Muggle Problems

Gregory needed to catch his cousin. She'd been awkwardly smiling at him whenever he saw her. He wasn't sure if it was because he had been telling lies and she knew, or because she felt bad for not talking to him very much. Either way, he didn't want Autumn to be upset. She hid those things very well. He wondered what she did with all of her frustrations, if she had any.

He knew from experience that Autumn was never in her dorm room. She liked to wander. So the best way to get her attention was from meeting her where she normally would be. On Tuesdays, Autumn had Muggle Studies at nine o'clock. He would be there when she walked out.

"Autumn," he said, grabbing her arm as she passed him. "We need to talk."

Autumn took Muggle Studies simply because she could. She lived like a Muggle at her home. It was as if Beauxbatons was all an exciting dream around her parents. They didn't really mention her school. They never acknowledged magic. So Autumn went along with it. No one could know dull Muggle life like she could. But she found the class to be surprisingly interesting. It made her everyday chores seem fun.

She was not expecting to be ambushed by her cousin as she walked out of the classroom after a fascinating lecture on cooking with a stove.

She wasn't very happy with Greg. All summer, he had ignored her. And even into the first few weeks, she hadn't heard from him. But what she did hear were some tall tales about his life from some of his fellow second years.

"I don't have anything to say to you, Gregory," she replied. She didn't mean to be snippy, but she wasn't going to apologize. He deserved it. "You could have spoken to me earlier. I called you over the summer. A lot."

She shook his hand off of her arm. "You can go try to be cool now. It's fun watching you try. I do have another class, you know," she lied.

Gregory flinched. She was being completely calm and speaking the way she normally did. But the words hurt.

Greg just wanted to fit in. It's not like she ever cared about being favored. She was friendly to people who made fun of her. And that was a ridiculous idea to him.

"You're full of shit, Autumn. You don't have a class next," he countered. Gregory felt guilty as soon as the words left his mouth. "You're right I should've called you. But you know how summer is, right, Autumn? Busy for everyone. And I have other friends now. A lot of new friends that I see more often than I see you. And they're my age. They're better for me, you see?"

Autumn sighed at her cousin's language. It didn't surprise her. She was expecting worse from him. That seemed to be the natural order of events.

"I am truly happy that you have found better friends. I thought you'd still think of me as your friend. We're related, you see?" she countered with a dejected smile. She was being rejected. "And I truly hope that your friends like you for you. Or whatever you have decided you are now."

Autumn knew that she and her cousin were going to part ways. Hopefully not for long. She was hoping that it wasn't going to get ugly. There was no reason for him to hate her. She looked up at him. "I'm going to miss you as my best friend. If you need me, I'm here."