So, I was a bit unsure of this chapter after I wrote it. At the time I felt very loving and emotional in some weird way. Anyway, so I like parts of it whilst other parts is a bit... blah... I still hope you'll enjoy it though. :)
.
Chapter 28
.
Friday afternoon and the sun was shining. Alice was walking down the lawn that still was brown from the winter. A few flower buds could be seen here and there. Most of the trees were starting to bud up as well. Harper had requested to meet her by the Qudditch pitch at six-thirty. He'd been very secretive and hadn't told her more than that she should skip dinner and not where a dress. She'd braided her hair and put on a pair of tight jeans. Even though they knew each other rather well and they'd been together in this way before, Alice felt a bit nervous. She hadn't told Blaise either much to Daphne's disapproval. As Alice got to the pitch, she wasn't sure if she was to go in the stalls or on the field itself. A small note was attached to the Slytherin locker room door. She opened it and smiled as she read. It told her to go through the locker room and out on the field. Alice had never been in the locker room before but stepped in curiously. It was a bit bigger than she'd imagined and a thin wall separated the one side from the other. She noticed small signs with names on them sitting on the wall above hooks. By each hook stood a broom and a set of clothes hung on them. Blaise Zabini, she smiled. It felt like yesterday she'd seen him play for the first time. Dear, sweet Blaise. She missed him. His smile, his touch, even his voice. Next to him hung Draco Malfoy. The only one she missed more than Blaise. A part of her regretted the memory change. But it had to be done. Alice reached out and touched the robe, it felt smooth but cold. Cold as if it hadn't been worn for a long time. With a sigh, she let the fabric slip through her fingers before she walked out on the playing field. On the middle of it, not far from herself was a blanked with a basked placed on it. She smiled and walked up to it.
"Alice", Alice turned around and smiled towards him, "you're early." They gave each other a friendly hug.
"I know, I'm sorry", she said and bit her bottom lip.
"Don't be. It'll just give us some more time before the night ends", he smiled and showed her to take a seat at the blanket.
"Why are we at the Quidditch pitch?" Alice asked. Harper started unpacking the basket; it contained all kinds of food and drink.
"You made all of this?" Alice asked and looked down on the load of food.
"No", he said and blushed, "I can't cook. A house elf helped me. She seemed to recognize your name."
"A small elf, abnormally big eyes, floppy ears and a squeaky voice?" He nodded. "It's Beth, I know her."
"She was indeed very nice, and helpful", Harper said and stared unpacking the food he'd brought. "And as for your question to why we are here", he continued with a smile, "I just wanted to show you a part of my dream."
"Quidditch?" Alice asked. They started eating of the wonderful food Beth had made them.
"Yeah", Harper said and looked around the arena. "I've always wanted to be a seeker."
"Why aren't you on the team?" Alice asked. "Permanently?"
"In Slytherin it is more about who you know then how good you are. Malfoy's been on the team four years now and he's good", he explained. "I haven't got much to say about it, being a year younger and everything."
"If you want, I could talk to him."
"No it's fine; he said he was giving his spot for me in the end of the year anyway so", Harper said and shrugged his shoulders before he took a far too big bite of his food. Alice couldn't believe it, but she was actually having a nice time. Harper's company was much more enjoyable that it might seem.
"You like doing things, right?" Harper reassured himself. Alice nodded and smiled. "Not just sit and talk all day, right?"
"No, I do rather enjoy activities of the other kind", Alice said and put down the cup she was holding in. "What have you planned?"
"Well, dates are to get to know one another", Harper said and got up. "And I wanted to share my passion with you." He helped Alice on her feet and they walked to the side of the playing field, where two brooms stood by the wall. Harper reached one to Alice and mounted the other one.
"Jake?" Alice said, her voice filled with insecurity. Harper turned and looked at her. "I've only ridden a broom once before", she said with a crooked smile.
"You know how to step on it?" He asked and walked up to her. Alice mounted the broom, just like Harper had done seconds before. "And then you just kick", he said and smiled. Alice did as he said, and kicked. The only problem was that she didn't know how to make it stop.
"Jake, how do I make it stop?" she called down to him, his figure was getting smaller and smaller by the second.
"Just straighten up!" He yelled back. Straighten up, as if that was easy. The height got to Alice as she glanced down towards the ground. If she were to fall, she'd be absolutely dead. Then the broom suddenly stopped. Harper had gotten a firm grip around the top of it.
"You didn't think I'd leave you to join the stars, did you?" he smiled comforting. "C'mon, I'll help you down a bit." Harper steered their brooms towards the ground in a slow pace that was rather enjoyable. They landed softly on the ground and Alice breathed out in relief.
"Sorry, I'm spoiling our date", Alice said and stepped of the broom.
