Of Thuds and Trees
Title: Of Thuds and Trees
Category: Flangst
Rating: PG
Written For: Drabble Challenge #7 over at minor_pairings. Requirements were that the colors pink, white, and red be used. Also to include a tree and a mirror.
Summary: Eloise Midgen has always hated Valentine's Day. But one person in particular refuses to let her sulk this year.
A/N: I figured that since I hadn't written anything for V-Day this year, I should. So I did. :)
“Is she all right?”
“Do you think we should get Professor Sprout?”
“Oh for Merlin’s sake, is she sulking again this year?”
Eloise heard the voices of her classmates through the hangings of her four poster. The third voice hit her particularly hard. Yes, she was sulking again. It was bloody Valentine’s Day, after all. Why shouldn’t she sulk? Everyone other girl in the school was going to receive one of those lovely little cards with pink hearts all over them. She knew she wasn’t going to get anything from anyone.
Especially from the one she wanted to get something from. Theodore Nott. She had fancied him for three whole years and he didn't even know. He was so kind and gentle, unlike anyone else she knew from his house. He didn’t hang around Draco Malfoy and his bullies, and he stuck up for her whenever those thugs picked on her. Theo (as she affectionately referred to him in her mind) had even taken her down to the kitchens once, when they’d run into each other in the hall after hours. But he didn’t like her in the same way she liked him.
Eloise turned over in her bed and buried her face in her pillow, the tears welling up in her eyes for what had to have been the hundredth time. Her cheeks were raw and red from all the crying she’d been doing since she’d woken up - which had been about six hours ago.
Eloise had decided that rather to leave the dormitory, she’d stay in today. She didn’t think she could handle the embarrassment, the pity filled stares, or even the undeniable kindness Theodore would bestow upon her, knowing that she didn’t have a boyfriend on Valentine's Day. Not today.
When the other girls finally left the dormitory, Eloise opened the hangings around her bed and reached for the mirror on her nightstand. Gloomily, she stared into it. Gods, she hated how she looked. Her face was thin and held the scars of old pimples that she’d popped too soon. Her nose was slightly crooked. She had a lazy eye. Her hair was the only good part about her - it was thick, golden brown hair, but now it was matted and tangled. No wonder Theo didn’t like her that way. She was a bloody monster.
Her eyes welled up with tears again. “Why can’t I be beautiful?” she cried. “Or at least pretty? Why do I have to look like this?” She looked into the mirror again before she threw it with all her might. It hit the wall and shattered. Eloise clamped her hands to her mouth, shocked that she done something so…violent.
Then she heard another loud noise. Something thudded against her window. Eloise gave a start. THUD. What the - ? Someone was throwing snowballs against her window. She gave a loud sniff as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Why couldn’t everyone just leave her alone? Why did they have to pick on her this day? THUD. THUD.
Eloise began to feel the anger bubble in the pit of her stomach. She looked over at the broken mirror on the floor and gave a small smile of satisfaction. It had felt so good to throw it, to be a little violent. Getting out of bed, she walked over to the window, ready to give whoever was throwing snowballs at her window a piece of her mind.
But as she threw open the window and opened her mouth to speak, she couldn’t. She was too stunned.
It was Theodore.
Her heart sank. Why, of all people, would he be the one to humiliate her like this? She thought he was her friend.
“ELOISE!” he called up to her.
She was too upset to respond.
“ELOISE!”
It was like he had slapped her in the face. She waited for the tears to well up again, but they didn’t.
“HEY, MIDGEN!”
She was so hurt she couldn’t even bloody cry.
“ELOISE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ANSWER ME!”
“You - ” she murmured. “You…j-j-just, just LEAVE ME ALONE!”
“WHAT’S WRONG?” Theodore yelled up to her.
You are. Eloise wanted to move, wanted to slam the window, but she couldn’t. She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t.
“ELOISE, I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING!” Seeing that she was not responding, Theodore dug into his robes and pulled out what looked like parchment and a quill. He wrote something on it and levitated it up to Eloise’s window.
Curiosity briefly overtook her numbness and she closed her hands around the parchment. Looking down, she read:
Come down. I want to show you something. I know you want to stay up there because it’s Valentine’s Day, but please, please come down so I can show you this.
Eloise took her eyes away from the parchment and down at Theodore. His cheeks were pink from the cold and his eyes were pleading. Eloise let out a groan. How could she have been so stupid to think that her Theo would ever make fun of her? He was only throwing snowballs at her window to get her attention. Oh, she felt so stupid.
“I’LL BE DOWN IN A MOMENT!” she yelled. He smiled happily as she closed the window.
Eloise scrambled to get ready to meet him. She shook her head at just about everything in her closet before she stumbled across a pair of simple black robes. You could never go wrong with a pair of simple black robes. Quickly, she brushed her hair, put on a bit of makeup, and made her way down the stairs.
