"Jude!" I heard someone yell my name during breakfast in the Great Hall. I turned around, rubbing my eyes, trying to expel the last remnants of sleep from my head. Callie waved and took a seat next to me, her red and gold tie clashing with the other green and silver ties around us.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Moms need you to sign these papers." She answered, giving me a brief side hug and sliding a small stack of papers in front of me.

"What for?" I asked as she handed me a pen.

"I'm not sure, but it has something to do with the adoption."

I perked up suddenly. Anything to do with the adoption automatically put me in a good mood. "Okay!" Uncapping the pen, I signed the papers eagerly, scribbling my signature along all the indicated dotted lines.

As I was signing, Callie asked me a question. "You ready for this?"

I rolled my eyes and smiled, nudging her with my shoulder. "Of course I'm ready to be adopted. It's too far away though." I added, picking up the now signed papers and handing them to her.

"I know." She took them, agreeing with me, before her gaze flickered down to my hand. "Hey, what's that on your nails?"

My gaze flickered to my blue nails as I answered reluctantly. "Just some nail polish. Mariana did them." Callie wasn't the biggest fan of me doing stuff that was… out of the ordinary. I bit my lip and waited for her response, hoping she wouldn't blow up at me.

"Just, make sure you take it off before you go to class, alright?" She took my hand into her own. "I don't want you getting beat up-"

"I can take care of myself, Callie." I snapped, pulling my hand out of her grip. She opened her mouth to retaliate before Brandon walked over to us. He gave me a brisk wave in greeting and tapped Callie's shoulder.

"Callie, an emergency just came up. Two prefects are having a fight. Third floor corridor." Brandon said.

Callie got up from the Slytherin table, turning to me. "I have to go Jude. I'll see you later, yeah?" She asked, raising her eyebrows as a silent request for a truce.

I sighed. "Yeah." I answered. She smiled and turned on her heel, pulling Brandon down the hallway by the wrist. As they left, I noticed her intertwine their fingers, holding his hand for longer than necessary.

What the heck was that about?

I hang out in the Gryffindor common room pretty often. It's nice, cozy, and in the middle of pretty much the whole school which means it's fairly easy to get to. Connor and I usually do our homework there. Actually, we usually don't end up getting much work done… We usually just goof off.

"I hate charms!" Connor groaned, waving his wand around wildly, emitting an exasperated sigh.

"I love charms!" I said brightly, performing our assigned charm perfectly on the first try. He fake-glared at me and I beamed back, letting out a small laugh.

"It's so hard." He complained, trying to do the spell for the third time and failing miserably. Needless to say, Connor's strong suit wasn't charms.

I tried to give him a pep talk. "Oh come on, Connor there's nothing to it! All you have to do is flex your wrist during your wand moments and you've got it." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He waved his wand again in a circular motion, similar to what we were suppose to be doing, but not exactly correct. "Like this?" He questioned as he did the movement.

I chuckled and shook my head. "No, like this."

I took his hand into my hand and guided him into doing the correct arm movement. Butterflies started fluttering madly in my stomach. I made the mistake of looking up at his face; he caught my gaze and I blushed madly, realizing I had probably been holding his hand for longer than necessary.

Connor seemed unaffected by my slip up. "Thanks." He said gratefully, and preformed the spell correctly. He breathed out a sigh of relief and grinned.

"No problem." I responded, turning away so he couldn't see the blush that probably still covered my face.

"Oh shoot!" Connor exclaimed, looking at the time, "I'm late for Quidditch warm-ups! See you at the game, Jude!"

"Bye!" I chuckled as he frantically gathered up his stuff and ran out of the library.

I shook my head fondly and chuckled, watching him race out of the library. After I studied for about twenty more minutes, I started to pack up my own stuff. Picking up all of my books, I left the library to go back to the Slytherin common room. My plan was to drop off my stuff there before heading to the game to support my best friend.

