A/N: Hi, everyone! Feels so good to be back! Umm, well, quite frankly I don't like it. I know I took a while to get this one done but when I was feeling guilty, one of my amazing friends said: "Rome wasn't built in a day and neither should the epitome of sexy." (lol). And so I dedicate this chapter to her for being there through out the process and because we both worship the "finer things" in life (lol). Now let's get you reading!
Disclaimer: Characters you recognize are not mine but J.K Rowlings. And Dominic, Jill, Tom and Andrew are a figment of my imagination but are very much alive to me.
Chapter 4: The Lions of Gryffindor
Dear Diary,
I'm sick. I can't move. I can't hear what the professors say or do my homework. I can't see. I can't think. And I definitely can't walk in the corridors anymore. Some thing's happened to me, something I promised I'd never allow. It's the same symptoms, the same signs all the other girls had. It's pathetic, I'm absolutely fine but I'm making myself sick. I know I can stop this but I won't because while it's pointless, you can't choose who you're attracted to. Yes, you guessed right, his cupid's got me in a chokehold.
I hate myself. After all that effort I've become just like them. I'm just another girl cutting in line for a boy who is well aware of the number ready to jump off the north tower for him. He knows. He knows there are girls, like me, who deny it all we can at first but at the end we stare at him like brainless clones. We notice everything he does and want to know everything about him, read everything about him. We exist in the masses. A number of giggling, ogling, grinning idiots with annoying ways of saying "hi". You'll find one of us in every corridor, in every room, in every damn country. It's unbelievably pathetic.
Now, even though I am somewhat similar to those girls, I'm not them. I never will be. Because I'm neither mindless nor foolish. I'll never giggle when I see him. And as always, I'll notice him for anything but his outsides. It always fascinates me to see him act like he's one of us when he's treated like royalty. He walks the corridors with the right amount of confidence but never like he owns the place. He could, after all, it was because of his father that Hogwarts is open today. So, when they talk about his arms, I'll be wondering what he's thinking. That part of me will never change. If there's one thing I pride myself of, it's that I have a good head on my shoulders, I'm smart. But that's just it! Just as he doesn't fall under the stupid jock-types, he attracts not only the dim girl but he makes girls like me lose it too. Girls like me don't fall head over heals. And while I accept that I'll never have him, they will keep their unrealistic wishes and desires and continue being delusional. I don't even have to pursue him and I know that. But they tried…and they'll keep trying.
They tried to tame water when they went to tame him. But they forgot. Water can never be tamed. You can contain it but you can never tame it. It was a fact they came across when they attempted the impossible, when they tried to tame the very lion of Gryffindor.
But when would these girls learn? That it would take more than their regular selves to capture an extraordinary thing like him. That no matter how short their skirts got, he wouldn't take a second look at them. That even the most appealing girls only secured two minutes in his mind and then you'd wonder if he even remembered their names.
But those girls aren't completely to blame. It had been long since Hogwarts had awoken to the days of James Potter and Sirius Black, as I heard Hagrid say. The days of constant sensation and upheaval were thought to be lost. But that was until he arrived. So what did he do to single handedly resurrect those days? …Nothing. Hogwarts never had someone like him; he was different from those who seemed like him. He walked apart from them. They could never be the refined heartthrob he was. Why? Because they weren't Dominic Potter.
How many came with a walk that could generate an earthquake around a mile's radius? How many had hair so dark and stubborn and yet perfect enough to want your fingers run loose in them? How many came with the strange allure in his exotic bottle green eyes? How many had a laugh like symphony? How many of them came with a physic good enough to study inch by inch?
None. There is only one Dominic Potter.
Only one who could combine suave with a little bit of wildness. No one could be so conceited and yet so humble. No one was quite the joker and yet still so determined to reach his goals. Only he who broke rules when he deemed it fit. Only one could be a god in the eyes of many and still be common to everyone.
Although, those qualities and sides to him were known after, almost everyone came to Hogwarts already knowing about Dominic Potter. His life so far had been chronicled in several books and taken up many pages on the Daily Prophet over the years. He may have built his popularity but his fame was made before he opened his eyes.
Born on the 21st day of March to Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, little Dominic really needed no introduction. His fame was accredited by people who were currently at the top of their own games. People would address him as: The son of Ginny Potter; co-owner of Orabelle, one of the first and few women galleon-aires or, the nephew of Ronald Weasley; star Keeper of the English Quidditch Team. But the one introduction that needed no further explanation was: The son of Harry Potter. Full stop. That introduction was the reason why he was unofficially dubbed the prince of the magical world.
He was a star, a winner, a little bit of a maverick, too much of a daredevil and was also referred to as a heartbreaker by some magazines. He was said to be many things that would flatter a boy of 16 but he also had his share of criticism. The world wanted to know him and after the publishing of many books, it would seem that no detail of Dominic Potter was left out. But Dominic would laugh at what they perceived as the truth or him. And so would his close friends. I've seen them guffaw at the lies. The truth didn't lay in those magazines or the dry pages of the Daily Prophet; it lay with Jill Green, best friend and 'brother' to Dominic.
Their friendship was born on platform nine and three quarters, since they were inseparable after they got off the train. Apparently, she was a feisty little girl Dominic saw corner two boys single handedly, or so I was told. Their passion for mischief and Quidditch led them to become the inevitable friends they are today. There is not one person he trusts more than Jill. She was found where ever Dominic was; they were inseparable. Besides his family, it was clear that Jill is whom he cared of the most. He defended her and dueled anyone who insulted her.
Jill is in a position more than half the girls in the school would die for and I must admit I'm included in the list. "Who is she?! What does she have that I don't?!" aggravated girls would ask their friends.
Jill was different. She herself didn't understand why there was such jealousy, she didn't have anything those girls didShe wasn't rich or beautiful or had a desire to be popular (or liked for that matter). In fact, she wasn't even a girl. After knowing Jill for these many years, even Dominic had come to the conclusion that Jill was anything but a girl. Besides the fact that she hated boys as much as she hated girls, everything else made her a boy. She hated make-up, clothes that were fitting or short, she hated gossip; she hated girls and she hated everything that makes a person a girl. It made her cringe and scared.