When she reached the entrance hall, Theodore was waiting for her. Eloise couldn’t mask her puzzlement. “I’m just really excited about what I’m going to show you,” he explained. Eloise nodded and followed Theo through the white snow, which was a beautiful blanket to the ground. She tried not to look at the happy couples they passed by, hopelessly in love with each other, and instead trained her eyes on the back on Theodore’s head.
He stopped in front of a tree. Eloise stopped walking, too, and looked around. “What?” she said. “Didn’t you want to show me something?”
“Yes. I wanted to show you something I did in second year.”
Eloise waited for him to elaborate, but all he did was wave his arm at the tree. “You…planted a tree?” she guessed, in disbelief that he had pulled her away from her moping to show her a tree he’d planted three years ago.
Theodore chuckled. “Step closer, Eloise,” he told her. Eloise barely noticed that his voice had dropped to a remotely softer level. She stepped closer to the tree and looked closely at it, looking for whatever he meant her to find.
That’s when she clapped her hands over her mouth. In the bark the letters T/E shined up at her, like a big, bright, white light. Eloise opened her mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out. Her breath had caught in her throat. She was rendered speechless.
“That was three years ago, Eloise,” Theodore told her, stepping closer. “I’ve fancied you for three years. I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer.”
“I-I-I-I don’t know what to say,” Eloise managed to get out.
“Then just nod yes or no, yeah?”
She nodded.
“So you understood what I’m trying to say?” he asked her. “With the whole initials carved in the tree thing?”
She nodded again. This couldn’t be happening.
“Do you…er…fancy me?”
She nodded slowly. Oh, dear Merlin, this was happening!
“For as long as I’ve fancied you?” He swallowed hard.
Another slow nod. If she talked now, the moment would be ruined. Eloise made sure that her jaw was clamped shut.
Theodore stared directly into her eyes, breathing heavily. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours. It was bloody freezing, but Eloise slowly felt her body temperature begin to rise. She became painfully aware of the fact that he could take back everything he’d just asked her. That he’d come to his senses and realize what an ugly, unbelievably average person she was. Any second now he’d change his mind about liking her.
“Eloise,” he squeaked. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?”
She barely had time to nod before he’d leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips to hers. Before long, she responded in a manner that expressed her feelings far better than words ever could.
The two of them spent the entire afternoon together, and though Eloise didn’t receive one of those lovely little cards with pink hearts on them, she didn’t mind. She would receive one every year after that, and hers would be specially made. Instead of being in the shape of a heart, hers would be in the shape of a tree.
And she would come to realize that maybe, just maybe, she was pretty after all.
Category: Flangst
Rating: PG
Written For: Drabble Challenge #7 over at minor_pairings. Requirements were that the colors pink, white, and red be used. Also to include a tree and a mirror.
Summary: Eloise Midgen has always hated Valentine's Day. But one person in particular refuses to let her sulk this year.
A/N: I figured that since I hadn't written anything for V-Day this year, I should. So I did. :)
“Is she all right?”
“Do you think we should get Professor Sprout?”
“Oh for Merlin’s sake, is she sulking again this year?”
Eloise heard the voices of her classmates through the hangings of her four poster. The third voice hit her particularly hard. Yes, she was sulking again. It was bloody Valentine’s Day, after all. Why shouldn’t she sulk? Everyone other girl in the school was going to receive one of those lovely little cards with pink hearts all over them. She knew she wasn’t going to get anything from anyone.
Especially from the one she wanted to get something from. Theodore Nott. She had fancied him for three whole years and he didn't even know. He was so kind and gentle, unlike anyone else she knew from his house. He didn’t hang around Draco Malfoy and his bullies, and he stuck up for her whenever those thugs picked on her. Theo (as she affectionately referred to him in her mind) had even taken her down to the kitchens once, when they’d run into each other in the hall after hours. But he didn’t like her in the same way she liked him.
Eloise turned over in her bed and buried her face in her pillow, the tears welling up in her eyes for what had to have been the hundredth time. Her cheeks were raw and red from all the crying she’d been doing since she’d woken up - which had been about six hours ago.
Eloise had decided that rather to leave the dormitory, she’d stay in today. She didn’t think she could handle the embarrassment, the pity filled stares, or even the undeniable kindness Theodore would bestow upon her, knowing that she didn’t have a boyfriend on Valentine's Day. Not today.
When the other girls finally left the dormitory, Eloise opened the hangings around her bed and reached for the mirror on her nightstand. Gloomily, she stared into it. Gods, she hated how she looked. Her face was thin and held the scars of old pimples that she’d popped too soon. Her nose was slightly crooked. She had a lazy eye. Her hair was the only good part about her - it was thick, golden brown hair, but now it was matted and tangled. No wonder Theo didn’t like her that way. She was a bloody monster.
Her eyes welled up with tears again. “Why can’t I be beautiful?” she cried. “Or at least pretty? Why do I have to look like this?” She looked into the mirror again before she threw it with all her might. It hit the wall and shattered. Eloise clamped her hands to her mouth, shocked that she done something so…violent.
