Year 4: Friends and Foes

Chapter 40: June 2017

All through the month of June, Dominique had to watch bitterly as Brooke and Tom paraded around the school hand in hand. At first, she felt betrayed, forgotten, cast aside, but she quickly bottled all that up and replaced it with uncaring. If Brooke didn't care about Dominique anymore, then there was no reason for Dominique to continue caring about Brooke. Certainly no reason to continue to be upset about the whole thing. Dominique just needed to move on, and that's exactly what she was going to do.

Unfortunately, Miles wasn't as on board with the whole thing. He seemed to think Dominique needed to make up with not only Brooke, but Tom as well. Dominique did not agree.

"She's your best friend," Miles insisted.

"She was," Dominique corrected.

"She still is," Miles said. "You're just having a fight."

"We're not just having a fight," Dominique contradicted. "We aren't friends anymore."

"Don't you remember the good times we had last year? Don't you miss those times?" Miles asked.

"Of course I miss them!" Dominique exclaimed. She missed them everyday. But that didn't change the fact that they could never get back to them. "But those days are over. We're way past that now."

"We can get back there," Miles insisted. "If you would only hear Brooke and Tom out. Brooke feels awful about everything that went down between the two of you, and Tom's willing to apologize as well."

"We can't go back to the way things were," Dominique shook her head. "We can pretend to be friends again, pretend like everything's in the past, but the past will always be there. We won't ever get rid of it."

"But isn't it worth a shot?" Miles pleaded. "Come on Domi, isn't it worth a shot?"

Dominique knew that Miles hated being stuck in the middle like this. When he and Brooke had both been going between Tom and Domi, it had been one thing, but now he was the only one in the middle, torn between Tom and Brooke on the one side, and Dominique on the other. And it didn't help that the stress of his friendships had increased exponentially right at the same time the stress of exams had descended upon them. Dominique felt bad. But she couldn't change reality.

"I'm sorry," she said genuinely. "I just can't."

Meanwhile, the term was coming to an end, and soon they would all be returning home for the summer. Dominique was optimistic about summer. Hopefully, it would give her some time away from the constant shadow of Tom and Brooke, and it would give her the space to re-invent herself without her best friend in her life.

But first, there was still one thing left do to. The Gryffindor vs. Slytherin final quidditch game of the year was happening, and it was going to be Dominique's last shot to catch Adrian's attention. Though she'd initiated a few more conversations with him over the weeks, they never ended up where she intended them to. So she'd decided that the aftermath of the quidditch game, win or lose, would be her opportunity.

If Gryffindor won, she could feed off the joy and celebration and just go ahead and kiss him. She could blame it on the endorphins, claim that she'd been caught up in the festivities. And if they lost, she could comfort him in his sorrow. Both options were attractive, but either way, Dominique just wanted to make sure that they had their first kiss before the train departed and they were separated for two months. Dominique wasn't sure she could maintain her allure from afar. Certainly not for two months.

So when the day of the big quidditch game arrived, Dominique dressed and headed down to the quidditch pitch early to claim the best seat she could. She didn't so much need a front row seat to the match for her own viewing needs, but for Adrian's. It was more important than ever now that he see her in the stands, because with those few conversations under her belt, there was a chance he would see her cheering him and the other Gryffindors on and recognize her. The more associations he had with Dominique in his brain, the better.

The game began, and Dominique zoned out. She cheered when those around her cheered, rose to her feet when they did and sat back down and stayed silent with them as well. She used the crowd as her compass, because she honestly had no idea what was going on up in the sky and couldn't care less. She mostly just watched Adrian float around the goalposts and then fly into action the moment the quaffle crossed the center of the pitch.

When the game ended, Dominique had no idea what the score was, but knew from the celebratory looks and cheers from the Gryffindors, and the morose looks from the Slytherins that Gryffindor had won. Dominique cheered along with the rest, even finding herself receiving a few hugs from some older students she barely knew who happened to be standing near her. Dominique just let it happen, glad that her night would be one of celebration and not of disappointment. She could do celebration much better.

The Gryffindor common room was already a party when Dominique returned to it, and the players hadn't even arrived. There was music playing, students dancing – more like hopping really – in the middle of the room, and the tables were piled high with snacks. In fact, as Dominique inspected the snacks, she wondered if the elves didn't bring them by when they heard that Gryffindor had won, knowing that a party would ensue. Everything certainly looked like it had come from the Hogwarts kitchens, after all.

Dominique didn't join the party right away. Instead, she found a seat in a corner and just watched her housemates have fun while they all waited for the actual quidditch players to shower and return. When they finally did arrive, they were met with raucous applause, and some of the lighter players like Brooke were even lifted up into the air in celebration.

Dominique clapped from her seat in the corner, but didn't get up quite yet. She needed to sit and wait for exactly the right moment, and to do that, for now she had to remain a silent observer.

