Note - This is for the second round of Polevault in the 2012 Hogwarts Games on the HPFC forum. Also written for the Quidditch European Competition for my team the Appleby Arrows with the prompts - guilt, trap and thread.

Disclaimer - I do not own HP obviously.

Happy reading!

L'amour sans retour

ii. behind the closed door.

The flat was eerily quiet when Dominique stepped inside. She shut the door behind her with a loud bang in the silence, and glanced around.

The living room was empty, but looked as orderly as always. There was a stack of Muggle magazines on the coffee table, and the cushions were neatly placed on the couch.

She shrugged off her jacket and brushed the snow flecks from her red hair. She looked around the house curiously, wondering if Lily was here or not. But the door had been open, and she doubted Lily would be so careless as to leave her door open if she wasn't home.

She called out to the empty room, "Lils?" She didn't get any reply.

She entered the kitchen and spotted two wine glasses resting on the counter. She must have someone over, Dominique thought.

Suddenly, she heard soft voices, wafting towards the kitchen through the walls.

She stepped out of the kitchen, and headed for Lily's bedroom, certain that the sounds were coming from there.

She was sure Lily was scheduled for a performance again just after Christmas, so she thought she would find her practicing her dancing – not that she needed practice, she was already amazing – but Lily was always working unnecessarily hard opting for the best. It was one of the things Dominique loved about her cousin.

Actually, it was one of many things she loved about the girl. Her diligence.

The door to her bedroom stood ajar, so Lily must be there. But Dominique was surprised that she hadn't heard any noise of her entering the house.

Her nerves were tingling as if she was aware that she would not like whatever she was about to see. She laid a hand on the doorknob, and pushed it open. The sight in front of her made her stomach drop, and she suddenly wished she hadn't come here.

Lily wasn't alone alright.

She was wrapped in white sheets on her bed, her clothes clearly on the floor, in a passionate embrace with a blonde boy. They were a tangle of limbs, with their red and blonde hair threaded together as if they were one being. They were almost glued to each other and blissfully unaware of their surroundings. Her long, thin fingers knotted in his hair as he, his body on top of her, pressed his lips on hers while his hands wondered down her back, past her waist...

Dominique gulped, feeling as if she'd fallen into a trap and hurt herself badly. She took a step back, and fell against the doorway with a loud thump.

The two people in front of her broke apart and stared around at her.

"Dom!" Lily cried, turning a dark red matching her hair. She pushed Lorcan away from her, and tried to get up. He looked around at what she was doing, and he hastily got up himself.

Dominique looked away, as he jumped up from the bed and hurriedly started to put on his clothes.

"I didn't mean to - er, interrupt," Dom mumbled, turning around from them.

She heard more scuffling sounds from behind her, and said hastily, "Look, Lils, I was just in the neighborhood and I came over to see how you were doing. I'm leaving now. Really."

Lily said something in a low voice, and she added much louder, "No, Dom, wait. Lorcan was just leaving –"

"Oh, sure. That's why you called me to come over –"said Lorcan, sarcasm and indignation dripping from his voice.

"Lorcan!"

But Dominique was already gone. She rushed out the house as soon as she could, and before she knew it she was Apparating back to her apartment.

/

She thought she didn't know why she had overreacted.

But then, she did know, didn't she?

It was only because she had seen her with another person; and the little hope that she cherished in her heart that maybe one day the other girl could return her feelings was gone.

There was a sense of guilt and shame inside her for overreacting like that. What would she say when Lily asked her questions about the other night, and why sh had left so suddenly?

But then the image of Lily and Lorcan glued to each other flashed inside her mind and she didn't regret anything.

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