"What the hell?" Marlene demanded. She turned towards Emmeline for an explanation. To her disappointment it appeared she was the most confused one in the room.
"I think Alice and Frank broke up…?" Emmeline tried to answer. Alice whimpered quietly from her spot on the floor. Lily approached, slowly wrapping her arms around her. She held Alice tight.
Mary stood in the middle of the room, her arms crossed. Marlene looked over at her for an answer. When their eyes met, Marlene could see Mary was the only one not in the dark.
"What in Merlin's name is going on?" She asked Mary in an urgent tone once she was standing next to her. Mary sighed, her head falling into her hands.
"It's not good."
"Really? Well that's a shock. Walking in here I thought Voldemort had been caught!" Marlene quipped. Of course Lily had the whole situation under perfect control. She rubbed Alice's back and whispered comforts to the distraught witch. Marlene did not have the energy nor the sobriety to deal with any of it.
"Can I get you anything, Alice?" Emmeline asked, looking lost in the room.
"A time turner!" Alice cried out. Emmeline looked to Marlene in horror. She clearly had no idea what had trigged the situation either. Marlene was glad not to be alone.
"Love, what's happened?" Lily asked, running her fingers through Alice's hair. "Maybe we can fix this." Alice snuffled and sat up, rubbing at her eyes. Mascara and eyeliner streaked down her face.
"I fucked up. Totally and completely fucked up." Marlene plopped down on the edge of Emmeline's bed unable to stand any longer. The night had already been too eventful for her. All Marlene had wanted to do was cozy up in Lily's bed and ask her friend for a little advice about Henry. She desperately needed a second opinion, especially with the stunt Sirius had pulled. Marlene had spent the end of the party unable to stop thinking about their moment in the hall.
"I cheated on Frank." Alice finally admitted. That shut up Marlene's brain immediately. Everyone in the room, except for Mary, grew noticeably stiffer. Marlene didn't know what to say. It didn't make sense. Alice and Frank were in love; the only people they cared about were each other.
"When you say cheated…" Emmeline began hopefully.
"I shagged Everett Jenkins multiple times."
"EVERETT JENKINS?" Marlene choked. "You mean that complete arsehole from Ravenclaw?" One look from Alice confirmed this.
"Oh, Alice." Lily sighed resting her forehead against Alice's shoulder. Marlene figured if anyone understood Alice's situation it was Lily. She'd done the same thing to Fabian only weeks prior. Lucky for Lily it'd worked in her advantage. Maybe Alice felt about Everett the way Lily had felt with James.
"Do you love him?" Marlene asked. "Everett I mean."
"No." Alice's voice wobbled. "Of course not."
"How did he find out? Did you tell him?" Lily asked. Did it matter? It was clear Frank was finished with the relationship.
"No." Alice began crying again. "He found out through a second source." Everyone in the room seemed to visibly deflate.
"Maybe we should all just get some sleep?" Emmeline suggested. "Being tired and drunk isn't helping anyone."
"I don't think I can sleep." Alice admitted. She got to her feet slowly, her fingers running through her hair.
"You're going to have to Al'. Just lie down and close your eyes for a little while, that's better than nothing."
"Okay" Alice agreed. After a small pause everyone began to return to their beds and get ready for the night.
"Still want to stay with me?" Lily asked Marlene, yawning widely.
"Oh, yeah."
James was getting dressed when his friends floated into his room without any knocking.
"Just walk in, why don't you?" He greeted them sarcastically, throwing on a green jumper.
"You will never guess what's happened." Remus mused, plopping down on the couch.
"Seriously. Staying in the Head Boy dorm is making you miss out on things." Peter added. James's eyebrows raised. He was intrigued.
"Someone's pregnant?"
"Better." Sirius promised. Now he was interested.
"Okay spill it, you three. What the hell is going on?"
"Alice cheated on Frank." James' jaw dropped.
"Bullshit."
"This gossip comes from the source." Sirius assured him. "Wormtail ran to the door and listened last night when they were fighting."
"With who?" James asked excitedly. He knew it was wrong to gossip about other people's lives. Sometimes it was just too hard to resist.
"They didn't mention his name." Peter pouted. "I did, however, hear her break up with him!"
"There is no way Griffith dumped Frank." Remus said shaking his head. "He dumped her for sure, he looked angry when he came back in, not hurt."
