"- So he said 'Bo' and I was like 'yeah?' and then he just looked at me and then wham, he kissed me."
"MmmHmm."
"Lauren, are you even listening to me?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Lauren put her scalpel back on the table and dropped the finely chopped mint leaves into her gently simmering potion. Bo used her free hand to waft away the pale green steam that arose from the cauldron, the other haphazardly ripping her own mint leaves apart.
"I said Dyson kissed me. On Saturday, after the party. I would have told you sooner but I couldn't find you all day yesterday. Where were you, anyway?"
"Oh, in the library," Lauren lied, avoiding Bo's gaze and turning the page of her copy of Advanced Potion Making and scanning the instructions.
"But I checked the library," Bo said, throwing her mint leaves into her own cauldron, which promptly spat crimson sparks and a thick, grey smoke that smelt worryingly like burning hair back at her. Coughing, Lauren flapped her potions book uselessly backwards and forwards though the fumes.
"Don't worry, I got this," Bo said, pulling her wand from her bag and waving it in an arc. "Evanesco."
Lauren instinctively ducked, closing her eyes as the smoke thickened, hardening into a swirling round mass that dropped suddenly into Bo's bubbling potion. The brunette had the presence of mind to drop to the floor as, with an echoing boom, her cauldron exploded, shards of pewter flying everywhere and red steam billowing from the blackened dent in the charred table.
Lauren fumbled for her own wand, in the shocked silence of the classroom whispering "Aguamenti," a column of pale red steam hissing slowly into the air as the water extinguished the melted, twisted remains of Bo's cauldron.
The two witches stared at each other for a few moments through the dissipating haze, before Snape snarled from the front of the classroom: "One hundred points from Gryffindor."
"Hey Lauren!" The blond grimaced as she hurried up the steps of the owlery. Dyson was the last person she wanted to see right now.
"Lauren!" Perhaps if she pretended the earlier explosion had deafened her, he would stop yelling and leave her alone.
"Oi!" She could hear his footsteps behind her, running. She sighed, turning to face him and mustering a false smile.
"Dyson, sorry, I didn't hear you."
He slowed down, walking the last few steps. "No worries. Hey, have you seen Bo anywhere?"
She could feel her smile melting from her face, so she shrugged, turning away. "No, sorry. Maybe she's not got out of detention yet. Snape likes to keep people late."
"Yeah, I know that." Dyson had a habit of pissing Snape off. He was almost as inept at potions as Bo was. "Alright, I'll go see if she's still in the dungeons. See you."
"Yeah, bye," she said to his back as he descended the stairs. She could almost see his tail wagging. Huffing another sigh, she began climbing the stairs again, hoping Hen was up in the owlery. She was digging in her coat pocket for the letter to her mother as she walked through the door, which explained why she didn't see the other girl until, with a surprised "Oh!" she knocked into her, sprawling onto the floor.
"Oh my goodness, are you alright?" Lauren gazed fuzzily up at a concerned, pretty face framed by frizzy brown hair.
"Hmm. Yes, I don't appear to have broken anything." She accepted the girls' outstretched hand, pulling herself upright. She tucked her hair behind her ear again, taking in the only other human occupant of the owlery.
She was a little shorter than Lauren, dark skinned and very pretty, with long curly hair that reached to a little below her shoulders. Lauren recognised her from herbology class. She was in Hufflepuff, an excellent artist (Lauren had once peeked over her shoulder as she drew a fanged geranium,) and called… "Nadia. Err, thanks for helping me up. Sorry, I'm a little clumsy."
She noticed the sketchbook under Nadia's arm, indicating it. "Oh, were you drawing? That's cool, you're a good artist…" she trailed off, awkwardly scratching her head. Nadia watched her with an amused grin.
"I'm sorry, I'm babbling. I'll shut up." She fiddled with the envelope in her hands.
"No, not at all. You're cute when you babble."
Lauren blushed furiously, ducking her head and letting her hair fall back over her flaming cheeks. She kept her gaze steadfastly on the floor as the rustle of paper reached her ears.
"I was drawing, yes."