"No, you're not", Harper said, smiled and took her hand for a moment. "Come here, I'll teach you", he said and pulled her to him. "Step on in front of me." Alice did as he said. "Ready?"
"Ready", Alice answered and he kicked from the ground. They flew a few yards over the ground. He took her hands and placed them on the brooms handle. Then he placed one of his hands on top of hers and the other one around her waist.
"Here we go", he said and speeded up. They rode around the area and Alice enjoyed how the cool wind blew through her hair. She'd never realised how amazing it was or how free she felt. No wonder this was Harper's dream. Harper steered the broom up as they pushed the speed limit. Before they knew it they'd passed the clouds and nothing but a sky filled with stars lay before them.
"It's beautiful", Alice said and looked over the clear sky.
"I'm glad you like it", Harper said. "Blimey", he whispered to himself.
"What?" It was hard not to hear him as they were practically on top of each other.
"They have Quidditch practise at eight, I promised we'd be out of here by then", he said and started flying down.
"What time is it?"
"Seven fifty." They landed quickly and started packing the food in the basket. The Slytherin Quidditch team started entering the field from their locker room. Blaise and Draco came out last. Alice watched how they walked over the field, towards the centre. They were so alike in some way; the same proud posture, the fact that they were the thinnest and tallest ones in the team and the gentle, almost unnoticeable glimpse in their eyes. Alice grabbed their things and walked swiftly towards the exit.
"Hey, Alice!" Crabbe waved enthusiastic to her, and she waved very quickly back. Out of nowhere both Blaise and Draco stood in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" Blaise asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, I –" Alice was interrupted as Harper got up next to her, putting an arm around her.
"Hey guys, how's it going?" He said and shook both of their hands.
"This is your date?" Draco asked. "Alice is your date?" He looked offended, hurt and confused all at once. And the worst was probably that Blaise looked just as hurt as Draco did. Why did they care? One of them broke up with her and the other one was supposed to not care.
"What do you care?" Alice asked harshly. "It's none of your business."
"Yeah, whatever", he said and walked away.
"See you later", said Blaise and before he followed Draco, he gave Alice a long, longing look.
"Do you want to stay and watch the practise?" Harper asked, he hadn't taken notice of any of the events that just had played out in front of them.
"Um, yeah", Alice said, a bit stunned from everything. "Sure." They walked through the locker room and up to the stalls. They sat down on one of the benches and watched as the practice started.
"Is everything alright?" Harper asked and took her hand. Alice decided that it would be better to bring it up already.
"Jacob, this has been great..." He interrupted her with a smile.
"But I'm not him", he filled in and squeezed her hand. "I know. I've really enjoyed this evening but I think I speak for both of us when I say we shouldn't be more then friends."
"I'm sorry", Alice said, she felt guilty. He gently stroked her cheek.
"I'd love to be with you, you're brilliant and beautiful..."
"Thank you, Jake", Alice said. They looked each other in the eyes before Alice gave him a quick peek on the mouth. He looked confused but couldn't help but smile. "Just so I knew what I was skipping out on." He leaned in and kissed her, this time more passionate and intensely.
"Yeah, friends", he said and held out his hand. She took it and smiled.
"Friends."
.
"We hate Harper", Draco said and stopped his broom next to Blaise's.
"You bet", Blaise said, they both fixated their gaze down to where Alice and Harper were sitting.
"You want to smash a bludger in his head?" Blaise asked.
"Oh yeah." The boys looked at each other with a smirk. "I'm glad we're friends again."
"I thought you ought to be with her by now", Blaise said and watched Draco closely. "Don't you love her?" Draco didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure anymore to be honest. In fact, he hadn't even thought about it. She was Alice, did he have to say more?
"Do you not love her?" Blaise asked when he realised he wasn't going to get an answer.
"No, I..."
"You can't put words on it", Blaise filled in.
"I've got to go", Draco said and left Blaise hanging by himself in the air. Blaise flew down and jumped of his broomstick. He was angry, with himself, with Draco and with Alice. This was all his fault to begin with. Never fall on love with someone that loves someone else. If it'd only been that easy. As he got in to the locker room, all of the others had already left. Blaise pulled the garment over his head and hung it on his hook.
"Blaise..." He turned at the sound of her voice.
"Where's your new boyfriend?" He asked and put on the shirt. He got this tingling feeling in his stomach at the same time as he got a lump in his throat.
"He's not my new boyfriend", Alice said and stepped in to the room.
"Okey, your future boyfriend", Blaise said. He tried to button his shirt but failed miserably as his hands were shaking too much.
"He is never going to be my boyfriend, Blaise", Alice said and walked up to him. She stopped before him and started buttoning his shirt.
"Of course, that's why you kissed him", he mumbled and turned away as soon as Alice had buttoned the last button.