Clearly, Dominic can't see Jill in any other way. She is his brother. Yes, he could tell that it was, in fact, a girl with a slightly bigger chest standing in front of him but I don't think his eyes could ever carry the message to his brain. It just refused to view her that way. And so he tackles her like he would any of his mates. And that's why Jill likes Dominic so much; he treats her the way she wants to be treated, like any other boy. A boy packaged in slightly long brown hair, brown eyes top-bordered with long, thick lashes, soft, slightly tanned skin and a slim body in an overtly big uniform.
Unlike some lads who would tell Dominic what he wanted to hear so they could be associated with him, Jill told him like it was. She was frank and didn't treat Dominic like he was a prince or anything that important for that matter. I believe it gives him that 'down to earth' nature of his. They're like Batman and Robin but it's Jill who's Batman….Oh look, I'm sitting right outside class and here comes Jill in an un-tucked shirt, rolled up sleeves, loosened tie and a large skirt. She never cared what anyone thought and I always admired that about her. She's looking left and right, I think she's looking for someone and I bet you a million galleons, its Dominic…
Oh no, I've just remembered I had to meet Jenny at the library. We have to work on our Potions essay. I'll have to continue this some other time. Bye for now.
- Shelby...
Jill sifted through everyone in the corridor but still no sign of him. She was about to give up and check the Great Hall when she saw Jimmy.
"Jimmy, wait!" she yelled to stop him. She heard him say good bye to his friends as she approached him. She stopped in front of him and tried to catch her breath.
"Jimmy, have…have you seen Dom… anywhere?" She asked him panting.
"Ahh, yes. Tell me, Jill. How many years have you been Dominic's best friend?" Jimmy asked her as he put his arm around her shoulders. They began to walk to the direction she just came from.
"Six?" Jill said, puzzled.
"Then how is it that you haven't adopted THE method to track Dominic Potter?" Jimmy asked a little surprised.
"What method? There's a method to track Dom? " Jill asked, still puzzled.
Jimmy sighed. "Yes, there is. Do what I do. Follow the giggles…" he said to her and then just walked off.
Jill stared at him. 'What the bloody hell was he talking about?' "Jimmy, seriously, if you've seen him, tell me. We have a very important practice today." She said after him.
"Just do what I said, Jill. Trust me, you'll find him in no time." Jimmy said without a look back at the frustrated Jill.
He turned at a corner and disappeared. Jill sighed with fatigue. But as the students vacated the corridor and silence became louder, she heard a soft giggle. Jill raised an eye brow. She walked further down the corridor and the 'giggle' became 'giggles'. She turned right and walked on; the giggles were getting louder and clearer. When she rounded the last corner and found the source of those giggles, she rolled her eyes and slumped against the wall.
Unbuttoned and un-tucked, hair like he just got out of bed, and loving every minute of attention he was getting, Dominic stood in a circle of about six girls. He was entertaining them with his jokes, which was why there was the occasional loud giggling and laughing. Jill shook her head; her friend was a very smart boy but she would never understand what it is that kept him tolerating the same brainless clones. The scene was bothering her by the second.
She cleared her throat. "Here, here, Romeo," She said in a very bored tone. "I believe we have Quidditch practice now." Jill watched as they all looked back at her while she still remained slumped on the wall with her arms folded, unflinching of the six dagger eyes being shot at her.
When Dominic heard her voice his eyes lit up but guilt was written all over his face. "Ahh, sorry, mate. Got held up." he picked up his bag in haste as Jill nodded.
"Clearly." Jill whispered while she rolled her eyes.
He moved through the circle of girls. "Nice talking to you ladies. I'll see you all later." He smiled nicely.
He was a few meters from Jill and had his back to the girls when Heather Hills stepped forward and gave Jill a menacing look. Jill looked her dead in the eye and smiled. Jill missed even more scowls when Dominic tugged her hand to pull her from the wall she was attached to. Jill rolled her eyes and sighed, what pathetic souls.
"I'm so sorry, Jill. I completely forgot." He said as they rushed through the corridors.
"Yes, well you would have remembered if you wouldn't surround yourself with such 'patheticness'" Jill said.
"I'm sorry, is that even a word?" Dominic chuckled.
"Yes, I just made it a word and don't try to change the subject." She warned.
"You know it's not like that, we're all just friends." Dominic shrugged. "Anyway, I found this new strategy from Uncle Ron for …"
Jill rolled her eyes but she knew better than to question his 'just friends' status with those people. He thought them to be just friends, they however hoped for something more. She also knew that he changed the subject because she never wanted to discuss 'his habits.' It said a lot about him. It said a lot more than what was true. The only reason Jill never said anything was because she knew the real him but after hearing it from many people, she couldn't deny that there was a part of him that came from James Potter himself.
She couldn't deny it when she knew it. Dominic liked the attention. He loved positive and flattering attention. But the biggest misconception about him was that he loved the girls too. Wrong; he could care less about the girls or what they could offer him; he loved being their center of attention though. Jill wished the world could see how he always shrugged them off. She just hated the fact that when people didn't see that, he proved a lot of people's theories with scenes like that; specifically Evangeline Malfoy's.
"So, you think it'll work?" Dominic asked.
"Huh?" Jill asked confused. She hadn't really heard a word he said. "Yeah…yeah, sounds great." She smiled.
Dominic looked at her. "What's wrong? You seem out of it."
She wouldn't say what she was really thinking about but she remembered something even more important. "Actually," she smiled excitedly, "it's quite the opposite. Dad wrote to me today…he says he'll be at the station to pick me up. We'll have a real Christmas… just like before." Jill said excitedly.
Dominic watched his friend's elated eyes. She had such eagerness for such a simple thing; to spend time with her dad. Dominic couldn't blame her. Jill came from a less than stable family. Her mom died from Cancer when she was only nine and her dad chose to make alcohol his new companion. John Green was alive, but barely. He was a good muggle man but he lived and slept with his bottles. He was already an addict when his wife's Cancer was at the final stage. After her death, he drowned himself in his only solace and forgot the little girl who didn't even have a teddy bear for some comfort.
