That 'guy' on my mind

[Meera Gupta]

During the early hours of the morning, everyone in the girls dormitory of Beauxbatons was asleep except for one girl and that was Meera Gupta. She had twisted and turned on her bed all night but had found no sleep. She had just returned yesterday afternoon from Bulgaria. She had been one of the few students from her school who had been sent to witness the dueling final between a Bulgarian and French wizard. Bulgarians had got the sweet taste of victory. Meera remembered too well the events that had taken place right after the tournament. She turned once again as the memory of her last day of her three day trip came flooding back to her. Hot tears formed in her eyes as she cursed herself for the way she had acted. She blamed herself for not stopping herself from the beginning and allowing her friendship with a boy named, Lake Silver grow. Meera had even got the idea that he was a werewolf but it had not mattered to her. She enjoyed his company, in the foreign land with a guy who was unlike any she knew back here in France. She had ended up kissing him as she said goodbye. She felt like dying now. Meera pursed her lips together making all efforts that a sob did not escape them. She did not want to wake her roommates Alice and Charlotte.

Meera wiped away the tears that escaped her eyes and silently got out of her bed. She could not stand in this room any longer for if she did she would start sobbing and wake the others. She hurried towards the direction of her trunk and got a hold of her broomstick, the Sapphire Streak and silently mounted it. Meera flew through the window of her dormitory and out into the night sky. The moon had just disappeared behind the forests and the sky was gaining color as the sun was about to appear from behind the mountains. She ignored the freezing cold air that hit her skin. It was winter in France and it had been snowing for days but the weather was the last thing Meera was worried about.Her pyjamas were going to offer no help and she would probably catch a bad cold or get pneumonia but Meera could not think about this. She flew through the sky and reached the Qudditch pitch. She did not feel like landing. She continued flying in laps around the speed at break neck speed, her grip on her broom very firm despite the numbness of her hands. Meera could not believe what she had gotten herself into. If her parents knew she would be so humiliated. Meera could not believe that she had forgotten for the moment that she was one day going to be Queen and rule a kingdom and she had brought this onto her entire family. She remembered how many reporters had been catching pictures of their departure what if her lip locking was photographed? Meera knew how much her religion and customs meant to her and her family and that she would be marrying someone that her parents approved for her and not in the way of the western world. She feared to even dare to think on what Lake would think about her, whether he would have liked it or just thought of her as a child with uncontrolled emotions. She had just run away from the scene and into the carriage that would bring her back home. Despite knowing how wrong all this was, a small part of Meera still hoped Lake did not think too badly of her.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice was fast asleep in her dormitory. The weeks had gone by well and she had just found out some exciting news to tell Meera and Charlotte. However her roommate had come back pretty late from Bulgaria and so Alice had left the news on hold. The evening had passed quickly, Alice had had some work to do and so had finished that before settling down with a book. Charlotte had been out being busy with her social life, and Alice had cherished an evening to herself. However, having had some big news to share, she had wanted her friends back. Sleep had taken her before her friends had returned and because it had been an earlyish night, Alice woke up fairly early. Leaning across to see her clock, she groaned at the sight of 5am. Rolling over, she stared at the faint shapes forming on the ceiling through the crack in the curtains. She wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. It was a curse in her eyes as anytime she was awake, she was awake until she needed to sleep again in the evening. No matter how tired she would be. Rolling into a sitting position, Alice looked around the room. It was a beautiful dormitory for the three of them, and her two roommates had really put a lot of effort into making it so amazing. Alice's family didn't have the sort of money at the current time to equip her room with the nicest things, but thankfully Meera and Charlotte didn't seem to have an end to their funds. They spoiled their roommate and made her feel like a princess. This was lovely, and Alice felt gutted at the thought that in a year, this would be nearly over. Her parents and her weren't getting along any better and so she was concerned that when she left, she wouldn't be provided with many funds. They weren't a poor family, but she wasn't in their best books. But that was another issue, and it was too early to think about that. Alice looked across at her roommates to discover that Meera wasn't there. Frowning, she looked across at Charlotte and decided to leave her sleeping. Pulling on a jumper and some jeans, Alice crept down the cool marble stairs. She had a lot to think about and thought that going outside might do her some good. Walking through the huge double doors, Alice sighed. It was a cool night outside, and there was a pleasant breeze. Pulling her coat further around her jumper, she smiled and began to walk. Beauxbatons had large grounds and she figured that she could walk around for a while before needing to return to her dormitory for the start of the day. She had a few lessons to go to, but they shouldn't be too bad. She would be finishing off her current work and then by the next semester be moving to the 6th year. It would be OWL year and although that would be a lot of work, her and Professor Faraday had decided it was for the best.

Walking the grounds, Alice found her attention drawn to someone flying around the quidditch pitch. Redirecting her planned route around the gardens, Alice began to wonder who else would be up. She knew that Meera was awake, and if she squinted into the distance, she could make the figure to fit Meera's. However she wanted to wait until she got over there to make that sort of judgement. Reaching the quidditch pitch, she walked up into the stands and waited, settling down with her book and watching the light grow and grow from the sun. It was definitely Meera, and so hoping that she would see her, Alice cupped her mouth and shouted. "Hey Meera! Over here!" Smiling at her friend, she waited for her to join her.

