The Episode - The Beautiful One

James sat on under the beech tree, his arms wrapped lovingly around Venus. Although smoking a cigarette, she was a beautiful as ever, her beautiful brown eyes roaming around the grass, taking in the sunset . I might start smoking, he thought. That would impress her, probably make her like me even more. We'd share another common interest. Along with music, alcohol, sex and…and love. Venus flicked her cigarette away and snuggled further into James' chest. His stomach gave a leap and instantly he felt elated, ecstatic, euphoric. He was on top of the world! How stupid Sirius was to think that Venus would ever hurt him! She was perfect, she was beautiful, she was a goddess. And he would never let her go.

Days passed. James couldn't stop thinking about her. She was there in his dreams, his waking life, his afterthoughts and generally in his mind. When he saw her in the corridor and she didn't hug him, he'd feel depressed and down, but just a minute later she'd blow him a kiss from the line for Transfiguration and life was good again. Venus was just teasing him, and he liked being teased. She fascinated him, enthralled him, entranced him. They would be together forever, forever and a day more likely.

Oh course, there were trials in love. As James was about to find out. Venus approached him, her beautiful body clad in the ugly Hogwarts uniform. Uniform should be banned James thought. They didn't let you admire the feminine beauty of the one you love. She was right in front of him. 'Erm, James. I need to talk to you. No, don't speak, it's easier for me just to say this. Erm, I was drunk the other night, and…well, I kinda cheated on you…look I'm really sorry, I still love you, I really do. It was an honest mistake. I didn't know what I was doing.' James felt as if his world was falling apart around him, he felt sick, he felt betrayed. He couldn't quite believe it. Was she teasing him like usual? Her expression was serious though. Usually there was a pretty little twinkle in her eye… 'Wha'? I don't understand, are you joking?'

'No, I'm serious. I'm really sorry James, I don't want to hurt you.'

'Ok…well, what made you do it? I don't understand…I mean, I would never cheat on you…I suppose. Who did you go with?'

'Janus Thickey.'

James gulped the cold air, feeling his voice break as he spoke, 'You still do love me don't you?'

'Yes, I love you more than anything in the world.'

She said it. She said she loved me more than anything in the world. She cheated on me yeah, but she still loves me. It was an honest mistake, she was drunk. I still love her…Maybe I'm not good enough in bed for her, maybe I need to take lessons in snogging…I mean, she cheated on Sirius and he's had loads of experience. I must be an amateur compared to him…Sirius must never find out, he'd gloat about it, pretend he's better than me when he's not. Demand an apology even. No way am I mentioning it… James resolved to keep silent on the issue.

James walked into the dormitory. He was still somewhat shocked, but a walk in the cold outside had frozen his emotions. Sirius looked up. He had a tentative expression on his face, as if he had something to tell, which he would rather not. James had a feeling he knew exactly what that something was…

'Where have you been?' Sirius sounded nervous, perhaps because he hadn't talked to James in about a week. 'I've been with Venus.' James quickly replied. Realising he needed to account for the fact he was shivering he added, 'We went for a walk, it's a bit cold out there.'

Sirius raised an eyebrow. 'I would have thought Venus would provide enough body heat to keep you warm.'

James felt himself blush. 'She hasn't got much body fat you know. Therefore there isn't much body heat to go round.'

'Yeah, she must have so little body fat she's invisible. I saw you walking up to the entrance hall alone.'

James felt anger rise within him. 'You were spying on me? What right do you have to do that?'

'I see more than you think James. And anyway, I wasn't spying on you, I just happened to look out of the window and see you there, alone. Which means you are lying to me.'

'Just leave me alone you jealous twat.'

'Jealous? James, I'm not jealous of someone who's going out with a serial cheater. You do realise she's cheated on you, don't you?' Sirius looked a mix of angry and anxious.

James felt the heat which had temporarily disappeared in his anger flood back onto his face. 'Sirius, I've told you before, Venus would never cheat on me. I trust her. Just stop making up shit to split us up!'

'It's not shit James. And the sooner you realise that, the sooner you'll realise what she is.'

'Well, if it's true then thank you for telling me. You're a real friend.'

'No problem.' And with that Sirius yanked his four poster bed curtains shut.

'How dare he try and tell me about you cheating on me!' James was pacing around an empty classroom, bitching about Sirius and his cheek. 'He's trying to split us up I know it!'

'Just ignore him,' Venus said in her smoothest, most soothing voice. 'He's not worth the trouble. It's just his way of showing how jealous he is because you spend more time with me than him. He'll get used to it.'

She placed a delicate kiss on his cheek and made her way down to his neck. James felt the familiar fluttery sensation as her hands caressed him, making their way down his torso. Their lips met and they kissed. 'Anyway,' Venus whispered into his ear, 'I think you deserve better than him.'

Sirius was sitting next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Despite acquiring the best seats in the room through the blatant bullying of first years, he was not in the best of moods. Naturally, his mind was occupied with the problems of his best friend. Or should he say 'his once best but now non-existent acquaintance'? Remus, who was busy struggling with his Transfiguration homework, kept glancing up, sending worried glances at Sirius, whose expression made him look like he was planning murderer. Finally, Remus gained the courage to speak. 'He'll come round. He'll realise what she's doing.' Sirius scoffed, 'Only when she's hung, drawn and quartered him and left him for dead. He's obsessed Remus; I'm fed up of him! I'm not sure I'm going to even tell him about the party we're having on Saturday - he doesn't deserve to be invited. He ignores us all in the corridors, on account of Venus telling him to do so I expect, all he does is gaze at the fricking bitch continuously and when she cheats on him he doesn't believe anyone. He's totally in her possession.'

Remus put down his pen with a sigh. This comment he'd heard every day since…well he'd heard it so much he couldn't remember the first time. He prepared himself for the usual answer. 'Sirius, it's James' life. He can do what he wants. He chose to go out with her. If she cheats on him, it's their problem not ours. Eventually, he'll have to cope with the consequences of going out with her and when he does we'll be there to support him and show what real friends do.'

Sirius made a face. 'There's no way I'm helping that idiot. He deserves what he gets and he can sort it out his bloody self. He should listen to us in the first place. I told him not to go out with her. But does he listen? No, he's too bloody besotted with the slut.'

'Just leave him to it. He has to learn.'

'I don't see how you can be in love at our age anyway. No experience.'

'Stop chuntering.'

'I'm not chuntering, I'm making a point.'