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.ೃ࿐chapter three
I like being alone.
no one likes being alone✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩
"𝓘 truly am sorry you can't join us, I wish you could" Ariyah expressed, wrapping her gloved hands around my neck as she pulled me into a close hug. "I promise we will bring you back some butterbeer" Lily sighed, waiting for Ariyah to finish so she could hug me too. "Don't worry about it, you two have fun" I spoke, trying to remove any disappointment from my voice as I didn't want them to feel any worse.
As they hugged me goodbye once more, the marauders ran over to them, linking their arms over their shoulders as they walked. James glanced back at me, shooting me a sympathetic smile as they vanished into the depths of the snow.
"You're not going? Thought someone like you would die at missing the opportunity of hogsmeade" Tom scowled, crossing his arms over his chest as he appeared by my side. "Have you ever even been Tom?" I asked, his scowl turning into a glare as he shook the snow from his hair. "I have better things to occupy my time with" He spat, walking away from me. "Wait" I called out, his pace stopped as he walked towards me, Toms height towered above mine as his orbs cut into me. "Well what is it Emmerson?"
I suddenly found I had nothing to say, I just didn't feel like being alone, although I would never admit that to him. "Well it appears we are the only two who haven't gone" I responded, rubbing my arms to try and protect them from the cold. His eyes following my arms to my feet. "Your point being?" The boy asked, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Well we could do something to pass the time" His laughter broke any remains of dignity I had laughed as he shook his hair, pushing it back hard. "I wouldn't spend my time on you if you were the last living thing on this earth" He scowled, turning sharply around to walk back towards the great hall doors. And just like that my hatred for Tom Riddle grew more than it ever had before. I always felt empowered to Tom, given his height and lack of friends but now I felt completely oppressed. As though I was nothing more to him than a nobody.
..⃗.🕊•̩̩͙⁺゜
James and Lily raced ahead, eager to a cup of butterbeer whilst Remus and Peter headed straight for the sweet shop. "I guess it's just us" Sirius spoke, kicking the snow with his shoe. "I guess so" Ariyah responded, looking around as the awkwardness grew within the two of them.
"Would you mind if I had a nickname for you?" Sirius asked as they took a seat on a lonely bench, the wood creaking beneath them. "It depends what that nickname may be, but can I ask why?" The girl questioned, placing her cold hands in her lap to try and warm them up.
"Well because Ariyah is awfully long" Black laughed, crossing one leg over the other as a group of hufflepuffs walked by. The girls whispered to one another, each one smiling in Sirius' direction as he smirked.
Ariyah rolled her eyes, pushing her hair over her shoulders as she stood to her feet. "You make me sick" She spat, turning to walk away as Sirius grabbed onto her gloved hand and pulled her back. "Come on, I can't help it" He rolled his eyes playfully, earning a gentle laugh from the girl as she stood her ground.
"So the nickname, what will it be?" She asked, pulling her hand out of his grip as she crossed her arms. "Noel, because I love christmas and well because we are friends now...right?" Sirius asked, stepping closer as Ariyah took a step back.
"I wouldn't call me helping you study a friendship but whatever works for you" She responded as she took off to find Lily, leaving the brown haired boy alone with his thoughts in the depth of the snow engulfed village.
..⃗.🕊•̩̩͙⁺゜
"What's wrong?" Lily asked, pulling out a seat for Ariyah to join the two of them. "Nothing" She replied, pulling off her gloves aggressively as she slammed them down against the wooden table. "A butterbeer for her please, maybe two" James shouted over to the waitress. The red head reached her hand towards Ariyah, placing her palm carefully on top of hers as the brunette released a breath.
"Me and James have planned a chess game for later" Lily spoke, watching James as he smiled, sipping his drink quickly and leaving a moustache of cream around his top lip. "You have a little-"
The boy immediately picked up his sleeve, wiping the cream away as he laughed. "Sorry about that, but yes we do. However i'm warning you, be prepared to lose"
The conversation was pulled to a silence as Sirius walked over to the table, just in time for the butterbeers to arrive.
"Cheers mate" He spoke, leaning across Ariyah to grab the glass. the brunette fell silent as he sat next to her. The hints of golden in her hair reflected themselves from the fire that was burning behind her. As she grew more and more unsettled, her lips plumped up, as though it was a signal of her anxiety kicking in.
Ariyah was grateful of Sirius' kindness towards her but she knew the kind of boy he was, she had been with these kinds before and refused to ever let herself go there again. He wanted her to help him study and so that would be exactly what she did, that and only that.