So Dominique watched as Brooke was lowered back to the ground and Tom and Miles started going around the room giving people fist bumps. She watched as Kurt Robins held the trophy high in victory and then started punching the air with it. She watched as Adrian and Caitlin sought out some of their other sixth year friends and started hopping around and dancing with the other students. She watched as some seventh years smuggled in some butterbeers and some other beverages that were a bit stronger, and wondered how they'd managed to get all that into the castle undetected.

As the night wore on, Miles came by a few times to ask Dominique if she was going to join in the party, but Dominique waved him off, assuring him that she was fine and that he should celebrate with his teammates. This wasn't a night for Miles to be worrying about her. She had her own priorities after all. And with all the stress she'd been unwittingly putting him under, he deserved to just enjoy a night with Brooke and Tom and not worry about her.

It was past eight o'clock when Dominique decided to make her move. The party had gotten wild enough, and many of the students around her drunk enough that she felt she could just walk up to Adrian and kiss him, and then blame it on the atmosphere if she was rejected. So she stood and began making her way closer to where the students were dancing, starting to move and sway and jump with the music to get into it.

As she hopped closer and closer, she spied Adrian dancing near Caitlin and Cameron and Dominique started to formulate her plan. She would have to squeeze herself in there. Ideally, she would need to get between Adrian and Caitlin, because she was who he was facing, and she wanted to do this face to face. Maybe Caitlin would dance away briefly and Dominique could move in in her absence.

But then, all Dominique's plans fell apart. The music suddenly changed, going from loud and exciting to slow and soft. All around her, people began coupling off to dance to the slow music, and Dominique found herself spinning in circles, unsure what to do. Adrian had coupled off with Caitlin, Cameron with some other student, maybe a fifth year, Dominique wasn't sure. She couldn't make her move now, not while everyone was like this.

She turned, trying to find an exit from the couples that were circling all around her, but there was no opening to escape. Her head started spinning, and then all of a sudden, Miles appeared before her, offering his hand.

"What are you doing?" Dominique frowned.

"Dance with me," Miles offered.

Dominique shook her head. "No, I'm just going to go – "

"Dance with me," Miles insisted, grabbing Dominique's hand and starting to move back and forth.

Dominique was stiff at first. She hadn't been prepared for this and had never really done it before, so she didn't know what she was doing. She appreciated Miles' kindness though. He'd seen her alone and panicking, and he'd swooped in to save her. It was nice to know she still had one true friend.

Dominique found herself smiling as they continued to dance. It was nice, dancing this way. Much less exhausting than the other way, that was for sure. In fact, Dominique almost forgot about Adrian. But then he popped back into her head and she glanced over in his direction only to have her entire world crash in around her.

He was kissing Caitlin.

Suddenly, the music was too loud, the room too claustrophobic. Everyone was pressed up against everyone, and Dominique felt like she couldn't breathe. She tore herself away from Miles and fought her way through the crowd and out the other side, running for the portrait hole. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew she needed out.

When she emerged into the corridor, she turned left at random and just ran, needing to get as far away as possible.

She'd waited too long. She'd procrastinated all year, let Summer distract her from her goal, and now it was too late. He was with Caitlin. Dominique should have known. Victoire had practically warned her about it at Easter. And Dominique could have seen it coming if she'd been paying attention. The two were always together. It was inevitable that they end up together, especially since Dominique had shown almost no initiative all year.

She came to a set of stairs and just collapsed onto the top step, unable to run any further. She didn't have the energy in her, and really, it wasn't as though she was running from anything. She just couldn't be in the common room right now, and this was a good a place as any to stop and cry.

Dominique dropped her head into her hands and let the tears run freely. It was all her fault that things had ended up this way. She only had herself to blame. And the pain she felt now – well she'd obviously become much too emotionally invested, much too much for her own good.

A presence beside her caused Dominique to lift her head, and she discovered that Miles was taking a seat next to her.

"Miles, what are you doing?" she sniffed, trying to hide her tears. "Go back to the party. It's in honor of you."

"I can't celebrate while you're out here crying," Miles said, sounding pained. "What are you so upset about? One second you were fine, and the next – "

"It's Adrian," Dominique admitted feebly. "I was foolish enough to think we were getting together tonight. But I guess he likes Caitlin better. I mean… they do have more in common, so I guess it makes sense."

Dominique was rambling, and she knew it. So she shut her mouth to allow Miles to respond.

He was silent for a minute as he processed this. It looked like millions of thoughts were running through his brain, but Dominique couldn't have identified a single one. Then, he set his face to one of empathy and wrapped an arm around Dominique's shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, letting Dominique lean her head against him and continue to cry. "I'm sorry you're feeling like this. I'm sorry things didn't work out the way you wanted them to."

"Thank you," Dominique said through her sniffs.

The two sat like that for what seemed like hours. Certainly well into the night. If it was past curfew, no prefects came to round on them. And by the time they returned to the common room, it was late, and the party was long over.

"I'm sorry I ruined your night," Dominique apologized, standing at the foot of the stairs that led up to the girls' dormitories.

"You didn't," Miles assured her. "And besides, you're my friend. When you hurt, I hurt."

