CHAP 3: WISE FRIENDS AND RAINY MOMENTS

Cindy, Erica and Reese were sitting on their respective beds trying to come up with a plan of action for Willow.

Before I tell you what was happening in the room I'll give you a little introduction to these three.

Cindy Crawford was and still is Willow's most trusted best friend.

Blonde and blue-eyed Cindy was through and through a girly-girl.

How Willow and Cindy became friends no one knows.

She isn't the smartest girl in the world and wasn't very worried about her grades like her three friends.

Cindy spent a lot of time grooming herself than she spent studying.

She would have been one of the popular girls who were heartless and mean.

But Cindy and Willow shared only one thing in common which I'm guessing must have been their basis for a long-lasting friendship, they both have very strong principles.

Cindy had a big heart and was never afraid to stand up for someone.

She was overly romantic and extremely rich too.

She came from a powerful pure-blood family but loved muggles.

All in all, she was a sweet, pretty, nice and a not so smart girl.

Erica Wilbert unlike rest of the rest of the group had a burning passion for plants.

She had long, wavy red hair which she always wore in a knot mostly because she worked with plants.

She spent most of her time in the green houses if she wasn't with her friends or in class.

She was shy and very smart.

She had green eyes and was tanned after spending a lot of time outside.

Erica came from a normal muggle family that lived in London. Both her parents were doctors and her brother was studying to become one.

Over all Erica was a wonderful person.

The fourth and final member of the group was Reese Danielle.

Reese had the looks of a model.

She was tall and skinny and she could fit into any piece of clothing.

Her sharp features and charming smile would get her in a magazine in a no time.

At the same time she ate somewhat like a troll which worried her friends and invited the jealousy of many other girls at Hogwarts.

When she grew up she wanted to be a healer, for which she worked very hard.

She had pitch black hair that fell till her shoulders in layers.

Her eyes were a startling shade of grey.

Reese was a half-blood. Her mother was a muggle engineer and her father worked as a healer at Mungo's.

She was smart, funny and level-headed and the one who kept the four of them grounded.

She was also the first one of them to find herself a boyfriend, one that she intended to marry when out of Hogwarts and who was he?

This will be wonderful news, Willow's older brother.

Willow's brother Damien was older than the four of them by a year.

Now out of Hogwarts he had quickly followed in his father's footsteps and joined his Dad in the Magical Law enforcement Department.

Anyway, more about him later.

Willow our protagonist had a major crisis as you all know.

She needed to find herself a boy who was like James but wasn't James.

Confused? Trust me, we all are.

When she had called on the four of them to help her they had asked her for the whole story why she suddenly wanted a boyfriend.

Which I'm not going to repeat just so you know.

But it involved her fear that she'd grow up and die all alone, the story got whackier and whackier as it went.

Halfway through it the three girls had reached a conclusion, Willow was in love with James but was too dumb to see it.

And when she had said "So I want a boy like James"
They had all been so confused that Willow thought that she had suddenly grown three heads.

That leads to what was happening now.

The three of them sat around the dormitory trying to find a solution to Willow's problem.

There was no reasonable solution to say the truth.

Erica snapped her finger "Let's have a competition and James will judge!"
The other three turned to look at Erica.

Willow played with her brown hair waiting expectantly for Erica's explanation.

Cindy crossed her legs and asked "Explain?"

Erica rolled her eyes "We'll select a few blokes and tell James about them, James will choose who is most like him and we'll have Willow's perfect match"

Reese smiled "That's a good idea actually"

Willow asked, her blue eyes nervous "Are you sure?"

Cindy shrugged grinning "It's worth a shot, it'll be romantic too"

Reese sighed "So do we tell all the boys about the competition?"
Cindy and Erica answered at the same time "NO!"

Silence filled the room.

Cindy and Erica exchanged a look.

Cindy started "Look, we'll do an internal competition, none of the boys should know. Not even James, once we get an idea of which blokes are perfect, we'll randomly ask him to pick one. That way no one will suspect anything"

Erica added "After he does pick one we'll go about trying to set Willow up with the boy"

Willow's eyebrows rose "Wow, I don't know"
Cindy had a sly smirk on her face "Come on, say yes"
Willow thought for a minute "Um…alright"

Reese said "I like the plan but we have to be very careful"

Cindy and Erica high-fived each other.

