Artemis
I awoke to the sound of the common room door shutting. Either someone was leaving or someone was coming in. I didn't care which. I just knew it was probably time to get up. I was still curled up in the ball I had fallen asleep in.
Suppose I should go to the field, I thought to myself.
Doing it slowly and very carefully, I stood and wrapped my Slytherin blanket around my shoulders. Then I proceeded to go to my dorm to change into my robes. There I found my cousin, staring into the mirror, combing out his blond hair. Malfoy was such a narcissist.
"It's going to get messed up anyways," I commented.
"Shut up, Artemis, and change. We don't have that much time before practice starts."
I changed into my green robes, slipping my Slytherin hat over my messy raven colored hair. My sapphire eyes sparkled with some sort of determination. There was a lot I needed to get done today. Malfoy and I grabbed our broomsticks. We made our way to the field in silence.
My thoughts went to the night before. Had Audrey really told me that I was her "special boy"? That she liked me? Despite my attractive and intelligent qualities, it was hard to believe that anyone could like me like that. Did I like her back? I remembered my stomach flip just before she told me. Was that because I had feelings for her too? I was assuming so because the vanilla pudding stayed in my stomach.
"You're awfully quiet, Fowl," Malfoy noticed.
"Well you are too," I snapped.
"Don't snap at me," Malfoy demanded.
"Then don't get in my business," I ordered. "I can be quiet if I want to."
It was silent after that. We had finally reached the Quidditch field. The team was standing around waiting, chatting amongst themselves. And then I saw her. She was sitting alone. She looked kind of down, or worried. For one reason or another, it bugged me.
"Ten minutes!" I called out. "Get mounted and up!"
Everyone mounted their brooms and started flying around the field. All except Audrey, who gazed intently at the ground. I walked over to her, unsure of what I was actually going to say.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked.
She gave me a look that made me step back. "Oh, I don't know," she replied. Audrey stood and mounted her broom. Then she was in the air.
I followed her, wondering what I could have possibly done. She hovered in the air. That was until I rode up. I watched her fly away, going fast around the court. When she stopped, I flew over. However, she flew away. I stared after her. She wouldn't let me get close enough to her to talk at all.
"What's her problem?" Malfoy asked, flying up next to me, juggling three golf balls.
I glanced around. No one was listening. They were all flying laps around the field below us. "Well, last night she informed me that she liked me."
Malfoy chuckled. "She is way out of your league. She gets perfect grades, she had high O.W.L.S., and she can play Quidditch."
I rolled my eyes. "So did I. And I can play Quidditch."
"Well," Malfoy said, "what did you reply?"
A sigh escaped my throat. "That's the thing: I didn't have the chance to reply. She left."
Malfoy shook his head. "Well, what did you want to reply?"
I took another look around. No one was around again. "I have a warm, fuzzy feeling. Is that natural? Am I sick? Feel my forehead!" I could feel myself panicking, but I didn't know why.
Malfoy reached over, touching my forehead. "No, you're not sick."
"Am I pink?" I asked.
"Maybe just a little," Malfoy observed.
I began to freak out. "Oh my gosh! I am sick!"
Malfoy shook his head. "No," he said quietly, "I think it's something worse." I could tell he was being serious, something I wasn't used to.
I leaned in closer to him. "What is it? Is it a disease?"
"No," he corrected. "It's... love."
My stomach did that flip again. "Love?" I asked him. "I don't even know what 'love' is."
"Face it, Fowl," Malfoy said, tossing his golf ball into the air and catching it, "you love Audrey."
I shook my head. "No. I don't love anyone. I can't. There's no way."
Or did I? Even earlier I was contemplating on whether or not I had feelings for her as she had them for me. Love was something I had never experienced. Maybe this feeling was love. I glanced up to find Audrey staring at me. She hovered by the southern goalposts. As I looked around, I found most of the team watching Malfoy and me.
"So now that you know," Malfoy whispered, "go and tell her." He paused. "And since everyone is staring at you."
I put my feet on the holders and slowly made my way over to the best chaser on the team. My stomach still churned. Vanilla pudding was never being put into my mouth again, even though it was probably not the cause of my stomach churning.
Audrey stared at me, her arms crossed. "So?" she asked, with what seemed like bitterness.
Ouch. I was hoping not to be addressed like that. Would she still think that way after I told her? I took a brave breath, feeling a feeling that I had never felt before in my whole life. "I feel the same way for you that you feel for me," I breathed.
"You like me too?" The grim look on her face had been replaced by a bright smile. I was relieved to see her mood flip.
I nodded. "I do."
I stared back at her for several moments before smiling back at her. I knew that things were going to be different after that. Nothing was to be the same.
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Audrey
"Password?" the portrait asked me.
I rattled off the ridiculous password, "Barking dragon trees."
The portrait swung open and I walked into Gryffindor's common room. I was typically not allowed into other houses' dormitories, but Gryffindor's guarding portrait made an exception to me. I put my hand around my mouth, holding my broomstick under my arm, and yelled, "NIKKIE!"
Nikkie was sitting on a red arm chair by the fire place. My best friend peeked her head out from behind a book. "Hmm?"
"You will not believe what just happened!" I called out, sitting on a chair in front of her.
Nikkie dropped her book, not even marking her page. That was uncharacteristic of her, but I didn't say anything. "What he say?!" she asked, apparently not concerned with anyone else being around.
