IT WAS SAFE FOR ANYONE to say, based on observation that Ophelia did not hate Theodore anymore, nor was she repulsed or annoyed at all by his presence. In fact, the two might even be considered friends, judging by the way they spoke to each other without any competitive behavior or tearing at each other's throats. 

They never really spent much time together, now that they were back at Hogwarts, seeing as she was in Gryffindor and the year below, and he was a Slytherin and  her brother's best friend. Their schedules did not intertwine unless Ophelia was hanging out with her brother.

Everyone at Hogwarts had noticed that the Malfoy siblings were no longer fighting, and as usual, they all assumed that Ophelia was the one to change her views and become obsessed with blood purity like her brother.

Especially since rumors spread that she was no longer seen with Colin Creevey by the members of the Hogwarts Gossip Club members, and people began to speculate that perhaps Ophelia Malfoy was just another typical Malfoy who refused to associate with a mudblood.

On the contrary, that was not what had happened. Ophelia had just decided to keep her rekindled friendship with Colin under the radar for his safety, and for her own safety, though the two would spend hours together in the library, just like they used to before they had a falling out last year.

They would study and hang out together in the secret corner of the library that Ophelia had discovered in her first year, away from the rest of the nosy, prying eyes of the rest of the Hogwarts students.

On her first day back, Ophelia and Colin met up in the library to catch up and fill each other in about their Christmas breaks, and Ophelia had put the maroon scarf she had finally finished knitting, in her bag.

When she saw Colin for the first time since the Christmas holidays began, Ophelia's lips automatically shifted into a small smile, her cheeks pinking at the way he sent her a very dazzling smile in return.

She suddenly felt awkward. What should she greet him with? Just words? A handshake? A hug?

But Colin seemed to have answered her question as Ophelia felt his warm arms completely envelope her into his chest, causing her to blush and bury her nose into the furry collar of his jacket, which in turn, filled her nostrils with that sandalwood scent of his, along with the faint trace of camera film.

"I got you a Christmas present," Colin did not even wait for Ophelia to respond to his greeting, before pulling out a small box from his pocket, centered in the middle of his palm. "First off, I'd just like to say... you don't have to accept it. It's just... memories.."

"Oh, okay," Ophelia nodded, her throat dry as her fingers began to slide the lid off the box, to reveal what the gift was.

Throat dry, her eyes widened when she saw a heart shaped locket resting delicately in the box, made of real silver.

She opened the locket to find two tiny pictures of the two of them in their third year, one taken in Hogsmeade, the other taken near the black lake.

"You shouldn't have," she muttered, head craning up to look at him. She felt guilty. She knew Colin couldn't afford it. His father was a milkman, for Merlin's sake. It was things like these that made her love him. Her feelings all came rushing back.

Why did he have to be so caring that she misinterpreted it?

"I can't accept this," the blonde was quick to push the box back into his hands. "I refuse to accept it."

"Why?" Colin's expression fell. "Don't you like it?"

"I do," she shook her head. Maybe a little too much, she added internally. "That's the problem," Ophelia  concluded. 

"I don't see the problem," Colin insisted, holding it out towards her.

"I don't expect you to," Ophelia replied with a hint of a dying smile. 

Giving me something like that... It only gives me hope. 

Colin nodded, putting the locket back into his pocket. "I understand," he said quietly, without pressuring her further, before changing the subject. "How was your Christmas break?"

"I actually really enjoyed it," the edges of her lips turned upwards at the mere thought of her Christmas. "Blaise and Theo stayed at home. I taught them how to play Uno."

Colin's expression was unreadable. "Theo?" he echoed. "As in, Nott?"

"Mhmm, which other Theo would I be talking about?" the blonde quizzed, with a slight tilt of her head.

"So you guys are... on a first name basis now?" Colin interrogated. "I thought you hated him!"

Ophelia shrugged. "I don't know, he's changed. He apologized and gave me a tiara for Christmas—"

Colin spluttered. "A tiara? Made with real diamonds?"

"Mhmm." Ophelia was oblivious to the way Colin's fists tightened. She hadn't meant to tell anyone of Theo's present, but Colin was easy to talk to, and he was her best friend, and best friends told each other everything, right? "It's really pretty."

"So he spends a fortune on you, and you accept his gift, but you can't accept mine?" Colin's expression was one of utmost betrayal and hurt.

"Colin, don't do that," Ophelia murmured, shaking her head. "It's not you.."

Colin buried his head between his thighs and clenched at his hair. "No," he shook his head. "It also doesn't seem like you to just... forgive Nott after how much he hurt you, just by apologizing and giving you diamonds."

Had Ophelia been the same person as she was last year, she would have screamed at Colin for saying such utter nonsense, but at this point, she seemed to understand what he was thinking. She understood the deeper meaning behind his words.

Ophelia wasn't so empty headed to forgive Theo just because he gave her diamonds.

Colin held her in the highest regard to know she was smarter than that. And Ophelia knew he cared.

