"Let's go see what's for breakfast, shall we?" Marietta said. "I'm hungry."
Eloise nodded. "Sounds good to me."
The post was arriving just as Eloise and Marietta walked into the Entrance Hall.
"D'you see Mercury?" Marietta asked, looking for her brown owl among the many owls as they sat down at the Hufflepuff table.
"No, I don't see Viator either," Eloise said, also looking for her owl. Marietta chuckled.
"I still can't believe what you named that poor owl," Marietta laughed. "I feel so sorry for her."
"I've told you at least a hundred times, just look it up in a Latin-English dictionary and you'll get it," Eloise said, still looking at the ceiling. "It's not such a bad name for an owl once you know what it means."
"Which is what?"
"Messenger, of course," Eloise said.
Marietta rolled her eyes. "Of course."
* * * * *
Just as Eloise and Marietta were standing up to leave breakfast, Patrick walked up to them, trying to look as though he hadn't been watching Marietta from his end of the Hufflepuff table.
"Hey there, Marietta," he called. "Hi, Eloise." Patrick was tall and lanky, with curly brown hair. Eloise thought he was okay, because even if he didn't like her all that much, at least he wasn't rude like everyone else, though Eloise suspected that might just be because of Marietta.
"Hey Patrick," Marietta smiled shyly.
"Hi," Eloise said, looking at the ceiling and trying not to laugh good-naturedly at how smitten her friend was.
"So, what've you been doing?" Patrick asked Marietta.
"Oh, not much really. Homework, mostly. I can't believe how much McGonagall gave us last week, and it's all due today!"
"Yeah, I know," Patrick nodded emphatically, never taking his eyes off Marietta.
"Um, Patrick? Have you seen the notice board?" Marietta blushed again.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, Hogsmeade's this weekend, and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to... you know," Marietta fidgeted nervously, another thing she did very rarely.
"Go to Hogsmeade with you? I'd love to," Patrick grinned.
"Okay... see you then," Marietta smiled and turned away, almost skipping out of the Entrance Hall. Eloise followed at a slower pace at first, watching her friend wistfully, then ran to catch up.
"Wow, I can't believe you have a date with Patrick!" Eloise smiled enthusiastically for Marietta.
"Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?" Marietta said, pretending to be offended.
"Oh, come on, Marietta, it's supposed to mean that you've liked him for nearly forever and never gone out with him!" Eloise laughed, playing along.
"Alright then," Marietta said, "that's okay." She paused, then reflected, "Well, I have. And it's kind of strange, I guess, because I could probably get almost any boy I want, but I can't believe it either. He's so cute and nice, and so tall... and a year older than me."
"Lucky you," Eloise said wistfully.
"Why, what do you mean?" Marietta asked.
"Oh, well, it's just that I'm so unpopular and nobody likes me, and you... you're just the opposite," Eloise said, somewhat morosely.
"You don't hold it against me, do you?" Marietta said anxiously.
"Oh no, of course not." Eloise smiled, but Marietta could tell that at times like these, Eloise did, if only a tiny bit.
* * * * *
"This is disgusting," Marietta exclaimed during Herbology a few minutes later, gesturing to the bubotuber she was squeezing. "Eloise?"
Eloise had been staring in the direction of a certain red-haired Gryffindor boy, but snapped her head around at the sound of Marietta's voice. "Oh yes," she said vaguely, "disgusting."
"What's up with you?" Marietta asked, looking at Eloise carefully. Then she realized who Eloise had gone back to staring at. "Oh... Never mind." Eloise jerked to attention again.
"Sorry," Eloise grinned sheepishly, "I'll try to be more alert." The rest of the lesson passed cheerfully, the girls chatting about anything and everything. At least, cheerfully until the end of the lesson.
"This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy," said Professor Sprout, as she put a stopper the last bottle. "An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, Bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."
"Like poor Eloise Midgen," said Hannah Abbott, a fellow Hufflepuff, in a hushed voice. "She tried to curse hers off."
"Silly girl," said Professor Sprout, shaking her head. "But Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose back on in the end."
Ron muttered from across the room, "Did she really try to curse them off? How stupid!" He snickered, not appearing to care or even know that Eloise was present.
"How can they talk about me like I'm not even there?" Eloise thought, jumping up from her seat as soon as the bell rang seconds later, running out of the greenhouse before anyone could see the tears in her eyes- not that anyone would notice. She was already in the Owlery, her favourite place to sit down and cry, when Marietta caught up to her.
"Loie-"
"St-stop it!" Eloise drew a great, shuddering breath. "You never do anything, just sit there and listen to them insult me, watch them act like I'm not there!"
"Eloise, please listen to me-" Eloise cut her off again.
"I told you, stop it!" Eloise snapped. Marietta just stared at her. She had never seen her friend this angry before. Eloise looked up and saw the expression on Marietta's face. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know it's not your fault. You do stick up for me, it's just that..." She turned away again, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I know," Marietta said softly, "I know. But listen, we have Transfiguration next, and you don't want to be late for your favourite subject."
Eloise sniffed, wiping away her tears. She smiled bravely. "I guess not." She and Marietta ran the rest of the way to Transfiguration as if they had only seconds to get there.
Eloise Midgen and the Acute Acne by eowyngirl
Chapter Notes: A/N: This chapter is dedicated once again to JKR, my hero, my beta, Molly Weasley, and Lily Allen (check her out at lilyallenmusic.com). Enjoy, and please R&R!