"I am pretty sure I heard her say 'I don't want to marry you.'"
"I just need to meet this bloke. He's got to be some lad to get Alice to cheat on Longbottom." Sirius said cheekily.
"I bet on my package of chocolate cauldron cakes it was her who ended things." Peter proclaimed quite confidently. All three boys gave him curious looks.
"You're that sure, Pete?" He nodded.
"I bet ten galleons it was him." Remus replied. The pair shook while Sirius and James watched on, both appearing entertained.
"Who would've guessed. Frank and Alice break up, leaving James and Lily the school power couple." Sirius joked. James ruffled his friend's hair just to annoy him.
"Shut up."
"Ohh! I heard that you and Lily had some fun last night…" Remus teased him. James felt his face warm up. Could Sirius not keep his mouth shut for one night?
"I don't know what you're talking about…" he lied with a big smirk.
"Ohhhh! Potter and Evans got it on!" Sirius started chiming behind him just to annoy James.
"Go away you git!" James laughed as his friend chased him around the room. Sirius went on chanting, "James loves Lily" in his ear loudly. Remus and Peter laughed. Then there was a small knock on the door, and everyone in the room froze.
"Sorry." Lily apologized, stepping into the room. "Didn't realize you had the whole gang in here." James stared across the room at her nervously. "What are you lot talking about?"
"Sorry Evans, that's confidential." Sirius shrugged, plopping down on the bed again. "If we told you, we'd have to kill you." Lily looked amused.
"Some things are better left to the imagination I suppose."
"Well, then. Did you stop by to admit to James that it's over and you're really in love with me?" Sirius asked, batting his eyelashes. Lily snorted and plopped down on the bed beside him.
"You wish, Black. Did you guys hear about last night?" She asked the room. James watched as all three of his friends gave each other knowing smirks.
"She means Frank and Alice." James sighed.
"I heard the whole fight through door!" Peter announced proudly.
"Alice won't even get out of bed."
"Who did she cheat on him with?" Lily looked unsure for a moment. "Our lips are sealed." Sirius promised her.
"Everett Jenkins."
"JENKINS?" James and Sirius shrieked at the same time. Lily stared at the two, stunned by their reaction. "That guy is a complete prick."
"It's his fault that I fell off my broom in the last match!" James cried indignantly.
"Did Alice happen to mention what she saw in him?" Sirius asked Lily, whom looked very unimpressed.
"No, she didn't happen to mention what encouraged her to ruin her relationship."
"How's she doing?" James asked more sympathetically asked.
"Like shit. I think Frank ended things last night-"
"HA!" Remus cried in Peter's direction. Lily glared at him.
"Sorry. That sounds horrible, of course."
"Anyway, I was wondering if you had any news from Frank's end."
"Last I saw he was still in bed. So, I'm assuming this means no wedding?" Peter asked her. Everyone in the room looked at him with annoyance. James felt bad for the pair. Frank and Alice had been together for years and now everything was falling apart. He didn't even want to picture what he'd feel like if it were revealed Lily was cheating on him.
"You know, I always thought Remus and Alice would make a great pair…" Sirius speculated. Lily smacked him.
"We don't even know if they're really breaking up!"
"I'm just saying!" He pouted his lips and crossed his arms. He always did this when Lily scolded him so that she'd end up feeling guilty. As usual, Lily rolled her eyes and ruffled Sirius's hair with affection.
"We should head down to the Great Hall." Remus said, standing. Slowly all three boys filed from the room leaving it alone to James and Lily. He smiled at her sitting there on the bed. She had no makeup on and her red hair was all tugged back into a ponytail.
"Hi there." Lily smiled.
"Hello." James crawled across the bed, his lips finding hers. It started innocent and slowly grew into something more. James's hands wandered up Lily's shirt and caressed her breasts as she lay back.
"James?" Lily breathed as his lips traveled along her neck.
"Mm?"
"Is it wrong for me to be so happy? When Alice and Frank's whole relationship is falling apart?" James pulled his lips away abruptly.
"Are you seriously thinking about Alice and Frank right now?" Lily looked ashamed.
"No! Well…yes kind of." James flopped over onto his back, the pair lying side by side.
"You're too good. You know that?" Lily took his hand in hers.
