“Ryan,” Delilah greeted in a fake excited tone. “I’m going to calmly request that you back the fuck up off of my friend, please.” Then she turned to me, grabbed my arm, and gently said “let’s go, Sly.” Sometimes I really loved Delilah.

And that marked the day that I accidentally made James Potter go into a choking fit.

"She's awful," he supplied and I about choked. "You can admit it. The girl once talked to me for two hours straight about her authentic Antipodean Opaleye scaled purse."

I cringed. "But those are endangered, right?"

"Hey Delilah," Freddy called out loudly. "I want to grow tomatoes, any suggestions?" His tone was teasing. I sent a warning look to Delilah, pleading with her to be nice.

Something poked me in the side, breaking me out of my thoughts and I found Ryan grinning at me. "She's such a weirdo, eh?" Ryan laughed at his comment, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. "Girl barely ever talks. I bet a majority of Claws have never heard the sound of her voice. It's a bit pathetic really."

"Oh, you're welcome. It's no trouble, honestly." But it was a bother; of course, he didn't understand that because everything always seemed to come so easily to James Potter. This was certainly no exception.

"And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah..."

-Jeff Buckley

"James..." Freddy faltered, uncertain if he should continue. "You actually like that girl, eh?"

"What are you talking about?" I defended, hackles rising up and lashing out. "Who would like someone so plain?"

She steered Ainsly to the kitchen, hissing "What the hell, Sly?"

"Mmm," Ainsly hummed in consideration while walking with her head up. "I saw it in an anime once."

"For the love of Rowena," Delilah rolled her eyes, pushed her forward, and muttered at the absurdity "An anime."