touch. {f.w.}

chapter two.

infatuation feels like how ecstasy would feel, but if it were to be choking the life out of you

The rest of the summer had gone by pretty swimmingly, after the disaster that was known as the Quidditch World Cup, with Lydia having spent the rest of it at the Clarkes' residence. She had found a certain redhead breaching her train of thought every so often, but decided not to dwell on him for too long. The young girl had made it a habit to brush her infatuation off--it was just the first time she'd really ever seen him, let alone been introduced to him, so surely she was to be left a bit dumbstruck. He was the Fred Weasley, after all. Any girl capable of sight could see the Weasley twins were quite handsome now. This year would be their's, no doubt--but as she thought of other girls ogling Fred, a spark of jealousy lit up in her chest.

It was a constant battle, you see.

Lydia had forgone telling her best friend about her newfound, and very first, crush. If there was two things that Lydia knew about her hardheaded friend it was that it was difficult for Eleanora to keep from teasing Lydia--and even harder for the Slytherin to keep secrets.

It wasn't like she ever purposefully spilled secrets, no certainly not, it was just that Eleanora liked to help no matter the cost--and Lydia did not want help with this. It'll fade away with time.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Said friend inquired, lightly bumping Lydia as they walked towards the Hogwarts Express.

"Nothing?" Lydia responded.

Eleanora scoffed and gave her friend a look, "Do I look daft? If it was nothing I wouldn't have asked." The hazel-eyed girl's features softened into concern, "You don't seem as excited as you usually are."

Eleanora had been right, and most likely will always be, but Lydia didn't want to blow her cover.

"I don't know Nora...I guess I'm just worried about the future and all. I mean, we're in our sixth year already." It hadn't been a complete lie, Lydia reasoned. Just one more year and they'd be graduating from Hogwarts, splitting up to pursue who-knows-what in who-knows-what-field. McGonagall had been hounding the older Gryffindors about their careers, and though Lydia thought long and hard about it, she found it nearly impossible to find a career she could see dedicating herself to.

Eleanora offered Lydia nothing but a deadpanned expression before quickly slapping her shoulder, "Lydia, this is the year we focus on ourselves, have as much fun as possible, okay? A day's going to come where it'll be hard to find joy in ourselves or in others, so better make the best of what we've got, no?"

Lydia laughed softly and nodded her agreements before a voice bellowed from across the platform, "What's happening at Hogwarts? What rules are changing?!"

The two girls curiously sought out the voice and were met with the sight of the very boy who'd been plaguing Lydia's daydreams. The upper half of Fred Weasley's body was stretched out the train's window, calling out to his mother who simply blew a kiss and waved goodbye to her son. "Something's happening this year?" Eleanora asked impatiently, "What do you figure it is?"

"I'm not sure, I don't recall anyone saying anything would be different this year, let alone the rules." Lydia replied, equally as perplexed.

The two friends silently agreed to leave it at that and boarded the busy train.

"Eleanora, over here!" A group of Slytherins and Ravenclaws called out. Eleanora smiled brightly at them and waved, but hesitated in joining them in their compartment as her hazel eyes flickered down to Lydia for a brief second. "It's alright Nora," Lydia reassured with a brightly lit smile, "I'm gonna find Angelina and sit with her." Eleanora gave her friend a loving squeeze on the arm and ran over to her other friends.