In the next few days the four girls were very busy.

One afternoon in the library they sat around the table discussing the matter.

Reese had a quill and parchment ready.

Erica whispered "Let's make a list of the qualities we need to search for"

And then they got down to it.

Cindy said "He needs to be a Gryffindor student"

Reese jotted it down.

Erica said "Seventh year"

Reese wrote that down.

Willow said "Tall, six foot two inches precisely"

Reese scribbled on the parchment.

Cindy giggled "He should be fit, you know…"

She trailed off.
Reese smiled and put it down.

Reese suggested "A Quidditch player, a chaser preferably"

The other three nodded.

Willow said "Ooh! Ooh! He has to have black hair…"

Erica caught on "Brown eyes!"
Cindy got warmed up "A good flirt"
Reese held her hand up for them to stop and wrote it all down.

Reese asked Willow "Good humor?"
Willow nodded smiling.

Erica raised her hand "I know, charming!"

Cindy slapped her hand "Shut up before someone hears you"
Erica glared at Cindy.

Cindy turned to Reese "Write down love for food"

Reese nodded.

Willow suggested "Loud-mouthed"
And so it went

"Even tempered"
"Nice smile"
"Annoying"

"Prankster"

"Protective"
"Caring"

"Lovely!"

And that's when all eyes turned to Willow.

Now wasn't this awkward?

All they could hear was the ruffling of pages, whispers from the other tables, scraping of chairs and the scratching of quills.

Reese raised one slender eyebrow "Lovely?"

Willow was blushing like she'd die any second.

She said quietly "I didn't mean to say it"

Cindy giggled "Got carried away, typical"

Erica shook her head "I still don't get why you don't go after James himself, it's so much easier"

Willow glared at them "I can't, because I don't love him. I love a boy who is exactly like James but that person is not James"

The other three exchanged exasperated looks.

Reese asked uncertainly "uuuh Willow? You do realize that none of what you said made any sense right?"

That set her off "It does make sense, you three are just too dumb to see it!"

She crossed her arms and pouted like a little girl.

Cindy put a hand on her shoulder "There comes a point in every girl's life when they are confused and smitten by love"

Willow turned to look at her with an expression of confusion and bewilderment.

Cindy said wisely "You won't understand if you see things as it is, you have to look beneath the surface. It might not seem like you love James, and you think you love a boy like James but you'll find out one day what the truth is"

Willow asked mesmerized "What is the truth?"

Cindy answered "Only you can answer your own question. But the truth is for you to discover over the course of time."

Erica whispered to Reese "When did she become so wise?"

Reese whispered back "No idea"

Willow looked so enthralled by what Cindy said she asked "Are you sure?"

Cindy replied "That is for you to choose, you can believe me if you want and you can ignore me if you like. I only say what I know and what I've seen, whether you believe me or not is for you to decide"

Willow was so drawn into what Cindy told her that she started wonder, Is she right? Do I really love James? Or do I not? What's the truth? She says only I can answer that? Discover the truth? Do I believe her?

Willow blinked and then stood up pushing her chair back "Thank you Cindy"

Cindy smiled.

Willow turned to the other two "Scrap the competition, I'm going to discover the truth.

Erica's eyebrows rose and then she asked "Sure?"
Reese's mouth was hanging open and she was frowning.

It was a little comical to look at her face.

Willow said "I'll see you three at dinner"
She left.

Erica asked "Cindy? How did you do that?"

Cindy shrugged "There's a local seer near my house, I've seen her with her customers, she talks like that. I just used a few tricks I learnt"

Reese laughed "I think Willow is going to die of confusion. I hope she realizes her feelings before the century ends"

Cindy said "Time will sort it out. Souls that are meant to be together will entwine and worlds that are meant to stay apart will forever stay apart. Confusion will sow the seeds of love and as time goes it'll grow to touch the skies. Patience will bring the results"

Erica told her "Okay you have to stop doing that"

Reese on the other hand asked "You mean that she'll realize her love for him and all we have to do is wait?"

