The Answer is a Riddle

Summer Willow Maiden

⚠️WARNING: some foul language and bullying. View discretion is advised. Could be triggering⚠️

I'm still looking over at Pansy's boyfriend and his cousin. Mattheo is really cute. He looks over at me and smiles, I blush.
"Wha cha lookin' at?"
"Mattheo Riddle."
"Why, he isn't available." I look at her confused
"I didn't ask if h-"
"We're heading home now. I'll take her from here Pansy." Said her boyfriend.
"Write to me Draco dear. Tell me how she is doing." So Draco is his name.
"I will."
"I could tell you how I'm doing." I say.
"Yeah but I told Draco to so I don't need your letters." Why is she being so mean to me? What did I do?
"Write to me Blaise." She said
"I will. Later Draco, get better Esmeralda." Blaise said.
"Thanks I will. Bye."
"I won't be on the train Draco so Riddle, keep an eye on her-" she looks at some girls and whispers "-she is a boyfriend stealer. Although she could steal you too Riddle." Those girls start talking to their friends and point at me. I have been downstairs for an hour and already there is a rumor about me. I look down and start to cry, then look at Pansy.
"Aren't we friends? Why would you say that? Why not say what is really on your mind?"
"Ok, you are a filthy Gypsy Siren that needs to keep her filthy whore mouth shut." I throw the tarot cards at her.
"Keep your stupid *blessed* cards. I may be a Gypsy but I'm not as filthy or as dark as your soul. I'll wait for you guys outside."
"I'll come with you. Talk to your *girlfriend* Malfoy." Mattheo says. He wheels me outside and I cry a little. As we head outside I hear her say something.
"See what I mean?"
"Why are you crying princess?"
"What did you call me?"
"Princess. Why?"
"It seems familiar." I look over at Draco and Pansy, she is rubbing her hands up and down his arm. I roll my eyes.
"I hate her."
"She seems to hate you too princess."
"I don't know what I did to make her hate me." Draco comes out and apologizes.
"Why do you even like her?"
"What do you mean?" I look at him confused.
"Umm you're the one dating her."
"What? No I'm not. Who said I was dating her?" I laugh.
"Figures. Do me a favor, leave me out of your letters please." He chuckles.
"Alright."

As we get on the I see girls pointing at me. I roll my eyes, I hope that doesn't follow me.
"Don't pay them no mind." Mattheo says soothingly.
"Whose boyfriend did you *steal*? If Pansy said you stole me I wasn't hers in the first place. So you didn't steal anyone." I sit next to the window and Mattheo sits next to me before Draco could, they glare at each other. I giggle.
"I'm gonna sleep ok? Wake me when we get there." They nod and I fall asleep. I hear. . . music? I don't know this song. Whose voice is that? I wake up quickly. My head is on Mattheos shoulder.
"Are you ok?"
"I heard someone calling out *princess come back* but I don't know what that means. Do you?"
"Sorry Esmeralda. I wasn't there." Mattheo says
"Wish we could help Lavinia." Said Draco
"Please call me Esme." I smile sweetly at them. They smile back.
"I see mother and father."

As summer goes by my strength returns, I can finally dance again. It's almost time to go back to school, I hope I can make friends since I lost one. I'm sitting at a window petting Pangur Bán.
"Will you sing Esme?"
"Yeah we're bored." I giggle at them. I would sing whenever the three of us got bored. Over the summer I have grown close to these boys but closer to Mattheo, I call him Teo for short now.
"Wanna hear a story?"
"Will you sing it?" Teo asks and I nod.
"Then of course." Said Draco.

(P.S. play the song)

I did some Gypsy magic that won't sent me to Azkaban.
"A young man walked through the forest, with his Quiver and hunting bow. He heard a young girl singing and followed the sound below. There he found the maiden who lives in the willow. He called to her as she listened from a ring of toadstools red *Come with me my maiden. Come from thy willow bed.* She looked at him serenely and only shook her head. *See me now, a ray of light in the moon dance. See me now, I cannot leave this place. Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest, don't ask me to follow where you lead.*

A young man walked through the forest, with a flower and coat of green. His love had hair like fire, her eyes an emerald sheen. She wrapped herself in beauty, so young and so serene. He stood there under the willow and gave her that yellow bloom. *Girl my heart you captured, oh I would be your groom.* She said she'd wed him never, not near, nor far, nor soon. *See me now, a ray of light in the moon dance. See me now, I cannot leave this place. Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest, don't ask me to follow where you lead.*
A young man walked throught the forest, with an axe sharp as a knife. *I'll take the green eyed fairy and she shall be my wife. With her I'll raise my children, with her I'll live my life.* The maiden wept when she heard him when he said he'd set her free. He took his axe and used it to bring down her ancient tree. *Now your willows fallen, now you belong to me!*
*See me now, a ray of light in the moon dance. See me now, I cannot leave this place. Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest, don't ask me to follow where you lead* She followed him out the forest and collapsed upon the earth. Her feet had walked but a distance from the green land of her birth. She faded into a flower that would bloom for one bright eve. He could not take from the forest what was never meant to leave." I finished the story and the boys looked sad.
"Poor fairy. Why didn't he just make a house in the forest? That's what I would do." Draco says
"To be honest, that's what I would do too." Teo agreed. We all laughed and I looked out the window with a sad look on my face.
"What's wrong Esme?" Teo asks.
"I'm starting to not like being a Gypsy. My people have always been important to me but being bullied because of it hurt. But nothing gonna change my world." Teo and Draco take both of my hands.
"Never be ashamed for who you are Esme." Teo says
"Because there is nothing wrong with you." Said Draco. That made me smile, maybe this year will be better as long as they are with me.