John Green was a good man. He tried to undo his mistakes every now and then but his failures in life reminded him that it was too late. Jill never heard from him and even when she was home for the summer, he was hardly ever home. He loved her, she could tell. Every time she took him to his room, as he staggered, he would remorse over all the things he should have been able to provide for her.
But Jill didn't want anything. She cared little for the material things in the world. She just wanted to know her dad was alright and be able to spend time with him, be able to talk to him. But she wasn't given the chance since the night her mother died. When she saw her dad cry, it was quite possibly the most painful thing she experienced and she vowed never to cry. She had to be strong for him. One tear would kill what remained of her poor father.
There was more suffering and pain than Jill allowed the world to see, even to Dominic. He knew everything about her except much about her family. She refused to show him. She was un-touchable to him because there was nothing that could break her. She was his back-bone for every time he faltered.
"Well, thank Merlin! I was wondering when you'd leave my damn house...made it your bloody home!" He said as he got her in a head-lock. They both laughed as Jill tried to get out of the head-lock.
When she finally did, she asked him, "And you? Where did you disappear to this morning?"
"Oh." Dominic messed his hair. "I wrote to mom and dad about Slytherin winning. You know how dad gets when he doesn't get the news first thing in the morning. Although, news like Slytherin winning is news he'd rather never hear."
Dom and Jill were in conversation about new Quidditch strategies all the way to the pitch. Once there, their chatter died out abruptly when they realized no one was there but them.
"Alright, we'll just wait for them." Dom shrugged.
"What?" she looked around, "What! I specifically told them to be here at four! We cannot afford to slack off!" Jill stomped her feet.
"Calm yourself already! We could hear you rant a mile away." Tom informed them as he and Andrew walked into the pitch with the equipment.
Dom cheered as he saw his two other closest friends. Together, all four of them were known as the Lions of Gryffindor. Formed minutes after Dom met Jill on that first train ride to Hogwarts. Eleven and naïve, little did they know that they would become the most popular students in Hogwarts and magical England. Obviously, their friendship with Dom didn't go unknown. Their name was mentioned alongside Dom's when it came to describing his friends in the numerous publications.
Andrew Welling was a muggleborn who came from a middleclass family of Accountants. He was the quietest in the group and was considered the 'conscience' of the group because he usually knocked some sense into his friends when their antics got too far. A tall, strapping young man with warm brown eyes and short blond hair, he was. He seldom spoke to anyone but his 3 friends and was usually submerged in his thoughts or the poems he showed no one.
The last member of the group was Tom. Tom was the exact opposite to Andrew – loud and ever the joker. Born to a wizarding family, Thomas Hench grew to have clear blue eyes and brown short hair. He kept the group laughing and attempting all the things in Hogwarts listed as a 'no, no.'
Different, they were but they all loved one thing – Quidditch. No one else could compete when it came to Quidditch knowledge. These four knew everything! From the teams, each and every player, their signature moves, personal stories and scandals to every match that took place. It was obsession that pulled even Andrew in when he met them. He went from being oblivious about Quidditch to collecting posters of their favorite club, the Darting Dragons and everyone's favorite team, the English. Besides that, their love for adventure and fun allowed them to build a friendship that was firm. They were the only students in Hogwarts who thought themselves great enough to break rules for their enjoyment. It was this sometimes cocky, sometimes modest but always confident attitude of theirs that pulled people towards them.
They never cared for people's opinions or what impression they left on them. And as always, it was this oblivious and carefree nature of theirs that students found attractive. They were well aware of the fact that they pretty much owned the school. They could lead an army of three houses with Dominic. As they were loved by three of the houses, they were hated more by one. They were the protector's of those who fall prey to the Slytherin.
Dominic exchanged their famous handshake with Tom and Andrew while Jill went on. "What is wrong with you idiots? We're not on holiday anymore. Malfoy's taught them the most brutal and effective strategies, you saw yesterday! They're going to kill us. We need all the practice time we can get!"
"Merlin's croutons, Jill!" Tom laughed as the three boys lay on the grass, under a dark sky. "You're sounding more like Malfoy every day."
Jill showed him a murderous glare, "You want to die, don't you?"
"Alright, alright." Dom said, breaking up a possible murder plot in Jill's head. "We'll give it a couple of minutes."
Jill gave up and lay down beside them, taking a breath. There was nothing but silence and the whistling of the December wind.
"What was that?" Andrew asked incredulously, "What's with the silence? Why is no one talking?" Andrew knew that when he was quite, it was something worthwhile but if the other three were silent, they were concocting. "Dom, what's on your mind?"
Dominic was quite for a second and then said, "Well, last night I was going to the common room and Alice Florence gave me a small parchment saying 'meet me after dinner'…"
"Merlin's croutons, Dom, you're interested in her?" Tom had a queer look. "Mate, she's just not…erm…eww."
"No! No! Would you stop with his croutons and just listen to me?!" when Tom chuckled, Dom continued, "I read it and discarded it immediately. The problem is I don't know where. I don't know what happened to it and I have a very bad feeling about it…" Dom's voice droned away as realization struck him and he sat bolt up. "Merlin's croutons! Someone curse to oblivion!"
Tom laughed, "And you were telling me…"
"Why, what happened?" Andrew asked Dominic.
"Well, today morning, I had to write to dad about the match yesterday and I saw a clear parchment. I picked it up, wrote on it and sent it…I think that was it. I didn't check the other side was written on." He gulped.
After a second of silence, Tom, Andrew and Jill were rolling on the ground, laughing themselves silly.
"What is the matter with you lot?!" He asked outraged, "I'm going to be slaughtered this Christmas and you're laughing?"
"I can't agree with you more. You're mom will kill you, Dom. I can just see it." Jill went on laughing.
"De-croutonized, I say!" Tom declared. They rolled on their stomachs with hilarity. When Andrew saw a genuine worry in Dom, he eased his laughter. He was suddenly reminded of Mrs. Potter's anger.
