Oh hey! :D

So here's chapter 37. Sorry I didn't update sooner - I've been busy with school starting up again.

Reviewer Replies:

rducky:Yeah, I think HBO did a promotional thing and gave everyone the channel. Oh well.
I want to read the books! I'll definitely have to get them now. Once I've finished rereading Harry Potter.

Love: Of course I know what you're talking about! I've seen AVPM and AVPS. "Favorite way to say redwines in a German accent?" "REDVINES!" And I died laughing at the "Go home, terrorist!" line. XD RACIST SISTER!
Ouch. That sounds pretty bad. :( But everything's okay now; it was only a day, even if it was Easter. Next year will be better.

pink-strawberry-lemonade:I'm glad you love Fabina so much! I love them too! To be honest, they're my absolute FAVORITE couple ever (other than Rose and Scorpius). :3
And it's fine about not reviewing last chapter – I'm just glad you liked it!

HarryPotterRoxMySoxForever: I liked the part about blushing Weasley red too, hence why I wrote it. (: And you'll find out more about Joy and her evil father later… now it's time to switch gears and check up on some other people.

DISCLAIMER!

Jerome: Blah, blah, blah… Ice-Princess-93 doesn't own anything. Not Hogwarts, the Anubis gang, the house, the locket, the Cup of Ankh…

Me: What ever happened to the Cup?

Jerome: I have no idea. Go ask Nina and Fabian.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: House of Crushes

Patricia's POV:

I sighed, stretched out across an armchair in the Ravenclaw common room. I was absentmindedly turning the pages of the newest Witch Weekly magazine, looking up every so often when someone walked by. Emma and Lin were a few feet away from me, chatting about some guy one of them fancied. Mara and Ashlie were at the library, their excuse being that the common room was too loud.

I knew the real reason why they left: Mara and I weren't getting along because of the whole Jerome situation, so we've been avoiding each other. Oddly enough, our roommates have been helpful spectators and interveners whenever something came up between us.

Peering across the room over the top of the magazine, I spotted Jerome playing a game of Wizard's Chess with Lorcan Scamander.

Great, I thought. My sort-of ex boyfriend and the guy I currently fancy are getting along by playing some logical game. What next? Lysander sprouting two heads? Lin not wanting to do extra credit work constantly?

Quickly choosing to get over my bitterness, I closed the magazine and threw it onto the coffee table. Lin and Emma looked up, seeing the thin book land. They stared at me for a few moments, the continued talking.

I got up and walked over to the guys. Lysander spotted me first, peering over the top of whatever book he was reading. He sat on a sofa not too far from them.

"What's up, Patricia?" he asked, putting a mark in the book and setting it down. "You alright?"

"I've been better," I confessed, taking a seat next to him. He turned to face me.

"What's wrong? Other than the current… situation," I was glad he just alluded to the fact that the three of us weren't on great terms instead of rehashing everything. Everyone else, even Nina and the rest of the Gryffindors from Sibuna, were on edge about it.

"Well, it's not really that as much as it is another thing…" I trailed off, taking in the sight of falling snow out a nearby window.

"You fancy someone else?"

"Kind of. Well, yeah, actually. But you can't tell anyone."

"I'll keep it a secret; you can trust me. I promise."

I thought about it. I mean, Lorcan and Lysander were twins - something was bound to slip out if I told him I liked his brother.

"Well," I started off, fidgeting awkwardly. "You know the guy, actually."

"Do I? Is he in our House?"

"Yes."

He considered this, getting a far-away look in his eyes as he tried to figure out who it was.

"Just out of curiosity," he started off, "I thought you still had it for Jerome. What made you change your mind so suddenly?"

"It's not my mind as much as my feelings," I explained, twisting a lock of my hair around my index finger. He nodded.

"Okay," he continued. "Well… Not to sound cocky, but is it me?"

I stared at him for a moment. Is he for real? I asked myself. I guess he noticed the look on my face because he spoke again, this time more rushed.

"I'm sorry, Patricia. I shouldn't have just assumed. It wasn't-" I held up my hand to cut him off.

"It's not you, no… but it's someone you're very close to."

"Thomas Finch-Fletchly?"

"Huh?" I looked across the room at Thomas. He didn't look too bad, actually, but he wasn't my type. Too brainy; he was better suited for Lin or Mara. "No! It's not Thomas."

"Well, if you don't mind me asking, who is it?"

I slumped down, holding my head in my hands.

"Are you serious?" I asked him. He put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me back up into a normal sitting position, nodding.

"It's your brother," I told him after much consideration. "Lorcan."

"Oh," he replied. "Well, this is awkward."