My best friend who now had a girlfriend.

Why did I think this year would be any different than last year? Or the year before that? This is going to be just another 365 days of pining over Connor while he dates a new girl every month.

I sighed and snapped out of my train of thought as I heard cold, obnoxious laughing behind me.

Shit. Please tell me it's not Blake.

I glanced over my shoulder, my gaze flitting across the boy that had tormented me since first year. And he brought his sidekick Jeremy with him. I paled and quickly looked forward, my heart starting to beat out of my chest. Maybe if I didn't say anything they wouldn't notice me-

"Hey princess, where's your boyfriend?" I heard Jeremy yell from behind me, his voice sounding closer than he had been when I glimpsed at him. I started to walk a little faster before I felt a rough tug on my wrist that sent me flying into a wall, my back connecting with the stone with a loud thump.

I grimaced, but tried not to show weakness. "Leave me alone." I said, sounding stronger than I felt. I looked around the hallway for someone to back me up, but the corridor was empty. Everyone must be at the Quidditch game already.

Blake grabbed my hand, "Look at his nails!"

"What, are you wearing a bra too?" Jeremy jeered.

I tore my hand from his grip and pressed myself against the wall. "Why don't you just grow up!" I said, taking a step forwards and shoving Blake backwards.

He growled. "You little bitch!" He took me by the front of my robes and shoved me back against the wall. I felt my heart clench with fear as they sneered at me.

"It's people like you who disgust me." Blake growled threateningly.

"People like me?"

"Fags." He spat the word out, making a disgusted face. My heart dropped. So even Blake's figured it out. He sneered at me. "Creeping up on us, checking us out... It's disgusting."

Trying to show a little bit of resilience, I scoffed. "Please, you're the last person I would ever consider attractive-" I said.

I was cut off by a swift punch to the face.

I let out a cry as pain blossomed over the left side of my face. Damn, Blake really knew how to throw a punch. I brought my hand to the tender area, touching it softly to assess the damage. It stung like a b-

"See you around, Princess." I heard Blake yell as he started laughing cruelly, his chuckles echoing around the hall; Jeremy followed closely behind him, copying his dark laugh. I stood there in shock for a few moments before heading to the Slytherin common room, clutching my books in one hand, and my bruised cheek in the other.

I hissed as I brought the ice pack to my face, trying to reduce the swelling. I walking down the hallway, coming back from the library; I had been trying to look for a spell that would reduce or cover the bruise, however I didn't have any luck. I guess I could go to the hospital wing, but that would be embarrassing… Plus, that way I'd have to tell someone who gave me the bruise…

"Hey Jude!" I heard a voice yell from behind me, which I instantly recognized as Connor's.

My stomach seized in fear. How was I going to hide this bruise? What excuse can I use for missing his first Quidditch game other than telling him the lame truth?

"Where were you? You missed the game!" He said, irritation clear in his tone. I bit my lip. Well… he's going to figure out eventually. Might as well be now. I turned around slowly and heard him gasp as soon as he caught sight of my face. "What the hell- What happened to you?" He questioned, moving closer to look at my bruise.

"I-uh, fell down some stairs." I said weakly, trying to make a cover story.

Connor furrowed his eyebrows. "Bullshit." He muttered, reaching out to trail his thumb lightly over the bruise. I winced; Connor looked at me, worry written across his face. "Come on, I'm taking you to the infirmary."

"N-no, I'm fine..." I insisted, "It's just a bruise."

A moment of silence passed. "Who the hell did this to you?" He asked, a growl deep in his voice.

"Who do you think?"

He didn't even have to think about it. "Blake and Jeremy." He answered, his voice gravelly and intense. We sat in silence for a few moments; him, in anger, and I, in pain.

Without another word, Connor stalked off down the hallway, seemingly on a mission. "Connor!" I called out, trying to keep up with him, but loosing him as he rounded the corner.

I hope he doesn't do anything too irrational.