And so, she began to tell Colin everything, with the way she had been spending time with Draco because the Death Eaters resided at the Manor, the way she had been so lonely, the way Ginny's words had given her an eating disorder, and the way Theo had helped her overcome her eating disorder.

"He's been there for me," Ophelia finished her monologue, shrugging. "When I needed someone. And Dray threatened to kill Theo if he hurt me."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that on your own," Colin muttered, pulling Ophelia into an embrace. "And I'm glad you had someone by your side."

And Ophelia found herself inhaling his scent, flutters creeping up her belly and threatening to cause her to topple over with the intensity.

"I'll keep the locket," she blurted finally, not knowing how or what possessed her to suddenly go against the first decision she had made.

"Really?" Colin's hazel brown eyes had widened very slightly, and Ophelia nodded, finding that smile on his face completely worth it.

"Yeah. But only if you keep my present," she took out the maroon scarf she had knitted, draping it across his shoulders and around his neck.

"Did you knit this?" Colin asked, taking time to notice that she had missed a few stitches here and there. 

"Yeah, it's not very good, but I—"

"I love it," Colin buried his nose into it, feeling how soft it is. "It's perfect."

Ophelia fixed the locket around her neck and tucked it underneath her sweater before the two Gryffindors parted ways.

But if Ophelia had thought the story of the maroon scarf was over, she was very wrong.

It had only just begun.

And the first chapter was written a week later, when Theodore confronted Ophelia about it when she was reading a book in the Quidditch stands.

"So, you gave the scarf to Creevey," Theodore murmured, sitting down beside her.

"I did," Ophelia replied, before furrowing her brows in confusion. "Creevey?" she echoed. "Not mudblood?"

Theodore clicked his tongue and shrugged, and Ophelia couldn't help but notice how masculine the shoulder muscles underneath the leather jacket looked. It did suit him very well indeed.

He did not answer her. "Am I to believe you two are on good terms again?" he posed this question instead, his dark blue eyes looking into hers with a strange sort of emotion in them; one she couldn't read.

"Yes, we're friends again," she said slowly, trying to decipher his expression.

"Friends?" he echoed. "Or more?"

Out of everyone Ophelia interacted with, at Hogwarts, only two people knew she was in love with Colin; Colin himself, and Theo.

"Just friends," Ophelia replied. "We can never be more. We are too different."

"Just friends," Theo repeated, "don't give each other gifts that are that personal."

Ophelia scoffed. "Says the boy who gave me a diamond tiara. How much did that cost you, by the way?" the blonde fully turned to face him, her expression indignant, though there was a hint of a smile at the edges of her lips.

"Well played," Theo nodded, pressing his lips together to hide the smile of admiration he held for her, for managing to turn the conversation around to her benefit. "Well played indeed, Malfoy."

She looked proud, and haughty, at winning this round, resuming to read her book, before Theo broke the silence once more.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Theodore remarked.

"If I wanted another older brother, Nott, I would have said so, but as you know, I think Draco is more than enough," she drawled, arrogantly throwing her hair over her shoulder.

"He broke your heart, Lia," Theodore's expression turned serious. "Who's to say he won't to it again?"

Ophelia suddenly felt another intense flutter, like the kind she had experienced with Colin not long ago. Merlin, what was happening to her? Why was she comparing the two boys, all of a sudden?

"I appreciate you looking after me, but I don't think he will," the blonde assured him, gunmetal eyes boring into his, begging to be defied. "Even if he does break my heart, he's still deserving of a second chance."

"Why?" Theo asked her. "Why bother giving him a second chance?"

It was her turn to shrug, her shoulders slumping upwards. "Why does anyone deserve a second chance? To prove themselves," she answered her own question. "If all if us closed off our hearts to prevent them from breaking, who would we have?"

"No one," Theo answered with a nod, understanding. "We'd be lonely."

"Exactly," she smiled. "I came to learn this when I decided to give you a second chance."

"I'm glad you did," Theodore smiled, taking her smaller hand in his larger, calloused one and giving it a squeeze. He then tilted his head, contemplating whether or not to speak the words he had chosen, or to keep silent. 

He took the risk.

"Because... otherwise, I'd have been lonely."

Ophelia flushed. But the blush on her cheeks was no longer pink, or scarlet, or crimson.

It was maroon.

{ hey guys, first off, apologies for the late update and short chapter. mental health has NOT been good, as i had a lot of toxicity in my habitat. but i'm much better now, and i managed to write up and edit another chapter, although it's a little short...
so this chapter is showing how far my characters have come with dealing with the events of life around them. no more drama, no more tears.
ophelia has come to accept life the way it is, and deal with it in a positive, mature and responsible matter.
i would suggest all of you to try it. 
this chapter is also another symbol of how far i have come as a writer, to write a scene like this, one must have the mental and emotional capacity to understand the deeper problem, the pros, and the cons of every situation.
this is how you grow.
comment, vote, follow.
that being said, i hope all of you had a great week, and have a better week ahead. take care, my loves, and do pm me if you need to rant/advice. lots and lots of love,
jasmine. }

{MAR 03. 2024}