Glancing upwards, Lauren saw a beautifully detailed picture of a drowsy barn owl. Her drowsy barn owl.
"Oh, you drew Hen!"
"She's yours huh? Tell her from me she's an excellent model."
Lauren giggled, immediately slapping her hand over her mouth at the absurd noise. Nadia's brows furrowed in concern. "Are you alright? You didn't hit your head when you fell did you?"
Lauren shook her head. "Nope, this is just how I act around people I don't really know. You can be quite… intimidating. You meaning strangers in general, of course. Not you as a person, obviously. I'm sure you're very nice, and not at all intimidating or scary whatsoever." She paused for breath, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry, I don't quite know what's come over me."
Nadia laughed, taking a step forwards. "Well, whatever has come over you, it's adorable." Lauren watched through her eyelashes as Nadia reached out, deftly plucking a feather from her blond hair. She let it fall from her fingers as she said "I wonder how many pillows you could stuff with all the loose feathers in this place?"
Lauren just shrugged, crinkling her letter between her hands. Nadia noticed, taking a step back. "Well, I won't keep you. I'll see you in herbology?"
"Yeah," Lauren smiled at her. Nadia nodded, turning and heading back to the door. Lauren searched for Hen, spotting the barn owl sleeping near the window. "Hen," she called softly, holding out her arm for the owl to land on as she swooped gracefully down.
She tied her letter to the owls' leg, watching as she soared out of the window headed for the muggle world. She heard footsteps outside, turned to leave and saw Nadia in the doorway.
"Leave something behind?" Lauren asked.
"Nope." She held out a piece of paper to the blond. "Just thought you might like this." It was the drawing of Hen. Lauren accepted it with a smile. "Thank you."
Nadia just shrugged, linking arms with Lauren as they walked back to the castle. "Have you had dinner yet?"
Bo sat in the library tucked neatly under Dyson's arm, flicking almost violently through a transfiguration textbook she wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to. She scowled as Kenzi blocked her line of site and sat down in front of her.
"Yo Bo-Bo and the D-Man. 'Sup?"
Bo could feel Dyson's chest rumbling as he answered. "Well Bo here is trying to rip her textbook to shreds without even looking at it. Apparently that's how she revises now."
Kenzi delicately placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands, watching Bo's face turn sourer by the minute.
"Bo, honey, correct me if I'm wrong but is that scowl aimed directly at our resident scientist and her hot new lady love?"
Bo's lip curled and she tore her gaze away from Lauren and Nadia, sat impossibly close together on the same armchair as Lauren explained something about plants, gesturing to the open book in her lap.
"Nadia's not her 'lady love'. They're not even dating, they're just friends. Lauren's not into girls. She's not into guys. She's just into…science."
"You don't sound so sure there Bo."
Bo swatted Kenzi lightly with her transfiguration book. "No. She would have told me. I'm her best friend."
"And then you hooked up with Dyson here and left her alone and vulnerable to fall into the clutches of hot, talented Nadia over there."
"I'm right here, Kenz."
"You know I love you really Dyson."
Bo stood up abruptly, dropping her book into Dysons' lap.
"Hey, where are you off too?"
"I need a shower."
"Bo, it's six o'clock in the evening and we have a transfiguration test tomorrow."
"Revise for it then. I need a shower."
And with that she turned her back on them and stalked out of the library. Outside in the cool corridors of the castle she calmed down, but didn't stop walking. Lauren wasn't into Nadia. She can't be into Nadia. She would have mentioned it. She told Bo everything. Except that letter. It was more of a note really. The one she'd received right before term started.
"Oh good, Mum sent my books." Lauren tore open the packaging and dumped the two battered copies of divination textbooks onto Bo's bed. Bo reached out and picked up the letter that fell out with them. "She sent a letter too."
Lauren had her back to her, busy packing her clothes into her backpack. "Can you read it out to me? I'm kind of in the middle of something."
"Sure."
Bo settled back onto the bed, tearing open the envelope and removing the letter.
