It was all for that red head. He had loved her for as long as he could remember.
He could recall the first time he saw her, on that swing, high up in the air, threatening to fly off, her beautiful red hair all over her face, her laughter like a hundred china bowls tinkling together. And he had watched her from a hole in the fence, unable to approach her, afraid of frightening her away.
It was true that they had become friends a few years later. And just as he hoped, she had received the letter. He did not remember who was more delighted. She, at being selected to study in the most prestigious school of the country. Or he, simply because she had been selected.
They had travelled together to the new school on that red steam engine. How much fun they had that day. He had told her all he knew about the school and the cool stuff they did there. She just sat there lapping up his every word, as if he was the cleverest person in the whole world. How he had looked forward to spending the next seven years, in the same class, with her. They would be best friends, they learn many wonderful things together, someday they would fall in love and get married….
But that stupid hat had spoiled everything. He was placed in a rival House. And if that was not enough, there was that horrible boy, always pushing his untidy black hair out of his eyes, and his obnoxious friends. How he hated them all. They behaved as if the school belonged to them. They broke every single rule. Even the one about not going near that darned whomping tree. And the teachers did nothing to stop them. He had a sneaky feeling that one or two of the teachers even encouraged them.
But he would not have minded any of it, if that red haired girl had not been so taken up with that horrible boy. Why, one day she couldn’t stand the sight of him. And the next day, they were going steady.
It was to win over her, that he joined the gang. It was not as if he liked his new friends much. But they were smart and powerful and rich. He thought, if the red haired girl saw what cool friends he had, maybe she would begin to spend more time with him. And maybe, just as he had hoped, she would fall in love with him. But that did not go as planned. She hated his friends. And gradually began to dislike him. One day, she stopped talking to him.
He still did not lose hope. He knew she would soon get bored of that horrible boy and his stupid pranks. And she would and come back to him. They would be friends again. He carried that hope in his heart like a little beacon.
Until this morning.
The Daily Prophet had carried a two- line announcement on the wedding of the only son of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter.
In a moment of madness, he thought that he would rush to her, fall at her feet and beg for his love. He would promise her everything she ever wanted. He would give up on those friends of his, whom she so disliked.
But even as he thought about it, he knew it would never work. Instead of being pleased, she would despise him for being so weak. He was lost. He was broken. He was devastated. The only girl he could ever love, hated him. There was no way out. His life was over.
***
Suddenly, he smiled. He knew the answer. Didn't he always say that the girl was similar to him in so many ways. This was just one of them.
Just as she could not control the way she felt about him, he too could not control the way he felt about her.
He would love her…. Always.
He could recall the first time he saw her, on that swing, high up in the air, threatening to fly off, her beautiful red hair all over her face, her laughter like a hundred china bowls tinkling together. And he had watched her from a hole in the fence, unable to approach her, afraid of frightening her away.
It was true that they had become friends a few years later. And just as he hoped, she had received the letter. He did not remember who was more delighted. She, at being selected to study in the most prestigious school of the country. Or he, simply because she had been selected.
They had travelled together to the new school on that red steam engine. How much fun they had that day. He had told her all he knew about the school and the cool stuff they did there. She just sat there lapping up his every word, as if he was the cleverest person in the whole world. How he had looked forward to spending the next seven years, in the same class, with her. They would be best friends, they learn many wonderful things together, someday they would fall in love and get married….
But that stupid hat had spoiled everything. He was placed in a rival House. And if that was not enough, there was that horrible boy, always pushing his untidy black hair out of his eyes, and his obnoxious friends. How he hated them all. They behaved as if the school belonged to them. They broke every single rule. Even the one about not going near that darned whomping tree. And the teachers did nothing to stop them. He had a sneaky feeling that one or two of the teachers even encouraged them.
But he would not have minded any of it, if that red haired girl had not been so taken up with that horrible boy. Why, one day she couldn’t stand the sight of him. And the next day, they were going steady.
It was to win over her, that he joined the gang. It was not as if he liked his new friends much. But they were smart and powerful and rich. He thought, if the red haired girl saw what cool friends he had, maybe she would begin to spend more time with him. And maybe, just as he had hoped, she would fall in love with him. But that did not go as planned. She hated his friends. And gradually began to dislike him. One day, she stopped talking to him.
He still did not lose hope. He knew she would soon get bored of that horrible boy and his stupid pranks. And she would and come back to him. They would be friends again. He carried that hope in his heart like a little beacon.
Until this morning.
The Daily Prophet had carried a two- line announcement on the wedding of the only son of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter.
In a moment of madness, he thought that he would rush to her, fall at her feet and beg for his love. He would promise her everything she ever wanted. He would give up on those friends of his, whom she so disliked.
But even as he thought about it, he knew it would never work. Instead of being pleased, she would despise him for being so weak. He was lost. He was broken. He was devastated. The only girl he could ever love, hated him. There was no way out. His life was over.
***
Suddenly, he smiled. He knew the answer. Didn't he always say that the girl was similar to him in so many ways. This was just one of them.
Just as she could not control the way she felt about him, he too could not control the way he felt about her.
He would love her…. Always.
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