A/N: someone has to stamp my hand with 'please update regularly' in massive black bold writing or I might just give up writing altogether. Ugh. Anyway here's the 3rd chappie for this. Hope you enjoy... this is mostly written for Riley-Hell's-Princess anyway :L
My head hurt when I woke up the next day, like someone had took a hammer to my head. I don't think it was even morning yet, but close enough that there was no point in going back to sleep, so i got up and wandered lazily into the shared bathroom to clean myself up a little. Once I was finished I came back out, pulled on some school trousers and walked out of the dorm and down the stairs. Yeah, I was wearing no top, but I didn't expect anyone to be up at this time. Guess I was wrong, because the minute I walked in, a girl with red hair looked up and blushed when she realised I wasn't wearing a top. Oh Great, now I'm all self-concious. What was she doing up anyway?
"Uh, hello Rogue." I blinked, nodding towards her, my arms wrapped around my upper-torso.
"Hey Liam." She replied, quietly and went back to whatever she was doing, trying her best to hide the blush that was still gracing her cheeks.
I walked to the opposite side of the common room and sat down on one of the chairs, it was freezing, considering the fire was on the side where Rogue was, and I wasn't risking sitting near her in fear of Keanna coming down and taking the situation the complete wrong way. I remember one time last year I turned around to her one time when she was endlessly teasing me and Rogue and yelled 'I'M GAY!' just to get her to shut up. I attracted A LOT of attention for that, trust me. I then had to convince Keanna for the next few weeks that I wasn't actually gay, and that I was just Bi, and I only said I was gay to shut her up. Once she finally believed me, the teasing started again and I gave up.
Rogue got up and disappeared back up the stairs, she had a strange look on her face, and I sighed, wishing she would stop trying and just accept the fact that I'll never like her back in that way. There was only one person that I want to be with and he was currently taken. Taken...
Morning came and people started trickling down from the dorms and out, heading towards the Great hall for breakfast. I waited until Keanna, Akemi and Rogue appeared before joining them and walking down to breakfast. Breakfast was a quiet event, mostly because Keanna was talking to Rogue, and Akemi and I never really talked so we were both quiet. Connor and Louis came over breifly to say hello before they headed to the Ravenclaw table. I waved at Louis and nodded at Connor, who seemed to think this was an improvement from simply ignoring him and didn't press the matter of what happened yesterday. I turned back towards my food, but my eyes were following Louis, who had just waved back, barely looking at me, I guess he was still sour about yesterday and wasn't readily able to forgive me just yet. I noticed how he was clinging to Connor as he always did, which on one hand made me feel elated and on the other made me feel guilty because I'm the one that caused that.
Now is not the time to get all sentimental about a guy I'm supposed to loath for taking Louis away. What am I? A Possessive bastard? I'm sure making myself sound like one... But I'm not going to dwell on that too much. I need to get this thought in my head out, say something to Louis... and then maybe I can move on... or maybe...? No, Louis wouldn't just leave Connor because I finally liked him back. That was 4-3 years ago. Not gonna happen, Liam. So why should I even bother telling him? I felt like crying out in frustration but that would only gain strange and curious looks and um, I don't want that.
"Liam, eat something! We're not having a repeat of last night." Keanna said, poking me.
"I'm not-"
"Don't you dare say you're not hungry! You're LIAM! You're always hungry." Keanna glared.
She was probably right and I was hungry, I just didn't feel like eating. I didn't feel like doing much anymore. Keanna shot me another look and I hurriedly spooned cereal into my mouth, just to stop her glaring. She smiled, satisfied that I was at least eating something and then turned back to Rogue who had been watching us carefully. I frowned at my bowl like it was to blame for the mess that I found myself in. I guess I sort of understand how my mum felt back in her Hogwarts days, when she liked a guy who already had a girlfriend... problem is, it sent her crazy and I don't want to go the same way. I need to fix this.
"I'm gonna head to class," I told the three girls, and got up, heading towards the door, I could tell Rogue was watching after me, and so was Connor.
I was nearly out the door when I noticed Connor coming after me and I panicked and started running, towards the stairs and up them. If I got to Defence before he caught up with me, I wouldn't have to deal with him. Thank god I was fast, but I guess I was slightly too fast and tripped over thin air... that was normally Keanna's department, tripping over non-existing obsticles. I landed with an almighty crash on the floor and I heard footsteps, running footsteps and I knew I was doomed. He would ask why I had run off on him. And I wouldn't be able to tell the truth, for obvious reasons. So it surprised me when it was Louis who leaned down and asked if I was okay.
"Um yeah, thanks," I said as he helped me up, I saw Connor standing a few paces away and the look on his face told me he knew that I had been running away from him.