"Cheer up, Dom. It could've been worse. Someone could have sent it to the Rachael Skeeter. Just explain to your mom." Andrew said.
"Oh yeah, I can just see the headlines: Dominic Potter, resident Casanova of Hogwarts." Tom joked.
Dom kicked him lightly and Tom stopped laughing and protested, "Hey, hey, she really did write that so take it up with her."
They were interrupted by 2 other team members, Angela Brooks and David Hobbs, as they walked towards them. Since Dom played Seeker, Tom and Angela played Chaser, Jill was their Keeper and David was the Beater, two were missing; Miles, the other chaser and Ben, the second Beater.
Dom raised an eyebrow and asked Angela, "Where's Ben and Miles?"
Angela stopped in stun in front of Dom and looked at Tom and Andrew. "You didn't tell him?!" she asked them.
"Tell me what?" Dom asked. "…and Angie, what happened to your nose?"
"Uhh…hehe" Tom and Andrew rushed beside Dom and took him aside. "Umm, there were a few umm incidents earlier today."
"What incidents?" Dom asked them cautiously.
"Three fights…with Slytherin." Tom whispered, scared.
He stared at them incredulously. "THREE? WITH SLYTHERIN?" He yelled and then rubbed his forehead with his palms. "I can clearly see how you forgot to mention this." He walked back to Jill, who was just as shocked after hearing it from Angela. He stared at them with his arms folded.
"I'm sorry, Dom." Angela pleaded, "But Carla hit me first. I couldn't let it go. Miles and Ben are back in their dorms. They got hexed up pretty bad. Alex Greer broke Miles' nose."
"Merlin…" Dom was silent as everyone gathered around; a thousand things ran through his mind. He suddenly laughed but didn't look amused. "I'm assuming you all forgot what's at stake." Angela looked down in shame. "I'm assuming this isn't my team because the team that I captain doesn't go past my orders. The team that I captain knows that if we get caught and taken to the headmistress's office one more time we will lose 300 points and we will be bared from playing this year. MEANING, IF WE ARE AT FAULT, WE FOREIT AND SLYTHERIN IS THE WINNER." He yelled at them all. "And of course, it would be selfish of me to mention that I will lose my prefect badge for not controlling my house." He sighed and rubbed his forehead again, asking, "Did anyone see? Did anyone report them?"
"No, Malfoy came to the scene and took care of it. I'm sorry, Dom, but they kept insulting us, saying that they would pound us. And even McGonagall said yesterday that it was one of the best matches she's seen." Angela said quietly.
"So what?!" Dom fired and Angela was so shaken, she was at the brink of tears. Dom suddenly came to his sense. He sighed and walked up to Angela, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry. It's okay, it's over. Please, don't let my fearless Chaser go girly on me."
Angela chuckled and whipped the tear. When she smiled, he continued, "I know how they play, and I know they probably threw the first hex but why must you think we have anything to prove to them? They will never come to our level. No matter what they learn. You can perfect it but you have to be born with it first. And I have the best team in Hogwarts because we're fearless and we're born with it. This will be our forth win; they won't have their third win. Slytherin will never stand beside us. We will always be ahead. If you want to beat them, you do it up there." He pointed to the sky. "Our battle is in the sky."
"Yes, captain." Angela sniffed. "Our battle is in the sky."
"That's right." He kissed her forehead and hugged her and he could've sworn she blushed. "Take today off and clean up that nose. Girls should never have to resort to fighting for these petty things, you're too good for it and it's below you." Dominic offered a smile to the fifth year girl who was one of his most dedicated players.
As Angela left, he turned to some of his team, "Alright, the rest of you, I know you loved my rant but get on your brooms and hit the sky!" As the rest of them mounted their brooms, Tom ran past Dom. "Hey, where are you going?" Dom asked him.
"You left the poor girl in tears; some one has to fix it. Give me five minutes" He winked at Dominic and followed Angela. Jill rolled her eyes from afar.
"Angie…ANGIE!" They heard him call her.
"YOU?! DON'T EVEN COME NEAR ME! HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL HIM EARLIER?!" Angela screamed him.
Dom and the rest of them laughed as Tom ran after her.
Something in Dominic's angry reaction produced an excellent practice session. Everybody pulled their weighed and Dom was more than happy. It changed his mood completely. He hadn't even noticed the scattered groups of girls that sat watching the practice. It wasn't new. A Gryffindor practice meant eye candy for the girls. Only the retarded would think they came for the love of the game.
Dominic nodded in approval to David's back hand hit before swooping down. He mounted off his broom and cursed the weather for not being cold enough today, he was sweating bullets. He quickly unbuttoned and pulled off the uniform that donned a '1' at the back because he was captain, leaving his trousers on.
Tom saw and immediately came down too, "Oh no you don't! Trying to put on a show without me?" He copied Dom as he took off his top uniform.
Dom laughed, "It's hot."
"Sure, it is." Tom nodded sarcastically. "You're trying to do the heating alone. Well forget it, boy. They like me more."
Dom laughed and mounted his broom and shot into the sky. He heard the girls giggle and could feel their eyes on him. He smiled at himself. Ideal conditions for Quidditch would be sunny and less wind. But ideal conditions for these girls would be humid and either sunny or a complete downpour. Because when it got unbearably hot, the captain usually took off most of his uniform. And a downpour would mean his uniforms sticking to his body and defining his muscles.
Dominic had just dismissed everyone and called it a day. He was descending down when he saw Tom, talking to a Ravenclaw sixth year. He nodded and then began walking up to Dominic.
"Oy Dom! Felix came to say Sophia's waiting for you at the Ravenclaw common room!" he told Dominic.
Dominic landed and walked up to Tom. "Did she say why?" Tom shook his head.
"Thanks, mate." Dom thanked him and ran to the change rooms.
"Hey, Dom! Where to?" Jill asked as she watched him run.
"Soph's calling! I'll catch up later!" Dominic yelled from afar.