Erica slapped a hand to her fore-head.

Cindy smiled "I only said what I know, the meanings of my sentences are abundant. It is your choice to choose what meaning you please"

Erica said "For the love Merlin, stop it!"

Reese looked enthralled "You're really good"

Cindy nodded "I've been working on it for a long time, want to hear more?"

Erica threatened them both before Reese was able to give her consent.

"If this goes on I'll behead both of you, it's nice to hear that and all but you have to stop"

The other two shut up but Cindy muttered "Kill joy"

Erica rolled her eyes.

James was whistling as he walked through the corridor.

He was thinking of Halloween.

Ah the candy!

Don't you love Halloween? So do I.

And apparently so did James.

James looked out of the big windows at the cloudy sky and then at the black lake.

Trust the weather to ruin a happy person's mood.

James saw a person walking towards the lake.

It was a girl.

It was a brown-haired girl, a fit brown-haired girl in James's opinion.

Wait a second, why did that girl look familiar?
Help him god, please help him.

The brainless git moved closer to the window his whistling ended and he saw Willow.

He then shook his head "Stupid girl, it's going to rain cats and dogs and she's out there going to the lake"

He walked quickly towards the entrance hall and then made his way to the lake.

He found Willow sitting there talking to herself.

She was talking quietly.

To hear better he moved behind a tree and listened carefully.

"I don't understand, why does everybody keep thinking that I am wrong? Oh, I'm so confused! Stupid love, stupid stupid love. I have no idea how people think it's so cool to like someone and date them. It's bloody pain in the arse, that's what it is"

She paused to take a deep breath.

He watched amused and amazed at her ease and her comfort in talking to herself.

"I wish everything could be like it was before, I hate seventh year. First my career and now this. Although I don't mind the career so much. I should just go to the mountains and stay there for the rest of my life. Yeah, I'll do that. But my nightmare will come true, I'll be all alone and I do need grandkids….uuuugh! I hate life! I need to eat something, merlin I'm so mad, I need food!"

James chuckled to himself, he knew that Willow had a habit of eating when she felt angry, sad and depressed.

He listened.

"What the bloody hell is the truth? Damn it! Why is it raining!"

Okay, don't worry she didn't go insane she was yelling at the rain because it was coming down just like James said it would.

There are very few times in the year when what James says comes true.

James standing behind the tree didn't know what to do.

Willow said "You know what I don't give a shit! I'll sit here and get drenched! It doesn't matter, maybe I'll get pneumonia and I'll die! Won't that be fun!"

James decided it was time to reveal himself.

He came out from behind the tree "I don't think so"

Willow jumped and looked at him, her face was priceless.

James grinned.

Willow glared at him "You git! You gave me a heart attack"

James went and sat beside her, for some weird reason he though she looked irresistible at that moment.

Her hair was plastered to her face and her clothes were soaked and her shirt was almost transparent.

He marveled how the rain drops slid down her cheek and fell to the grass, how her eyelashes caught the rain drops and how the rain brought out the blue in her eyes.

While he was fantasizing, Willow was not far behind.

According to her he looked gorgeous in the rain.

His shirt's sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his collar button was open and she loved the way his Adam's apple moved when he swallowed.

She found his hair falling into his eyes dripping wet very enticing and the way the water dripped down the length of his nose.

If you asked her to recite the alphabets in that second, she wouldn't be able to.

James snapped out of his reverie trying to shake off the crazy thoughts that had flooded his head.

He asked "What brought you here, heard you talking to yourself?"

Willow asked "Huh?"
She was still looking at his Adam's apple while it moved when he spoke.

Then she realized what she was doing "Oh….um! I…..I….I don't remember"

She blushed, and the blush did scary things to James's heart and stomach.

James asked breathing heavily "Why don't you remember?"

This conversation was insane.

Willow said pushing her hair behind her ear "I came here because I was frustrated about something"

James moved closer to her and asked "What 'something'?"

