Where HAVE You Been?!

[Ruby Maeve Louw]

Over the last week, it became clear to Ruby that her best friend was actively avoiding her. Her letters to Rion over the break had become increasingly aggressive. Each holiday day had passed without Ruby getting a return letter, and she was becoming furious with her friend, but Ri was the only one that she wanted to tell about all her adventures and everywhere she had been. Ri was the only one that she had wanted to invite to the Quidditch game, but obviously Rion had better things to do. Ruby didn't spot her on the train, couldn't catch up with her after the Start of Year Feast, and every time she thought she had spotted her, Rion had disappeared.
Until today, where Ruby saw her out of the First Floor window heading towards the Greenhouses. The Second Year Gryffindor took off as fast as she could, sprinting across the lawn before spotting her blonde haired friend behind a Greenhouse. Ruby skidded to a halt in front of her supposed best friend, trying to shout and catch her breath at the same time. "I - FOUND - YOU! DON'T - RUN - AWAY!" She held up a hand as she doubled over in a bend, willing her lungs to start working again. "I'm faster - than you! I'll catch you - if you run!" Ruby breathed out, looking up at Rion.

 

[Rion Pendleton]

Rion had been ignoring Ruby. It was true. At first, she'd only meant to avoid her for a day or so - just long enough to gather the courage to face her. Then three days had passed, four, a whole week, and suddenly she had exceeded what she could plausibly justify as a coincidence, and facing Ruby was even more daunting than before. And so she had begun to hide. She'd found a good spot, sheltered on one side by the warm greenhouse and on the other by the castle wall. Nobody bothered her. Nobody even knew she was there. Unless they saw her sneak around the side, she was as good as invisible.

What she had failed to consider was that Ruby would be looking. The shock of seeing the Gryffindor nearly winded her, too, and she stood frozen on the grass. She couldn't have run if she'd wanted to; Ruby was blocking the only exit. Shock turned to guilt; guilt turned to anger; anger turned to desperation. "Oh, just leave me alone!" she shouted. "Go away! I don't want to talk to you!" She'd already lost her parents. She might as well lose her friends, too.

 

[Ruby Maeve Louw]

The giant gasp that emitted from Ruby's mouth made her choke on the lack of breath and she hacked for a couple of seconds, before she regained her composure and got her breath back. Taking a deep breath in, Ruby glared at Rion, putting her hands on her hips. "Oh hell no! You don't get to talk to me like that! What is wrong with you!?" Ruby demanded, still puffing.

 

[Rion Pendleton]

"Everything!" Rion cried. Weeks upon weeks of pent-up frustration had culminated in this moment. Keeping her anger contained had been like trying to stop a boulder from rolling down a mountain, and with the utterance of that single word, she let go. It felt good. And now she didn't care who the boulder flattened on its way down. "Everything is wrong. Can't you see? I don't care about your stupid letters. I don't care about your holiday. I don't care about you. Go away. Leave me alone!"

 

[Ruby Maeve Louw]

Ruby was startled by Rion's outburst and she wondered what on earth had happened to her friend for everything to be wrong. She could tell that something was very wrong with her friend, but the next few words that the girl spoke had Ruby on the defense. "Remember last year when you asked if you deserve me and my - my friendship?" Ruby started coldly, "You need to take that back right now, or you will lose that privilege."

 

[Rion Pendleton]

Rion couldn't take it back. She couldn't. If she said she was sorry, she'd start to cry, and if she started to cry she'd tell Ruby what had happened, and then she couldn't keep on pretending it was just a terrible nightmare. It was easier, less painful, for Ruby to hate her. For everyone to hate her. "Maybe I don't care," she said, unconvincingly. But then she remembered the contents of Ruby's letters, and a genuine anger rose up to assist her. "You didn't even ask me how my holiday was going, not once. Every single letter - 'Me, me, me. I did this, I did that. I went here. I'm amazing. Why aren't you replying, Rion?' You have no idea." No. She shook her head, backing away. But there was no escape. And all she had were words - harsh, bitter words she would never be able to take back. "Please go away. I don't want to hurt you."

Letter godmod approved

 

[Ruby Maeve Louw]

"That's the point of a letter, Rion," Ruby spat out, like the name was poison in her mouth. "You tell your friends what they're up to, and then they reply with what they are up to!" She scoffed when Rion told her to go away, because she didn't want to hurt her. Please. Ruby was bigger than her, she could take her on. "And no, I don't have any idea, that's why I came to find you!" Ruby nearly yelled, exasperated. "But do you know what? I don't even care any more. You're a bad friend, and an even more badder person!" Ruby stepped forward and shoved Rion hard, before turning on her heel, storming away, not wanting her ex-best friend to see the tears starting to appear in her eyes.