 

[Meera Gupta]

As few more minutes passed by nothing seemed to change in Meera's head. The sky became more brighter and a few early birds started chirping in the trees. Meera had a very bad headache but the thoughts in her head kept on playing in repeat and it seemed like they would never stop. As some sun rays hit her she began realize that she was shivering and her teeth were clattering. This realization did not help the young princess in her situation because it brought back the memory of the trip where Lake had offered her his jacket when she had felt cold and that had been because of only a light breeze. She had felt so comforted by the warm jacket and it had made her like him even more. At this point Meera was not sure if why she was sad. It was one of the three things; missing Lake, risking the exposure of her family secret or her parents finding out about it or the mixture of all three. Feeling her head was about to explode she took a random dive on her broomstick flying straight for the stands. She had been a very good distance above the ground, even more higher than the tallest tower of the school and the pull of gravity now began acting on her as she flew diagonally. She did not know what made her fly so recklessly. She just wanted to prove a point. Her chocolate brown, almond shaped eyes now focused towards the stands as if her life circled around it. Meera got closer and closer to the stands and did not stop. Just as she was about to crash into them she twisted the handle of her broom and turned her broomstick to a sharp right and barely missed the crash. This was how Meera wanted her life to be. She wanted to be in control of everything around her. At the moment that did not seem to be happening as her emotions were everywhere and in no way under her control and she hated herself for that.

Meera was not looking ahead now because she knew she was safe as she flew parallel but maintaining the same high speed as before. She had clearly not heard Alice before when her roommate had called out to her. Now as she flew ahead, Meera realized that something was blocking the sunlight from her face, an opaque body. This one she knew was out of place because Meera knew every inch of the Qudditch pitch and there was nothing in this part of the stands that was permanent. This one, Meera was going to crash into. As Meera realized it was Alice, her eyes went wide and just as the broom was going to touch her friend and injure her Meera quickly directed it away and above Alice. Meera hoped that only a few hairs of the tail would have lightly brushed Alice. A few seconds later, Meera flew back, carefully this time and got off her broom and rushed to see if Alice was okay. "What are you doing up so early?"Meera demanded, her tone almost rude and very unlike her Princess self She looked at Alice's face studying it carefully and making sure she was not hurt. "I could have hurt you" she added her tone becoming softer. Meera realized that her face was still streaked with tears and she was sure her eyes were big, puffy and red from all the crying. She quickly wiped away the tears and took a seat on the bench. She immediately shot up like a spring because the bench was freezing. She noticed Alice was dressed in warm clothes so she could bear the bench unlike Meera. Taking out her wand, Meera did a simple spell and warmed the bench to make it bearable to sit on. "Its freezing out here. You'll get sick" Meera said and she realized that she must be sounding mad to Alice right now. She had been driven to craziness as she had been flying in freezing temperatures in the pajamas and now she was demanding Alice to explain why she was outside in the cold.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice watched her roommate fly around recklessly, disappointed that she hadn't heard her the first time. Standing up, she tried to attract her attention, seeing that Meera was wearing such thin pyjamas and concerned that she would be making herself ill. Suddenly, her roommate was zooming at her, unaware it seemed that Alice was there. Screaming loudly, Alice ducked and covered her head. Bristles brushed against her face and she found that Meera was circling back. Stroking her face, she found that there were a few small cuts. Pulling out her wand angrily, she muttered the spell to re-heal the skin and waited for Meera to arrive. Just before she began to shout at her and ask her what she was doing, Alice found herself being scolded. Finding this highly unfair, the stubborn Beauxbaton crossed her arms defensively. "I have to ask the same question! Why are you up so early? And what the hell are you doing trying to kill me with a broomstick?! And why on earth aren't you wearing anything more sensible. You'll catch your death out here." She shivered, her tone angry. However this quickly dissolved when she saw that her roommate's eyes were puffy and her cheeks tear-stained. Pulling off her outer coat, Alice handed it over to Meera. "Put this on before you get ill. I'm fine. I lived the majority of my life in England, where it is colder than this." Her tone was softer now, but strict when it came to Meera looking after herself. Wrapping her arms around her, she tucked her legs up. "What on earth is going on, Miss Gupta? Why are you out here, flying around recklessly trying to kill people at 5am? And why have you been crying?" Her questions were repeats but her tone was completely different. A soft, caring and gentle tone was emerging, and she opened her arms to give her roommate a hug if she needed one. "It's freezing out here, you need to get inside. How about a nice hot drink? They normally start serving them by 5:30am which will be fine by the time we get inside." Her concern for her friend was hopefully evident, and Alice began to really wonder and panic at what madness drove her to be out here at this time. "What's up?" She repeated, hoping, no praying that her friend would be honest with her.