"It's just that Alice was a complete mess last night. I've kind of been in her position before, you know…" How could James forget the way they'd come together?
"She's really finished with Frank?" James asked with surprise.
"No… well, she claims she's not. Who knows?"
"Poor Frank."
"Poor Frank." Lily agreed, nuzzling her head into James's neck. He wrapped is arm around her and the pair lay silently that way. James felt safe and calm when Lily was close by. He wondered if Frank used to feel the same way about Alice. He wondered how he felt when she stood near him now. James didn't even want to imagine.
Frank had been pretending to sleep whenever one of his roommates entered the room. Truthfully, he'd been awake for hours. He couldn't remember how long he'd managed to shut his eyes during the night. Every time he tried to drift asleep he saw Alice and Everett together. Everett had bothered Frank even without proper cause. Now, all he had to do was think of him touching Alice to get his blood boiling.
Frank wanted to understand. He wanted to be able to reason why Alice might do something like this. The truth was that it just didn't make sense to him. He never so much as looked at another girl and yet Alice had more than looked at someone else. Was she in love with Everett? Had things between Frank and Alice been over for longer than he realized? The whole thought made Frank queasy.
He'd meant it when he proposed. He wanted a lifetime with Alice, no matter how young they were. Frank had wanted to make it through the war together and build a life. Yet, there she'd been fooling around with Everett half the year. He wanted to rationalize it. He wanted to forgive her. Sadly, Frank couldn't even think about her now without feeling overcome with rage. When his dorm was empty he swept the covers off and changed into something casual. He had to face the music eventually.
The clock told him it was the early hours of the afternoon. Frank figured most of his friends would be down in the common room on a Saturday. With a deep breath Frank headed down the stairs. The group, sitting around the couches, immediately stared at him. Everyone looked at him in anticipation. Frank figured they all knew by now.
"Hello." he said just to break the tension.
"Hi, Frank." Lily replied with a warm smile.
"How're you doing?" James piped in. Frank just shrugged in response.
"Is Alice…?"
"Still in the dorm. Want me to get her?" Mary offered. He nodded.
"That'd be nice." Frank wasn't quite sure what to do with himself as Mary ran off. He sat on the end of the couch, everyone staring at him. He was sure, were he not the one in pain, he'd be curious too.
"I'm not ready to go back to class Monday." Marlene spoke, kindly trying to distract people. It only half worked.
"Yeah, welcome back to the real world." Remus poked her. She stuck her tongue out at him.
"I'll be glad for the distraction. Haven't you been so bored this week?" Lily asked in disbelief. "There's nothing to do!"
"Oh trust me, there's plenty to do." Marlene winked at her.
"Stop corrupting my girlfriend." James covered Lily's ears jokingly as she giggled. The sight made Frank's stomach turn. That had been him and Alice less than twenty-four hours ago. What the hell had happened to them? Mary reemerged from the stairs.
"She'll be down in a minute."
"Okay."
"Why don't you two go take in the Prefect headquarters?" Lily suggested. "It'll be empty today."
"Thanks." Frank smiled weakly. Everyone looked at him with great sympathy for a minute before Alice appeared. She stood at the bottom of the stairs wrapped up in an oversized sweater. Her eyes were red rimmed from crying and her lips turned down in a frown.
"Let's go talk." Frank said, nodding towards the portrait hole.
They walked in silence. When Frank closed the door behind them Alice settled down on the edge of the table. She swung her feet back and forth to distract herself.
"Alice…" Nothing in Frank's life had ever felt so hard. He loved her. He'd loved Alice since he was just a kid and now she'd hurt him like no one had before. Frank didn't know if he could ever trust her again. Everything he'd once loved now felt tainted. What was a relationship without trust and happiness? Everything was slowly crumbling around him. Frank felt as though he were desperately trying to grab onto just tiny pieces.
"It's okay." She finally spoke up, her eyes planted firmly on the ground. "I wasn't fair to you last night."
"You were drunk…" Frank tried to reason but she just shook her head.
"That's no excuse. You should have had more time to think before a confrontation like that." Alice took a deep breath before raising her deep brown eyes to meet Frank's. They were brimming with tears and she smiled at him with overwhelming sadness. She knew what Frank himself did not want to admit. "I don't want you to feel guilty about having to walk away." She told him earnestly. Frank felt a lump form in his own throat. "You deserve a chance to be happy."
