You know what Anne? I realised I haven't finished writing that part... I was about to make it clearer but apparently forgot to add on after that line. But I'll explain it now. Okay well, see he can tell that she loves him but accepts the fact that she wants to go their separate ways because of her own reasons.

Teknocat: Yeah, well, over here we don't even have our own supply of fresh water. All of it is bought from neighbouring country Malaysia. We buy from them, treat it, and sell it back to them. Haha. We even got into a squabble with them when they jacked up the price of water by 100 times, making it $3 per gallon or something. It used to be 3 cents. Yeah, when I went to New Zealand, the tap water was so clean! We just filled up our bottles from there. The water tastes different (in a good refreshing way) too!

Omg, did I make anyone cry? Why... that's really flattering! I hardly spared a tear when I wrote that. Errrr... Well, it shows my descriptives are good enough but not yet excellent (for me, that is)! I need to learn more hard words!

Hunni: Schedules? Well, same thingers! Anyway, my subjects are different every day. We even go by a 2 week rotation. But hey, you think you've got it bad having science everyday! But I take two sciences, Physics and Chemistry (which I loath and detest) and I have Maths everyday. Oh yes, did I mention I'm forced to take 2 Maths? Elementary Maths and Additional Maths?! I have an hour everyday, and 2 hours on 2 days a week. It's a killer!!

Time I update? Well... I'm at GMT 8 or 7 during Daylight Saving thingy. So I update from 3pm – 7pm my time. Guess when that'll be on yours. Anyway, I'm tired from washing cars in school (for charity, our class were washing teachers' cars). One wanted only water on her car, no soap... Our price was $5. With "onwards" in tiny font. Not including TIPS. -wink wink- My Malay teacher gave us 100% tip, woohoo! $10!

Anyway, on with the story...

Post 38

I ran along the corridor, unaware of where it'll lead me. I ran up stairs. More and more stairs, spiral ones, marble ones, moving ones. Until I reached a dead end. Right at the end of the last corridor, which wasn't as lavishly decorated as the lower levels' was a single door. A small oak door with a round knob.

I headed towards it. I opened it and squinted my eyes as a wave of piercing cold air flooded in, making my hands tremble. Cold as it was, I headed outside anyway. I looked around, I was right at the top of one of the towers.

The door behind me was against a large bluish cone-shaped roof, one of many that dotted Hogwarts roofs. A single flickering torch sat in its bracket, providing the only warmth. The round moon shone like a large orb in the sky. It was almost the full moon, but not just yet. I stepped towards the edge of the balcony and looked over the side. The railing was unusually low, coming up only to my knees. A series of bridges and a single river was all that could be seen. I stepped back as the eerie tingle that you feel when you look down swept through my body.

I sat down on the stone floor, just staring, thinking. My tears had long dried now by the wind. But the pain lingered fresh in my heart. I let out an unsteady sigh and stared out at the lake, calm and serene. With a path of silver moonlight across it, reflecting the millions of stars that littered the sky.

"Reine? That you?" Came a voice a long while later.

I whipped around and saw Lily emerging from the door, her face lit a warm orange by the fire.

"Yes, Lily, it's me," I replied. My voice was still hoarse and unmistakably depressed.

"What are you doing here? How did you find this place? Are you okay?" She asked softly.

"I don't think I caught all your questions, Lils," I replied, laughing weakly as I stifled a sob at the same time.

She blushed with embarrassment as she walked towards me. She settled next to me and sighed as she stared out into the sky.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"I just found this place by accident..."

"It's after 9 you know," she said with a smirk. "You're not allowed out after hours."

"Why are you here then?"

"Oh, I was supposed to be on my rounds," she admitted.

"I won't tell if you won't," I said as I choked on another sob.

"You're crying..." Noted Lily, her voice questionable and concerned.

"I'm not," I lied quickly, looking away from her.

"Yes you are," she said stubbornly. "Talk to me, what's the matter? It better not be Sirius, 'cause if he tried to hurt you, I'll make sure he gets it."