Jill sighed and rolled her eyes, while Andrew laughed and Tom said, "Hey, if I had a girlfriend like Sophia Spencer, I'd run just as fast." And then quickly added, "…no one tell him I said that.
Minutes later, dried and dressed, Dominic walked in perfect confidence to the talking swan guarding the Hufflepuff common room and was granted entrance with the new password Sophia told him of. In front of him was a room, warm and breathtaking in a shade of gold and wood brown with a fire causing dancing shadows of elegant furniture. Without this fire the room was as dark as oblivion and as cold as the winds outside. Dominic rubbed he's arms, thinking of how ironic it was that the Hufflepuffs were the warmest of all students and yet their common room could compete with Antarctica. With thanks to the fire once again, Dominic found his girlfriend in the dim light.
Sitting on a sofa with the wind sweeping her hair, Sophia sat staring at the starless sky, waiting for Dominic. She rested her chin on the back of her palms flat on the head of the sofa which was attached to the open window she so longingly stared through. She sighed because of the long wait and still Dominic made no haste to rush to her. He stood there and watched her perfect figure shrouded in light brown satin. Her soft blond hair occasionally rose to the wind and fell hard when it was gone. Her face was desolate and sad and Dominic never felt so touched seeing her wait for him. He never saw this in her, not once in the one year that they were together.
He approached her with silence and closed in on her from the back. His knees furrowed into the soft cushion but even the movement didn't alert her. It was only when he moved her hair aside and kissed her neck ever so softly did she awake from her trance. A sharp intake of breath told Dominic he was finally acknowledged but he failed to see the tear that swept her cheek.
"Hi." He whispered to her ear amidst nibbling on it.
"Hi." She said very softly, getting rid of the tear and turning into him.
Dominic smiled at the face that turned to face him. Brown shimmering eyes, light rosy cheeks, porcelain skin… he recognized those features so well. And so did the world. She was the girl who stood next to Dominic Potter at every party and graced every magical magazine and newspaper with him. Had the world seen a sweeter couple? No. She was befitting for the prince of the magic world.
From the first time Dominic was seen keeping a hand on her lower back at The Annual Ministry Ball before their fifth year, there wasn't a magazine on stands that didn't have an article on her. The world wanted to know and decide if she was befitting. It seemed to be everyone's business and Dominic didn't like it one bit. Several formal occasions had been the height of season just because Dominic Potter was going to appear with Sophia Spencer.
Rachael Skeeter assembled with an army of her fellow photographers and snapped their every move. Dominic was never a fan of her because of her truth-twisting writing habits. Habits she must have learnt from her Aunt Rita. He was furious to say the least when she came into Hogwarts for an interview with Sophia. Before she could come a mile near Sophia, Dominic pointed a wand at her. To him, no one had the right to question anything or care about what they did. This befitting thing was ridiculous to him. And he wouldn't let Sophia go through questioning of any sort. She didn't ask for this. Unfortunately, this led to an article that Sophia Spencer had turned him mad and that Dominic Potter was roguish and dangerous to be around.
This really did surprise everyone, especially Harry and Ginny. Dominic loved every minute of being on the daily prophet. He loved being the center of attention but he finally saw the negative side to it and what it was like being in the spot light every minute of his life. He didn't like it too much after that. This incident also showcased his fury to Hogwarts. It showed all those girls what he'd do for Sophia. Whispering that was sparked by jealousy and judgmental comments earlier was never heard again.
But no matter how hard he tried to keep her away from the difficulties that he was born with, the world found out about her. A 5 page special edition in the local paper illustrated that Sophia Spencer was the only daughter from a very wealthy muggle family. Her family was much richer than the Potters and even most wizarding families that would pride themselves on being well off. Since her arrival in Hogwarts, she had made her place among the Top Notch. Known as one of the nicest girls in Hogwarts, Sophia was thoughtful, considerate and a very simple girl.
She was the very definition of a girl. Had perfect nails, was a frequent shopper, an avid reader of CosmoWitch magazine, owner of a wardrobe of dominantly pink outfits and part of a high class, giggling group of girls. Sophia came with the whole package. But unlike those predictable types of girls, she didn't come with 'rich, snobby bitch' written on her fore-head. Extremely glamorous and high class but unbelievably simple and regular.
Perhaps that's what caught Dominic's attention in the middle of their forth year. Ever the slow learner when it came to women like his dad, Dominic noticed Sophia like she was brand new even though they had a few classes together since their first year. She was part of the popular students but was not afraid to be seen laughing with the almost non-existent ones. Unlike the horde of giggling girls that followed him, she simply answered and walked away when he said hello. She didn't care who he was.
But Dominic wasn't fazed, after extensive research with the help of her friends, a few bouquets of daisies and a little walk by the pond later, they were together and the rest was history. Well, it certainly wasn't his way of asking girls out. He much preferred asking her out at the last Quidditch match in their forth year but knowing her, she wouldn't like the attention and would only hate him.
Despite being opposites at everything they remained very much in love… or so the world thought.
Sophia stared into he's eyes, searching for something, looking at something. Dominic was clueless and amused by the strange longing in her eyes; she hardly ever needed physical relief of any sort. It was always him stealing a little kiss or two. And even now, when he kissed her, she didn't respond. He never knew what it was. At the beginning, he used to wonder if he was hurting her or maybe he came on a little too hard but even the softest kisses never kept her coming back for more. He even dreaded the fact that he was a horrible kisser. But he soon realized she wasn't one to be physically driven but more the emotional sort. Snogging and shagging weren't of much importance to her. Sure, they slept together too many times to count but it didn't seem to hold any significance to her like it did to him.
Well, it might seem that sex was important to Dominic because he was a bloke after all, but to him, spending a night with the girl he liked was supposed to be special and every moment of it cherished. Wasn't it? But Sophia just wasn't into it. She didn't match his ardor at all. She slept with him only because it was normal in a relationship.
And even today he planted on her lips several kisses that would melt away the ice of the Arctic and he longed for her to return what he gave to her. Someone must have heard his prayers, because in an unexpected moment her lips closed on his. Dominic felt the world spin in his head. He was about to lose conscience with feeling. He forgot everything in that second and ecstasy filled him. His knees were almost shaking with shock.
