When We Were Young

BONUS CHAPTER #3

December 19th, 1943

Myrtle pulled and tugged on her Hogwarts uniform while looking at her reflection, frowning at how awkward she looked in it. She shifted her shirt one more time before spraying on some perfume, hoping to cover up what the other Ravenclaw girls called the "Mortifying Myrtle Musk," 3M for short.

Myrtle sighed, tugging on her pony tails. She would never be beautiful, not like the other girls. Her hair was unruly, her skin was riddled with pimple scars, her front teeth her huge, and her body had no form other than a potato.

She was not pretty.

Tears started to well up in Myrtle's eyes, but she pushed them down. Today would be the last day she would see Harry, the only person she met that didn't make fun of her looks.

Now, Myrtle wasn't stupid, she was placed into Ravenclaw for a reason. She knew that Harry got annoyed with her when she touched him for too long, but she honestly couldn't help it. She liked the way a hug felt, even when it was unwanted from another person. She wondered if anyone would want to hug her in the future, as none had before.

Myrtle snorted. It was unlikely that day would come. Who would willingly hug her?

Myrtle exited her dorm, hurrying down the stairs of the Ravenclaw tower to meet Harry before she left for the holidays. When she reached the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, Tom Riddle sneered blatantly at her. Myrtle tugged on a strand of her bland, lifeless hair nervously, shrinking into herself slightly under his scrutiny.

"Hey, Harry!" Myrtle started, smiling around her nerves. "Um, I just wanted to say goodbye, after all, we won't be seeing each other for a while. . ." To Myrtle's shame, her voice wavered and cracked like crazy, and a sob coming out of her mouth. Tom rolled his eyes at her, and Harry winced slightly. Harry's reaction to her was painful, more painful than Tom's, but she was used to it by now. Harry grabbed a napkin off of the Slytherin table and handed it to Myrtle. Myrtle took the napkin gratefully, wincing when she saw Harry cringe as she blew her nose. Everyone heard her nose dispensing of its snot, and Myrtle's cheeks flamed red when she saw the whole Slytherin table grimace, some snickering at her.

"You're acting as if someone died, Myrtle. Two weeks isn't a long time and---shouldn't you be going to the train right now?" Harry asked, having a subtle tone of annoyance.

Myrtle let out a loud wail, throwing her arms around Harry's shoulders and squishing his face to her chest. No matter how much he hurt her, he still tried to be kind to her disgusting self. He was the Saint of Hogwarts, and she wanted to hold onto him and his radiance as much as she could before the day came, the day when he would turn her away, fed up with her behavior.

"Oh, Harry! You're just so nice and considerate! I'll miss you so much---I'll make sure to send you lots of presents and I'll owl you every day, okay?" Myrle rambled hysterically, tears leaking out of her eyes.

"Miss Warren," Harry sighed, retracting himself from Myrtle's arms and straightening out his robes. "Don't owl me and don't send me presents. You seem to forget that we aren't friends. I may have helped you in a time of need, but that was an act of kindness that I would have done for anyone. Don't abuse that kindness."

Myrtle's face fell. It seemed that the day was coming sooner than she expected. She gave Harry a smile, hiding her lingering sadness. "You're just saying that so that I could go to the train faster, which would lower the chances of me missing it! How considerate of you! I'll write to you, Harry! Bye!"

Myrtle rushed out of the Great Hall, her smile dropping and her face scrunched up in concentration to not let the tears in her eyes fall.

She knew, straight in her bones, that Harry would officially cut all ties with her very soon. The only person who put in the effort to treat her as a human being would turn their back on her.

Myrtle collapsed in the middle of the hallway she was walking down, shivers ranking down her spine as she cried. The misery she felt made itself known in her chilling cries, wailes of sadness echoing through the empty hallway, no one witnessing her unraveled state.

Myrtle knew that she would never be happy.

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A/N

Good day/night readers! Look who updated for the first time in months!

I hoped you liked a bit more insight on Myrtle's character. I couldn't resist writing more about her!

If you can't remember her original scene, since I was gone for months, go to chapter 16 :)

Tootles~