"You do make me happy Alice." God how he wished it weren't true now. "I just don't think-"
"That we can get past this. I know." Alice closed her eyes and tears dripped down her cheeks. "I do love you Frank. Everett was never…he was a truly horrible mistake. I've just felt so lost…" Tears filled Frank's eyes. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and promise everything would be okay. He hated seeing her like this. He hated even more that he could never hold her and feel the same again. "That's no excuse I just…I don't want you to think I'm somehow in love with him." Alice looked down at her left hand hesitantly. With shaking fingers she shimmied the engagement ring off.
"Please, it's yours." Frank shook his head. It didn't matter if he ever proposed again, the engagement ring would forever belong to Alice. She was the one who was supposed to have worn it for the rest of their lives.
"No, not anymore." Her hand hovered over his for a minute. The room was deadly silent. Frank wanted to reach out and take her hand in his. He wanted to give in and tell her that they could get past it all. They were Frank and Alice for god sake. When people talked about soulmates they were it. How could things end like this? Frank could see a future with her. He could see a home and children. He looked up at her, his breathing feeling louder than usual. He wanted to kiss her one last time. He wanted so much more than this useless goodbye. For a second they just stared at each other and Frank nearly gave in but then Alice broke the stare. She snuffled before dropping the engagement ring into his hand and rushing out.
Sirius stood on the edge of the grounds, a cigarette dangling between his lips. He was at the top of the hill facing Hagrid's hut. A chilly November wind blew viciously, trees swaying in its wake. He'd wanted out of the castle for a little while. Things felt tense after Frank and Alice's return from their "talk." No one quite knew what to do with themselves or how to handle the pair.
"Sirius!" He recognized the voice immediately. When he turned Marlene was rushing towards him. Her hands deep in the pockets of her pine green coat and her blonde hair was flying behind her. "I've been looking for you everywhere."
"Needed a smoke break." He said, giving the cigarette a little shake.
"I see that." She had a look of determination in her eyes, which only made Sirius nervous. He wanted to pretend he'd forgotten all the events of the last night. Truthfully they were forever imprinted in his mind. How could he forget the pivotal kiss they'd almost shared? Or the fact that Marlene hadn't completely rejected his advances for something more.
"I think we should talk." She teetered from side to side for a minute while Sirius stood silently. "Last night everything you said…I never thought you felt that way." Sirius's whole body tensed up. "I've thought about it all a lot-"
"Marlene," he shook his head. "I was drunk last night." Marlene's face dropped.
"Yeah? So was I but-"
"Listen, I'm clearly attracted to you, we do sleep together every other week. But, that doesn't mean I want anything serious between us." Marlene's jaw clenched. Sirius didn't blame her. The whole exchange was just as painful for him when everything inside of him screamed to tell her the truth. Here she was giving him a chance and he was giving up.
"So what was last night then?" She demanded boldly. "You basically told me you wanted me not to go for Henry because you had feelings for me-"
"I'm sorry if it came off that way." Sirius ran a hand through his hair, tossing his cigarette to the ground. Marlene glared at him so hard he felt tempted to look away.
"I'm a bloody idiot." She rubbed at her head as if it were causing her great pain. To be fair, most interactions between the two left them in agony one way or another. When Marlene looked up again she stared at Sirius with great detest. "You're lying." she told him.
"I'm not." Sirius sighed, turning away for only a moment. "You're just a shag, Marlene, always have been." She struck him hard across the face. Sirius stared back at her in shock.
"Don't you bring me down to just another number! You know what's sad? You do want more from me. I know it just looking at you right now and you have the nerve to try and make me feel like the idiot." Marlene gave him a rough shove in the chest. Sirius half wanted to grab her by the wrists and kiss her passionately. "One day you're going to wake up and realize that you are completely and utterly alone. The sad thing is, you'll have no one to blame but yourself."
"Oh, yeah?" Sirius growled, rage bubbling up inside of him. "I find it pretty rich that you, of all people, feel it necessary to give me a speech on commitment." Marlene laughed humorlessly.
"At least I'm not self destructive! Don't give me shit for wanting something more."
"You don't want something more! You just want what all the rest of them do. You want to get married, have kids and buy the big fucking house. You're buying into the same unrealistic fantasy." Marlene rolled her eyes.
