I entered the library at a slow pace, my gaze fixed on the floor. At my chest, I was holding History of Magic, the book bag pounding my thigh, every step causing a once small bruise to resurface as something bigger. I passed Madama Pince’s desk and I heard her mumble something incomprehensible; I was so downcast that I didn’t even have the strength to roll my eyes.
I passed by some bookshelves that had collected dust, and several books flew from their shelves, into the air, as if they had their own soul. A couple of students greeted me with a brief gesture. I found the person I was looking for sitting at a long table between two high shelves.
He was passing a hand through his ginger hair when I sat down next to him. He looked exhausted, sighing from time to time. In front of him, he had a piece of parchment full of notes and books of different subjects open.
“How long have you not slept?” I asked him in a low voice, placing my things on the table.
Bill Weasley shook his head. “N.E.W.T.s are approaching, and I need to stay focused on my studies. Besides, I fear I’ve forgotten what going to sleep means”
Without saying anything back, I nodded. I knew exactly how Bill felt: my O.W.L.s were getting closer as well. At times it seemed that my brain was melted, for those hours I remained glued to books to study. Occasionally, I would stay up almost all night to review History of Magic or Transfigurations.
One time, Rowan woke up after having a bad dream. Her first intention was to sneak into my bed, wake me up and tell me about the nightmare, but I wasn’t even in the dorm. She had found me only by going down into the Common Room.
“Astrid, you should be in bed!” she had called me, shaking her head.
“I wanted to reread Ancient Runes’ notes,” had been my answer.
Next to me, Bill grabbed one of his books and started turning the pages. When he found what he was looking for, he stopped and began to read in a low voice. A lock of ginger hair fell on his face and he, blowing, moved it.
I tried to get myself to study too, I didn’t come to the library for conversation after all.
I opened History of Magic to the page where the last topic Binnis had explained began, and in my mind, I could even hear the monotonous voice of the ghost.
For almost ten minutes I managed to stay focused on the text, then a side note caught my attention. Three words had been written obliquely, one below the other and in block letters; the ‘O’s were a snitch.
“I love you”
I bit my lip and passed the index finger on the writing, knowing very well who the calligraphy belonged to. Sighing, I turned to Bill: perhaps he could tell me why my best friend, as well as a boy for whom I had a huge crush on, did nothing but avoid me for weeks.
“Bill,” I called him. “Do you know why Charlie is avoiding me?”
My voice was a whisper, little more than a breath. I was not sure that Bill had heard me, but he lowered the book he was reading and turned to me. His skin was pale, his eyes lit by a sad light that didn’t suit him at all. For a second I felt myself sinking as if Bill knew something I didn’t know as if he were about to tell me that Charlie had changed his mind about me and started to hate me.
“Oh, dear Merlin! What have I done?” I asked him, already feeling my anxiety rising.
Bill took my hands in his and shook his head. “Astrid, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that I don’t know how to answer you: Charlie is avoiding me too”
“What? But you’re his brother!” I replied, frowning. “Why is he doing this to you? And more importantly, how long is this going on?”
Bill shrugged. “A few weeks? I don’t know, Astrid. I noticed that, whenever I wanted to have a chat with him, he find an excuse to leave”
I looked down and shook my head, most of the hair fell in front of my face acting as a tent. I bit my lip so as not to cry, because without Charlie I felt incomplete, even empty.
I remembered that morning when I waited for him just outside the Great Hall, we both had Potions and, as usual, we would go to class together. He came out of the Great Hall with Andre discussing a bit of the quidditch match and a bit of dragonology.
Andre had noticed me instantly and, with a dazzling smile, had approached to greet me with a hug. I was almost hugging him when, suddenly, Charlie had grabbed him by the uniform and had dragged him away, leaving me there, alone.
I had chased them, I asked Charlie what was wrong with him and why he had not even looked at me.
“Leave me alone Astrid” he simply said.
Since that day, I had tried in every way to make me forgive anything I had done to make him so angry. I stopped him in the corridors to talk to him, but he moved me away and continued on his way; I threw him notes during the lessons, but he threw them away without even reading them. One afternoon I went to see his quidditch practice and, at the end of it, I had waited outside the locker room.
“Charlie said it’s gonna take a while. He asked me to tell you to not wait for him” one of his teammates had said.
Someone moved the chair in front of mine. Bill let go of my hands and I, trying not to think about how bad it was to stay away from Charlie, I raised my head and saw Penny. Her blond hair was gathered in a high braid, her lips bent in what was the hint of a smile.
“I did some research,” she began, shifting her gaze first on me and then on Bill.
“Research? Why? Was there any research to do?!” panic seized my voice, my mind was already planning an excuse to be able to deliver the paper late.
In the distance, Madam Pince said, “SHHH!”
Penny chuckled. “Calm down Astrid, it doesn’t concern any of the Hogwarts subjects"
Relieved, I relaxed against the back of the chair and gave her time to continue. Now I was really curious to know what she was referring to.
“Apparently, someone put a gossip around on you two,” Penny said, pointing to Bill and me with a finger. “It is rumoured that you’re together and that you” and she pointed to me. “will spend the summer at the Weasley’s”
Bill frowned and I followed him.
“It is also said that after Astrid has graduated, you two will get married”
Bill and I exchanged a look and immediately burst out laughing. It was ridiculous for people to think that Bill and I were a couple, and even that we should get married right after I graduated.
“I was just coming here to tell you everything when Andre stopped me,” Penny added.
I immediately stopped laughing. “Did he tell you why Charlie avoids us?”
Penny nodded. “The rumours have convinced Charlie that you two are dating”