I took a deep breath before I answered in a low whisper. "He said he likes me too."
Nikkie covered her mouth. "No way!"
I nodded. "Yes way..."
"So... you and Fowl, eh?" she asked.
"Not reallyyyyy," I said. "It's not like we're together..."
Suddenly I wished I hadn't said that. Ron came downstairs from the boys' dormitories wearing his Quidditch uniform. I tried to hide my face, but it didn't work. I forgot I was still wearing my green Quidditch uniform, and amongst a room of red I stood out.
"Who's together?" he immediately asked, stopping in front of us.
Without thinking, I responded, "Me and Fowl." Oh, I was going to regret saying that later. I jumped the gun. Even if I had a feeling it was soon going to be true.
"Fowl? You mean like Artemis Fowl? Slytherin's Quidditch team captain?" he blabbed. "Pretty boy Artemis Fowl?"
"Yea," I nodded, mentally smacking myself.
He kind of glared at me for a moment before he stormed away, I assumed to the Quidditch field. I was glad he was gone, though.
"Ooooooohhhhh," Nikkie replied. "You liiiiiiied."
I shrugged. "Oh well. I think he'll leave me alone now. At least I hope he does."
"Maybe, but you better hope he doesn't go talk to Artemis," Nikkie said.
Then I felt my heart sink. I knew that's what he'd do.
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Artemis
I shut my eyes and took a breath. "Sectum-"
"FOWL!" someone yelled.
With a frustrated sigh, I turned to see Ron Weasley stalking towards me. "What do you want?"
"Congrats," he hissed. It was odd to hear him actually angry.
"On what? You interrupted me mid-spell," I questioned.
"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about," Ron went on.
"I really don't know what you're talking about," I assured. What was he talking about?
"Yeah, you go around acting like you're all cool like you're better than everyone else; you get my girl and then sit there like you don't know like why I'm here," Ron accused.
Yet again, I found myself confused. "Get your girl? What are you blabbering about?"
Ron glared. "You and Audrey."
"What do you mean 'me and Audrey'?" I inquired. "I don't get what you're saying."
Ron looked confused. "Audrey just told me that you two were together."
This confused me even more. "I think this is all just one big misunderstanding."
"So you two aren't together?" Ron asked. He seemed relieved.
"No?" I responded.
"Oh... well... um..." he paused. "Carry on?"
"Okay?" I muttered.
Ron walked away, almost with a strut. I turned away from him and tried to concentrate on casting the spell. I looked at the apple that sat on the table before me. I tried to focus, but I couldn't. Obviously Ron had spoken with Audrey. But why had Audrey told him that we were together? So Ron was a stalker, and a creeper, and kind of disgusting, but lying always caused problems. I wasn't sure what to think.
I shoved my wand behind my ear for a moment. What to do, what to do? I debated in my head. Should I talk to her? Sighing, I shoved my wand into the pocket inside my robes. I got up and decided to follow Ron, back to the Gryffindor common room. I was sure Audrey was still there. On the way out, I grabbed the apple and bit into it. Malfoy would be happy I was eating.
I thought it was humorous at how excited Ron seemed. He walked so quickly I could barely keep up. I was not one for physical labor. Most days I took my time doing anything. It didn't take much time to reach the Gryffindor common room. Ron muttered the password. Just before the portrait swung close, I slipped into the small five-foot tunnel leading into the common room, unnoticed as always.
"You lied!" Ron exclaimed.
"So?" Audrey snapped. She was about to say something else but Nikkie stopped her.
"Ron, listen," she said kindly. "Audrey loves Artemis." I smiled to myself. There was that word again. Nikkie continued. "And he likes her back. But there is no love for Ron from Audrey."
"But..." Ron stuttered.
"But nothing. One day you will find someone. That someone just isn't Audrey," Nikkie patted his shoulder.
Ron walked past, not noticing me. He was upset. That made me grin. Someone was upset because of a girl. Because a girl liked me. Or... according to Nikkie... loved me.
I casually walked into the room. Neither of the girls had noticed. I was such a ninja. "So... you love me, eh?" I asked. They looked over to the doorway where I was standing. I leaned against the wall, casually crossing one of my legs over the other one. Audrey was hiding her face behind a book. Nikkie was frantically pointing at her best friend. "I know that's you behind the book, Audrey," I smiled. "You can stop trying to hide."
She slowly lowered the book. "Huh? Wha- I was... um... reading. It's really... interesting."
I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because the book is shut and upside down."
"Oh," she gasped. "Ha ha... silly me."
I smirked. She was embarrassed and nervous. I could tell, but yet I pressed on. "You never answered my question," I reminded. "You..." my mouth stopped at the unfamiliar word "...love me?"
A small smile appeared on her face. "I never said that."
I raised an eyebrow once again. "Nikkie here thinks you do."
Audrey shot Nikkie a look, and Nikkie merely shrugged. Audrey was still looking nervous. Like before, I pressed on. "You still haven't answered my question," I told her.
The witch hesitated. Her friend waited with as much anticipation as I did. "Well," Audrey said slowly, "I suppose Nikkie was right. I do love you," She paused, "in a way, because we did just meet." She smiled.
I smiled slightly as a warm fuzzy feeling came over my body. Perhaps this was the beginning of something extraordinary. I truly hoped it was. For one moment in my life, I could honestly say I was happy, and there was no plotting or evil involved this time.