"I'm buying into an unrealistic fantasy? I'm trying to survive! We can't do this alone Sirius, none of us! So don't shit on me because I've figured out life is more than just fighting and being angry. I want something better! Something richer! And I will not let you make me feel sorry for that!"
"Oh and Henry's that, then?" Marlene glared at him. "The man you think will give your life meaning?"
"You're a fucking idiot." Marlene sighed heavily before turning and walking straight back up towards the castle. She didn't look back once as Sirius watched her go. He wanted to kick something, to throw something furiously across the grounds. She was more than all of it. She was more than a shag or a stupid number. She was worth putting aside his useless womanizer image. He just couldn't afford to jeopardize his whole friendship with James just for that.
He'd made a promise to James two years before and he had to honour that. Little was as important to Sirius as the relationship he held with James. Besides, he had already almost ruined that once. He tried hard to forget the time last year when he'd instructed Snape on how to get past the Whomping Willow. None of the Marauders had spoken to him for months. When James finally came around near the end of the year Sirius had practically cried, (he'd never admit it though).
Sirius still felt guilty. He'd nearly hurt Remus due to his own vendetta. The truth was he'd caught Snape with his little brother. He'd had his arm around Regulus filling his head with all their Deatheater madness. Sirius had never felt so angry in his life. He regretted it now, maybe even resented Regulus for it a little bit.
The thing was, how could Sirius betray his friendship with James again? It didn't matter how much it hurt to see Marlene side by side with Henry or how bad he wanted to be able to kiss her whenever he liked. James was his best friend, his family, and he couldn't lose that. Not again.
Sometimes when they were alone, Lily made James read to her. It was a time just for them when there were no walls or vulnerabilities. That afternoon Lily lay safely in James's arms as he quietly read Franny and Zooey to her. Lily toyed with the drawstrings on his hoody while he read, listening along happily.
Before they'd dated Lily could have never believed such a thing was possible. She'd never see James Potter as the kind of guy who'd be half willing to do such a thing. She'd thought James was only interested in a girlfriend who constantly complimented his Quidditch skills and played with his hair. Now she saw a better side of him.
James liked to just sit and read sometimes. Better yet, he didn't mind laying awake with her for hours and just listening. Lily would talk about whatever was on her mind. He'd listen to her drag on about fond memories with her father, or even Petunia, and would laugh or frown at all the right spots. Lily had never had that before.
With Fabian everything had always felt so simple. They would hang out and joke around. Truthfully their relationship was formed mainly around cuddles and shagging. They went on cute dates but never ones where much transpired besides light conversation and kissing. Lily would never tell anyone, but she sometimes felt she hadn't understood the word "love" until she met James.
"She was still stroking Bloomberg, still succoring him, forcibly, into the subtle and difficult world outside warm Afghans-" James' reading was abruptly cut off by the door swinging open.
"Sorry." Marlene apologized as she stepped inside. James kissed the top of Lily's head, placing down the book.
"What's up?"
"I just…" Marlene had begun pacing. "What do you guys think about Henry?" Lily raised her eyebrows.
"Fawley? He seems nice-"
"I really liked him when I was younger…"
"Oh, I remember" James chuckled. Marlene shot him a cool look.
"Don't get me started, Potter." She told him warningly, making Lily giggle. "Three years is a big difference though, isn't it?" She continued on.
"No," Lily answered surely. "I'd say three is pretty basic.
"Are you looking for holes, McKinnon?"
"I just don't do commitment." She sighed, dropping onto the couch.
"Merlin, you sound just like Black." Marlene winced at the comparison. "Listen, I have known you your whole life Marlene. You have always been completely terrified of getting hurt. You put up these walls around you and you never let anyone inside, and that's not healthy." Lily nodded in agreement.
"Really, relationships are very rewarding when you find the right person. Even when you don't, they're lessons."
"I just don't want to end up like Alice and Frank." James and Lily shared a nervous look. That aspect was inevitable. You never knew how things were going to end.
"Well… you don't get to control that." Lily informed Marlene, disappointed by the fact herself. "Although, Alice and Frank were happy for three years. That's worth something." Marlene tapped her hands along her thighs nervously. "I think you should go for it" Lily encouraged her friend. "I think Henry might make you much happier than you expect."
