Hey guys-

Enjoy, once again.

Without further adieu, I present to you...

B R A V E

amelie zabini

I passed by crowds and sped down the corridor. If she was anywhere, it would have to be somewhere in these crowds. Somewhere with other Ravenclaws. Other than libraries, it would be by classrooms or entry ways to classrooms. Either way, she'd have to be here somewhere

Looking left, looking right, voices grew louder and my heart was beating faster. It was an overwhelming feeling. I have no idea what to expect. I mean, how am I going to approach her? Surely I'm the last person she wants to be talking to. Trust me, she's the last person I want to be talking to, too. I just-. I need answers.

After a couple minutes of walking down the hallway, I notice Eleanor's head peeping out of a handful of other teens; a mixture of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. She's talking with a cheeky smile that I desperately want to smother off her face. 

I walk towards her as I clench onto my book bag. Tapping onto her shoulder with abruptness, she takes a sharp turn as her expression changes within the matter of milliseconds. She's disgusted.

And the feeling is mutual.

"Can I help you, Zabini?" she sneered as she crossed her arms. Her eyebrows scrunched as she displayed attitude through not only her expression, but her tone as well.

"We need to talk," I said flatly. I projected intimidation, and from the looks of it, she kept getting tense as the clock ticked. "Privately."

Eleanor quickly contemplated. She frantically looked around with skepticism, but eventually gave in.

"Make it quick," she snapped as she pulled away from her group.

Eleanor led the both of us to a discreet corridor that wasn't as busy as the rest of the bustling hallways. She kept looking back at me as we walked out of nervousness. Eleanor turned crimson-red, too. No need to be nervous, Eleanor. All we're going to have is a little talk.

We stood under the caved-in entrance of a door as the both of us stood against opposites sides of the walls. I pinned myself against the wall and leaned my body for leverage. I looked into Eleanor's eyes while anxiousness grew in her chest. It was obvious. She kept gulping and gulping.

"So what-. What did you want to talk about," she stammered lowly.

I stood there for a while as I watched the anticipation grow. "Do you have any idea what I'd want to talk about?"

Eleanor gulped. "I don't-."

"What exactly did you do to Lola Berkshire?" I interrupted. "Did you do more than bully her?"

"Why do you care?" Eleanor bickered, "Your little boyfriend already handled me. I got what I received, there's no need for you to overanalyze-."

"There's more to the story," I snapped.

Her pupils dilated as she parted her lips. Her hand slithered at the nape of her neck as she looked down, nibbling on the bottom of her lip. "That's all."

"Bullshit," I snapped as I inched close. She backed up out of fright, though she had nowhere to run. Eleanor was already backed by a wall. "What happened. Did you do anything else?"

"I don't-. I don't know where you're going with this-."

"I'm positive that there's more to the bloody story, Eleanor," I cocked, "I mean, come on. You and I both know that Zeno would only put hands on anyone if they gave him a good reason to."

"I bullied his sister, that's all that happened-."

"What else did you do, Eleanor?" I pestered once more. Her cheeks soon warmed up as she blinked multiple times in attempt to keep herself ground. "There's got to be more. I know Zeno. I know him more than you think-."

"It doesn't-. It doesn't matter what I did. I was already-."

"So you DID do something else, Eleanor Farrell!" I raised my voice. "Go on. Tell me what it is that you did to make Zeno shove you to the ground like that. Go on."

"I-. I don't-."

"Don't what? Don't know what you did?" I jeered, "Just  spit it out-."

"I don't fucking want to, Amelie!" she raised her voice. Her face turned red as she clenched her fists, "It's none of your fucking business what I did, you nosy fucking bitch!"

She scrunched her face as she crept closer with both her fists on the sides of her body. 

"If it were so important, your little boyfriend would've already fucking told you!" Eleanor shouted, "Mind your FUCKING business. Stop dwelling in the FUCKING past! What the fuck do you want from me?"

"What the fuck do you want from US!" I reprimanded as I walked up closer, "I'm not fucking stupid, Eleanor. I see you glancing at all of us. And of all the boys you could've shagged, why was it my brother? Hmm? Even after doing whatever the fuck you did, why would you continue to stick around? You think you can be all tough and shit in attempt to conceal what you're up to?"

