The Wicked Witch Told Your Ways ** (EDMUND)

[Deleted]

@edmund
grey xavier slater - if you'd like to post or just read
<3

Dinner time. Quite one of Addilyn's favorite times of day, as she got to see many of the other students and faculty. It was now December, and The Great Hall was decorated beautifully. While Halloween was her favorite holiday, Christmas came in a quick second. The tree was surrounding an entire area, the tables were lit and were glowing with happiness and fun. As she glanced up, the candles were still floating, but there was also Christmas lights around the walls and she just felt so at peace. So happy and amazing.

Until she sat down and read the school paper.

The voices around her filled her ears, the clinging and clanging of plates, the laughter of all of the students and Professors...they were just background noise in the silence of her head. Theodosia Washington was getting close to Edmund. To EDMUND.

Addilyn felt as if her heart stopped as she read that sentence. She didn't even finish the article. Slowly, Addilyn rested the newspaper down in front of her and looked up. No one was sitting in front of her, so she stared, just stared at nothing, at no one. Why would Theodosia do this? Was it her leading it on? Was it Edmund leading it on? Did Edmund like it? Addilyn felt like she would never know.

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Today had been a good day and Edmund was in a great mood. His classes had gone well, and each day they got closer and closer to the break. He hadn't seen Addi in the common room when he was studying, so Edmund made his way to the Great Hall for dinner, sure that he would find her there. The second he stepped into the hall, he saw her. Of course, the seat beside her was always saved for him. It had been years since anyone tried to sit between them; they'd been best years for so long now.

"Hey Adds," Ed greeted cheerfully as he sat down next to her, looking around the table quickly and grabbing a little bit of food. He glanced over at her, surprised when she didn't say something in response. She seemed ... frozen? Something was definitely wrong. 

Food forgotten, Ed reached forward and grabbed her hand. "Addi, what's going on?" He asked quietly, not wanting to draw attention to her. What if it had something to do with her family. Maybe Grey or Claire? He wasn't sure what would make her freeze like this, but he was sure he wouldn't like it.

@jill2

[Deleted]

@edmund
<3

Her eyes couldn't look at the dark haired, freckled boy that just sat next to her. Not right now. Not as she processed this information. His words told her that he hadn't read the school paper yet. Either that, or he just didn't care that it was practically around the entire school by now. Also, from what the paper said, it practically gave away the secret Edmund had been wanting to keep about them. Immediately, her eyes glanced around the Great Hall for one, Claire, two, Susan, three, Lucy. Grey already knew so he wasn't so concerning in her mind.

His touch on her hand made her flinch and pull her hand back, glaring at him. She felt sick, not wanting dinner anymore. Was this true? What...what happened? Addi immediately wanted to go to Grey and figure out who wrote this, who saw this happen. "What's wrong? Edmund are you kidding me?" Addilyn scoffed, tossing the paper down in front of him, turning away once more.

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Addi pulled back from him, flinched even and Edmund's eyebrows furrowed. What was going on with her? Obviously she was angry, apparently it was at him, but why? He hadn't done anything of late. At least, not anything to frustrate her. The last time he saw her- a few hours ago- she was just fine, so what in the world made this change. Then she blew up at him, throwing the school paper in front of him as her explanation. 

Scowling fiercely, Edmund picked up the paper and his eyes skimmed the contents. Gossip. The entire thing was full of ridiculous gossip and as Edmund was about to roll his eyes at her and tell her he had no idea what she was talking about, he saw it. "Theodosia Washington was getting a little too close for comfort with Edmund?" What in the world was that talking about? His mouth fell open as he glared at the paper in front of him, rereading the section of the article repeatedly. Who in the world wrote this trash? No wonder Addi was mad at him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning to face her. "Addi, I don't know who wrote this filth," he began, throwing the paper down on the table, "but it's not true. Honestly, me with Theodosia? You know how much I hate her. Besides that, she's one of the pureblood fanatics. Even if I was interested- which I'm not- do you really think she would ever go for me. Adds, I love you. You know that. I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you, much less with Theodosia Washington." Edmund really wasn't sure how Addi was going to respond to that, but he hoped she believed him.

@jill2

[Deleted]

@edmund
<3

Addilyn stared at the empty plate in front of her after she threw down the newspaper. She couldn't look at him as he read it. Addi didn't want to believe it, she really didn't. And it did seem quite out of the ordinary, Edmund and Theodosia. But...did it really? With the way Theodosia had treated them, especially bringing her older brother into it and ruining their relationship, who's to say she wouldn't do the same with the two of them?

"I think that if she really wanted to ruin us or hurt us, yes, she would go for you Edmund." Addi sighed loudly, glancing around the room silently, hoping no one was staring at them. Having this in the school paper meant that everyone read about it, and that everyone would now know they were together. "I also don't think it's much of a secret anymore, us I mean." Addi sipped the water in her goblet and turned to face him again, looking into those deep brown eyes, trying to see if she could find any guilt in them, or in his expression. He looked how he usually did, agitated. It made her lip twitch, wanting to smile at her boyfriend's usual angry persona. But she was hurt, and she didn't want to smile. "I don't want you to lie Edmund. Did she try to do anything? Anything at all?"