"You've always liked Fawley." James added. "It's fate." Marlene looked at him like he was a complete idiot.
"I don't believe in fate."
"Oh yeah?" James asked lightly. "How would you describe me and Lily then?" He tickled Lily's sides making her squirm with laughter.
"Okay, okay, I'll take that as my cue to get out of your hair."
"Go for Henry!" Lily cried after her as she reached the door. "This will be good for you, you'll finally have some stability."
"Yeah, yeah." Marlene sighed, shutting the door behind her. Lily looked up at James with a big grin.
"Fate," she teased him, repeating the word dramatically. He licked the side of her face to get back at her. Lily squealed (even though she really didn't mind). They wrestled for a little while until James had Lily pinned down beneath him, her wrists trapped in his hands. She breathed heavily staring up into his hazel eyes. Slowly she lifted her neck up, kissing him softly. When she dropped back down onto his pillow she smiled.
"I love you." She told him. James tilted his head to the side.
"Yeah?"
Lily took a deep breath before speaking. "If I lost all my memories and didn't know who you were I think I'd wake up, see you, and fall in love all over."
"Let me get this straight. You're saying you think you'd fall in love with me no matter what?" She could tell he was fishing for an answer.
"Mm…"
"I think what you're trying to tell me is you believe in fate."
"Then again, if I woke up and the first guy I saw was Paul McCartney…" James pretended to bite Lily's hand. She giggled infectiously. Sometimes, she wished days like this could go on forever. She wanted to spend hours lying in bed with James, the two cuddling through the night, listening to the sound of his voice as he read her to sleep. He was right. Lily would never admit it, but it was fate. All her life she'd imagined a perfect guy. She envisioned this perfect relationship and there James had been right under her nose. All the years Lily had spent cursing his name and here she was pinned beneath him. Lily didn't think she had ever been happier.
"What?" James smiled as Lily wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Nothing, just appreciating you."
"Well, I am abnormally handsome." James batted his eyelashes playfully.
"Come here, you big goof." He dropped onto his side next to Lily, her lips meeting his. She kissed him long and hard never wanting it to end. Her hands traveled up his shirt and along his toned stomach. "Do you think we could lock that door?" Lily asked, pulling from their kiss for just a moment.
"You naughty girl." James teased her.
Mary was catching up on her Arithmancy homework in the library for the afternoon. It was too cold now to spend time outside and the common room was beginning to feel a bit stuffy with all the people in it. She squinted in agony at the questions she was supposed to be answering. Mary struggled to remember why she'd chosen to spend her last year doing Arithmancy.
"Hey, Mary." Mary's eyes darted up and there stood Reginald. He smiled at her with more confidence than he'd possessed in any passed conversations.
"Hi, Reg." Mary's memory was hazy from all the partying she'd down. She stared up at Reginald trying to conjure up their conversation from the night.
"Having some trouble with that?" He asked, nodding towards the open notebook Mary had barely scribbled in.
"Not my strongest subject." Reginald took the spare chair beside her, pulling up to the table.
"Here, I can help." Before Mary had time to protest he had taken her quill and began explaining each question step by step to her. At that point it was hard to turn down the offer. It took them an hour and a half to get through every question. By the end of it all Mary was relived to have had Reg's help.
"With this stuff in your head you're definitely going somewhere big." Mary told him. Reginald blushed embarrassedly.
"I wish, but… well, I guess I'll do the best I can." Mary frowned.
"Well you won't with that attitude."
"I mean… no one really believes in me." He was looking down at his hands as he said it. Mary's heart immediately sank. Feeling like no one was on her team had been a constant in Mary's life. The only two she'd ever had were her father and brother Patrick and now both of them were as good as gone.
"I'm sorry, Reg," she told him, truly meaning it. "That's horrible." Reginald seemed to shrug the whole mater off.
"It's okay. Other people have it worse."
"It's pretty horrible to feel like no one supports you." He raised his eyebrows.
"You seem to know a lot about it." She knew more than he could understand. Mary had been told countless times that she was going nowhere. Her mother enjoyed reminding her that she had no preparation for the real world. She'd even asked more than once when Mary was going to give up on "all this magic rubbish."
"Let's just say I've had a less than supportive up bringing." With that Mary closed up her textbooks and began tucking her things back into her bag.
"That's too bad."
