Beth feet were asleep. She moved her legs slightly and Tom, his head resting on her thigh, groaned.

"Don't…" he murmured against her leg. Beth giggled.

"You wuss."

"I'm warm."

"You're lazy."

"Too right." He rolled onto his back and looked up at her. "You're beautiful."

"And you're a filthy liar."

He rolled his eyes. Beth was used to this. Every time he made a compliment, she brushed it aside. He continued making them, Beth had no idea why. After two months he should have learnt. She smiled gently and Tom sat up, pulling her against him. She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips. "You're too nice to me."

"You deserve every bit of it." He dropped a kiss on her head and cuddled her against him as Joe stomped into the room.

"You two want to get a room."

"We're in one," Beth said with a teasing smile. "You just happened to walk in; you can walk out again if you really want."

"No." He sat down defiantly in a sofa facing them. "You better yet?"

"I've been better for ages," she said, trying and failing to suppress a deep, throaty cough."

"Liar." Tom and Joe spoke at the same time.

"Oh, shut up you two. Anyway, I'm going to bed."

"Can I-?"

"No, Tom."

She turned and, with a laugh, walked out.

She stared miserably at the lake. Her day had been a nightmare and this solitude was welcome. Thankfully the common room was deserted. After the abrupt rebuff she had given Joe, who had tried to console her, people had left her well alone. She closed her eyes, holding back her tears. Two months, two long months. Did she honestly think he'd changed? Did she delude herself into thinking she was different, that he'd never hurt her?

She rubbed her face roughly and turned from the frosty window. The snow had begun to hang around and huge drifts had taken up residence on the Hogwarts grounds. Unwillingly, her mind drifted back to earlier in the day. Razzy had come bounding down the stairs, all smiles. She had grinned at Beth.

"Hi!"

Beth had been taken aback at Razzy's sudden change of heart, however, she welcomed it and smiled back.

"Hey!"

Razzy looked down at her and something in her face had changed. "Did you really think Tom would stay with you?"

Beth's head had jerked backwards. "Huh?"

"I told you he was mine before and last night he proved that."

Standing up, Beth had backed away slowly. "I don't understand…"

"Oh, then let me enlighten you! Tom told me last night he loved me." She smiled brightly, taking a perverted pleasure in the disbelieving look Beth had given her. Beth had taken another step back, her head shaking slightly.

"No… no, I don't believe it. Not Tom, he wouldn't… not to me."

"You thought he loved you? You thought he loved you more than me? It's me he loves, not you! You were just entertainment. He kissed me last night. He told me he didn't love you, he said he'd always loved me. You're nothing to him, it's me he wants!" She had laughed and Beth had choked faintly, unable to stop the heartbroken look in her eyes. Razzy's smile had widened at the sight of it.

"Poor Bethy," she mocked. "You're not every guys fantasy… I am. It's me he wants. He's mine, so you can take you're stupid innocent little angel act somewhere else."

She had grinned at Beth then turned and stalked out of the room. Beth had fallen back limply into the sofa, her body numb with shock. It had taken her fifteen minutes of silence to come to terms with exactly what Razzy had said. Tom had cheated on her. Tom. Oh, no, Tom… her head fell in her hands.

Tom found her staring out the window. He stopped a few feet behind her.

"She told you?"

"Yes. Yes, she told me. She made sure it hurt, too."

She was shocked at the steadiness and calm in her own voice. She hadn't used it since that morning.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She turned to look at him and smiled dimly. She felt detached, somehow. She couldn't feel anything just yet. "I'll speak to you later. Good luck with Razzy," she said gently, then walked past him and headed to her dorm.

She couldn't talk to Tom for three weeks. Beth was harsh and quiet for those three weeks, especially to Marcus and Joe. She made damn sure they knew not to say 'I told you so'. They seemed to take the hint.

Emily was sympathetic and encouraged Beth to discuss Razzy in the harshest way possible. During one of these 'discussions' Emily had let slip that she and Marcus had found out who had paid Zac to play the prank on Em.

"It turns out it was Jessi."

"What?!"

Emily shrugged. "She was jealous, she likes Marcus."

"Who doesn't… apart from me!" she finished quickly, as Emily shot a look at her. But Emily shrugged.

"I don't think Marc and I will be together for very much longer."

Beth nodded. "Yes, you two have been arguing a bit. I noticed."

Emily smiled wryly. "You don't miss much do you?"

"Apart from…"

"You chose not to see that."

"Good point."

Beth sighed and smiled ironically at Emily. "Well, Gem, certainly seems like we're the worst girlfriends in the world."

"Either that or we chose the worst couples."

"Another good point. You're on a roll, Gemily."

"And it ain't over yet."