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He nodded slowly. What Addi said made sense, but did she really not trust him that much. "I could see her doing that too, but do you really think I'd let her?" he asked, wondering what she would say to that. "I already told you, I want to be with you. I love you. I don't know what the paper is talking about, I'm not getting close with Theodosia. I never have and I never will."Then she said their relationship wasn't a secret anymore and he groaned. He'd been so focused on figuring out why Addi was upset that he hadn't even thought about that. "You're probably right," he said, glancing around the Great Hall as he tried to spot his sisters. Did they see the article? Were they mad at him? Probably. Which meant he would have a lot of explaining to do soon. Then Addi brought the conversation back around to Theodosia and Ed glowered. He didn't want to talk about this anymore. "No she didn't. I haven't been alone with her in who knows how long and I haven't spoken to her in weeks. They probably printed that to mess with us." His eyes searched hers as he tried to decipher whether or not she believed him. "You do believe me, don't you? I've never kept anything from you Adds. Why would I lie to you about this?" He wanted, so badly, to reach forward and cup her cheek in his hand but he didn't want her to pull away so he asked that. Hopefully she believed him.

@jill2

[Deleted]

@edmund
<3

Addilyn shrugged. "I don't know, Edmund! You've seen those muggle films, when the girl kisses the guy and he doesn't see it coming. Maybe she did and you weren't quick enough to stop her from doing so..." Her voice got quiet. Addilyn didn't like speaking about this, but it was in the paper and she felt as if she had a thousand eyes on them. She glanced around, glaring at those who were staring. Ugh. Great, just what she needed. Theodosia was going to get a long talk about this, and she wasn't going to like it.

Addilyn silently wished that his siblings could've found out in a better way. This was the worst possible way and it really hurt her. When he glowered at her, she glared right back. "Don't look at me like that, Edmund! I'm sure if you read something like this about me and say...Mathieu, you'd be just as angry!" She huffed, turning back towards her food and taking the smallest bite possible.

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This didn't make any sense. He just told her that he wasn't close with Theodosia, that nothing happened with her but Addi still didn't believe him. What, did she think he was lying to her. "Of course I've seen them, Adds," he answered almost instantly. "But if that did happen- and I'm not saying that it did- I would tell you! I wouldn't keep it a secret and I definitely wouldn't lie to you about it later! I did not kiss Theodosia and she did not kiss me. Nothing like that has every happened and I'm certainly not going to let it happen in the future." After her determination to believe the stupid paper over him, Ed wasn't sure if Addi would believe him and he was starting to get annoyed. Why wouldn't she believe him!? Did she think he was a liar? His gaze was entirely focused on her as he tried to figure out what was going on in her mind.

"Of course I would be angry!" He agreed when she got angry back at him. "But if you told me that nothing happened, I would BELIEVE you!! Why in the world would I believe a stupid paper when the woman I love tells me that it's not the truth." He finally lowered his gaze from her face, looking down at the plate in front of him. He wasn't hungry anymore. "I wish you would believe me," he muttered softly, staring at the practically untouched food in front of him.

@jill2

[Deleted]

@edmund
<3

Addilyn didn't know what to say anymore. He was just getting angry with her and not understanding her side of it. Maybe he would tell her, but not hearing it from him and seeing this in the paper? What was she supposed to be think? If he had put himself in her shoes, he'd be acting the exact same way. Even worse, with his attitude that he always got! She loved him, and everything about him, but when he didn't understand something like this it just angered Addilyn.

And now here he is, saying he'd be angry, and saying he'd just believe her. Well, Addilyn couldn't help but shake her head at him. Her teeth were shut tight and she stared at the plate in front of her. Addilyn felt her eyes burn with tears. This was not the conversation she wanted to have, ever. She just felt so hurt, and Edmund was being so mean about it. Her hands rested in her lap, and she clasped them together, finally pulling her eyes away from her plate and glancing at the Great Hall doors, not speaking.

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She wasn’t saying anything, which was definitely a bad sign. The only good thing out of all of this was that Ed knew Addi. He ought to, after spending the better part of five years with her. The bad thing was that she didn’t believe him, which was unfathomable to him. What reason had he given her to distrust him? He’d done all he could to prove his feelings for her and still, it wasn’t enough for her. She’d rather believe a stupid magazine and Theodosia’s lies than her own boyfriend.

He shook his head as he turned around so he was sitting backwards on the chair. “I don’t think either of us are ready to talk about his right now, Adds,” he muttered. “We can talk about it later, after we’re both calmed down a little.” He didn’t think she would go for that, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do. She was too convinced that he wasn’t telling the truth and he was too frustrated by her refusal to believe him. He stood up and then looked back down at her. “I think that’s for the best,” he added before walking away.

@jill2 (end? unless you want to add something?)

[Deleted]

@edmund
<3

She saw him turn out of the corner of her eye but did not say anything once more. If anything, Addilyn was shocked that he was just going to let it go and leave her sitting here on her own. He wasn't usually like this, which made it seem even more unusual that he was just getting up and leaving. It also gave Addilyn a small burst of anger that Edmund wasn't staying with her and comforting her when he knows he'd be acting the same way if the tables were turned, possibly even worse then she was now. Addilyn glared at his back as he walked away, hoping he would have something to fix this.

---Addilyn out---