Eden looked through most of her father's letters yesterday. A large number of them branded her to be a disgrace and threatened to hunt her down so she could attend the crucial meeting. She didn't cry, and she appeared normal to everyone around her. Although it hasn't yet dawned on her that this is actually her life, she felt the internal feeling that it was another person's circumstance and not hers in any way.
Like she usually does for a day of lessons, she awoke at 6:30 am. She perches on the windowsill, facing the window, and reaches for her cigarettes on her nightstand to light one. She takes a breath of the smoke, which burns her throat somewhat before she exhales.
She stubs her cigarette out against the exterior wall and flicks the remains out her window. She rushes into the shower and uses her go-to minty shampoo as well as conditioner to clean her hair. She follows up with a body wash that has a cocoa scent to exfoliate her skin. She turns off the shower head, wraps in a fluffy towel, brushes her teeth, and applies her morning skincare. Following that, she charmed her hair to make it dry and curly and applied some natural makeup. She slips into her uniform and ties her dark green tie, following by putting her robes and shoes on. After packing her book bag, she heads out of her room to have breakfast in the great hall.
"Hey Draco!" She walks out of her dorm and sees Draco heading up the stairs.
"Good morning!" He stops walking and turns around, his face lighting up at the sight of her.
"You will never guess what happened last night." Eden begins to speak.
"What?"
"My bed was covered in a shit ton of letters, and they were all from Father. I think he thought that I was staying at Hogwarts or something, he kept saying I was a disgrace to the family name and that he will find me for the meeting." She laughs, almost mocking him.
"Fuck, Eden. This could be really bad." Draco sighs.
"I know, it just hasn't really sunk in yet." She shrugs it off.
In the Great Hall, Eden and Draco have breakfast together. Eden, who isn't particularly hungry, settles on a croissant, some fruit, and a cup of tea.
Following breakfast, Eden leaves for her first class of the day, potions. The vast majority of the class is already seated and quietly conversing when she opens the classroom door and takes a seat. Fred enters and sits down beside Eden.
"Hey." With a whisper, he says, "I wanted to thank you for the ring."
"Thank you for the charm. I haven't taken off the bracelet since I got it." She shows him her wrist, on which Fred's charm and George's gift bracelet sits.
"It looks good on you." He gives her a wink.
Eden giggles at Fred's wink whilst rolling her eyes. Upon stepping into the classroom, Professor Snape flicks everyone's textbooks so they flip to the desired page with his wand.
"I enjoyed having you at the burrow." Fred murmurs to Eden, nudging her.
"Yeah, I bet you did." She shakes her head while laughing.
"I'm sure you did too, though." He grinned.
"You could say that." She smiles.
With an uncontrollable giggle, he looks down at the desk while pressing his tongue against his cheek.
--
Eden goes back to her dorm after dinner and falls onto her bed. She begins to write down her feelings in the journal that Ron gave her.
Dear diary,
My head is all over the place. I feel something for him, and I don't know why. When he kissed me on New Years, it felt right. That is the only way I can physically describe it, right. It felt nice waking up next to him, that may just be because I have never slept next to a love interest. Scratch that last part, sleeping next to a one night stand. I think his family could have been a contributing factor to these 'feelings'. I have never been accepted into a family in that way before, Molly even saw me as one of her own.
I hope that these feelings are just confusion that I will get over soon, but those eyes. Those eyes that I hate so much but can't stop myself from staring into every chance that I get. Those eyes that appear dark brown in most lights but turns into pools of honey that I could swim in for hours when sunlight hits them. Those freckles. Those freckles that that cover his body head to toe in perfect patterns.
Surely he sees me in the same way, he told me that I looked good wearing the bracelet and charm that he and George gifted me at Christmas. He initiated the kiss on New Years, he told me that he can't stay away from me, that I was intoxicating. I think I am going to do it, in fact, I am going to do it right now.
She slams the journal shut and throws it into her night stand, nearly running out of the door to head for the Gryffindor common room. She runs up to the third floor of the Grand Staircase and spots the statue of the one eyed witch, walking down the hallway beside it.
The Fat Lady's portrait is facing Eden, singing like usual.
"Well, that isn't a Gryffindor uniform." She stops singing.
"And that isn't singing, it's screeching and is making my ears bleed. Dilligrout." She mutters as the door opens.
She crawls through and sees Hermione sat on the sofa, studying for Herbology.
"Psst! Hermione!" She whisper-shouts.
She turns around and spots Eden, her face scrunching up. "Eden, what are you doing in here?"
"I really need to speak to Fred, where is he?"
"Probably in his dorm, its upstairs on the right, third door." She turns back to the mountain of work she has.
Eden speed walks up the stairs and turns to the right, stopping in front of the third door. She lets out a shaky breath before raising her hand and knocking four times. Footsteps approach the door and her stomach is filled with butterflies.
The door opens and a ginger boy is on the other side, just not the one she was hoping to see.
"Eden? Why are you here?" George furrows his brows at her.
"Oh, sorry. I was looking for Fred." She awkwardly smiles, looking down at the ground.
"He isn't here, he went to Angelina's." He says casually, not realising he just shattered the girls heart.