Eleanor fluttered her eyes nervously as she gulped. She backed up and unclenched her fists as her back soon pinned against the wall. I was close to her. Nearly breathing down onto her face.

"What exactly are you up to, Eleanor Farrell?" I said lowly. 

Her lips parted, though she was inaudible. Seems like I've dug into her skin. Took the words right out of her mouth. Even after that, I was left with nothing. If she wasn't going to budge, I'd just have to ask the man myself.

"I'm not up to an-anything-."

"You know what? Save it," I snarled, "We'll all find out eventually. Think twice before you even contemplate screwing us over. Watch your fucking back, Farrell. The lot of us aren't forgiving."

I backed away as she took a deep breath of relief. I scoffed as I slung my bag over my shoulder, adjusting it after it slipped off a couple notches down.

I knew I wasn't fucking crazy. I knew something was up. Fucking hell, I'm not a bloody idiot. What the fuck did she do to Zeno? From the looks of it, she seems very... guilty. Very guilty indeed. But she's up to something and I have to tell Zeno. 

I stomped away from the nook we stood in and huffed. My blood was boiling as I strut down the corridors. I felt like fucking Sherlock Holmes. 

So far, what I know is that Zeno and her had history. Not only did she and him had history, but so did she and Lola. Eleanor would bully Lola. But why? Why would Eleanor bully Lola? It would all lead back to Zeno once again. Eleanor must've done something insanely wrong for Zeno to despise the fuck out of her. Was it bad enough that he didn't want to tell me? What Lola knows is that Zeno only ever put her hands on Eleanor because she bullied Lola repetitively. Harshly. But I don't think Lola knows the real reason. There's more to the story, and it all starts with Zeno. 

How would I get him to tell me? What did she do to him? Why am I so invested?

No, I'm invested for a reason. It's my intuition telling me that she's up to something, and it's up to me on whether or not I prevent it from happening. I have to protect my friends and family. The mean ragged face tells more stories than she could ever tell. 

I entered the Slytherin Common Room and noticed Zeno and Oliver chatting with one another on the sofa by the Black Lake. 

Upon approaching, Zeno and Oliver both look up at me.

"Hey there," Zeno says softly as he pulls me into his lap with sudden movement. He kisses my cheek, then guided himself onto my lips in a wet lip-lock. "How was the library? Did you talk to Charlotte?"

I was too busy thinking of ways to approach him about this situation. His reaction was unpredictable, and I wasn't sure if I was willing to risk it for the answers. My thoughts were interrupted when Zeno wrapped both his arms around my waist as he pressed his head against my back.

"Isn't she a sweetheart?" Oliver geeked with a smile, "She smells like hibiscus and jojoba oil."

I shot a forced smile at Oliver. I like Charlotte, no doubt about it. I just can't really think about my encounter with Charlotte when my head is longing for answers.

"She's a sweetheart, yes," I responded lowly and frantically. I turned my head back and looked at Zeno with a serious face. "We need to talk about something. Can we talk somewhere?"

Zeno's smile withered as anxiousness crept across his alluring complexion. "Is there's something wrong? I mean-. Of course. Of course we can talk. Yeah."

I got up from his lap and flattened out my skirt and blouse as I glanced at Oliver.

"It'll just be quick," I told Oliver, "You'll have him back in no time."

Oliver sneered and rolled his eyes. "No, by all means. Take your time," Oliver raised both his hands up, "Little snoggies-."

"Oh shut up," Zeno groaned as he lightly shoved Oliver, "I'll be back."

Oliver softly chuckled as I walked out the commons and into a corridor, with Zeno following behind me.

I pressed myself against a wall as Zeno placed his hand against the wall besides me, leaning onto his arm for leverage. He deepened his eyes into mine as his attention diverted all onto me.

"Is everything alright?" Zeno asked softly. He tucked my hair behind my ear and kissed my forehead. 

I inattentively bit the bottom of my lip as my chest tightened out of anxiousness. I was completely unaware of what his reaction would be towards my question.

"Truth only, okay?"

"Of course,"

"Very well then," I respond. "I... need to know what happened between you and Eleanor."