Sophia smiled as she kissed him again and again. She blushed when she had to steady his face with her hands holding on to his face. Dominic was in so much rapture that his closed eyes and missed the pain on Sophia's face and his mind failed to question why, today, did she kissed him back.
Dominic hoped this would be the night he waited to feel for so long. He slid his hands to her chest until he reached the buttons that kept her covered up. When his head fell to her neck, he missed the tear that left her eye. She wiped it away quickly and now regretted kissing him back at all. It only instigated him. And this was one night she couldn't sleep with him.
"Malcolm invited me to his cottage in Italy for the Christmas holidays." She said to him quietly.
Dominic chuckled. They spoke during their rendezvous', sometimes it eased the tension. But that wasn't why Dominic chuckled. Malcolm Foster was a rich snob who was always flirting with Sophia and Dominic didn't like it one bit. A few months ago, there was huge row between them and Dominic warned him to stay away from Sophia.
"Did you give him two hard slaps?" He asked before he left his mark on her neck.
"No." she said in a trance-like state.
"It doesn't matter. I'll give him four hexes tomorrow." He said determined.
A final tear left her eye. "I said yes. I'm going with him."
Dominic stopped and looked at her. "What?"
She caressed his face and looked at him hard. "I'm sorry, Dom. It's for the best."
"What?!" Dominic said incredulously. "What are you talking about?"
Sophia sniffed. "We were never right, Dom. We were from the outside but from the inside we're two different people. Nothing is similar between us."
"Wait. Did he tell you this?" Dominic asked as he caught her hands. Before Sophia could say anything, he stood up to leave. "He said this, didn't he?! That's it. That bustard's asking for hexes today." He pushed off of the sofa and bolted towards the door.
"No, Dom. Listen…"
"NO! That's the last time he's ever talking to you!" Dominic boomed at her, meters away.
"FINE! You two can go kill each other but let me tell you why this is happening. It's because of THIS! THIS HERE! Because of you trying to decide who I should talk to and who I shouldn't. It's my life, Dom!" Sophia fired back.
"I never tried to control you or tell you anything! But you know how I feel about Malcolm. You know I hate him but you still talk to him!" Dominic yelled at her as he paced the room.
But Sophia wasn't put back. "Maybe because when I was battling depression, my boyfriend was out playing Quidditch! He was the only one there, Dom." Sophia began crying. "He was the only one who cared." She buried her face in her hands.
"That's a lie, Sophia. I was there for you but if you took time away from filing your nails, reading your magazines and gossiping with your friends, you'd see that. I gave you time. Better yet, ask yourself if you've been there for me. How many times have you come to my games? How many times did you see me get the snitch for you? How many times did you hear me dedicate a win to you? Dominic Potter is the greatest seeker Hogwarts has ever seen but the one person he plays for is never there." He announced like a reporter. "I gave you time, you didn't give me any."
"Well, you'll find that when a game consumes a person, so much that it takes him away from you, you'll learn to hate the game." Sophia said in anger. "It's always about the games! I just find it sad that Jill gets to see you more than I do."
"Oh Merlin! Not you! Jill's going to laugh if she hears you were jealous of her as well." Dominic said incredulously.
"Jealous? Don't flatter yourself. No, Dom. That's you're job. Isn't it? Threatening anyone who went as far as look at me the wrong way, hexing anyone who said anything you didn't like. Would it kill you not to be this damn possessive?!"
Dominic knew this was a problem but he couldn't help it when someone looked at Sophia in anyway but respectfully. But there was another reason.
"Ever wondered why? It's because I wanted you to do the same! I wanted you to stand in front of me and stop any girl that speaks to me the way they do. I wanted you to claim me! I wanted you to let them know that I have a girlfriend, but if wasn't for the fact that they've seen us on the Daily Prophet, they would never know I had a girlfriend. But no, Sophia, you didn't even care when they invited me to their beds."
Sophia looked at him indifferently. Dominic was filled with sadness.
"You see, Soph." He said softly. "You never cared and you never saw but I never touched another girl. Because you mean that much to me. Yes, we have differences and we have to work at it but we're amazing together and we're a big part in our lives. There's no one in this world like you, you know that. God, don't you see, you're going to kill me, Soph, please. Don't do this." Dominic begged.
Sophia had tears spilling from her eyes. She shook her head. "We're not a big part of our lives, Dom, because we don't spend more than twenty minutes at breakfast or the day. We can't talk about what bothers us because we don't understand each other's frustrations. A conversation of five minutes turns into sex and then we get up and go our own ways. You've changed me, Dom. I've never yelled but you make me scream. I've never felt self-conscience but then I had to watch what I eat and how I look…just to "befit" or be worthy of being your girlfriend. I know, you've never pressured me for anything and I shouldn't care what people think but suddenly everyone was staring at me, trying to find flaws." She sighed, frustrated. "God… we've sacrificed too much for each other."
Sophia just cried while Dominic sat down and buried his face in his palms, thinking of all the things he'd done for her and all the things she did that he didn't even know about.
"Malcolm was the only one who saw it." She told him. "We were never right from the beginning and we stayed on thinking something would change or we could change. But this is who we are. I was only your girlfriend to the Daily Prophet and Hogwarts, Dom, but in reality…you never really had me and I never had you."
It was the truth. But still Dominic was on the brink of a break down. He was seething with anger and yet breaking apart. Sophia leaned forward while crying and kissed his lips one last time. Dominic never experienced a more painful kiss. It burned his lips. She began walking away to the girl's dormitories still crying at how is all ended. She stopped one last time when she heard his voice.
"Sophia, I…I…lo…" Dominic started.
She interrupted him and shook her head, "No Dom, don't say it…don't say it. You don't mean it. Don't waste it on me, save it for the lucky girl. The girl who will better befit Dominic Potter." Sophia smiled even though every word pained her. She stifled another cry and ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitories.