 

[Meera Gupta]

As Meera studied Alice's face she sighed with relief to see that her friend had not been hurt by her crazy flying. Irritated and confused, Meera waited for the answers to come from Alice but instead all she got were questions. Alice was right. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you" she said sadly. That was the only mistake Meera had done so far but she could still not understand what Alice was doing in the Qudditch pitch so early and it seemed like she was not going to get any answers soon. This did not help the mood that Meera was in right now. It was a mixture of sad, angry and irritated and that was not something that one would want to witness. "Getting warm clothes seemed to slip out of my mind" she explained after a few seconds of silence. She accepted the coat that Alice offered her. Meera knew if she did not take the coat her health would be in danger and she was sure there was a rule somewhere that said the Princess was not allowed to knowingly put her health or herself in danger and Meera had recently done both. After buttoning up the coat she sat back on the bench and pulled her legs closer to her and hugged them. She just wanted to hide her face in them and continue to cry.

If the roles had been reversed and Alice would have been sad and suicidal, Meera would have of course not let her friend stay alone and would have wanted to know what was going on. Meera did want to tell Alice, she just did not know where to start, what to say and how much of what she would say would make sense. It was not like Meera could tell Alice about her Princess complex. It was because of that very reason that kissing a boy in public and having it photographed seemed a big reason of concern. Sometimes the secret made life so hard for the Princess that she wished that she would just have been a normal girl. "I can't go inside looking like this" she said a faint smile appearing on her lips for a second before vanishing. Somehow between all this she still knew that she had a reputation around the school and being seen in tears did not fit that image well. There were already so many rumors going on about Meera in the school especially after yesterday. Some of the students who had been on the trip had seen her kiss yesterday and Meera was sure that by breakfast it would be the hot fresh news of the school's gossip. Meera was glad that she had not dated anyone in all these years so most of the people would not believe the story but the talk would still irritate her and she rather have it done behind her back then to her face at breakfast.

Meera looked up once again at Alice and she could make out the questions that she was being asked. Meera hugged her friend and started sobbing once again. Meera knew she was being silly and this was so not how a Princess was suppose to behave. She was suppose to be braver. Pulling back from her hug she wiped away her tears. "You'll soon be hearing things about me" Meera said in a small voice as she met the eyes of her best friend. "I'm afraid they will be true"she added. Meera knew none of this was going to make sense to Alice right now. Meera had no idea on how she was going to explain Alice the whole story so she figured she could hear it in school. Only Alice would know for sure that the rumors, this time would be real.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice nodded as Meera began to calm down. Rubbing her back as she cried into Alice's shoulder, she found her thoughts completely out of her mind as she tried to comfort her friend. Seeing the dilemma that Meera couldn't go into the school as she was, Alice hoped she was ok to stay outside. The sun was coming up and the air was warming up a bit. Alice smiled, encouraging Meera to continue sharing. However, the girl game to a stop and began to talk about rumors. Holding her hand up, Alice tried to stop her from speaking. "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Ok. Wait. So there is something that is going on, and you want me, your friend and roommate to find out through a rumor? That is ridiculous. Rumors are never accurate and are always changed. But, you want me to find this out through a rumor, and believe whatever I am told. The fault with that is that I might find something out that is incorrect, but I will believe it and then we will have the wrong perceptions about each other. I won't think badly of you, whatever this is. Just please, please, please tell me straight off. I would rather hear from you than from anyone else." She paused, looking into Meera's eyes, her own wide and earnest, desperate to help relieve her friend from this evident suffering she was going through. The deeper she looked, the more she began to see. The doubt, the hurt, the concern, the confusion. A thought came to her, and she titled her head to the side, trying to work out if it was wise to mention it. "This might be wrong, but has it got something to do with a boy?" She asked, beginning to piece together the early morning flying, the rash panicking and attempts to clear her head obviously. Alice sat back, wondering what she could say or do if this was the case. She had always seen that Meera had struggled with friends who were boys, because of how badly she was treated by some of the boys in the school. Alice on the other hand, found that boys were easier to get along with than a lot of girls, and welcomed as many friendships as she could. Maybe she had found her area in which she could help Meera.

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera waited for Alice to reply. Her eyes faced the ground and she tried to look anywhere but into her friend's face. Meera knew it was not Alice's fault and she deserved the truth and a part of Meera knew that Alice would not judge her for her actions because she was her true friend. When Alice started speaking, Meera was forced to look up and meet her friend's eyes. Alice was right again. Rumors would change so much and Alice might here something that was more twisted than what had actually happened. Meera thought about where to begin. She decided to tell Alice all the events and leave out the details about her royal status. It would not make much sense but that was all she could give Alice at the moment. Meera looked up at the skies as she prayed silently in her head. She wanted it to be clear so she could explain her friend. She needed the Gods to give her the strength to be brave and strong and face the school from now on. The sun had come out and it was getting warmer. That seemed like a bright sign and Meera was about to start talking when Alice asked her a question. She looked at her friend's face a little surprised that Alice had guessed it so fast. Meera was not particularly associated with boys in any way and Alice making this connection so fast made Meera wondered if she had heard anything yesterday night.