"Dear Lauren. I hope this letter finds you well. I've sent your trunk and the rest of your school things on already, they'll be waiting for you when you get to Hogwarts. Missing you already, the flat just isn't the same whenever you're not exploding things in your bedroom." Bo laughed at that. "Your friend Tara popped round wanting to speak to you about something, but I told her you were away at a friend's. She left me a note to give to you; I'll put it in the same envelope as this letter. I'll see you at Christmas, all my love, Mum."
Bo tipped the envelope upside down and a single piece of paper floated out and onto the bed. "Who's Tara?" she asked, reaching to pick it up. Suddenly Lauren was there, snatching the note from her hand and scrunching it up.
"No one," was her curt reply.
She uncrumpled the note, scanning it quickly before shoving it in the top of her rucksack. "She's just a friend from home."
Bo was shocked by Lauren's sudden change in mood, and more than a little intrigued by the note, but for once she chose not to push it. Lauren would tell her when she was ready, she always did.
By now she had reached the dormitory. Rummaging in her trunk for a clean t-shirt, she grabbed her towel and made for the door. Under Laurens bed she could see the strap of her rucksack. She paused, torn between wanting to know what was in the note, and knowing that she would be betraying her best friend if she looked. Finally, she shook her head and left.
They'd fallen into a comfortable silence, Nadia with her arm wrapped around Lauren, the blond leaning her head against her shoulder, eyes drooping closed on occasion as she tried to focus on the textbook in front of her.
Finally, Nadia shifted, unwrapping her arm from Lauren and standing slowly. "Alright, I think it's time for bed, don't you?"
Lauren yawned in reply, shaking her head to wake herself just enough for the walk back to the Gryffindor tower. Nadia reached out her hand to help her up from the armchair they had been curled in, keeping hold of it for a little longer than necessary.
Madame Pince wandered past, snuffing out candles as she walked. "It's almost curfew girls, run along now." Nodding, they headed out of the library.
"Thanks for helping me revise," Lauren said, as they reached the portrait of the fat lady.
"No problem, I liked spending time with you." Nadia shuffled her feet, pressing her lips together as if she wanted to say something but didn't quite know what. Lauren tapped her index finger against her book, waiting.
"Lauren?"
"Nadia."
"There's a trip to Hogsmead coming up in a few weeks, isn't there?"
"Yes."
"I understand if you're doing anything with Bo, or if you don't want to or anything, but hanging out with you these past few days, I really feel like we've grown closer." She took a deep breath, suddenly nervous. "Do you want to go out with me?"
She peered at Lauren through her eyelashes, watched as a smile spread out across her face and the blond nodded.
"Of course. I'd love to."
Nadia let out a sigh of relief, pulling her into a hug. For a moment, the image of Bo's face flashed through Laurens' head, and for that moment she wondered what her friend would say. Then she remembered the brunette had Dyson now. And Lauren had Nadia.
The portrait of the fat lady let out an impatient cough. "I'm all for young love, and adorable as you two are it's very late and I need my beauty sleep."
The two girls giggled, pulling apart. Nadia leaned down and pressed a kiss to Laurens' cheek.
"See you later."
"Bye."
Lauren was almost through the portrait when she felt a hand on her shoulder, spinning her gently around. For one brief second she felt Nadia's soft lips press against her own.
"For luck, in your test tomorrow."
She grinned and then walked off back to the Hufflepuff dormitory. Lauren watched her go, fingers pressed lightly against her own smile.
"Where have you been?"
Lauren flinched violently and spun to face Bo. The brunette was sat in the armchair by the fire, arms folded, expression half hidden in shadow, a curious mix of anger and sorrow and something else.
"I was in the library."
"Yeah. With Nadia. I know."
"Then why…"
Bo cut her off. "Are you two dating?"
Her question caught Lauren off guard; she just stood there, bathed in the moonlight streaming through the window, her mouth open but no sound leaving it.
"Are you and Nadia dating?"
Lauren found her voice, although it was a little higher pitched than usual. "Yes. Sort of. I think"
"You think?" Bo raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Lauren nodded. "Yes, we are."
Bo looked away, her face falling into shadow, her shoulders losing their stiffness. Her voice came quieter now. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well to be perfectly honest we sort of only just started. Dating. She asked me out five minutes ago and I haven't had a chance to tell you."