Her words made me burst into tears all over again. Lily suddenly burst into comforting words and begged me to stop crying.

"Reine? Is it Sirius?" She asked again.

I shook my head. Lily put a comforting hand on my shoulder as I wiped my face dry.

"It's not him..." I replied.

"Then what is it?"

"It's...well, it has to do with him," I replied, unsure of how to phrase it. "It's my father."

"Oh, I heard he's here right now, isn't he?" She said, now somewhat excited. "Professor Dumbledore told me. Ooh, I so want to meet him, I enjoy broomstick riding myself but I can hardly ever find any time now we're in seventh year you know-"

"Lily..." I intoned, begging her to stop. "It's because of him. He so caught up in his work, he doesn't care what I feel anymore!"

"Did he..." said Lily slowly but she didn't continue her sentence.

"It's always what he wants. He never did care what I want. Never! I hate him so much," I growled, teeth gritted and fists balled.

"Oh..." said Lily apologetically. "He made you break up with him didn't he?"

"Just so he could be happy, he ended my happiness," I wailed. "That's so unfair..."

"I know... Life's unfair, but hey at least you have a father," said Lily softly.

I turned towards her. "Don't you?"

Lily shrugged and smiled warmly. "He was killed when I was little... Death Eaters, y'know. My parents were muggles. I live with my aunt now. With my sister, Petunia."

"Oh, I'm so sorry..." I quickly added.

"It's alright," Lily said good-naturedly, patting my back. "So how do you feel right now? Are you okay?"

I kept quiet as I slumped over the stone. I didn't know how I feel. I felt... miserable, depressed, angry, confused...

"I'll get over it," I muttered.

"Right, you better go back to your common room... I'll bring you there so the other prefects don't catch you for wandering after hours," said Lily.

"Thanks," I replied quietly.

As we walked down the corridors, Lily fibbed to the other prefects that she's bringing me back to my common room after catching me loitering around the North Tower.

"But you still love him don't you?" She asked.

"Of course I do."

"I can just imagine how you must feel..." said Lily pitifully. "There is another way though... your father won't be here forever. He need not know."

I looked at her. "He's going to know sometime or other... When I graduate? What then? Can't run away from him forever... He's probably planned a wedding by then."

"Wedding? With who?" Asked Lily, shocked.

"Don't you know...?" I muttered.

Lily shook her head.

"James," I replied.

"Potter?!"

"How many James's do we know?" I asked, smiling bitterly.

"You don't really love him..." she said coyly. "Do you?"

"No! He's just a friend to me," I added quickly.

"Speaking of James... he's been really nice lately," said Lily slowly, turning away as her cheeks glowed pink.

"What does that mean?"

"Well... it's sort of, well," she blushed. "Sort of sweet, really. He sends me a rose by owl every single day, and every time, with a poem attached. I was really thinking... nah, it can't be."

"What is it? Tell me."

"Well... do you think... he's changed?"

"I wasn't really here before was I?"

"Oh yeah... But I really think so, he's stopped threatening me to go out with him," she mused. "He asks nicely now... and when I say no, he doesn't go into a fit and start looking for someone to jinx."

I laughed weakly. I could feel a part of me coming back, bringing back a little of the joy that got sucked away so instantly.

"He likes you a lot, maybe you should agree."

"To what?"

"To going out with him, he's a nice guy right? And you like him?"

"Well... maybe..." she said very hesitantly.

"Just try it out... it might work," I suggested.

"I'm scared... of getting my heart broken," she admitted.

"Don't worry, you don't have a father who does what mine did," I replied. "By the way, James has sought you out for too long to let you go."

Lily laughed.

"Remember... your father won't be here forever. Well, see you tomorrow ok?" She said cheerfully as we stopped right by the trapdoor. "And cheer up, Slytherin versus Gryffindor tomorrow."

"James is playing," I added with a grin.

Lily beamed and turned, waving goodbye.