Then she heard another loud noise. Something thudded against her window. Eloise gave a start. THUD. What the - ? Someone was throwing snowballs against her window. She gave a loud sniff as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Why couldn’t everyone just leave her alone? Why did they have to pick on her this day? THUD. THUD.
Eloise began to feel the anger bubble in the pit of her stomach. She looked over at the broken mirror on the floor and gave a small smile of satisfaction. It had felt so good to throw it, to be a little violent. Getting out of bed, she walked over to the window, ready to give whoever was throwing snowballs at her window a piece of her mind.
But as she threw open the window and opened her mouth to speak, she couldn’t. She was too stunned.
It was Theodore.
Her heart sank. Why, of all people, would he be the one to humiliate her like this? She thought he was her friend.
“ELOISE!” he called up to her.
She was too upset to respond.
“ELOISE!”
It was like he had slapped her in the face. She waited for the tears to well up again, but they didn’t.
“HEY, MIDGEN!”
She was so hurt she couldn’t even bloody cry.
“ELOISE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ANSWER ME!”
“You - ” she murmured. “You…j-j-just, just LEAVE ME ALONE!”
“WHAT’S WRONG?” Theodore yelled up to her.
You are. Eloise wanted to move, wanted to slam the window, but she couldn’t. She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t.
“ELOISE, I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING!” Seeing that she was not responding, Theodore dug into his robes and pulled out what looked like parchment and a quill. He wrote something on it and levitated it up to Eloise’s window.
Curiosity briefly overtook her numbness and she closed her hands around the parchment. Looking down, she read:
Come down. I want to show you something. I know you want to stay up there because it’s Valentine’s Day, but please, please come down so I can show you this.
Eloise took her eyes away from the parchment and down at Theodore. His cheeks were pink from the cold and his eyes were pleading. Eloise let out a groan. How could she have been so stupid to think that her Theo would ever make fun of her? He was only throwing snowballs at her window to get her attention. Oh, she felt so stupid.
“I’LL BE DOWN IN A MOMENT!” she yelled. He smiled happily as she closed the window.
Eloise scrambled to get ready to meet him. She shook her head at just about everything in her closet before she stumbled across a pair of simple black robes. You could never go wrong with a pair of simple black robes. Quickly, she brushed her hair, put on a bit of makeup, and made her way down the stairs.
When she reached the entrance hall, Theodore was waiting for her. Eloise couldn’t mask her puzzlement. “I’m just really excited about what I’m going to show you,” he explained. Eloise nodded and followed Theo through the white snow, which was a beautiful blanket to the ground. She tried not to look at the happy couples they passed by, hopelessly in love with each other, and instead trained her eyes on the back on Theodore’s head.
He stopped in front of a tree. Eloise stopped walking, too, and looked around. “What?” she said. “Didn’t you want to show me something?”
“Yes. I wanted to show you something I did in second year.”
Eloise waited for him to elaborate, but all he did was wave his arm at the tree. “You…planted a tree?” she guessed, in disbelief that he had pulled her away from her moping to show her a tree he’d planted three years ago.
Theodore chuckled. “Step closer, Eloise,” he told her. Eloise barely noticed that his voice had dropped to a remotely softer level. She stepped closer to the tree and looked closely at it, looking for whatever he meant her to find.
That’s when she clapped her hands over her mouth. In the bark the letters T/E shined up at her, like a big, bright, white light. Eloise opened her mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out. Her breath had caught in her throat. She was rendered speechless.
“That was three years ago, Eloise,” Theodore told her, stepping closer. “I’ve fancied you for three years. I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer.”
“I-I-I-I don’t know what to say,” Eloise managed to get out.
“Then just nod yes or no, yeah?”
She nodded.
“So you understood what I’m trying to say?” he asked her. “With the whole initials carved in the tree thing?”
She nodded again. This couldn’t be happening.
“Do you…er…fancy me?”
She nodded slowly. Oh, dear Merlin, this was happening!
“For as long as I’ve fancied you?” He swallowed hard.
Another slow nod. If she talked now, the moment would be ruined. Eloise made sure that her jaw was clamped shut.
Theodore stared directly into her eyes, breathing heavily. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours. It was bloody freezing, but Eloise slowly felt her body temperature begin to rise. She became painfully aware of the fact that he could take back everything he’d just asked her. That he’d come to his senses and realize what an ugly, unbelievably average person she was. Any second now he’d change his mind about liking her.
“Eloise,” he squeaked. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?”
She barely had time to nod before he’d leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips to hers. Before long, she responded in a manner that expressed her feelings far better than words ever could.
The two of them spent the entire afternoon together, and though Eloise didn’t receive one of those lovely little cards with pink hearts on them, she didn’t mind. She would receive one every year after that, and hers would be specially made. Instead of being in the shape of a heart, hers would be in the shape of a tree.
And she would come to realize that maybe, just maybe, she was pretty after all.