I was dragged to the Great Hall the next morning by Teddy. I sat down on the end of the table again, taking quick shallow breaths. "I think I'm going to listen to Emily." I said, merely nibbling on a piece of toast. "You should. Hey I see Havi over there with Jackie." Teddy waved. I looked over and down the table. "You think she's telling her about the meeting?" Teddy asked. I shrugged, but it wasn't much of one. I just jerked my shoulders slightly. We both quickly finished and headed out into the corridor. Havi, Emily, Asher and Logan were there already. A few moments later, Jackie came over and asked: "What did I miss?" "I don't know, Emily called the meeting." Asher said. Emily had leaned on to me, I liked the feeling, but I didn't know why. Jackie looked over to us, Emily let go after another second, and my face turned a bright red. Teddy and Logan moved closer to Jackie, and for the life of me I wanted to pull them apart. Emily stepped forward. "So, um, my last name is Riddle, as you all know." "Right." We all said. "Well, /apparently/ my uh, father is um He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." She whispered. She hung her head, seeming about to cry. Jackie's boots click as she walks over to Emily. "Don't worry, we'll still be your friends." Jackie said. No answer. "/right/?!" Almost everyone says yes. Except for Asher. His face was a bright scarlet colour. "Well, I guess, fine." Asher said, as everyone scowled at him. "Thanks." Emily said as Jackie let go. "Okay, meeting adjourned," Havi said. "Huh?" most of us chorus. "It means the meeting is over." Jackie said. "How'd you know that?" Teddy asked. "I /read/ how about you try it sometime." Jackie told him. "Oh, okay." With that the meeting broke up. I begin to limp my way down to the Hospital Wing. I came to my senses and realized, yeah I do need to deal with this. Emily insisted on coming, so I didn't argue, I like her company. But I was curious as to one, why she punched me, and two, why she's now being super nice. I was kinda scared. "So, uh, if you don't mind me asking, why did you punch me in the Chamber of Secrets?" Emily waited a moment before she replied. "I had seen what was coming, and well, because my dad is You-Know-Who, I thought when the time came I would /have/ to be a Death Eater. I knew that anyone I loved would be killed." I was dumbstruck. What was she telling me? Was she saying she liked me too? Or was she hypothetically saying if she /did/ like me, that's what would have happened? "But the truth is," she paused. "I like you too, Matt." "Me too." I said. She raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I don't like uh, me. I really like you, is what I meant." I stumbled over my words a bit. We went the rest of the way to the Hospital Wing in silence. "So, we tell no one about that?" I asked. Emily nodded. "Not even our close friends." "Nope." Emily said. "Fine with me." I said. I opened the door and Madam Pomfrey was working on something on her desk. "Well, see you, Matt, I got to pack." Emily waved and walked back down the corridor. "Mr. Weasley what are you here for?" she asked. "Well, I have a lot of pain on the left side of my rib cage." I said, as she guided me over to a bed. After she had examined me for a few minutes, and gone to get something she said: "Well, Mr. Weasley, you have a broken rib, and you will need to board at the school over the summer."
If anyone has seen Friends, I was kinda going for the Chandler & Monica thing that they did. "They don't know that we know they know we know." - Phoebe J.K. Rowling Canva @Jackie_Granger for Jackie Granger @Emily-lilly-riddle for Emily Riddle @Havi_Potter777 for Havi Lupin