She reached the very top and reached for her door when she heard Dominic yell and then came the loudest 'boom' from downstairs. Sophia could only guess what he threw across the room as she shut the door and slid down against it. She pulled up her knees and waited for him to leave.
Jill, Andrew and Tom were returning to their common rooms, drunken with laughter at one of Tom's jokes. They staggered into the common rooms and pushed themselves up the stairs to the boy's dormitories. Andrew fell to his bed crunching his stomach with all the pain laughing was causing him.
"Run, you scoundrels! Mark my words, I will get you." Tom imitated their meddlesome care-taker with a rasping voice as he ran in slow motion.
After the retirement of their last caretaker, Filch, Herman Adler had taken the post. More affectionately known as the Puff Adder by the students, Adler put Filch to shame with his cunning abilities of finding the mischief makers of Hogwarts. The name Puff Adder would come to suit him perfectly. Like the snake that bit without warning, Adler had a knack for unexpected appearances at 'crime scenes' and lets not forget the fact that the man had the worst wheezing cough ever endured – the most peculiar puff. For such an age, he should pride himself on keeping such great order but no – there were some who always escaped his wrath. He knew who they were, just never had the proof to have them sent to the Headmistress. Adler knew they came from two camps – the Potter camp and the Malfoy camp. And no matter how hard he tried, he could never catch them in the act. It was like they were born with mischief in their blood because they'd out-do him every time, escaping with mocking laughter and giggles. It was the damn wheeze of his that alerted them every time, without fail.
"'I will (cough) get you (cooooooough), if it's the last (cough cough) thing, I ever do!'" Tom wheezed as his friends reminisced of the other night. "Well, I've been taught to respect a man's final wish but he just won't die! How are we supposed to come clean if we don't get news that the man's dieing?!" Tom sighed sarcastically, this time Jill and Andrew had tears streaming from their eyes. Once Tom started, not one person was left on their feet.
Their loud guffawing would continue had it not been for the sudden booming of the door. It swung open and hit the wall, leaving a dent. Dominic stormed in with murderous look. Immediately the laughs were an echo. Even though he hadn't even looked at them, it scared Jill. "Dom?"
He didn't answer. Instead he walked steadfast for his trunk. Andrew and Tom looked at each other. Something happened. Everybody was silent and the only sound that could be heard was Dom ruffling through his belongings. He sent things flying across the room. Finally, Dom pulled out his father's invisibility cloak and immediately there was a row.
"NO! Dom, what's wrong? What happened?" Jill moved right in front of him and blocked his way because when Dom brought out his Dad's clock and hadn't asked the rest of them to join him – it meant he was going to do something irrational and dangerous. He just pushed passed her effortlessly. As he reached the door, Jill asked, "Did Sof…"
Before she could finish, he turned around and yelled, "Don't EVER say her name again!" His blood shot eyes looked at her furiously. Jill was shocked and frightened by this.
Dom and Sophia had fights which resulted in him taking his cloak and disappearing into the sky. No one knew where he went or what he did but he wouldn't return until breakfast the next morning. Jill was more than familiar with Dominic's anger and rage; she didn't flinch in the slightest. However, flabbergasted, she stood watching him leave the dorm, while Andrew and Tom stood agape. However bad the fights got, he never reacted like this.
It was past three in the morning and still Dominic hadn't returned. Jill would know since she'd been sitting in the common room waiting for him. She'd failed to sleep after a depressing game of exploding snap with Tom and Andrew. She drew lines on the carpet she sat on, warmed by the fire.
The portrait door suddenly opened and Dominic walked in breathing heavily. His hair was even more disheveled than normal, Jill noticed. Clearly he'd indulged in his dare devil broom rides again. They saw each other. He looked broken and helpless. Jill then picked up a textbook and pretended to read from it, to show Dominic she wasn't awake for him.
Dominic walked up to her in silence and sat down beside her. "I'm sorry." He sighed, looking at the fire ahead of them.
"It's okay." Jill said quietly. They sat there without words until Jill said, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"There's nothing to talk about. She realized Malcolm would make a better boyfriend than I would." He knew even if he wanted to, Jill could not help him when it came to relationships. But she insisted that he at least tell her and eventually he did. He spent the next hour going back and forth telling her what happened. He then shut his eyes to shut out the images that haunted him these past hours and rested his head on the sofa. Jill was surprised; even she couldn't believe Sophia would do such a thing. Dominic hated Malcolm.
When she looked at him again, she found him asleep beside her. It was his first relationship and his first heart break. He was taking it hard. Jill never imagined seeing this day, when a girl decided Dominic Potter wasn't 'it.' It felt strange. She went on staring at him. It was hard but somehow she felt he would get back again. She didn't understand why he was this upset; Sophia really wasn't that big of a part in his life. They were so different but their pleasantness kept them together, they were accepting of their differences. Jill wasn't exactly dumb at relationships, it wasn't hard to see that Dom and Sophia's relationship was very shallow compared to her other friends. She was glad the holidays were coming, it would let him forget.
The next morning Jill awoke Dom and sent him to get dressed, while she explained to Tom and Andrew and told them not to ask any questions.
Dominic suddenly appeared in the room and knew exactly what was happening. He gave them a knowing look and said, "Let's go to breakfast, shall we?" Clearly, he was in a solemn mood.
The day went considerably well; Jill had to thank Tom for spinning many jokes to keep Dom's mood up. But oddly, after lunch, people were looking at Dom. It wasn't something new to Jill but it was different. They were whispering something among themselves and she could've sworn she heard some gasps from some girls behind them in Transfiguration. By dinner, Dom was much better and was appreciative of all his friends were doing. At the Great Hall, he actually laughed lightly at some of the jokes. From under the table, Jill and Tom exchanged high fives, congratulating themselves on being such good friends. And then it all came tumbling down.
Sophia walked in with Malcolm. They seemed to match each other with neatly done uniforms, something Dom could never do because he was always un-tucked and unbuttoned. Only a handful of people noticed them come in together and raised eye brows. But when the somewhat short, blond haired Ravenclaw boy got hold of his new girlfriend's hand and the walked towards his table, there was an audible roar run through the hall. It was only then that Dominic looked up to see what had happened.