"Yes" Meera said in a small voice. When Meera had departed for Bulgaria about four days ago all that she had pictured was herself dressed in Indian clothes representing the school and being the one who turned heads for Beauxbatons. She had never thought that four days later she would be sitting in the Qudditch pitch crying over a boy. "It all started at the dueling finale" Meera said telling Alice the story like how it had happened. "This boy, seventh year named Adiran had been flirting with me on the carriage. His girlfriend out of jealously began talking to this Bulgarian boy named Lake" Meera explained and found herself stopping as mentioning Lake made her sad. "Lake had no interest in chatting with the girl. This offended her so she sent two boys after him after the duel. He had his back turned and I happened to be there so I stopped the spell the boys aimed at him" Meera continued as the events of the night played in her mind again. "They then turned to attack me with birds. I didn't know how to stop that spell. He saved me" Meera remembered how the Beauxbatons headmaster thought that Meera had been involved in starting the fight and had it not been for Lake she would have some serious trouble at school, more trouble than rumors. "He explained the Principal that it was not my fault and I was allowed to leave" Meera told Alice. Maybe this part of the story was not very important but Meera knew that telling Alice about it would buy her some time and also make her more confident.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice nodded, listening encouragingly. She could imagine the situation in her head, and was proud of her friend for sticking up for this boy that she didn't know. Alice hadn't been able to 'sort' her friend into one of the houses of Hogwarts - a habit she had gotten into when she met someone new - but suddenly it came to her. This girl was a Gryffindor, a brave, calm, yet courageous character who stuck up for her friends and cared so much. Smiling inwardly at her revelation, Alice continued to listen and began to think about her response. She had been taught to 'listen with an intent to understand, not with an intent to reply' but in this situation, that catch-phrase was incorrect. Pushing aside thoughts of her parents and how they had taught it to her, Alice continued nodding, encouraging Meera to continue. "Oh Meera! Who were these people. I will show them what they got themselves into by attacking my friend." Alice clenched her fist, pulling out her wand and mentally listing all the good spells that she could use to completely baffle them. She had done more reading up on spells than most people in the school and was confident that she would have a step-up in a duel against them. Anger was rising but Alice suddenly remembered that it wasn't about her getting revenge, it was about Meera explaining what was wrong. Turning her attention to Meera, she smiled encouragingly. "Well that can't be all. I think I know you well enough to assume that you wouldn't be up at such an unearthly hour, flying around a quidditch pitch like you have a death wish, just because some guys sent some spells at you." She laughed softly, trying to be encouraging, and hoping that her tone and manner came across that way. Smiling, she nodded. "So carry on."

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera was almost side tracked, her sorrow and anger forgotten for a second as Alice began to rise up as she said she would show the boys who had sent the birds at Meera. She half smiled as she watched her friend sit down again. She was glad that she had a friend like Alice who she now knew would stand by her no matter what. Meera wished she could tell Alice the secret of her family but doing that without her parents permission would be totally wrong. Her parents had worked very hard and for a good reason to keep their identities hidden and if anything went wrong especially because of Meera she knew how low her parents would feel. "They have been asked to stay home for a month and their parents were informed" Meera said giving Alice the extra information. All of a sudden she felt the need to calm Alice down and let her know that her, Meera's life was in no immediate threat. Once that was over the sadness came up once again taking her with her as Alice told her there had to be more to the story and she should continue.

Meera remembered how Lake had spoken about werewolves and how she had told him that she did not need to know if he was one of them. She had also promised him, without him asking her that she would not tell anyone about her suspicion and despite all the crazy behavior on her part she was going to keep that promise. "I was thanking Lake when I saw a vile of potion that slipped from his coat. I recognized it as wolfsbane and it made me curious" she explained to Alice. Meera had felt so live and in need of solving the mystery of the boy that she had accepted his offer to meet him. "He gave me an address and said if I wanted to know more I should go there" Meera continued telling her story. Meera had fought a great battle that day as she had weighed the pros and cons to meeting Lake that night. "I know I shouldn't have gone. It was crazy of me allowing my curiosity to get the best of me" she added feeling guilty that she had allowed herself to see Lake in private.She watched Alice's face and quickly stopped her friend from any bad thoughts that might come into her head. "Don't worry he didn't do anything to me" she added with a smile because the idea of Lake having feelings for her and doing anything physically about them seemed like a dream to Meera.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice listened attentively, taking in the story that Meera was telling. Her face took on a relieved look when Meera assured her that the issue was taken care of, although she still felt angry and ready to protect her friend. She smiled, encouragingly as Meera continued. But her face soon turned to shock and confusion as Meera briefly explained the next few events. Upon hearing that this Lake person may be a werewolf, Alice began to quickly work out the moon shifts, to check that this evening that they were alone for wasn't near full moon. Glad that her friend had been in safe hands and that Lake hadn't been in risk of transforming, Alice averted her attention back to her crying friend. Rubbing her shoulder in a friendly way, Alice listened. "You and your curiosity!" She laughed, trying to bring some light into this event that was evidently haunting the young Beauxbatons. Alice began to panic as she realised that the two of them had been alone, and she realised that her face was reflecting her panic. Rearranging her features as Meera reassured her that all had been fine, Alice waited until she had finished before replying. Meera seemed to be missing out vital details from the story, and Alice was slightly confused in a few areas, but she decided to leave these questions out for a moment. There was time for them later. "So what happened then. You're leaving me hanging here!" A soft friendly laugh followed the comment and she smiled, trying to encourage Meera to continue. She was confused as to what the issue was. Even if Meera had spent ages with this boy, and even if she was falling in love, that couldn't be a bad thing. Alice was aware that Meera wasn't the best with making guy friends, but even for Meera this was extraordinary. If she liked him, then surely there was no problem. A teenage girl was allowed her own flirting and guy friends, that was expected, and that was normal. The problem still remained a mystery for Alice. Hoping that Meera would clear the fog, she waited patiently.

