Secret Admirer

Wynter hadn't told anyone about her letters back and forth to her mother, not even her cousin who she shared everything with. She felt like she was keeping some horrible secret but she knew she would have to keep it to herself or else it could get out to her father and she didn't want that to happen. She had told her mother not to write her over the summer in case her father found one of her letters and she didn't expect to get any mail whatsoever. Yet towards the end of the summer, she received a letter from an owl that she didn't recognize and there was no address on the envelope, instead there was nothing written on it.

She couldn't contain her surprise and quickly ripped open the letter. She didn't recognize the handwriting and there was no name at the bottom.

Wynter,

I've been admiring you since your first year at Beauxbatons and your beauty shines like no other. I admire you from afar, hoping that you'd notice me one day. You smile lights up a room and your laugh could bring a smile to even the grumpiest of faces. Though I hope you notice me one day, my identity shall remain a secret until I'm ready to bring forth my feelings.

Your Secret Admirer

Wynter didn't know who it could be from but she was excited. Her dad had a rule about dating and Wynter wasn't ready to date just yet, but she was still interested in finding out who it was. And just because she wasn't interested in dating didn't mean she didn't notice cute boys. And there was a boy that had caught her eye and he was an older boy.

"Anyways, Ryder, look at this," she interrupted her cousin's talking to shove the letter in his face. She hadn't parted with it since she had received it and it was worn from all the times she had read it and folded it back. "Isn't this so exciting?"

Ryder was excitedly babbling about school. He had deflected as many questions about school and how excited he was over the summer in preparation for talking all about it to Wynter. After all, he was going to be a cool kid at school. And all cool kids hated school. But Wynter already knew that he sort of liked school, so she would be the only one to know the truth.

He had been talking about his mother being quidditch captain when Wynter pushed a piece of parchment into his face and insisted he read it. It looked much abused, not quite falling apart but close, and he could tell she had looked at it quite often.

He glanced at it and skimmed the lines. "First off, this is gross," Ryder commented, annoyed by the attempt at a segue. "Second off, what if I was saying something important? You can't just interrupt someone."

He was irritated, but also intrigued. His curiosity often bested him. Ryder looked back down at it. "Do you know who they are?"

Ryder knew his uncle would have a fit if Wynter had a boyfriend, which is exactly why he thought she should have one. His cousin was too innocent and she barely ever wanted to cause trouble. She needed some excitement. And he was more likely to convince her to break her father's rules rather than school rules.

Wynter hadn't meant to interrupt her cousin, she was just so excited about it all. The fact that someone had a crush on her made her hear fill with joy and her mind wander. Who could it be? There were tons of boys in her year that it could be. She doubted it were an older boy because why would an older boy even glance her way? How many boys did she even know? There weren't many, boys made her nervous and her father was strict when it came to boys and dating and all of that stuff. "Sorry, Ryde." She was just too excited.

"It's not gross," she pouted. Well, it was probably gross for him since she was his cousin and he probably didn't want to know about any guys liking her. "I have no idea." She shrugged. But she hoped the letter was from Rajan, the boy she had met last year.

"I hope it's from Rajan," she sighed happily when she spoke of him. At first he had rubbed her the wrong way, but it seemed like he always had something witty and arrogant to say. It was something that you had to get used to. She had spoke of him in a few letters she had sent to Ryder while she was away last year and described him as a difficult person to get along with. "He's so cute," she said absentmindedly.

Ryder shrugged. "I forgive you," he told her.

The boy made a face. He thought it was gross. He didn't want to think about some boy sending his cousin a creepy letter over the summer.

"Wait, Rajan?" Ryder questioned. "The guy who was mean to you all the time? Why would you want it to be that guy?"

Ryder didn't understand. Why would anyone have a crush on someone mean? And then, she explained herself. Typical. "Cute? Why does it matter if he's cute, Wynter? If he's mean, he's mean," he pointed out. Maybe that was oversimplifying the whole situation. After all, Ryder hadn't met this guy. Maybe he just misunderstood Rajan.