I frowned and started walking towards the Defence classroom, hoping to some unknown force that Connor wouldn't question why I had ran off. Guess luck wasn't on my side today. After defence (which was horrible and amazingly boring by the way) I walked out and almost crashed right into the blonde twin. Great, just great. I pretended to think he was waiting for Rogue and side-stepped him with a 'sorry' and started walking again when he reached out and caught my arm. Damn it! Yep, today just wasn't my day.
"What do you want, Connor?" It came out harsher that it was supposed to, but fuck it, who cares?
"Why'd you run off like that?" Connor asked, not releasing me because he knew I'd walk off.
"What's it got to do with you?" I frowned.
"Everything, I think." Connor raised an eyebrow, "considering you didn't run until you realised I was coming."
"Uh... fair point, but I could of ran off for another reason..." I said, not sounding convincing, but hey, whatever.
"Like what? You weren't gonna be late for class and you really did have no reason to run."
"Would you quit interrogating me. I can do what I like, now let go of me." I tugged my arm but he just tightened the grip on my arm.
"You know, this reminds me of that time back in 3rd year when you were mad with Rogue and you hurt Louis..." I mused and his grip slackened, but not enough for me to get free.
"Is this... is this about Lou?" Connor asked, tilting his head.
Oh fuck. Now how could I lie?
"No, of course not." Again I didn't sound convincing.
"Liam..."
"Don't use that tone with me, Dukes." I said, trying once again to pull away.
"What the hell have I done?!"
"Nothing!" I snapped and gave one final tug and ended up bringing us crashing to the ground. Ah shit.
Connor had let go of me to steady himself and I took this chance to get up and pelted down the corridor towards charms, I knew we had the subject with Ravenclaws, but I wanted to be away from him as fast as I could.
Keanna, Akemi and Rogue looked up when I came in, noticing that I seemed to be out of breath, and that my arm was slightly red where Connor had held on.
"Uh, what happened?" Akemi asked as I sat down beside Keanna, Rogue was on the other side of Keanna and Akemi was now on the other side of me.
"Connor." I muttered, not bothering to lie. I give up.
"Uh, what'd he do?" Rogue asked, looking confused.
"Grabbed my arm when I tried to walk away from him, then wouldn't let go." I frowned, leaving out the conversation.
Louis turned around in his seat when he heard this and looked at me, confusion written in his features. I could tell he was wondering why Connor would do this and was probably wondering if I was lying, and then he would be thinking why I would lie and oh my god why do I know how he thinks?! I'm not obsessed with him. I'm not!
Connor walked in, he was limping slightly and I frowned at that, I didn't mean to hurt him, I mean we fell over, I didn't do it on purpose, he wouldn't let go. Louis muttered something to Connor and Connor looked over at me, and I frowned and looked away. Class started and I could finally focus on something else. Charms was one of my favourite subjects if I'm honest. I sighed when class ended, knowing it was break now and I was the first one to pack my stuff away and head out of the classroom. Louis and Connor walked out after me and Louis called over to me, I stopped automatically and turned, then remembered I wanted to avoid the blonde and made to keep walking, but again there was a hand on my arm, stopping me from going anywhere. I turned, sighing.
"You are going to tell me what's wrong right now, or we're gonna make you tell us." Louis said, letting go of my arm, guess he didn't know me as well as Connor. I turned and started to walk off again until I felt my arm being pulled again. "Oh no you don't!"
"I did warn you, he'd walk off." Connor muttered to Louis.
"Oh? You've been talking about me, have you?" I glowered at them both.
"We're just worried, Liam!" Louis sighed.
"What for?" I asked, looking away.
"You're being super-mean towards Connor and you're not the same, and you haven't been for a while." Louis explained. Had I really been that obvious?
"You wouldn't understand." I finally said, giving up on trying to walk away.
"Try me." Louis frowned.
I sighed, well it wasn't how I pictured it (Connor wasn't supposed to be here), but it was now or never.
"Remember back in first year...and some of 2nd year?" I started, still not looking at them.
"Uh...?" Louis asked, I chanced at look at them and noticed Connor was giving me a look that told me he knew what this was about now.
"You know how you used to follow me about...?" I continued.
"Uh yeah... I used to like you.." It hurt me to hear the words used to and I physically winced.
"Well last year I was thinking and over the summer I realised... that maybe after all this time, and I was probably just kidding myself back in in 2nd year... that I might actually like you back." I finished, not looking at Louis.
"...What?" Louis asked.
"You heard. But it's too late now."
"And You hate Connor now, because he's with me... That's why you keep fighting." Louis said, looking between us to, as I finally looked up.
I could see the hurt and confusion in his face and it was breaking my heart, I couldn't take it, I tugged my arm out of his slackened grip and ran, ran down the stairs, through the entrance hall and out into the grounds. There was no way I'd be able to face Louis or even Connor ever again. No chance.