She's just a friend...Right? [EDMUND PEVENSIE]

chapter iii

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"but i wasn't imagining!"
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DEDITACTED TO heyeveryonehowudoin

Edmund sighed softly as he came out of his hiding spot annoyed Lucy caught him and his best friend.

Danielle was still thinking over Lucy's words.

What did Lucy mean by she was back?

Back from where?

Danielle's thoughts got interrupted by Peter walking over to them terribly confused. "You know, I'm not sure if you three know how to play hide and seek.. do you?" He raised an eyebrow at the three of them.

Just then, Susan appeared in the doorway and walked over to her siblings and friend, "Does this mean I win?" She said.

Peter frowned, "I don't think Lucy wants to play anymore.." He sighed.

Lucy then frowned more puzzled, "But I was gone for hours?" She said.

"Lucy, we just started to play hide and seek!" said Danielle.

"But I really was gone! I walked through the wardrobe and there was a wood and a lamppost! And then there was Mr. Tumnus, and I went and had tea with him!" Lucy exclaimed.

Danielle and Edmund exchanged a glance, just like Peter and Susan did.
"Through what wardrobe?" Danielle finally asked, furrowing her brows as she asked this question.

...

Lucy ran back to where she came from and Danielle followed her. Lucy opened a door and the only thing in the room was, in fact, a very old looking wooden wardrobe.

Danielle walked closer. "It's beautiful," she had said and looked at the carvings on the door.
Then she carefully opened the door before placing the fur coats to one side to make more room for herself to see.

For one moment she thought she had seen something white, but at the back of the wardrobe was just a wooden plank. As it was usual, for wardrobes in the back of the day.

"Listen, Lu," she begun. "I really do like the idea of a magical land inside of a wardrobe, but I just don't see it."

Susan also took a quick peak inside. "There's no forest inside," she insisted sighing softly at her little sister.

"But...Narnia is real!" Lucy exclaimed, panicking at the land she once was in had just disappeared. It couldn't have just vanished! She thought.

Narnia. That was a exotic, extraordinary, and beautiful name to name a place that possibly could be a frigment of Lucy's imagination.

"One game at a time Lu. We all don't have your imagination, calm yourself, alright?" Peter said, a look of concern flashed on his face as he stared at his youngest sibling.

"But I wasn't imagining it!", Lucy called, sounding so desperate that Danielle walked next to her and patted her shoulder a bit to comfort the young girl slightly. 

"Well, I believe you!", Edmund suddenly begun to say.

"Really?" Lucy asked confused and looked to her brother. Just a few months ago had he not make fun of her for her suggesting there could be a football field in one of the cupboards she hid with Danielle?

Danielle frowned, until she saw the glimmer of mischief in Edmund's eyes.

Oh no.

"Of course I do, Lu!"
Danielle tried to stop him, but Edmund only just continued on his mocking however,"Haven't I told you about the football field in the cupboard?" He sneered at his sister.

Lucy almost started to cry.
As Danielle watched her friend sneer at his sister in horror.

"Would you just stop?", Peter suddenly asked his brother in annoyance. Mainly, because Edmund always seemed to ruin their moods these days,
"You just make everything worse!"

"It was just a joke!" Edmund confided. It was anything but a joke, and Danielle could sense that in Edmund's tone.

"When are you ever going to grow up, Ed?" Peter scoffed. But that made matters worse when Edmund suddenly began to rile up against Peter, "Shut up! You think you're dad but you're not!" Edmund shouted into his brother's face and ran down the stairs in a sulky mood.

Danielle shook her head frowning as she ran after her best friend, ignoring Susan's last words to Peter as she too left the room.

But all Danielle's focus on was now trying to comfort her friend now.

She found her friend sitting outside his and Peter's shared bedroom door hugging his knees, with clenched fists at his side.

Danielle sighed softly at this and she carefully slipped beside him. Edmund looked up hearing  a movement beside him but he slumped a bit realising it was just Danielle. He turned away from her.

"What do you want?" His tone sounded rather.. hoarse? Like he had been crying? Danielle frowned as she felt bad for her friend.

She sighed softly, "I'm merely here to comfort you, Ed. I'm sure Peter hadn't meant to rile you up," she began. Edmund pushed her away sighing softly, "I know.. But it still hurts that he acts like Dad all the time and Dad's off at war! And and-" Edmund was interrupted by Danielle's arms around him gently.

Edmund paused. He wasn't accustomed to hugging yet at all but for her, he made exceptions and he sighed softly relaxing his muscles that seemed tense earlier. He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders back awkwardly.

Danielle then looked up at Edmund, "I know it seems rough now. Like everything's falling apart-" As she had said this, Edmund was about to turn away again but Danielle held onto him firmly slightly, "But things will get better, Ed. You may not know it but I do. And that is why I'm your best friend and it's going to stay like that. For as long as we live." She had said firmly looking at him sternly.

Edmund was shocked but nevertheless grinned a little at her and he hugged her a little firmer. "Thanks Dani, you're always here for me and I appreciate it." He said softly into her hair.

Danielle felt her cheeks fluster up a bit and she grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, It's- It's no problem, Ed." She patted his back.

But all she ever was to him was a friend.. She doubted he would see her anything more than just a friend...

Or did he?