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera sighed and a small smile formed on her lips as she felt Alice's hand on her shoulder. Meera had never imagined sharing something like this with Alice. Honestly it was always academic stuff even with the closest friends but this was very different and new for Meera. She had of course talked boys before but the said boys were either always endlessly flirting with her or where dating one of her friends. She had never talked about a boy whom she had developed a crush on. "Okay...I'm sorry" she said apologizing quickly to her friend for leaving her hanging. "So I went to his place. He lived there but also used it for his part time job where he sold various potions that he brewed on his own for helping people especially werewolves since many of them did not know how to make wolfsbane correctly" Meera continued speaking as she unfolded further layers of the story to Alice. "He was very nice and I had not eaten anything so he offered me some veggie food at that late hour" she explained and she found herself having hot tears in her eyes again. She wiped them quickly and stopped her voice from becoming shaky. "He was about eighteen and had just graduated from Durmstrang. As the duel was over we had two days to ourselves. Of course the school had plans of showing us around and by day I toured with them and he was in the group too and by night he showed me other places of the town. It was so beautiful. It was located at the foot of a mountain and everything was green with vegetation" Meera said explaining how the next two days had gone by. It had been a blur. She had wished that time would stop for them. Meera had the best time of her life and could remember every single detail from the trip. "And then it was the day when we had to leave" Meera continued the small smile that had formed on her lips disappearing totally this time. "All the French witches and wizards together with the Bulgarian hosts were gathered and the carriages were taking off one after another. I don't know what made me do it" Meera said as fresh tears leaked out of her eyes. The aching in her head started again, now at the very peak. Meera knew she had to finish her story so she spoke again but this time between sobs "I kissed ...kissed Lake". She could not look up at Alice anymore so she hid her face in her hands and attempted at stopping her tears but they did not stop this time. "Then before he could say anything or..do anything I ran away into the carriage" she added calming her voice but the silent tears still continued.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice listened attentively, occasionally adding the necessary remarks to keep the other girl know that she was listening. The story was playing over in Alice's mind, again and again. She was analysing the situation quickly, trying to discover the issue and any possible solutions that she could come up with. Listening carefully, she took in every detail. It sounded dreamy, the whole situation, and Alice was delighted that her friend had had an adventure whilst away. It was lovely to see her on a normal level, instead of just the hardworking student that most people saw the majority of the time. Alice had been beginning a theory that Meera was keeping a huge secret from them all, but the ex-Ravenclaw now let her thoughts rest by deciding that Meera was just a closed person. Smiling to herself that the problem that challenged her for so long was solved, Alice turned the extra brain attention to solving Meera's current problem. Hugging the sobbing girl, she waited, trying to find the right words to say in the situation, and the wisest point to make. "Let me just clarify, the issue is that you really like this guy, but aren't sure where it could be going, or how it could work, or how he feels?" Hoping that she had understood the situation correctly, Alice sat back. She hadn't ever had many issues with guys, as she had always just strived for friendships. At 14, this had become a lot harder admittedly, especially since everyone she knew was going through puberty, and becoming so much more uncomfortable around each other. It had been a challenging time for their friendship as a group, but once they had all gotten through it, Alice was so delighted that they had grown in their friendship. Alice, upon recalling her memories of friends, began to wonder how much each of them had changed since she had seen them. She hadn't heard from any of them since coming to Beauxbatons, and that raw nerve didn't need to be resurfaced now. Alice smiled, recalling her thoughts to Meera as she waited for a reply, grateful that her thought process hadn't taken longer than 5 seconds, and hopefully Meera hadn't noticed.