"Yeah?" Mary asked distractedly. "Why's that?"
"Because you're an extraordinary witch, Mary McDonald." She froze up. "Not to mention an even better person. You seem to enjoy letting people see you as some cold hearted, emotionless rebel. I guess I just see something different in you." Mary felt like the room was spinning as she grappled for an answer. What the hell was he doing? Why was he talking to her like he understood anything about the way she acted?
"Oh." It was all Mary could come up with. "Well… thanks."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Reginald was back to his usually nervous tone now. "I just figured after last night…"
"After last night?" Mary demanded. "What're you talking about?" She could only remember agreeing to a dance.
"Well you… you told me…"
"I told you what?" She was growing impatient now. Mary's palms began to sweat and she rubbed them along the surface of her tights.
"You really can't remember?" His brown eyes drooped sadly now.
"I was drunk out of my mind last night, Reginald. Listen if it was something important just-"
"Forget about it." He sighed heavily, gathering his things. Mary felt guilty now. Why had she used such a rough tone? If only he understood it was because she was scared she might have said something she actually meant.
"Reg-"
"Stop." He snapped at her, hurrying to his feet. "Listen, I don't need your pity, Mary. If you're embarrassed to hang out around me that's fine, just don't bother doing it anymore." Her face broke as she watched him rush from the library. What was wrong with her? Reg had been nothing but nice to her and she was continuously awful. Mary had a good idea about what she'd said, she just didn't want to admit it.
Mary scrambled from the library, her face hot with embarrassment. She didn't know what to do with the guilt brewing right in her very core. She felt horrible every time she so much as thought of Reginald's name.
"Hello, Mary." A voice greeted her cordially. Mary looked up to see Amos Diggory passing by in the hall. She'd been so caught up in her own thoughts she'd practically missed him. Mary dug her fingernails into her palm watching as he strode away.
"Amos!" she cried when he'd almost reached the library. "Wait up."
Remus stepped into the dimmed Prefects office in search of the patrols schedule. He was usually on Mondays and Wednesdays, but he checked just in case James decided to switch it on him last minute. Remus was just a few feet inside the room when he heard someone's quiet sobs.
"Hello?"
"Sorry," A timid voice replied. Remus looked towards the back right corner of the room to see Alice crouched in it. She had her knees up to her chest and her head buried between them as she cried. "I didn't think anyone would be in here today…"
"It's fine." Remus assured her, approaching slowly. He wasn't particularly good at comforting people. Remus always felt like such a mess himself he thought himself fit for the job. He put that aside now though, sliding down against the wall to sit beside Alice. They sat in silence for a while as she cried to herself.
"I suppose you've heard." She said after a long silence.
"I might have heard something, yes." He could feel Alice shaking beside him. He reached a hand out and placed it on top of her knee.
"It's going to be okay." He comforted her.
"That's what everyone always says." She sobbed. "When my mom died people told me that over and over. I kept waiting for it to be okay and it never was. I just wanted to feel normal again. Have you ever just felt so far from everyone else?" Remus was most definitely accustomed to the feeling.
"Yeah, I think I have."
"I didn't feel like the same girl anymore." Alice explained. "So when Everett started hitting on me-"
"You just wanted to feel normal again." Remus understood. He knew what it felt like to have something important stripped from you. He had felt like an outcast his whole life.
"I know what it's like to have something weight you down." Remus assured her. "It feels difficult to understand people. I get how that can put a strain on a relationship."
"I'm sure you all think I'm a complete tart." Alice wiped at her eyes. "I'm sure Frank agrees."
"You're not a tart, Alice." Despite doing a terrible thing Remus found it impossible to be unimpressed with Alice. Everything about her was so genuine even her mistakes were forgivable. She'd screwed up, she felt lost and afraid and completely alone. Remus could relate to all that. He could be pretty self-destructive himself when he wanted to. "You did a bad thing, and I think you've paid your penance for it."
"I screwed up the only thing in my life that was good."
"You'll find another good thing." Remus promised her. "You just have to wake up every morning and soldier on through the day. Then, you do the same for the next one and the one after that and wait until things get easier." Alice sighed dejectedly, her head resting on his shoulder. In the dark they found each other's hands holding on tight.
"Thank you." Alice whispered. Remus wished he could believe his own advice. He knew things were supposed to get better, but when?