Third Year: The Pranks Begin (A Fred Weasley Love Story and Harry Potter Story)

Chapter 4: Rumours and Curiosity

~The start of rumours can cause a mixture of feelings flowing into the victim's mind. Curiosity is like gambling, at times it helps and some it is nothing but trouble. Mixing the two together is like an unforgettable tragic memory. The reasons are unknown of why these things begin, we'll never know the true reason.~

After the first few weeks of school Eleanor began to come out of her shell slightly. But as the Christmas Break came closer she became more distant. Everyone noticed that something was really wrong. Walking down the hallways was Eleanor herself, exploring parts of Hogwarts that she hasn't seen yet. While walking through the crowds of wizards and witches, she got many stares and glances. The students would watch her walk by them and then whisper things to each other behind her back. Wondering what they were talking about, she listened carefully to conversations that she walked by. "She's so pretty." some would say which gave her a bit of a surprise, 'pretty? Really?', but what shocked her the most was that mostly everybody saying things like, "I heard she doesn't really have any 'friends'", "She is only talked to out of pity.", or "Even the Weasley twins don't like her." She felt appalled at the things being said.

She felt she would burst in tears at any moment, so she rushed to the Gryffindor Common Room, which to her relief was empty, and sat on a chair in the corner, held her legs to her chest, and cried into her knees. 'Those things aren't true. My friends are not with me out of pity.' She kept repeating in her head trying to stop the overflow of tears. After a few minutes she was all dried out of crying and got up from her chair and wiped her eyes. Taking her hands away from her face, she saw the familiar faces of the two red-headed twins ,who she thought were her friends. "Eleanor, were you crying?" "What's wrong?" The two of them asked walking closer to her as she kept her eyes to the floor avoiding eye contact. As Fred reached out to grab her shoulder, she smacked it away from her making Fred and George very surprised.

"Ele-" Fred began but was cut off by an angry glare from Eleanor looking straight into his eyes as if to say, 'I hate you', and walked away from the wide-eyed Weasley boys. Stumbling into her, Hermione's, and Hunter's room, she tripped and fell onto the wooden floor not bothering to get up again. Instead she just laid on her side and cried. Her cries got quieter as she ran out of tears. She slowly stood up, while wiping her, now red and slightly swollen, eyes. She stood in front of her dresser mirror just staring at the reflection of herself and thought. She thought about all the times she was made fun of by her family, people at her old school, people in her neighborhood, and just random complete strangers. Her fists clenched to point where her knuckles turned white. 'Hey, four eyes!', 'Ew what is that?', 'I feel bad for someone like because its obvious she has nothing to look forward to.', 'Can there be anyone uglier?', 'You waste of a life.', 'Complete and utter disappointment.', 'Someone better and prettier and smarter could've had your life but you got it instead!', 'Your nothing but just a piece of dirt.', 'Do us all a favor and kill yourself.', 'How can you be a pureblood!? Might as well be a mudblood if you ask me.' were things that have been said to her and were racing through her mind.

She had enough of all the comments, abuse, and lies. She gave one more hard look at the mirror and stared straight at her eyes. The eyes of her father, hazel and a glint of green, staring cold into her soul. The reason she was distancing herself from everyone was because she had a feeling in her gut that it was all a cruel lie. No one had been that kind to her without having some kind of twist behind it. After the many times of being alone, it felt nice to finally have a friend. But it was never true. As she slowly raised her fist, her thoughts and focus was interrupted by opening of their dorm door. Hermione stepped out from behind the door and walked in closing it behind her. "Fred and George said somethings was wrong and to check on you." She said putting her books down on her bed and turning around and facing Eleanor. "Oh my gosh, What's wrong Eleanor? Why have you been crying?" She said staring into the red eyes. "Like you really want to know. I heard what everyone is saying. I know the truth." Eleanor said glaring deeper into Hermione's terrified eyes.