Sophia had also suddenly become aware of people's reaction. She sat there, nervous. Almost suddenly, the entire room looked towards Dominic, expecting him to break Malcolm's hand today and curse him to oblivion. He met everyone's eyes and then locked eyes with both Malcolm and Sophia. He showed them no signs of sadness but instead, anger for the betrayal. When Sophia's eyes dropped from his burning look, he looked away to the whole hall. And then he picked up his fork and dropped his look to his food. Almost suddenly, there was a unified gasp and roar run through the hall. All of Hogwarts now knew. Girls were walking all over the place, telling each other. Sophia's friends nodded, confirming it all. Andrew's eyes fell on Evangeline and the Medusas as they stared at each other with their jaws hanging and suddenly Evangeline erupted in laugher, clapping away. Laura looked back to the Gryffindor table and mouthed 'what sad sods' before laughing.
Because Dom was sitting towards the wall, Tom, Andrew and Jill, along with 3 of his other Gryffindor friends sat around him and completely shielded him from the hall. Tom was gritting his teeth when Jill shook her head. Like Dom, his friends were defensive. And knowing Tom, he could knock a couple of Malcolm's teeth at that moment. Andrew kept the conversations going somehow with Quidditch.
Dom sat their moving his food, having tasted it three times only. He pretended to follow the conversations but he hadn't heard a single word. The room was hostile. He never cared what Hogwarts had to say about him but for the first time, he wondered what people were thinking about him. What were the girls saying about him losing a girlfriend to someone like Malcolm? Looking around, he noticed a little gap between his friends left uncovered. He could see them clearly. They were in deep conversation. Malcolm edged forward and caressed her cheek. And suddenly, Dom couldn't take anymore. He stood up and walked out of the hall without a look at anyone and without a sound and yet almost everyone in the hall watched him storm out. Jill stood up to run after him but Tom caught her hand and shook his head.
He walked steadfast even though he escaped the scene and was a long way from it. Somehow he could still hear the whispers and see the shocked looks. In any other teenager's life, a break up was nothing unusual, in Dominic Potter's life it was going to be written about in the Daily Prophet and many magazines that had nothing else to report. He tirelessly ran up the swirling stairs of the north tower. Even in the cold wind that swept in from the open windows, he wiped off sweat as he reached the top floor.
He approached a window, breathing deep and running his hands through his hair. He just needed some free space before he'd return to a common room full of people sympathizing with him. And tomorrow a school divided in opinion of who to side with, asking questions he wouldn't answer. Usually he never responded to rumors because he never cared what people had to say or think about him but this time was different. As always no one would know the whole story and if they did they'd think it was a joke.
Sophia was everything he wanted, everything he needed. She was smart and compassionate. She seemed to understand him best and always brought out the best in him. She came from a high class background, and to match her, Dominic tried his best to become like her and her family. Even though he wasn't too comfortable, he noticed how everybody looked at him better. His mom was elated when he went to the Ministry Ball tucked and buttoned up for the first time. Clearly, she was a good influence on him.
She blended into Dom's family very easily. Harry loved her like a second daughter and Ron could never figure out how Dominic got such a girlfriend. Sophia loved Ginny because she was she so loving and she gave Sophia amazing discounts at Orabelle. Everything fit perfectly but the one thing that Dominic was most surprised to find was that she accepted certain "weaknesses" of his.
Sophia realized at the start of their relationship that Dominic wasn't at all the lover-boy or heartbreaker people thought him to be. He was, at the time, a regular 14 year old, awkward and scared as the rest of them. Even what Dominic thought he knew about girls, Sophia crossed out. But the real problems began in his fifth year as Dominic started realizing how special she was. He feared losing her but he was so scared of doing anything wrong that he did nothing. He'd always had the hardest time figuring out girls. Dominic just didn't understand how it was supposed to work. While back then, he and his friends laughed it out, today, it cost him the perfect girl.
He realized that their relationship wasn't the same as his other friends. He saw the holes and the shallowness in it. But he didn't know how to fix it. He didn't know how to open up to her or how to be romantic or get the mood right. He didn't know what to say or what to do. A part of him knew she suffered from loneliness but he didn't know how to be there for her. He felt some what ashamed that he never grasped the basics, never knew what the world thought he was a natural at and instead ran away from those situations with Quidditch. This only left Sophia feeling rejected, thinking she said something wrong.
He didn't know who he was trying to fool during the argument; some part of him liked the fact that she was submerged in her magazines and friends. It was so he didn't have to face any uncomfortable situations with her. When they were together, they spoke about school and their families, games and their friends, anything but them. Despite this shallowness, they felt they knew each other. Pushing the months, thinking they didn't need any words to express each other. In a way, their silence was made up when they spent the night together or so they thought but the words would always be left unsaid. And the one thing Dominic came to learn well to deepen what they share, Sophia really didn't care about. In every other aspect, they fit perfectly. Dom's life could never handle a clingy girlfriend with Quidditch and his status and Sophia liked her freedom, not a boyfriend who trailed her constantly. They knew they could trust each other (or Dominic thought). Their relationship was so perfect, yet so flawed.
He now stood, clenching on the window for support with his head low. It was paining him. He wished he'd got over his fears and just let her know how much he appreciated all she did for him. He didn't know how he failed to say these things to someone so patient and caring. What was he so afraid of? She never ridiculed him for anything. She wasn't the hundred spectators waiting to find another flaw in him. There was so many things he wanted to tell her now…now that she was gone.
He had to chuckle at his foolishness as he left the circular room for the stairs. With every step he descended, he erased another feeling for her. He sighed at the bottom and didn't need compose himself because no matter how broken he was from the inside; Hogwarts would always see a disguise of control and confidence.
A/N: ….so how was it? I'm so scared about this one but please be honest and leave me a review. Please, I beg.
Don't worry about remembering all these character's names, most of them won't appear again in the story.
Thank you to each and every person who reviewed. Each and every review made my day, and I mean it.