GLORY // book one

Drafts (Pt. 3)

I moved towards the red and gold table, sitting in the first spot I saw, keeping my head down and hoping to avoid any unnecessary contact. Of course, fate doesn't give a crap what I want. "Lee?"

I looked up, blinking away an odd sense of deja vu I got as I noticed the boy next to me. Did he move next to me or-

Before I knew it, I was engulfed in a hug, shocking me. I just sat there, not really knowing what to do. For all I knew, this was some weird welcoming thing. Now that I think about it, Kal always did hug me when she first saw me in the mornings.

"Uh, Leo, actually— Ophelia. Hi . . . ?"

The boy released me after a long second, leaning back with furrowed brows. "Merlin, Lee, you look practically bewildered. And you sound nearly . . . American?"

I cocked my head in confusion, blinking slowly before staring at him again, as though this was some type of dream. "Uh, because I am American? Wyoming, Rocky Mountains, John Denver, all that jazz. But— wait, who are you?" My voice cracked a bit, an awful sign that I was nervous, as if my wide eyes and fidgeting didn't make it obvious enough.

The boy's smile fell, and I looked into his grey eyes, trying to make a connection, knowing I knew those eyes. "This isn't funny, Lee. You didn't write anyone all summer. I know you're still peeved, but-"

"Sirius, Professor Slughorn wants to see us— something about the Slug Club." A red-haired girl intercepted, an impatient look on her face as she glanced at the small group gathering by the doors of the Great Hall.

The strange boy, Sirius, sighed, glancing between the ansty girl and me, before standing and moving to leave, muttering something along the lines of 'unbelievable'. I sat back, picking at my food, suddenly even more uncomfortable. I looked up after a moment, jolting as I noticed multiple sets of eyes on me. "What?"

Most of the eyes left, but the pair across from me didn't relent. Dropping my fork, I sat straighter, sighing. "Can I help you?"

The boy seemed his messy raven hair and crooked glasses with pride, though his mouth was set in a grim line. After a silent moment, the older boy reacher over, sticking out his hand. "James Potter, welcome to Hogwarts, Leo."

~~

My first dinner at Hogwarts was odd, to say the least. I grabbed my sleepwear and toiletries, moving towards the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed.

I scrubbed at my teeth with the small brush while gathering my hair to put back. I had impulsively cut it short with a pair of garden scissors a couple months ago, and now my only choice was an old bandanna I found in my trunk a few weeks ago. I knotted the cloth around my head, looking up to see my handiwork, the brush hanging from my mouth. Black hair matched black, pale skin matched pale, and grey eyes met-

Holy Mother of Merlin.

I stared at my reflection, gasping slightly as I made the connection. My toothbrush fell into the sink, foam gathered around my mouth, but all I could do was stare at myself.

Because that boy from earlier, who I thought looked so familiar- he looked like me. Sharp features, grey eyes, jet hair. Of course, there were obvious differences- I was a girl, I was younger, my voice was clearly and expectantly higher, and I was shorter. But, we looked alike.

Washing off my face, I rushed out of the rooms, blindly snatching a hoodie from my trunk to cover the ratty t-shirt I sported. Yanking the material over myself, I stumbled down the stairs, smacking my head as I tripped the last few steps. Without missing a beat, I stood quickly, looking around the near-empty Common Room. I spotted the black-haired male version of myself quickly, as his eyes were boring into me, wide after my little stunt on the stairs.

Rushing towards his small group, I glared at the boy. "Do I know you?"

The boy, Sirius, if I remember correctly, glanced to his friends, totaling at four boys and two girls. After a moment, He turned back, shaking his head. "Nope. You might have a concussion, kiddo, you should go to bed."

I scoffed, raking a hand through my hair, realizing that my bandanna had long ago fallen, abandoned somewhere in the Common Room. "I'm the picture of health. And you should never sleep if you think you have a co— not the point! What was all that hullaballoo earlier?"

The boy seemed to force a laugh, shrugging. "Drank some bad butterbeer on the train, thought you were my cousin, Bella. We call her Lee sometimes, cause she won't lee-ve us alone."

The name rang through my head, pounding against my skull, but I wrote it off as my now throbbing head injury from the stairs. I picked at the fray of my sleeve, shaking my head. "I know your lying, but I don't care enough to bother. If you want to be a jerk, go ahead."

One of the other boys snorted, shaking his head. "That Sirius- he sure is one helluva jerk."

Scoffing, I turned, rushing back to my dorm, a frown on my face. That must've been the stupidest thing I've ever done. These people aren't like Kal and Jay, they just want to be jerks and make fun of me.

~~

The next morning, I was quick to eat breakfast, retrieving my schedule and leaving before most had arrived. My first class wasn't for another hour, so I camped out in one of the more desolate corridors, a worn sketchbook in hand. I worked carefully on a drawing of Jay, trying to remember if he had dimples or not, and how high he arched his eyebrows when he was joking.