Her smile is wiped from her face as she lets out a sigh and rubs her forehead. "Right, I should just go, sorry for bothering you."
As she begins to walk away, George grabs her shoulder and pulls her into the dorm. "What's happened?"
"George, it doesn't matter. It was a stupid idea anyways, he won't feel the same." She turns back to the door to walk out.
"You like him, don't you?"
Eden stopped walking, her heart dropped when she heard those words come out of his mouth.
"I saw him kiss you on New Years, I see the way you look at him."
She turns to face him and walks to the bed that he is sat on. She sits next to him and rests her head on his shoulder.
"He told me I looked good with the bracelet on today." She holds out her wrist to look at it again. "Should I tell him that I fancy him? Do you think he likes me?"
"Eden, I don't know." He huffs.
"Why not?" She looks up to him.
"Well, he's with Angelina right now, and the last time they saw each other they broke up. Who knows what's happening." He gently speaks.
Eden stayed silent, not replying to George. However, her mind was screaming about all the possibilities with Fred and Angelina.
Were they sleeping together? The thought sent a sharp pang through Eden's chest. It was a possibility she hadn't considered before, but now it seemed to hang in the air, taunting her. She couldn't bear the idea of Fred being with someone else, especially if that someone was Angelina. It felt like a betrayal, even though they weren't together and Fred wasn't aware of her feelings.
Or were they arguing? Eden had heard of the tension between Fred and Angelina before, the way their interactions could turn from friendly banter to heated exchanges in an instant. Perhaps this was one of those moments, the culmination of pent-up frustrations and unspoken words. The thought made Eden's stomach churn with anxiety. She hoped that whatever they were arguing about, it wouldn't end up with them getting back together.
But what if they confessed their love to each other? The idea was both terrifying and heart-breaking. Eden had hoped that Fred would see her as more than just a one-night stand, but now it seemed like he might have found that connection with Angelina again. The thought of them declaring their love for each other was a dagger to her already fragile heart. She felt foolish for ever thinking that she could have a chance with Fred.
As Eden's mind raced with these possibilities, her eyes filled with tears. The weight of her emotions became too much to bear, and she found herself overwhelmed by a mix of sadness, jealousy, and self-doubt. She felt stupid for allowing herself to believe that there could be something between her and Fred, when all along he seemed to have eyes only for Angelina.
"Don't cry, Eden. Come here." George pulls her into a hug, rubbing her back as she sobs.
"I just feel so stupid, George." She silently speaks.
"Don't feel stupid, it's Fred and Angelina we're talking about, they will never last even if they are together. Maybe one day he will see that and come to you."
"But everyone says your first love is the one that you will never get over, I don't want him to get my hopes up just to go back to her." She sniffles.
"He doesn't love her."
"So why do they keep going back to each other?" She looks up to him.
"He hasn't found someone better, so he sticks to what he knows." He smiles, "You're better than her, he just hasn't given you the time yet."
"Yeah, maybe you're right." She smiles and wipes her tears away, sitting up.
"I think we should go, I'll walk you back to your dorm. I don't think you would want Fred to come back when you're upset."
George opens his bedroom door, allowing him and Eden to exit. They step out into the hallway and begin to make their way down the stairs together, heading towards the Gryffindor common room.
Once they reach the bottom of the stairs, they continue walking past the Fat Lady's portrait, which guards the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Leaving the bustling communal area behind, they walk further into the depths of Hogwarts, making their way towards the dungeons. Gorge tries his best to bring a smile to Eden's face by making her laugh. His light-hearted jokes and antics serve as a source of comfort, helping to cheer her up.
As they descend deeper into the castle, George's efforts to lift Eden's spirits persist. His infectious laughter and playful banter create a sense of joy and warmth in the otherwise dim hallways. The sound of their footsteps echoes through the stone corridors, as they make their way closer to her common room.
Finally, they arrive at the entrance to the Slytherin common room. George and Eden pause for a moment, exchanging a final glance filled with gratitude. With a wave of goodbye, the two part ways. George turns to make his way back to Gryffindor, while Eden walks into her common room to head to her room.
Eden opens her room with a creak and goes inside, shutting the door behind her. She kicks off her shoes, changes into pyjamas, and then settles into bed with her journal in hand.
Dear Diary,
Today was quite an eventful day. I finally mustered up the courage to speak to Fred. Surprisingly, he seemed preoccupied with the girl he had broken up with just two weeks ago. It was disheartening to hear that he was spending time with her, but I learned that he doesn't actually love her, which is a small glimmer of positivity.
In the midst of all this, George and I grew closer. He was there to witness me in tears, pouring my heart out over his stupid twin brother. It's strange how moments of vulnerability can bring people together. It feels comforting to have someone by my side who understands me and will listen to my problems.
But now, I find myself at a crossroads. I don't know what to do next. Should I wait for him? Or should I try to move on from this crush that hasn't even lasted one day? I wonder if George will tell Fred that I went searching for him, hoping to express my feelings. But, it's probably too soon to expect any answers.
Despite the uncertainty, I hold onto a glimmer of hope. I have faith that things will eventually work out in my favour, one way or another. It might take time, but I believe that fate will guide him towards me.