"The truth? About what?" She says while trying her best not to look scared. "You, Hunter, Harry, Ron, Luna, George, Fred, and everyone else who's pretended to be my friend this entire time! I knew it was a trick. I can't believe you guys." She said sitting down on her bed and facing her back towards Hermione. "Eleanor, where did you hear that? None of that is true! Your out true friend." She said putting her hand on her back. "Don't touch me!" Eleanor said standing up. "I've dealt with this kind of stuff my entire life and I'm sick of it! I've bottled up all of my anger for 13 years and now its all let out! Tell everyone that I don't want their pity anymore!" She said and with that she left the room slamming the door behind her, tears brimming her eyes. Hermione was absolutely taken back at that side of her. She never knew about Eleanor's past or such. She stood there for a few minutes looking at the door waiting for Eleanor to burst through and apologize but that never happened. She walked out the door and into the common room where Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Luna, and Hunter were waiting for her to come down.

"What happened? She came down crying and rushed out and completely ignoring us." Hunter said standing up. "She doesn't want any of us to talk to her anymore or be her friend." Hermione explained and everyone stood up and yelled, "What!?" at the same time. "What do you mean she doesn't want to be our friend anymore?" Fred yelled. "Oi! Keep your voice down!" George said hitting him on the back of his head. "You want Mcgonagall to catch us! Or even worse, Percy." "Sorry, I'm just worried I guess. I mean why wouldn't she want to be friends with us anymore?" Fred asked curiosity in his voice. "I have no clue, but she did say she heard what everyone was saying and knowing the truth." Hermione said thinking very hard. "Could it be that we said something on accident?" Hunter suggested, but everyone shook their heads. "There's no way that's possible." Harry said and everyone sat their thinking. "Could it be that there's a rumour going around?" Luna said in her airy and light voice. "That's bloody brilliant!" Ron said and everyone looked at her in amazement because she said something that made sense for once.

"But who would start such a thing? I mean she hasn't gotten on anyone's bad side has she?" Everyone shook their heads. "Or it could be Malfoy, he's always causing trouble no matter what." Luna said again. "Bloody brilliant...Again!" Ron exclaimed. "Well, let's go talk to Malfoy and maybe get in a few hits here and there." George said cracking his knuckles then whimpered a little while cracking one. The lot of them went down the corridors searching for the awful git. They finally found Draco after walking by the potions class. "Ah, if it isn't the Weasley weasels, The Boy who shouldn't have lived, Loony Lovegood, and my favorite little Mudblood." He said leaning his back against a wall and folding his arms. "Watch your mouth you little first year." George said sneering at him. "We're beaters and much bigger than you. We'll snap you like a twig." Fred added. "Whatever. What is it you lot want from me anyways? Oh wait, is it about the rumour about the new third year, Eleanor?" He said with his signature smirk.

Everyone glared at him and tried to hold Fred and George back from hitting Malfoy. "Looks like I struck a nerve. Well just to let you know I did nothing. I mean who would do something to someone with a body like hers?" he smirked... again. This caused everyone to grab their wands and point them at Draco. "You lot wouldn't do anything. Especially if my father were to hear about it." Harry took another step towards him and Malfoy trembled. "Tell the truth Malfoy!" "Okay, okay! It was me! I hate the little weirdo. All she does is sit in a corner and keep quiet I mean how the bloody hell did she get into Gryffindor! She's pathetic if you ask me!" He said pushing his wand out of the way. Fred and George rammed into Draco making him hit the wall and falling onto the floor. "Stupid git!" He muttered as the lot took off to find Eleanor and tell her the news.

After hours of searching they finally found her in a hallway crying to herself. "Eleanor!" They all screamed making her snap her head in their direction. "We're really your friends believe us." "Yeah Malfoy just made up the stupid rumour." "We don't really hate you, you're one of our closest friends." They all spoke, but Eleanor shook her head. "I know. Some Hufflepuff told me." She said. "That's great then we're still friends?" Fred asked and she shook her head again. "I can't stand that rumour and it could end up being true." She started but Fred tried to speak but she continue'd. "I don't want to cause anymore drama for anyone so from now on just treat me like a normal peer and I'll just go back to the old quiet me, okay? Please." She said and began to walk away from the many wide eyed and mouthed wizards and witches. She felt like she was doing the right thing, but deep down in her she wanted to run back to them and hug them all while having a good laugh. Oh how much she would miss it...~