Issues Concerning The Heart – Mei's PoV

January 1997

Orion is a great friend, he really is but he's just so blind to things that are around him! He drives me completely up the wall! Especially when he's after a girl. He's just noticed Rachel Leeder. The girl I share a dorm room with. Not only that but he's fallen for her hard! It's really not fair how he seems to notice every girl except me. I think it's because I've been his friend for too long he just doesn't see me as a girl anymore, well obviously he sees me as a girl but not a GIRL. Every lunch, every dinner I sit next to Orion as he tells me how wonderful Rachel is. Rachel doesn't even notice him! This is one such dinners. I sat trying to finish my steak and kidney pie with Orion yammering away next to me.

"What do you think would impress her? I've tried to get myself noticed but she just seems to want to ignore me." Orion said as he looked down the table at Rachel. She was one of those rare people who had naturally blonde hair and was actually rather smart. She was a nice person when she wasn't with her friends or on her bad side. I'm not on her bad side but you rarely get her away from her friends. Her group are a bit like Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil in Hermione's year. They're fun to listen to. I once went to borrow a book from Hermione and the three of them were just sitting there in their room bickering before they all suddenly started talking about wedding plans. Hermione may say she doesn't get along with them but I think she does. I know they're invited to the wedding at any rate.

"Have you maybe considered that she's not interested in you?" I asked Orion, looking at him. He brushed his hair away from his eyes and gave me a look that made me want to blush…if I was that kind of girl, which I'm not.

"What? Are you kidding? Of course she notices me. She's my partner in Transfiguration." Orion said as he stuffed a fork full of potatoes into his mouth.

"Oh yes, I forgot about that." I said to him, "That means you get a lot of attention from her."

"It sure does-" Orion started to say when there was a loud bang from the other end of the table. Everyone looked to the end of the table in time to see a second year boy falling head first into a bowl full of gravy on the Hufflepuff table. Hermione got up out of her seat immediately and went over to check on him. He emerged spluttering and covered in the brown sauce. Once he'd wiped it off his face I recognised him as Jessie's boyfriend.

"Hey, isn't that that Jason fellow whose dating my sister?" Orion asked. We both looked down the table to see Jessie, Kaylee and a girl friend of theirs in fits of laughter. A boy next to Kaylee was getting up to go to his friend but he was smiling slightly.

"Anyway, what were you saying?" Orion asked me. I looked at him and shook my head.

"You are hopeless Orion." I muttered as I got up from my seat.

"What?" He asked as he quickly stuffed the last bit of food into his mouth then followed me.

"Nothing Orion, do you want me to talk to her tonight?" I asked him as he finally caught up with me.

"Oh would you? That'd be great." Orion said.

"I know it would Orion, that's why I'm offering to do it." I said but Orion's attention had been taken away by something else. I followed his gaze to where his sister was sitting on the stairs with Emma Potter and their roommate Kara.

"Come with me." Orion said as he pulled me towards the dungeons and then squeezed against the wall.

"What are we doing Orion?" I asked him but he put a hand over my mouth.

"Listen." He whispered.

"I don't know what it is." Rhia was saying.

"You've got to, you've been ill since Christmas." Emma said.

"That doesn't mean anything." Rhia said.

"Rhia you're in serious denial." Kara said next. "Have you taken a pregnancy test?"

"Yes." Rhia muttered.

"Ah, so that's who that belonged to." Orion muttered next to me. I turned to look at him. "I thought it was mum's, how was I supposed to know it's Rhia's?"

"Never mind." I muttered to him. We decided to listen again, it's fun listening to older kids and their problems, though it's not fun listening to Cho, she's always going on about her hair, or her clothes, or her job…jeez! At least she has a job and a house of her own and hair for that matter!

"What did it say?" Kara asked.

"It was a negative, which is a relief because I don't want to have children yet!" Rhia said.

"But you have them when you leave Hogwarts." Kara said.

"Yeah, I know. Sam is just started to piss me off, he's exactly like Orion." Rhia said like she was talking through her teeth. I gave Orion a curios look. Who was Sam?

"He just likes to be like his uncle that's all." Kara added.

"So why don't you go to the hospital wing?" Emma asked quietly.

"Because there is nothing very serious wrong with me, it's probably dad's cooking or something." Rhia said.

"Dad's cooking is bad." Orion agreed quietly.

"I don't think it's your dad's cooking," Emma said. "Rhia please, just go and get yourself checked out." There was silence as they moved off.

"Who's Sam?" I asked Orion.

"My nephew." He said as he stretched out his legs.

"Right." I said slowly.

"My niece and Nephew came back from the past last summer. They've been staying at the Potter's house. I thought you knew," He said to me.

"Obviously not." I replied. "They've been here for six months?"

"Yeah, about that. Sam wants to changed the future but Andrea absolutely refuses to do anything but baby-sit Phoebe and read" Orion said as we made our way around the stairs and up towards the common room. "So the plan is to get Rachel in love with me." Orion said again. I looked at him. I really wanted to hit him. He's been annoying me more then usual this year. Not entirely sure why but he has just been annoying me.

"Hi Orion," Said a girl from Ravenclaw as we passed by her on the way back to the common room.

"Heya." He replied with a smile. I shook my head and walked a little faster. "What?" Orion asked as he ran after me.

I sat on my bed making my way slowly through a book that my sister said that I should read. I wish I hadn't started now, too long and boring but once I start a book I have to finish it. It didn't help that Rachel Leeder and her friends were talking so loudly on the other side of my hangings.