Sorry, this is awful

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera did not stop from pulling her into another her because she needed it and she knew that. She had finished her story and now was the part which she feared that Alice would not understand and there was no proper way of explaining her the entire complex situation. Meera rested her head of her best friend's shoulder and took a minute allowing her breathing to come back to normal and calm down. She was prepared for Alice to ask her what the problem was but she was not sure what she was going to reply. As she heard Alice phrase her question Meera did not lift her head from her friend's shoulder but simply stayed there. "There were so many people there. All the media and photographers were snapping away pictures of everyone...maybe even ours" Meera spoke her voice calm and normal. Her throat felt dry and tired due to all the crying but other than that Meera had reached her balance point again. She did not have a solution to her problems yet but she knew that crying was not going to take her anywhere and besides it was very unlike her princess self. "In Indian cultures, we usually get into arranged marriage and if we ever go out on dates its with the person we are engaged who has been chosen for us by our parents" she slowly explained for the first time the culture of the place where her family was originated from. "Even if the boy happens to be an Indian there are a thousand factors like what caste his he from, the status of his family and what not. There is no way my parents are going to be happy if they find out about this" she concluded hoping her explanation would make Alice understand what situation she was facing. Meera could only hope that she had not been photographed. She knew the word of mouth was very strong and as her parents were among the rich families one wizard one day was bound to meet her family and would recognize her and recall the event. Between all these important problems, the problem that Alice presented seemed to have escaped her mind. "Oh and yeah...all the things you said too" she added with a weak smile. If maybe her parents would have been okay and she had not risked her secret family background being revealed she would still have felt pretty stupid for running away."He must have thought I was a crazy child" she said with a dry sad laugh.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice nodded, the situation becoming clearer in her head as Meera explained more. Maybe that would always be the way, maybe she couldn't pre-guess things. Realising that she was out of her comfort zone suddenly, what with Meera being from a different culture, Alice began to scan her brain for any advice that she could give. The media was a different issue, but Alice was still slightly confused as to how the Media would make such a big thing of it that her parents would find out, but maybe that would become clearer as Meera explained. Sitting there, she opened her arms as Meera needed another hug, embracing her best friend and trying to help. The Indian culture seemed to be a problem in Alice's solution, but there was some fact that she was missing. Maybe Meera wasn't feeling ok about sharing it, and that was fine, but Alice hoped that she could be honest with her. She laughed slightly at Meera's end comment and nodded. "Well, you are a crazy child! Coming out so early in the morning in thin pyjamas! Crazy child!" She laughed, and smiled in what she hoped was perceived as an encouraging manner. "Would you like me to say something, or just listen?" The question wasn't normally one she asked, but Alice was in new ground - what with a different culture being thrown in - and wanted clarification as to how she should proceed. "I guess it's a pretty big issue then. What with the possibility of your parents finding out. Say they did find out, what would happen?" Feeling insensitive for asking it, Alice mumbled a little more, trying to soften the question, but needing to know the answer before she suggested some different options. She wouldn't say that she was an expert with boys - she hadn't dated in years, but she was good at being friends with them, and she hoped that she could impart some of that knowledge to her struggling friend. The news that she had had to share seemed insignificant at the moment, but Alice hoped that at some point in the chat she would be able to bring it up. A heart-to-heart was what they needed, and Alice wanted to share her exciting news and cheer her friend up. However, the main thing currently was to care for her and be there for her. That was crucial. Waiting for her friend to ask for advice or just hug, Alice sat patiently, her mind whizzing through different analysises that she could come up with.

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera felt pretty stupid as she sat with Alice in the Qudditch pitch. She knew that it was only because Alice actually cared about her that she was listening to all her problems and offering possible solutions. Anyone else, like the rest of the school wouldn't give a sh!t. Her smile grew as Alice called her a crazy child and she laughed feeling a little lighter. Meera knew her problem sounded complicated even to her who knew about her princess complex. Meera knew that the information she had given Alice was pretty little to work with. She was just glad Alice was not throwing thousand questions at her. Maybe everything will be fine and they won't find out she thought trying to be positive. When asked by her friend if Meera wanted her to say something or just listen, Meera replied "I don't know". That was true. She did not know.

Meera looked at the sun that was now shining down on them. It must be six thirty or seven in the morning and soon it would be time for classes which she could not afford to miss. Meera knew that no matter what happened in her life her education was of the highest priority and she had to focus on that. It would help her forget other things. She considered the options in her head as Alice asked what would happen if her parents found out. "They trust me so much" she explained to Alice. Meera was not sure if her parents would do anything about it. They would just be very disappointed in her and trust which was the most important thing in their family, they would stop trusting her. "Maybe they will start looking for a suitor for me" she finally said the thought that was scaring her the most. She knew that her parents were very well educated and modern than most people in India but if they thought that Meera was going on the wrong path they would start looking for a Prince for him. She knew that the suitor would definitely be from a rich and royal family and it would be when she turned eighteen but there were chances that her parents would announce her wedding when she turned eighteen. That would be the same day she was officially crowned as Princess. "Just pray for me. Pray that no one tells them. Even if they don't get me married and maybe ask my opinion, which I think they will because they love me they will stop trusting me" she said sadly. She wished her mentor, Arjun was here. He would know how to handle everything. He always did because he understood her princess complex as well as Indian culture but she was at school and she couldn't see him. Writing to him about the problem would never work so she would not try that. "All boys were supposed to be trash. I don't know what happened" she said to Alice feeling angry again. "You know I never talk to boys. Maybe only to reject them but that's it. I hate them"

