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Chapter Nine

" How are things with you and Mark? "

The friends were sat around in the common room a week later - the middle of November - and Jena had just come in through the portrait hole.

" Oh, you know," she said, flopping down into the nearest spare seat - sharing the sofa with Bill - , " Not so bad. "

" What did you get up to? " Daisy pressed.

" Nothing much," Jena replied honestly, " just went for a walk around the grounds. Kissed a bit. That sort of thing. "

Allan raised his eyebrows, " Um ... Jena ... you do realise that that's the same answer you've given us for each of the three times you and him have been for a walk. He doesn't seem interested in anything else, does he? I mean, speaking as a guy, I understand the appeal of constant kissing, but isn't there any talk involved? Anything other than snogging? "

Jena shrugged, " Not really," she said, " that's about it. "

Beside her, she saw Bill's mouth set into a straight line, and she could tell that he wasn't impressed. That he was annoyed at something - most likely she and Mark, but she wasn't going to say anything aobut it until he did. Why should she have to be the one to make the move?

" Fair enough," Allan said, " I'm just trying to tell you that you need to be careful. It doesn't sound like Mark's actually very interested in you. "

Jena appreciated her friend's concern, and saw how he kept glancing at Bill, like he was waiting for Bill to jump in and take over, to make Jena realise how much better off he'd be.

" Allan," Lucy said, rolling her eyes, since Allan wasn't in on the plan, " be cool about it. It's not like they're planning on getting married anyway. They never said it was serious. "

" Just trying to be a concered friend," Allan shrugged.

" While I appreciate it," Jena said, half closing her eyes, " I don't need everyone else to pass judgement on the relationship. It's early days, but I don't know what's going on yet. We're just taking it as it comes. "

" And doing lots of snogging? " laughed Lucy.

"I suppose that's one way of putting it," Jena replied, leaning back against the sofa and closing her eyes - she felt tired, since she and the girls had been awake all night talking.

For the last week, she and Mark had been casually meeting up, and wandering around for a while. Jena was beginning to find that she didn't have any particular feelings for Mark, though she didn't mind snogging him - it feel quite good really. Not like she knew it would feel with Bill, but good enough.

She and Mark had both agreed it wasn't serious, and they didn't want to come out as dating, becuase neither of them felt that strongly about each other, aside from the kissing (which was aways Mark instigating it.)

Bill grew even further away from Jena, and every time he saw Mark, all he could do was glare. He now realised how strongly he felt for Jena, but he still didn't want to tell her. She'd chosen to go out with Mark, and if that was what she wanted, then he wasn't going to jump in and do anything about it. She'd made her choice, and he was going to respect that.

Besides, he was certain that within a week, she'd have realised how much of an idiot Mark was. He didn't deserve her. He didn't care for her, and it was only a matter of time before Jena realised this and came looking for someone who actually liked her. Someone like him. Never mind like, just him fullstop.

But the pair of them didn't spend much time together alone, other than when they were in lessons. Jena was just waiting for Bill to make a move, but it didn't look like it was going to happen, and she and the girls had agreed to give it another week before they'd have to come up with a new plan.

The conversations continued, but Jena wasn't really listening.

As far as she could tell, they were talking about some new exotic creature the care of magical creatures class had been introduced to, but Jena didn't take the subject anymore. Daisy was obsessed with it, and loved it in the way that Bill loved ancient runes or Jena loved potions and herbology.

Jena yawned and stretched out her arms above her head.

They all spoke for a while longer, and Jena pulled her knees up to her chest, feet on the edge of the sofa. An hour or so later, she knew she wasn't going to be able to stay awake much longer, but the conversation had turned to a girl that Allan quite liked, and she didn't want to go to bed.

Lucy and Daisy had already gone to bed, just leaving Bill and Allan with Jena.

She felt herself slumping to one side on the sofa, and her head lolled onto Bill's shoulder.

Bill looked quite suprised - they'd always been toucy-feely but not so much in the last couple of weeks. Jena was asleep very quickly, and Bill looked at her, laying there peacefully.

He smiled a little and reached out to put his arm around her shoulders.

" Alright there mate? " Allan asked with a smirk.

" Shut up," Bill answered at once.

" You do know she's seeing Mark? " Allan teased.

" Yes," Bill said, resisting the urge to call Mark - who wasn't even there - a foul name. Instead, he shrugged, " just keeping her warm, you know. She's my friend. "

Allan sighed, " Why don't you just tell her? "

" Tell her what? " Bill asked innocently, though he knew exactly what his friend meant.

" Tell her how you really feel," Allan said, " because we're all fed up of the pair of you tip-toeing around each other. Just tell her you like her, ask her out, and that's that. "

" Who said I even like her? " Bill demanded, " I've never told you that. "

" But we can all tell," Allan said, " well ... except her, but you're both stupidly oblivious. Look, she doesn't even like Mark that much and I don't think he really likes her, but you need to get in there before she falls for him too hard and gets hurt. You're the only person she really wants, I'm sure. "

" How do you know? " Bill asked, confused, " has she told you this? "

" Well ... no, " Allan admitted, " but I'm sure she feels the same. "

" It's not happening," Bill said firmly, " Jena made the choice to go out with Mark, and she wouldn't be with him if she didn't like him. It's up to her, isn't it? If she really wanted me, she'd come and tell me - she wouldn't be with him. "

" What if she's waiting for you to make the first move? " Allan pointed out, " I mean, what the hell are you doing, Bill? You've never been like this - usually, if you want someone, you tell her, so why is this any different? Go out there and work that Weasley magic. I'm sure no-one can resist it, least of all your best friend, who I think you were always going to get together with. "

" But she's different," Bill said, voicing the feelings for the first time, " she's not like anyone else. She's much more special to me, so I don't want to be the charming guy just sweeping in, kissing her and finishing with her for a few weeks. I want to be with her for ... as long as possible, and I want it to really be something. "

" Then bloody do something about it," Allan ground out through his teeth.

" But I can't because she means so much to me! " Bill hissed, looking down at Jena and then back at Allan, " I want to be her friend, and I won't be if I tell her how I feel and she doesn't feel the same. "

" I'm telling you that she feels the same way," Allan said, " why do you have to be so stubborn? Just look at her! "

Bill looked down at Jena. She was now curled up, one head on her shoulder, but closer to him than she had been before and one hand curled into his shirt, clutching at the fabric.

" Just leave it, mate," Bill said, shaking his head, " it's a lot to think about. "

" But you will think about it? " Allan asked.

" I don't know," said Bill, " I want to be with her but I'm just not sure how it would work out if she said no. It's not worth the risk. "

Allan sighed, beginning to feel that Jena and Bill were idiots who would never get together.

" I'm going to bed," he said.

" I ... I'd better stay here with Jena," Bill said, " I don't want to disturb her by getting up and moving around. "

Allan nodded and got up, but as he walked away, Bill called his name.

" Allan," he said, when his friend turned to look at him, " I will do it, soon. I'll tell her how I feel, because I suppose everyone's right. It's stupid to go skirting around each other. Someone needs to show some of this Gryffindor bold, daring, nerve, all that rubbish. "

" When? "

" I don't know," Bill said, " whenever it feels right. "

Allan rolled his eyes, " Just do it, before you drive all of your friends crazy and we ditch you. It's far too much drama for a couple of 4th years. "