"He's not you", Alice said and took a grip around Blaise's wrist. "That's why."
"Why are you doing this to me, Alice?" He pulled his wrist out of her grip.
"I miss you."
"Why do you kiss another guy not two weeks after our breakup? And why do you tell me this?"
"Because!" Alice forced him to turn to her.
"Because what? Don't you get that it hurts?" He was angry and he was going to let it all out. They stood quiet. Alice waited for him to calm down a bit.
"Because I'm in love with you", Alice said. It felt just as good as if felt bad. She opened the doors to her castle, letting him in. And it made her vulnerable. "And I can't stand another day without you." He dropped the jumper he was holding in his hands and just looked at her with surprise. This was not what he expected, especially not from her. With two small steps he was by her, he put one arm around her waist and the other around her neck before he kissed her. Oh, how he'd been longing to do that again. And when she put her hands around him, it felt just as it used to do. Almost anyway. They didn't realise that they had been moving until Alice hit the wall behind her. They continued kissing each other with the same passion as before. Blaise was the one to break the kiss. He needed a moment to breath.
"Is everything alright?" Alice asked and caressed his cheek. He bent down and kissed her neck and she pulled her fingers through his short hair. Alice started unbuttoning the shirt she so recently had buttoned and pulled her cold hands over his warm, tight upper body. Blaise kissed her on the mouth again. They'd never been so passionate when they were together.
"Alice", Blaise said between the kisses. "Alice, we can't." He stopped kissing her and leaned his forehead on hers.
"I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner…"
"It doesn't matter Alice, because we can't be together", he said and looked her in the eyes. "We aren't meant to be together. I think we need some time apart." Blaise turned away from her, picked up his jumper and his jacket before he left her alone. Alice slid down the wall and pulled her legs to her chin as she hit the floor. Tears started to fall down her face; this was a battle she couldn't win.
.
"Are you mad at me?" Daphne stood next to Alice in the Great Hall.
"No", said Alice in confusion. "Why would I be?" Daphne sat down next to her and shot an evil glare over the table at Harper.
"You practically ran when you saw me and Blaise", she whispered.
"I'll see you later, Jake?" He smiled and waved her off as she pulled Daphne away from the table. "I didn't run from you."
"Blaise? You ran in to him on the date yesterday?" Daphne asked. "I knew you should have told him!"
"Daphne! Daphne", Alice said and took a firm grip of her shoulders. "It's not that."
"What then?" Alice looked around, to make sure no one they knew was nearby.
"We kissed."
"You and Harper kissed? Big surprise..." Daphne said and rolled her eyes.
"No, me and Blaise", said Alice in frustration of how slow her friend was acting today. "I realised, we not being together and all, that I'm in love with him."
"Gone and gotten yourself soft, Gaunt?" Alice turned, only to stand face to face with Pansy Parkinson. "Draco said you had changed."
"It's funny that you and your boyfriend pass all your time together speaking about another girl, Parkinson", Alice sneered at her. "One might think he doesn't love you anymore." Pansy pulled out her wand and pointed it at Alice.
"Take it back", she threatened.
"Or what? Are we really going down that road again?" Alice hissed. Apparently Pansy didn't want to go down that road again as she lowered her wand and fled in a hurry.
"Blimey, you're on it today", said Daphne and smiled. Alice started walking down the corridor again, leaving Daphne behind. She wasn't in the mood for anything, or anyone for that matter. An owl landed on a bench next to her, with a letter attached to its foot. Alice walked up to the owl and took the letter. Alice Gaunt, it said with a thin, meandering handwriting. She opened the letter and read it. Three simple words adorned the parchment.
It is finished.
It didn't have to say more than that for Alice to understand. She put the paper in her inner pocket and snapped with her fingers. She landed on the first step of the stair leading down to the cellar in Malfoy Manors. No one seemed to be at home, but Alice walked as quietly as she could down the stair and through the iron gate.
"Mr Ollivander?" Alice spoke through the darkness. She heard a cough and hurried deeper inside the cellar. "Lumos", she said after pulling out her wand. Another light lit at the far end.
"Alice?" A weak voice called. Alice hurried down to the light and didn't stop until she was right next to it.
"Mr Ollivander", Alice said and helped the old man sit up straight. "I got your letter." He smiled weakly and held up the glowing wand towards her.
"I couldn't risk sending it to you", he said and smiled. A moment of silence followed as Alice took the wand from him. It felt just right in her hand. It was beautiful carved, much more detailed than the one she had.
"You seek power", Mr Ollivander said and watched her closely. "Yet you do not wish to conquer. What is it that drives you?" Alice smiled at the old man, a kind, warm smile.
"For the same reason you made this wand for me", she said. He looked at her in surprise. "Love conquers us all at some point, even me."