 

[Alice Hills]

Meera said she didn't know if she wanted Alice's help or not, so Alice decided to take that as she didn't not want it. The issue was obviously that Meera didn't want to lose her parents trust. This was something that Alice didn't fully understand. She had never known if her parents had trusted her or not, but it didn't matter in the scheme of things. She didn't get along with them and that was that. They had such little say in her life, that whether they trusted her or not was irrelevant. But Meera wasn't in her situation and Alice needed to get that in her head before she opened her mouth and spoke. Her words needed to come out with care and friendship and understanding for Meera's situation. Twirling her wand around her fingers, the Beauxbaton girl looked out at the quidditch pitch, marvelling at its size. It was incredible, like a ship. But a ship was at its best when it was in water, and a quidditch pitch needed players to reach its full potential. A ship needed work on it though, work done on the land, before it was ready to be in its glory. And a quidditch pitch needed its players to practise, and work alone before it could become the magnificent location of the game. The more Alice pondered on these thoughts, the greater the similarity she found to the younger girl sitting next to her. Meera was a magnificent witch, a clever, bright, beautiful, friendly and caring person who excelled at whatever she put her mind to. However, even she needed caring to and the finer details needed work to make her the magnificent person that she had the potential to be. Meera had come to Alice for that help on a certain area of detail, and as Alice sat there she decided to be that person who would help, be the worker on the ship, and be able to take pride in helping shape this great woman. Turning back to face her friend, Alice smiled at the comments that were being made about boys being trash. She had appreciated Meera's point of view on this topic since they had first met, but Alice saw the opportunity was for her to now change it and help develop that opinion. "Ok. I have a plan. A better thought. It's going to be hard, and you are going to need to work well on it, but I think it will work and help get your parents off your back." She smiled and raised her eyebrows at Meera, waiting for the girl to acknowledge and accept the offer. "Right. So the first thing that comes to mind is that we need to get you more comfortable and relaxed around boys. Yes, most of them can be trash, but I have gotten to know some guys here that are lovely, caring and very sweet. I'm sure they will help us. My plan? To get you so used to being around guys, that when, I mean if your parents find out about you and Lake, you will just be able to pass it off as getting to know more and more guys and fitting in with the culture around you. They can't expect perfection from you, and if they do, then their standards are too high. They will definitely love you no matter what happens, and as for trust, that will come. My plan is to get you comfortable around guys, and used to their company so that a) if another guy like Lake comes along, you will know how to handle it, and b) your parents think that what you did is just normal. How does that sound?" She paused, wanting to carry on, but unsure if her friend was following what she was saying. The plan would only work if Meera was fully on board, and there was no point in her continuing if she wasn't. Taking a deep breath, she waited to judge her friend's reaction before continuing.


OOC: I have no idea where all of that came from. This is super hard, because when it comes to relationship advice - I fail

 

[Meera Gupta]

After all the crying Meera's head was hurting and at the moment she could only think about getting some pain killer and getting to class. The only sensible solution that Meera could think of at the moment for her problem was help from her mentor and guardian Arjun. Maybe the school would allow her to meet him once. After all he was an alumini and had been a star student at one time and she was a good student now so maybe the administration would consider her request. She could explain him and he would be mad but he would handle it. Yes, that seems right, Meera thought and tried to stop thinking about her problem for now. One look at Alice told her that the girl was planning something. The one thing that made Meera calm in all this was her best friend and she knew whatever Alice would come up with would be best for her.

Meera then turned to face her best friend and listened carefully to what she had to say. A thousand things went through Meera's mind again as Alice explained her idea. It was not impossible but it was going to be hard. The young princess did not have a single male friend and maybe Alice was right she needed to get comfortable around them so she would not react the way she had with Lake. Meera nodded as Alice asked her opinion. "Yes. My parents will just have to accept that living my life in France since I was born makes me different to normal people from India. I have tried to do all things right so far and they need to accept this difference in me" she said finally and as the words left her she felt better. Meera smiled up and met her friends' eyes. This smile was not a sad one, it reached her eyes as she realized that if Alice's idea worked and it had to then things might just work out. She had her holidays to get used to the fact that she would be friends with boys starting next term but she was not going to back out. "I will be friends with the boys you say are not trash-umm... I mean nice" she added with a small laugh. It would take some getting used to the new concept but she knew Alice would stand by her.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice laughed at her friends use of the word 'trash'. Boys didn't seem to be] trash in her opinion, they acted like trash. Some boys treated themselves and their bodies like they didn't care at all in life, and others treated girls and their bodies like they didn't matter at all in life. Few male teenagers seemed to have found the right combination of being a gentleman. And that was just for being friends with. Even fewer boys had the looks to pull of the possibility of being a date for a girl, and acting like a gentleman. So, Alice could see where Meera's opinion of boys came from - she had obviously met the wrong mix of them. This had surprised Alice when they had first met, due to Meera's complete knowledge of life in most other aspects. However, when it came to boys, it appeared that Meera had had a too-sheltered life and it was going to grow into something unhealthy. Alice was pleased for the opportunity to get to talk to her friend like this, and be open with her. It was nice, and friendly, and pleasant. But the conversation came to an end, and Alice looked out over at the rising sun. It was beautiful, and the air was beginning to warm up slightly. Alice's thoughts sprung back to the forefront of her mind, but suppressing them, she refocused her mind's attention onto what Meera needed to discuss. "I'm not sure what else to suggest, other than trying to work on friendships with boys first. That is always a starting point, and once we have covered that ground, we can re-evaluate!" She smiled, giving her friend another comforting hug. "Is there anything else you want to discuss?" She asked, her tone full of empathy as she waited for any other problems that were clouding her friend's mind to the point where she was driven to wildly flying around a quidditch pitch in her skimpy pyjamas early in the morning. Alice sensed that there was something larger, but she didn't want to touch a nerve or seem interfering.