Zeno gulped and looked to the left, then back at me. He cleared his throat and breathed a bit for composure. 

"She bullied my s-."

"Yes, she bullied Lola and you put your hands on her. You regret it, and I know that," I interrupted, "But a part of me just feels like there's more to the story. You wouldn't just hurt her that much over something like that."

Zeno scoffed lightly. "Are you kidding? She messed with my sister, I wouldn't let that slide-."

"And I'm assuming she hurt you, too. Am I wrong?"

Zeno's glance intensified. 

"Zeno, am I wrong?"

"No you're not-. You're not wrong," he sighed. Zeno pushed himself off the wall and frustratingly ran his fingers through his hair, "You're...right. There's-. There's more."

My anxiousness lessened. It was comforting and assuring to know that Zeno's bare minimum honesty prevailed. It was also comforting because I'm glad he's able to trust me. Able to be open. Willing.

"Go on..."

"Well," he hummed, "I was in year 5," Zeno took my hand, "Can we walk and talk?"

I nodded as he gently tugged at my hand. Together, we walked down the corridor as he spoke to me with honesty. His voice was monotoned and comforting. It brought ease and relief. He wasn't as hesitant as I expected him to be, which was great.

"Year 5, we dated a little bit. Not for long, thank Merlin," he mumbled, "I don't necessarily consider what her and I had as a relationship. We were both 15 years old, and we knew nothing about love. Love in that way, I mean."

His thumb rubbed my hand as we continued our stroll. The crackling fire in its sconces up on the stone walls, separated evenly and pristine. Our feet pattering on the ground, and the chatter that came and went from other people around us. 

"She was also my first," he said awkwardly, "So she got attached. It wasn't just any sort of attachment. It was like, a leech. A parasite. She was someone I couldn't get rid of. I couldn't bring myself up to get rid of her. I don't like hurting women's feelings. Eleanor was the last person I ever wanted to hurt among all the girls in our grade. At the time, she actually had a bloody heart. She just didn't-. She didn't know how to use it."

We soon found a seat by a tall glass window. We sat next to each other onto the pane. I brought my legs up to my chest as he lifted his legs and laid them flat across.

"Over time, she got clingy. At first, it was cute. Adorable, even. But it got unnerving when she'd refrain me from seeing other girls that were quite frankly just my acquaintances. Farrell would go crazy. She was so bloody embarrassing. She'd yell at me in front of my friends-."

"Did any of your family members know about this relationship?"

"I wouldn't consider it a relationship, but my mum definitely had an idea that I was fooling around with someone. She couldn't look me in the eyes that winter break. It was her weird intuition. 'Hippy-fuck' things. It's what my Uncle Draco likes to call it. But, no. Scar had no clue. Lola probably had suspicion, but highly unlikely. Oliver had no clue. Narsa didn't care about any of us. She was in her own little world exploring her horizons, which was good for her. Your brother had no clue. And clearly you didn't either," he chuckled, "Well, until now, of course."

"So things were bearable until...?"

"I told her I was done. I tried breaking it off. She went insane. She would show up at my dorm unexpected. Naked on my bloody bed-"

I cringed. The thought angered me, but I was clearly asking for it.

"-wearing nothing but my fucking Quidditch uniforms. It pissed me off. Badly. I never raised my voice at a girl the way I did at Farrell, but she kept fucking pushing it. It's like she has no idea-. No concept of barriers. Personal space. She had no idea," Zeno sighed, "When I started completely ignoring her, she'd talk to me through my friends. And when that didn't work, she started going after my little sister. That was the cherry on top. Everyone knows this, you don't-. You don't fuck with my family. Not my little sister, no."

He clenched his jaw as he looked out the stained-glass windows.

"It wasn't just the bullying that she did to my little sister. You're right, there was more. She put me through embarrassment. Harassed me. Nearly manipulated her way into my fucking head. If we're being honest, darling, she'd-. She'd want to constantly have-. Have intercourse. Even if I wasn't interested, it would always be on her demand. I couldn't say no because then she'd throw a fit and I hated when she threw her fucking fits," Zeno's lip quivered as I immediately made my way towards him. I pulled him into a hug and kissed his head like there was no tomorrow. I knew that lip quiver from anywhere.

