After classes I was slowly walking to the common room with Grace and Rebecca. People were passing like water in a river around us, but we were huddled in a tight group, talking.
"So, tomorrow night I'm going on my date with James. I never thought I'd say that. I'm just beginning to accept the fact that he's not the same guy who pulled pranks on me in the past. He's... different," I finished lamely.
"So where are you going?" Grace asked excitedly.
"No idea," I answered as if it was the most normal occurrence ever to have no idea where you were going on a date.
"So I guess Grace and I are stuck sitting around Saturday night," Rebecca sighed.
"Actually I have plans," Grace muttered, clutching her books and tucking her head down, her hair falling like a blond curtain over her face. Then she hurried off, leaving us standing there, confused.
"I guess, then, I'll be spending Saturday night alone," Rebecca tried to make it seem like she was just kidding around and that it didn't matter to her, but I could see the annoyance and hurt in her eyes.
She mumbled something incoherent about studying and ran off toward the library. Now I was standing all alone in the corridor. Had the entire world gone crazy?
I sighed and backed up against the cold stone wall, sinking into a sitting position. What was going on?
Grace and Rebecca were nowhere to be seen that night and, me being the worried friend i am, sat in a chair in the common room.
I looked out the window at the twinkling stars, bright in the violet- black sky. I huddled down in the big chair, hugging my legs up to my body. I closed my eyes and in the warmth of the common room i drifted off into a fitful sleep.
Suddenly my head shot up. I heard a crack in my neck. The portrait hole had just swung open and two dark figures entered. I sank back down into the chair and hoped they wouldn't notice me.
"I'm not so sure about this," a quiet voice rang out in the air... Grace!
"Don't worry. I promise we'll tell them, just not now," a familiar voice replied. It was Sirius!
"Okay. 5:30 tomorrow?" Grace asked. Sirius took both of her hands in his and kissed them.
"5:30 tomorrow," he answered. They parted and left me sitting there, crouched in the shadows. I was about to get up and talk to Grace, hoping to get some answers, when the portrait hole swung open again. In came Rebecca.
I heard small sobs coming from her. Her breath was ragged and her hair had mostly fallen out of her bun. She was crying! I couldn't take seeing her cry.
"Becca!" I cried, getting up and startling her. She gasped, attempting to wipe her eyes. I pulled her into a hug.
"What are you crying about?" I asked quietly, trying to keep my voice sweet and calm.
"I'm not crying," she lied, walking away.
"Wait!" I said angrily, running after her and grabbing her arm, "Is this about being alone on Saturday? Why don't you ask... that kid from Ravenclaw out? You know... John Harkley?"
"Lily... I'm fine. Just a little tired I guess," she said with a faint smile. I didn't believe her, of course, but I walked her up the stairs and to our room.
"There's something going on between Sirius and Grace," I whispered to Rebecca.
"What? What kind of thing?" Rebecca sounded alarmed.
"I saw them in the common room, talking about 5:30 tomorrow," I whispered. But Rebecca was already on the other side of the room with a pillow, throwing it at Grace's head and demanding to know what was going on.
"Wh- what? It's, like, 2 in the morning! Go to sleep Becca!" Grace yawned.
"What's going on with you and Sirius?" She asked angrily. Grace blew the hair of her face and collapsed back on her bed.
"He asked me out. I said yes. Go to sleep. Now." Grace explained curtly, falling back into a sound sleep.
Rebecca and I looked at each other and I was ready to wake Grace back up, but Rebecca stopped me.
"Leave her. It's fine," She said. She got into bed but even as I was drifting into la-la land I couldn't hear Rebecca's heavy and slow sleeping breath. All I could hear was her fast and ragged crying breath. How many tears can one girl cry?
