhan. I don’t want anything to with him, romantically or any other way. We’re not good for each other.”
“Well, he really doesn’t think that, because the thought of you makes him a better person -” Siobhan cut herself short as she knew that she had not only just stuffed her foot inside her own mouth, but shoved her whole leg right up. She knew from the look her best friends were giving her that they hadn’t missed her comment.
“And you’d know this because?” Rosabella asked slowly, staring at Siobhan through narrowed eyes. If Siobhan had done what she was thinking she had, she gave her approximately thirty seconds to get up and run away – because the look on Laura’s face indicated murder.
“Well, Im just guessing because I’ve seen the changes in Malfoy, I mean, you two surely can’t miss it, right?” she tried to back track, but it was to no avail. Her friends knew.
“You little sneaky rat! You’ve been talking to Malfoy himself about this, haven’t you? No wonder he’s so confident in his approach towards me. Even better, he knows exactly how to make me feel comfortable to bloody approach me!” Laura said as realisation hit her. He had kept his distance, hadn’t bothered her, hadn’t made any remarks and been generally cool and collected around her. She should have known that Siobhan would have used her knowledge to help Malfoy, because no way in hell was he that clever.
“Well, you clearly needed to be pushed and wasn’t participating so I went to him! Do you even have any idea how much he actually does like you?! He doesn’t even know it himself, poor boy! You have him on a leash so tight he doesn’t know if he should run or walk - and I haven’t only been helping one friend but you both,” Siobhan rationalised, and Rosabella slowly chuckled, drawing attention from both of her fiery friends. She was the only sensible one, the only one who can see it from not only one point of view but from any.
“You two can argue your sides for hours, days, weeks about this. But what is done is done. Laura, you know that Siobhan is like one of the most sexually romantic person you’ll ever meet. And Siobhan, you know Laura doesn’t jump into anything romantically without weighing the odds of it. And we all know that the cons outweigh the pros when it comes to that certain individual. Because Laura’s moral’s don’t match up to anything he is, and therefore makes me unapproachable and out of question for Laura. I do however, agree with Siobhan on one point,” she stated, drawing a victorious ‘yes’ from the blonde herself.
“You certainly do like Draco Malfoy, and that’s a point that you have to take in great consideration. Because if he is stuck in your mind enough to confuse your views, then that’s something itself.”
And with that, Laura knew she wasn’t the only one who thought so.