"You want to see me climb this tree?" 11 year-old Zeno jeered. "I bet you 5 pounds and 1 galleon that I could climb this tree."

"10 pounds and 2 galleons that he'll fall," Oliver snickered, "Make that 15 pounds."

"And where are you getting 15 pounds from?" Scarlett blurted as she crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows and tapping her foot onto the grass.

"Mum's purse, of course," Oliver smirked.

I rolled my eyes as I touched the tree's sharp trunk and branches. It seemed painful to climb, but Zeno could bare anything.

"You could get hurt, Zeno," I mumbled lowly, "What happens if you fall?"

"Oh, please," he blabbered, "Me? I'm made of steel!"

Zeno flexed his thin arms as Oliver mocked him. Zeno furrowed his brow and playfully shoved Oliver to the ground. 

Oliver stuck his middle finger towards Zeno as Lola gasped.

"Who taught you that!" Lola raised her yipped voice, "Mum says that's bad!"

"My father sticks up that finger when we're driving in his muggle car," Oliver beckoned, "He says it's a warm present to the mean people."

"It's the F-word but in a finger form," I said shyly. "My mum would've scolded me if she found out I did the finger-."

"Alright, alright. Enough about the lot of you," Zeno groaned, "Are you guys going to watch me climb this tree or not?"

I looked over at Lola and Scarlett as we all nodded our heads slowly in disappointment.

"Go on," Zenith pressured, "Climb it. Show us you're the man, then."

Zeno smirked. With that, he took his hands and started grasping onto large branches. He lifted all his weight up onto the next branch where he placed his leg onto the larger branch.

Turns out he's heavy.

The branch snapped as he plummeted to the ground - butt first. His palms pressed aggressively onto the ground. Dirt kneaded into his palms and he broke skin by his shins.

Immediately, he looked at me. And his lip quivered.

My body moved automatically. I jolted towards him with Lola following. I pulled him into an embrace as he used me for leverage to assist himself by getting up from the ground. I looked up at him as a single tear rolled down his cheek. He moved his hand to wipe his tears in attempt to prevent others from seeing him cry, but I wiped it for him.

"I swear I could climb it-." Zeno winced as Lola and I helped him back into the house.

"Yes, yes, Zeno," I mumbled, "Let's just get you cleaned up."

A tear rolled down his cheek as I wiped it with my thumb.

"From that point on, I was just-. I'm constantly wired to want to please and please and please girls. I'm such a fucking whore-."

"Stop that," I retorted lowly, "I don't want you calling yourself that, Zeno. You will never hear me call you that again, either." I kissed his cheek, then his forehead. I looked into his glistening eyes as they were filled with sorrow.

"I despise her, Amelie," he mumbled harshly through seethed shudders, "She's-. A monster."

Zeno grabbed onto me as he buried his head into my chest. A couple more tears fell down his porcelain cheeks.

"I felt less of a man every time she'd want to have sex without my consent," he sniffled, "I feel weak for not saying no. For not putting my fucking foot down-."

"Don't beat yourself up, my love," I whispered, "Don't. You're safe here, Zeno. You're here. In my arms. Okay?"

"I'm sorry, Mel. I should've told you sooner-. I should've-."

"It's okay. Please don't apologize," I insisted, "I love you. Thank you for your honesty. You're brave, do you know that?"

He pulled away from my chest and looked into my eyes. Zeno sniffled.

"Am I really?"

I softly chuckled as I kissed the space between his eyes. "The bravest person I know, my love. You stand up for those who love. That's a man. You're a man, darling."

He smiled through his blood-rushed cheeks and watery eyes.

"Say it, Zeno," I assured, "Say you're the man."

Zeno's mouth lifted at the corners a bit wider as he blushed. "No, that's embarrassing..."

"Well," I said, "You're a man to me. A brave man at that. My brave man."

Zeno lifted my chin and kissed my lips. It took me by surprise.

"I'm your brave man," he smiled.

****

EEEEEEEEP LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Winter break is coming soon!!!! TEA WILL BE PIPING HOT BY THEN.

D I S C U S S I O N