𝑆𝐴𝑉𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐷𝑅𝐴𝐶𝑂 𝑀𝐴𝐿𝐹𝑂𝑌

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟒 - 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞

╭────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────╮

For optimal sad times: listen to 'i love you' by Billie Eilish, then read the chapter, then listen to it again.

⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼

𝐎

January 13th, 1997

Dear Margot,

I̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶.̶ ̶̶

I̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶t̶a̶l̶k̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶.̶ ̶W̶h̶y̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶u̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶

See you soon,
Ophelia

⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼

𝐃

Ophelia didn't look at me for weeks.

In the mornings, she purposefully walked into the Great Hall late. She scouted to see where I sat and headed to the spot farthest away from mine, sometimes choosing my row on the Slytherin table so that I couldn't look at her directly opposite me.

She arrived equally late to every class, losing points for Slytherin right and left. One day - fourth time in a row - she appeared in McGonagall's class half an hour after the class had started. She got detention.

She remained over an open notebook; the Van Gogh one. I never saw her write a thing. She poured coffee but didn't drink it. Whenever I saw her with the Gryffindors, she was smiling but not with the eyes - just with the lips.

I knew that kissing her was risky. But I never thought it would turn her into a mess.

⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼

𝐎

January 16th, 1997

Dear Margot,

A̶m̶ ̶I̶ ̶s̶u̶p̶p̶o̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶i̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶?̶ ̶S̶a̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶I̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶u̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶t̶a̶l̶k̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶.̶ ̶W̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶e̶x̶a̶c̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶I̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶s̶a̶y̶?̶

H̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶m̶e̶.̶ ̶H̶o̶w̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶?̶̶

H̶i̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶l̶e̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶.̶

How could I've been stupid enough not to notice?

See you soon,
Ophelia

⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼

𝐃

One day, during Potions, Professor Slughorn hesitated over Ophelia's Potion. He stuttered, mumbled and looked displeased. It looked hard for him to admit to a mistake; Ophelia was one of his exceptionally gifted students, invited to every Slug party. He couldn't have been so wrong about her.

"Well, miss Blackthorn. I really think you should get back on your feet."

I watched Potter approach her with concern afterwards. He could have said anything to her but the thought of Potter, the prince of Potions as Slughorn called him, helping my Ophelia with her homework made me sick in my stomach.