"Oh the boys here are so…dull." Came Sophie Kia's voice.

"No, not all of them, there are still a few that seem to be good." Rachel said. I opened my hangings to take part in the conversation.

"No, Sophie's right, they're dull." I told them. Rachel gave me a smile.

"You should talk, you're dating one of the better looking guys in the school." She said.

"I am?" I asked. "Who's that?" Rachel and Sophie turned to look at me.

"You must be kidding right?" Rachel asked. I gave her a slightly confused look. Rachel and Sophie looked at each other and sat down on either side of me. "You have no idea who I'm talking about?"

"Should I?" I asked her.

"Orion Black, he's your boyfriend right?" Sophie asked. I looked at them with a look of intense surprise! Me and Orion together? I wish!

"What?" I asked them. "You think Orion is my boyfriend?"

"Well isn't he?" Rachel asked, she did start to look confused now.

"No!"

"But you two are always together." She said.

"No, we're just friends." I told her.

"Just friends." Rachel said, unable to believe my statement.

"Trust me, all he ever talks about is you-" I stopped my statement but it was too late. Rachel and Sophie looked at each other with that look that I'd had seen them give each other before. It was that look that said that they had a plan to use and abuse a boy. I didn't worry for Orion, he'd used and abused as well so really, the two were evenly matched. I cursed myself but stayed quiet.

"Thanks for that, it's been a lovely talk." Rachel said with a grin.

"Did you talk to her then?" Orion asked me as we walked back from Herbology.

"Yes I did." I muttered.

"And?" He pressed.

"And I think she'll say yes if you ask her out." I said almost painfully.

"Perfect!" Orion said with a grin. "That's fantastic, great." He looked over to the group of girls that were walking the same way as us but some way to our left. I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I went into the castle. Orion wondered off towards the great hall, the smell of food was just too tempting for him. I decided that I'd rather spend my time in the library so I wondered up the stairs. Orion and Rachel…that just didn't seem right in my head though really they were perfect for each other. I don't really like Rachel too much, I won't say it's jealousy because it's not, but it is! Damn it! I watched my feet as I placed one foot in front of the other. I knew the route to the library well enough now.

As I came towards the library doors I heard a soft scuffle from a door that looked locked. I scowled but decided to ignore it. The castle was full of strange sounds. I took another step when I heard a muffled cry. I turned to look at the door. Something must have hit the door at a hit speed because at that moment it looked as though something had hit the door as splinters fell from the door frame. I jumped slightly and took a cautious step towards the door. Before getting my wand out I took a quick look around, there wasn't anyone here, everyone was having lunch. I put my bag in a more secure position on my shoulder then tried to open the door but it was locked.

"Alohamora," I said. The lock clicked open. I took another glance around, still no one or so I thought-

"Miss Chang, stopped right there," came Filch's voice. "No magic in the corridors." I turned to look at the mangy caretaker.

"But I heard a noise, if you just let me see what it is I'll let you try and expel me." I said. I saw a flicker of thoughtfulness go through Filch's eyes but then it disappeared just as quickly.

"No, you broke the rules and you got to-" He was cut off by a thudding on the door. We both turned to look at the door. I reached for the handle and had just turned it when the door flew open. Emma Potter flew out of the door and slammed it shut behind her.

"Holy shit." She muttered while breathing heavily. I looked at her curiously. She had a cut across her face and her hair looked as though it'd been singed.

"Emma?" I asked. She looked at me as she jumped.

"Mei, get out of here, seriously," She said but the door flew open a few moments later, pushing Emma and myself to the floor. We landed at Filch's feet and looked up into the cold grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. He sneered at us, or more like Emma with a look I had never seen on his face before. I looked at Emma, who looked terrified. She seemed to edge closer to me.

"What's going on here?" Filch demanded.

"Nothing, get back to your job Squib." Malfoy sneered. Filch nearly roared with anger but Malfoy was gone before he could do anything.

"RIGHT! You two, my office NOW!" Filch said to me and Emma.

"What!" I said in annoyance.

"Now!" He repeated. I got up feeling rather annoyed and looked at Emma, she took a deep breath and stood up straight. I looked at her curiously. There was something about her that seemed a little different.

"What?" She asked me.

"Nothing." I said quickly. "What happened?"

"Nothing." She said just as quickly as I'd said it, "Nothing happened." Emma muttered, "Nothing" I raised an eyebrow. What…on…earth?

"Are you ok?" I asked her. She pulled on her bag strap and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." We followed Filch into his office and sat in some seats. He told us what we'd done wrong, which was ridiculous to me, then gave us our detentions…ooo, original! I wanted to ask Emma more but she disappeared quickly after being in Filch's office.

"Strange," I muttered.

"What's strange?" asked Orion from behind me, making me jump!

"Don't do that!" I snapped as I turned to face him.

"Don't do what?" He asked with a huge grin on his face. "So what's strange?"

"Something about Emma." I said, "She seemed a little quiet."

"Oh, Emma's like that sometimes." Orion said, "It's nothing." But I didn't think it was nothing somehow.

A/N:-Sorry i haven't updated in a long tme, i just started uni so i haven't really had much time to write anything. I know this chapter isn't long or very good but it's the best i could do given the circumstances atm, I'm hoping to do a bit more writing this week but we'll see. Anyway, sorry for the loooooooong wait (ooo a week, you must all be dying...jks). Anyway, until next time