But he was going to meet him. Especially if he was talking about her smile lighting up rooms and whatnot. Wynter could break her father's rules with a nice guy. If Rajan wasn't kind and treated her poorly, Ryder wasn't going to let his cousin date him. Simple as that.

"He wasn't all mean," she argued. He had been kind of sweet in his own way and many people probably wouldn't call him sweet or think he was ever sweet. But he had kissed her hand and made her blush multiple times. "He's smart too." Wynter was starting to regret bringing it up with her cousin. "He's not all mean, he's....complex. There's a lot to him."

She was only hoping it was him but there was a huge chance it wasn't. Because why would he even look her way? Why would he hide behind a letter? He didn't seem the type in all honesty. He seemed like the type to just come out and say what he felt and what he wanted, he had done it before. "He's not the type to hide behind a letter though, so we can scratch him off the list." But who else was there? Wynter couldn't really think of anyone else that would take the time to write and send her a letter.

Ryder rolled his eyes. Complex and smart didn't equal good necessarily. He already disapproved of Wynter and Rajan's relationship. If it was Rajan who had written the letter, he would be very upset and as unsupportive as possible.

He didn't quite know what to say to her about him and he was glad she directed the conversation away from Rajan. He shrugged. "I'm not sure, Wynter. Are there any boys in your year? Did you have class partners on projects or anything like that? Anyone in your house?" he asked. Maybe someone else would come to mind. Hopefully someone who was more friendly than that Rajan guy.

Wynter didn't know who could send her a letter like that, she didn't think was anything special and she didn't think anyone really noticed her. She couldn't really think of anyone who would go out of their way to make her feel special or think of her. "I don't know," she shrugged. "I don't know who it could be." She couldn't recall any classmates who would look her way more than once.

"What do you think, Ryd? Maybe it's some sort of prank." She hadn't really thought about that but it could be. It would be upsetting, but maybe it was a prank. "Oh my god, what if it was a prank? What if someone sent me this as a prank?" She felt devastated. How could someone do that? There was no way this letter was real, it had to be fake. She couldn't think of any reason for it to be real and it was probably a fellow student messing with her.

Ryder pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Hmm," he said, distractedly. "I don't know. I can help you find out, though. I'll have to make friends first."

And then suddenly his cousin was going on about the letter being a prank. Which made him a bit angry. Why would someone send a love letter as a prank? Especially to Wynter? She was so nice and good. Why would someone like to mess with her?

"It wasn't a prank, Wynter," he huffed. "Why would it be? You're great and stuff and you don't hurt anyone. Why would someone want to hurt you? Have you made enemies in one year at school? Because as cool as that is, I don't believe it."

Wynter couldn't help but be doubtful, she didn't think she was all that great. She was a tiny little thing and got lost in a crowd, she didn't stand out at all. Her father was known around the school as a great quidditch player and she would get asked by some quidditch players if she was related to Ryan Green. But that was about it when it came to people noticing her. In all honesty, she was glad that she didn't stand out. She didn't want popularity, she already had quality friends and a nice family. She didn't need all the attention but sometimes she thought it would be nice.

"Why wouldn't it be a prank though?" She couldn't see why it wouldn't be a prank, teenage boys were stupid like that. They thought the stupidest things were funny. "I haven't crossed anyone." She couldn't think of someone who would do something like that but then again, it could be multiple people.

Ryder rolled his eyes and pushed his hair out of his eyes again. "You aren't listening to me, Wynter. I just told you why it wouldn't be a prank," he pointed out. He had no idea why she was so worried. "Boooooo-ring! Just enjoy the attention, I guess. A little attention never hurt anyone."

He loved being the center of attention and didn't understand why Wynter didn't like it. Ryder thrived on it. And as much trouble as it got him into, he couldn't bring himself to keeping a low profile. He was too excitable and if he had something to say, he'd say it.