Dominique smiled. "You're a good friend, Miles," she said.

"Yeah," Miles nodded, an emotion Dominique couldn't name flitting across his face. "Good night Domi."

"Good night," Dominique returned.

DdDdDdDdDdD

At breakfast the next morning, Dominique was met with an altogether unexpected confrontation.

"And I suppose this whole thing is your doing?" Summer demanded, cornering Dominique in the Entrance Hall.

"Sorry, but what's my doing?" Dominique frowned, unsure what Summer was on about.

"I saw Adrian getting all cozy with that sixth year from Gryffindor this morning," Summer cried furiously. "Obviously they're together now."

"Him and Caitlin?" Dominique clarified. "Yeah, they're together," she sighed.

"How could you let this happen?" Summer demanded.

"Let this happen?" Dominique frowned. "What are you talking about? This had nothing to do with me!"

"Well you're the one in Gryffindor," Summer declared. "You should have been keeping an eye on him, preventing this sort of thing from happening."

"There was no way I could have prevented this," Dominique informed her. "Just move on, Summer. I'm certainly trying to."

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Summer said.

"What?" Dominique was utterly confused.

"To just forget about this and move on. But I'm not the forgive and forget type. You'd better watch out Dominique, because next year, I'm coming for you."

"Whatever Summer," Dominique rolled her eyes, tired of all the drama. Then she pushed past the Slytherin girl and walked away.

DdDdDdDdDdD

Dominique was sitting in a compartment on the train alone. Miles had been sitting with her for the first part of the train ride, but he'd left around lunchtime to seek out Brooke and Tom, so Dominique was just staring out the window and watching the countryside go by. It was relaxing, actually, and her mind was almost completely blank. She wasn't dwelling on any of the unfortunate incidents that had befallen her recently, and she was strangely at peace.

There was a noise, and Dominique turned to find the door to her compartment door opening, Miles standing on the other side.

"Oh, hey Miles," Dominique said. "Come on in."

"Actually, I've brought some people with me," Miles declared, stepping inside and motioning for the others to follow. When Brooke and Tom also entered the compartment, Dominique immediately stood and made for the door.

"Oh no," she shook her head. "We're not doing this," she insisted.

"Sit down," Miles ordered strangely confident.

Dominique was so surprised by his tone that she did as she was told. Brooke and Tom sat across from her, looking everywhere but at her.

"What is this?" Dominique finally asked after too long in uncomfortable silence.

"This is reconciliation," Miles declared. "Brooke, Tom, do you have anything to say?"

"Just that I'm really sorry Domi," Brooke said. "I never wanted to hurt you, and I hate how things are."

"There's no point to this," Dominique muttered, getting up and heading for the door. Brooke had never been the problem. Her problem was siding with Tom. It was Tom that was the problem, and he was never going to change his mind about Dominique.

"Dominique wait," Tom said. It was about the only thing that could have paused her, and Dominique turned back to look at him with interest.

"What?" she asked, probably a little more rudely than necessary.

Tom sighed. "Look, the things that I said to you… it wasn't right of me to say them," he said.

Dominique crossed her arms. She was listening, but she was nowhere near convinced yet.

"Friends don't say things like that. And when they have something to say, they find a kinder way of saying it," he said.

"But you still believe all the things you said," Dominique surmised. "You haven't changed your mind about my character."

Tom hesitated. "I think people are more complicated than I had realized," he said. "I was holding you up to standards that I shouldn't have, and I wasn't taking everything into consideration. I was looking at things with one set of eyes, instead of trying to see your point of view too."

It wasn't exactly what Dominique wanted to hear, but she felt herself softening.

"So what, suddenly I'm worthy of being your friend again?" she demanded.

Tom shook his head. "I don't know that anyone is inherently worthy of anything," he admitted. "I'm certainly not. I've made mistakes, same as anyone else. But if you'd allow it, I'd like a second chance."

Dominique considered it. She glanced at Brooke, who was looking at her pleadingly. She looked at Miles, who's expression of hope almost broke Dominique's heart. And she looked at Tom. His words seemed genuine, and though they weren't exactly what she wanted to hear, Dominique was tired of all the conflict.

"Alright," she agreed, much to the relief of everyone in the compartment. She sat back down. "I'll move past all this if you all agree to as well."

Everyone was in agreement, and just like that, the four fell back into their old habits. The conversation was easy again, and they had much to talk about after being estranged for so long. It was almost like old times again. There was still a nagging sense of tension in the air, but Dominique chose to ignore it for the time being. It was too nice to ruin the moment quite yet.

When the train pulled into King's Cross station, Dominique was happier than she'd been all year. She didn't even care that Adrian had gotten together with Caitlin. In truth, he'd just been a distraction from all the pain Dominique was feeling over her rift with Tom. But now that their friendship was on the mend, Dominique didn't even care about Adrian anymore. What was important was that she had her friends back, and she would go into this summer with a much more positive attitude than she'd expected. And now, she would look forward to September the first with anticipation rather than dread.