"Thanks," I snapped. I got up to return to my chair and continue sulking, when he grabbed my forearm and pulled me back beside him.

"Not just yet," he told me, eyes shining. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"What? No!" Then I considered it. "Why would you do that, anyways? I mean, no offense, but it's not like we're close."

"True," he admitted. "But I heard from a little birdie that my brother fancies you as well."

My heart skipped a beat. I quickly turned to look Lysander in the eye. "Really? You're not kidding?"

"Would I kid you, Patricia?"

"Maybe…" I thought about it. "No. No, you wouldn't."

"Then I'm telling the truth."

"But how do you know?"

"He told me, obviously."

"Oh. Well, it makes sense I guess… but how on earth are you going to go about this, Lysander?"

"Simple," he answered, getting up and turning to face Jerome and Lorcan in the middle of their intense Wizard's Chess match. "Lorcan! Get over here!"

"What the hell are you-" I couldn't finish. By the time I would've asked him what provoked him to ask his brother to come over here now, Lorcan was already standing in front of me, beaming like an idiot.

"Hi," he said, averting his gaze. He turned to his twin. "What's up, mate?"

"Patricia has something to tell you," Lysander told him bluntly. "Now. I'll just leave you guys alone."

With that, he walked off to take his brother's place in the chess game. I stood up, facing Lorcan.

"Hey," I said, looking down awkwardly at my feet. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he answered. "Mind if I, uh, join you?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure. Sit down."

We sat back down, turning to face each other.

"So…" he started off, attempting to make eye contact with me. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

Why is he making this so freaking awkward? I asked myself. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I gathered up the courage to say what I've been wanting to for a while now.

"Lorcan," I started off, blushing a bit. This isn't going to go well. "I, um… I think… I think I may fancy you."

Whatever expression was on his face before had turned to utter joy.

"Actually," I continued, feeling bolder, "I know I do."

"You do?" he asked. Just by the look in his eyes, I could tell he thought he was dreaming. He shook his head, snapping out of it. "This isn't some cruel joke, is it?"

"No," I answered honestly. "I really do have feelings for you."

"Oh." He blushed. "Well, I have feelings for you as well."

"I know."

"What?"

"Lysander told me."

"That jerk," he muttered. "When?"

"Just now, actually. He was going to talk to you about me and see if you felt the same, but then he mentioned you did. That's why he called you over here and interrupted your game of Wizard's Chess."

"Which he's probably losing for me as we speak," he added, chuckling slightly. Then he did something I was only half-expecting: He leaned in and kissed me.

It was nothing like kissing Jerome.

It was a lot better, actually.

Vaguely, I heard chairs scraping not too far from us, signifying that the game of chess was over. Lysander cheered. I didn't hear anything from Jerome, other than a "What?", but Lysander was probably filling him in.

Opening my eyes to observe the world around me, I noticed that pretty much every head was turned towards us, and Mara and Ashlie were back from the library. Mara smiled at us, but the two of them looked confused beyond anything. I heard people, mainly those around us, catching them up on what happened while they'd left to do their work.

Jerome approached us, a look of indifference plastered on his face.

"Trixie," he started off, using my nickname. "What's up?"

"Jerome," I answered, nodding. "Not much. You?"

"Are you happy with Lorcan now?"

Way to get straight to the point. "Yeah, actually. I am. Why?"

"No reason. I'm happy if you're happy."

"Well, you have Mara, so…"

"Look, Patricia… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed her. I guess…Well, I've had feelings for her ever since Mick left back when we were at Anubis House, and-"

"Wait a moment," I cut him off. "You did? Then what was my relationship with you? Lies? Really, Jerome?"

"No! It's not - Patricia, hear me out. Please. I did have feelings for Mara, but they went away when meathead came back. Then I started liking you, and… Well, here we are."

"You're so confusing, Jerome!" I exclaimed. "But… ugh. I guess I understand. You're just complicated."

"Jerome?" Now Mara was getting involved. Wonderful.

"Mara?" he asked, turning to face her. I grabbed Lorcan by the arm and left the area, but we weren't completely out of earshot. I could still hear what they were saying, and it was all very interesting. And sickening.

"So," Mara continued, "are we, like, together?"

"I guess," he answered. I looked back and forth between the two, then turned to face Lorcan. I sighed.

"What is it?" Lorcan asked. He looked concerned.

"Nothing," I replied.

It really wasn't anything, though. For the first time in a long time, I was completely and utterly content. There was no more Joy and Logan to harass us all, everything was calm with my group of friends, and I finally got the situation with Jerome, Mara and I sorted.

"I'm fine," I said, smiling. "Really."

He gave me a knowing look, then smiled as well.

"I believe you."