"I mean why didn't you tell me you liked her? Why didn't you tell me you liked girls? It's fine, you know, that you like girls. I just…"
Lauren stayed silent as she trailed off.
"You're my best friend, Laur. And you didn't tell me this?"
"Well I've only known her a few days and-"
"Is it Dyson?"
Lauren looked nonplussed. "What? What has Dyson got to do with any of this?"
"Kenzi says that you only started hanging out with Nadia after Dyson and I got together, she reckons you feel like I've abandoned you. Do you?"
Laurens brow creased and she could feel herself getting angry. "You think that just because you've got yourself a faithful puppy to hang on to your every word and make out with you and whatever it is you two do, I feel abandoned? Bo, I've known you for five years, and I care about you a whole lot. You made me feel welcome in a world I knew nothing about, you made me feel safe and you cared about me back. But the whole world does not revolve around you!"
She was almost shouting now, could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Bo had traded her earlier look for one of complete shock. Lauren had to fight to keep her voice from shaking as she carried on. "I couldn't care less that you've been seeing Dyson, I would have told you as much when you were pining over him during the holidays. But I didn't. I couldn't. Because I could see how much you liked him and I could see how good it was for you to have someone."
A tear traced its way down her cheek, mirrored by the ones now welling up in Bo's brown eyes. "I could never hurt you like that Bo." She shook her head, swallowing. "But maybe you couldn't care about me the way I care about you because as soon as I'm happy, you have to question it. I'm seeing Nadia, not because I don't have your full and undivided attention - I never did! I'm seeing Nadia because I like her and she makes me feel something I've only ever felt when, when…"
When I'm with you, is what she wanted to say. Instead, she dashed the tears from her eyes and lowered her voice. "And maybe I didn't tell you because I knew you'd do this. Maybe I didn't tell you about Tara, because you knew you'd do this. I wanted to tell you Bo. I wanted to tell you that I made out with Tara and I liked it, that I was maybe feeling something for Nadia and I wanted to tell you because I needed to tell you and I couldn't because YOU DID THIS!"
Bo was openly crying now, the dying flames in the hearth reflecting off the tracks of the tears that streamed down her face and dripped from her chin, her hand pressed over her trembling lips as she realised that one little sentence, one little assumption had just cost her her best friend.
She tried to speak, but it came out as a broken whisper. "Lauren, okay, I get it. I'm sorry, I'm just not used to-"
"To what, Bo? To seeing me with someone that isn't you? To seeing someone else make me happy for a change?"
"Yes!" Bo straightened up, her voice stronger. "You were always so alone and now suddenly you have Nadia? Lauren you've only really got to know her over the past three days, you can't decide you love someone based on such a short amount of time!"
"God, Bo, you sound like a jealous lover! Maybe I've only known Nadia three days but I've loved you from the moment I met you!"
Bo watched her as she raged, her blond hair flying about her and her brown eyes red from the flames and her tears and so full of her anger. She was beautiful, and she'd never realised before.
"I've only ever loved you, I've only ever had you. I'm fed up of only being there for you, Bo. I want to be there for myself."
Laurens' voice cracked and she couldn't get any more words past the lump in her throat and all she wanted to do was cry. Her breath caught and her chest heaved and she ran. She needed to get away, she didn't care that it was past curfew and Filch was out and about and that she'd probably end up on detention. She didn't care because care was all she'd ever done.
The portrait of the fat lady swung shut behind her, cutting of Bo's desperate cries of "Lauren!" and she ran. And it was the very fact that the person she cared most about had made such a base assumption about her and her feelings that sent her hurtling out into the empty corridors, tears blurring her vision.
AN: I'm going to have to change the genre from humour to angst, aren't I? This jealous Bo thing was going to go in a totally different direction and it was going to be funny and cute and then this happened and it works far better but it's also making me cry. I swear I never said it wasn't going to be a bumpy ride, but there is a reason I don't like roller coasters. Review and let me know what you think. Should I fix Doccubus next chapter or continue the angst for a bit?