Willow found herself moving closer to him too "Just something"

Is anybody following their conversation?

The corner of James's mouth tilted upwards into a half-smile.

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me"

Willow asked "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

He took a long time to answer "Sometimes"

Willow looked like she was offended for a second and then sighed "I thought so too"

James asked "What career did you choose?"

Willow's eyes twinkled "Writing"

James's eyebrows rose "That's different"

Willow nodded smiling "I'm really happy, just you wait, I'll work for a newspaper and I'll be publishing books and…."

He put a hand on her shoulder "I'm glad you picked it"

Willow was very aware of his hand on her shoulder.

She put her hand on his "Thanks"

Willow then thought back to what Cindy said, could she really love him?
Was this love?

If this was love then, wow, it was pretty cool and not to mention scary.

She smiled and James asked "What are you smiling about?"

Willow laughed "I don't know"

she shook her head still smiling.

James was even more confused.

Then he asked "What's wrong with you?"

Willow answered "I don't know"

Wow! She could really be stupid at times couldn't she?

James laughed "You're weird"

Willow would have hit him, but what she did was weirder she hugged him.

James was so caught off guard that he didn't move at all.

Willow whacked him on the back "Oi! You're supposed to hug me back!"

James decided he would milk it for all it's worth and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Thunder sounded and lightning flashed above them.

Willow started crying.

Well that was Willow.

When James heard her sob, he asked "Willow? Are you crying?"

He didn't understand what was going on, one minute she's laughing and the next she starts crying.

Willow said sobbing "Yes I'm crying you idiot! What did you think I was doing!"

Okay so we know that she's not lost her mind completely.

James tried to pull away, but she had him in death grip, she cried "Don't you dare let me go James"

She was crying very hard now, when she said it she had lost the anger.

She sounded so helpless.

She said "I'm so confused….so bloody confused"

James asked, his voice cracking "About what?"

She didn't answer the question "Sometimes….sometimes…I-I think that…I've got everything….but then suddenly everything comes crashing down on me. I-I don't want to ….b-be….stupid….I don't…know what to do?"

James said "You're not stupid"

She punched him "Don't lie!"

James sighed "You're not stupid Willow, you might be a lot of things but stupid isn't one of them"

She stayed silent, she liked his tone, she liked the soothing way in which he spoke.

It calmed her.

James continued "What's bothering you willow? What is making you feel like this?"

She couldn't tell him, it would be lame.

And not to mention awkward.

She said "Everything"

James rolled his eyes "If you're not going to tell me I can't help you"

Willow sighed "Answer my question, you think I can find someone who loves me, you think I'll get a boyfriend?"

James didn't know how to answer her question.

He asked "what do you mean?"

She had stopped crying but she wouldn't let him go just yet.

"I mean, is there someone out there for me? Is there someone out there who'll love me more than anything in this world?"

James felt his world spin "I-I don't know, probably there is"

Willow asked "Is there someone you love James?"

James thought for a second "No, not yet"

Willow asked another question "When you do love someone will you tell me who?"

James smiled "I will, first thing I'll do is tell you before I tell anybody else"

Willow pulled away from him slowly.

She asked him "If we don't find anybody then what will we do?"

James's arms felt empty without her in them and his heart felt lonely without hers beating next to his.

Willow waited for him to answer her.

He took her hand "We'll still have each other"

Willow smiled, she liked the idea of James and her staying together.

She squeezed his hand "I'd like that"

James grinned.

They stood up and started walking towards the castle.

The rain crashed over them but they didn't really care.

While she walked willow slipped on a wet patch of grass, James caught her instinctively and said "Careful"

Willow blushed "Thanks"

Somehow the rest of the way to the castle, they held hands and they didn't even realize it.

Clueless, hopelessly clueless the two of them.

Who knew that there were three sixteen-year olds watching them walk back from one of the windows?

And who knew that there were three girls smiling at them from the window in the library?

Well at least the two of them had well-wishers.

Hurry up and fall in love already!

AN: Another late update!

But, I am proud of this chapter.

I will update soon from now on.

All you have to do is review.

Thanks for reading!

SPHP20896:)