OLD DRAFT, ella-rose, a strong-willed gryffindor, had always known james. they had been best friends since they were born and it's only when seventh year rolls around that the true nature of their friendship comes to light and drama rocks their once...
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN. ( I MISS YOU.. )
Ella had been around her friends a lot more the past few days but she couldn't ever get into it. Despite how she laughed and walked around with Remus, it felt impossible to reach that happiness again. Ella hated it but as she sat in the common room, at times, she was almost glad. The happiness would just be another act and she knew that she couldn't pretend to just be okay anymore.
She had to be more honest with everyone and herself so when her friends asked if she wanted to go and sit in the dorm with them, Ella had declined. She had given her reasoning and they had respected it which Ella found refreshing. The whole situation was refreshing. She never usually was that open but he felt good to be that open.
So, now, she was sat in the common room. The book Mia had got her was in her lap and she was reading it slowly. Her mind still too distracted to concentrate. Especially with the Marauders across the room, they had spent most of the evening laughing and talking loudly. Something that made Ella's heart ache. Whenever she heard James' voice all she could think about is talking to him or responding to his comment with a funny quick.
But that wasn't possible. She couldn't join in anymore. She had to sit across the room and just read her book quietly. That's who she was now. The quiet Gryffindor, the prefect who was failing all her classes. The reminder of her exam grades made her pause in her reading. She took a deep breath, calming herself down before she let herself get worked up over the exams. It was unnecessary really. She could just work extra hard for the final NEWTs.
Ella closed her book again, keeping her fingers inside to keep her place as she looked up. Her gaze moved from the empty study tables to the boys again. Sirius seemed to have made a joke that they were laughing at but her eyes landed on James, she found something slightly unexpected. He was frowning, his face had dropped once he had finished laughing. He didn't seem to be as enthusiastic as she was used to seeing him. That made her want to talk to him, ask what was going on but she couldn't. Not anymore.
She watched him for a moment longer and then he caught her gaze and she quickly looked down. Scrambling to reopen her book and begin reading but she knew she had been caught. That made her stomach lurch and she was waiting for the comment, the movement. Something that made it seem like he had a negative reaction.
Instead, all she heard was Sirius going on about doing another prank. James shook his head and then Ella heard him say something she never expected from him. He denied the request and instead, told the boys that he was going to go back to the dorm. He claimed that he was tired and Ella found that hard to believe. James was rarely tired before midnight and it had barely passed eleven.
Ella had to look up and when she did so, she found James watching her. She sent him a tentative half-smile but got nothing in response. Her heart plummeting at the lack of a reaction. It shouldn't have bothered her as much as it did. He had been ignoring her for the past few weeks. She should have been prepared for that response yet it still hurt