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera was glad that Alice had somehow woken up early and spotted her. She felt better after sharing her sorrow and she knew that if she followed the plan Alice had set for her then things would work out. "Thanks, Alice" she said hugging her friend. Alice had been sent in her life as a guardian angle. Just when her former best friend left Alice had shown up. Meera nodded, a smile on her face as Alice said they would re-evaluate the situation after Meera was better with boys. Meera shook her head as Alice asked her if there was anything else she wanted to discuss. Meera wished she could just tell Alice that she was a Princess but that would have to wait. She hoped that she would be able to convince her parents over the holidays. Maybe then she would tell Alice. "No, that's all"she said as she stood up. Even if they rushed breakfast and shower they were going to be late for class. There was a first for everything and right now Meera did not feel like being the perfect prefect. "We have Potions" she said reminding Alice their common class. "Did you finish the homework Professor Lucas set?"she asked as she leaded her friends down the stands and towards the school.

 

[Alice Hills]

Alice smiled, the mask of her face seeming content with the answer her friend gave, but her brain still whirring around to find a solution to the riddle that was unsolved as of yet. They began to walk back to the school, and Alice smiled, pulling her jumper around her tighter and wondering how self-concious Meera would feel when they got inside the school and all she was wearing was her pyjamas and Alice's coat. Before she could make a suggestion, the topic of school and homework came up and Alice felt that it was the right time to tell Meera. Judging the remaining distance between them and the school, Alice slowed her pace so she could get the whole story in and make her suggestion to Meera before they reached a public area. "Well actually, there is something I need to tell you." A smile lit up on her face uncontrollably, and she hoped that this would keep her friend from panicking or worrying. "Before we broke up last term, Professor Lucas pulled me aside and told me that I would be moving back into the 6th year this term. So, I'm a 6th year now! I will be taking my OWLs at the end of this year, which is scary but relieving! He said that I had caught up well and the professors were of the mind that I would cope fine." She paused, taking a breath and then continuing before Meera could say anything. She wanted her to know everything before she could express herself. "And what with the fact that I would have already taken my OWLs last year at Hogwarts, they think I can manage. It's scary because the OWLs are huge, and there is a lot of work to be done, but it's pretty exciting!" She came to an end, beaming at her friend, but suddenly wondering how Meera would feel about this. They sat together in Potions and always discussed their other lessons together. But suddenly, Alice would be ahead and in a different year. It was scary, but Alice hoped that Meera would see the best in it for her!

 

[Meera Gupta]

Meera walked enjoying the warmth from the sun. She slowed down to match Alice's pace. She thought about the students swarming the ground floor as they took their breakfast. No matter what the situation, Meera always tried to keep herself looking her best. She ran her fingers through her black curly hair and tied them back in a bun. She allowed a few loose strands of hair to hang on the sides of her face. Alice's coat was not as glamorous as Meera's would have been but it was quite okay. Meera hoped that the rumors would spread over breakfast and no one would stare at her just yet. If they did they were bound to notice her eyes red and puffy. She slowed down even more as Alice began speaking. Meera instantly got curious and excited as she saw a big smile on her best friend's face. They had been so busy discussing her that Meera had not even asked Alice how she was. Meera listened to Alice and a big smile formed on her face too. "That's great news!" she said beaming at her friend. Alice being a Ravenclaw, Meera was sure that she would do great in her OWLs and it would be some hard work but Meera was going to help Alice in every way she could. "You deserve this. I am so happy for you" she said hugging her friend and congratulating her. Meera continued smiling at her face as her mind slowly progressed the reality of the situation. Alice would no longer be in her class. She would be in sixth year, in Charlotte's class she thought hoping that this did not show on her face. She was truly happy for Alice. "I'll miss you in classes but maybe that will give a chance to some brave boy to be partners with me" she said with a grin hoping Alice would be proud of her for working on her new task from this very moment.