Chapter 15

Oh Merlin what should I do. Was this really happening? Well he definitely didn't look like he was joking. Oh my goodness. We haven't spoken since. This is so crazy. What should I do, what should I do, what should I do?

Okay wait, focus! You're in your Potions exam right now! You can't be doing this. Focus, focus, focus! What were the properties of Asfaloth juice again? And what stage of the Sleeping Draught are lacewings are added?

My mind was abuzz with activity, none of which would help me ace this exam. I began panicking. I looked ahead a little to the left and saw the back of Sirius' head. My thoughts spiralled once again to the events that happened only a few days ago in the castle kitchens. I felt a surge of unjustified anger towards him. Why did this have to transpire exactly around mid-terms? If I failed this year- who am I kidding. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have even explored the territory of boys this year. It's all too complicated and it's screwing up my plans of being a healer.

Glancing back at the floating clock at the front of the room, I realised I had wasted over five minutes without any progress.

I looked down at my parchment.

Three paragraphs. I wasn't even going to reach 500 words, let alone 2000.

I began to scratch a sentence into the parchment with my quill, hoping it would be relevant, when my mind started drifting again. This year has seen a definite downward slope in mine and Sirius' relationship. I glanced back at the clock.

Dammit! Focus Bella!

This continued on until I was startled with horror at the chiming of the bell, indicating time had run out. My horror grew as I watched my parchment magically scroll itself closed and settle at the top of the desk. I had written all of about three and a half paragraphs. I was going to fail this exam so terribly.

"How did you go Bells?" Lily caught up to me as I raced to the common room. She saw my face and immediately grew concerned. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"I have Lils. My own, after I die of grief when I receive my failed Potions exam back!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Bella, not this again. You've done fine I'm sure!"

She didn't look so sure when I recited exactly what I had put down on that parchment.

"I need to get into that healing program Lils, it's been my dream since as long as I can remember!"

Lily looked sympathetic. She didn't get a chance to voice her comforting thoughts as Mary and Marlene caught up to us and began chattering away.

"Hey Bella!" A voice behind me called.

Oh Merlin, oh Merlin, oh MERLIN.

"Hi Sirius!" Oh no my smile is way too wide right now. I attempted a neutral face.

"Just letting you know practice starts this week, I can just tell you're going to be beside yourself with stress since we have exams so just take it easy, yeah?" He said calmly. My eyes couldn't meet his, so they awkwardly darted around his face and around his head.

I nodded mutely.

"Cool, see you then." And he shot off in the other direction, leaving me stunned for no good reason.

"What's that face Bells? You look like you've eaten a lemon." Marlene commented, looks like she had decided to wait back with me, and looks like my neutral face wasn't so neutral. Weird, Sirius didn't seem to notice.

"Well come on Bella, you've got to get ready for practice don't you!" Marlene said in a friendly tone, I allowed her to lead me to the common room, where I absent-mindedly changed into my quidditch robes and headed down the stairs to the Hogwarts oval.

I met Rodger half way

"Bella! I didn't get a chance to speak to you after the exam! How did you go?"

My face must have turned sour again because he spoke, "I'm sure you did fine, I've got to run, I'm supposed to be tutoring a fourth year in five minutes! Good luck at practice, you'll be brilliant!" He pulled me in for a brief peck on the cheek and raced off back up to the castle.

"Good of you to join us Bella, not get down here so I can tell you what we're doing today." Harvey Fletcher, our captain yelled. I peered down to where they were standing. James was cracking some joke with the beaters but Sirius wasn't paying attention, he was looking down and kicking something on the ground. I wondered if he saw my exchange with Rodg.

We started on some basic drills, then worked on our flying, and finally, we played a mock game.

"BELLA, CONCENTRATE! THAT IS THE THIRD TIME YOU'VE LOST POSSESSION OF THE QUAFFLE, DID YOU SUDDENLY LOSE ALL YOUR ABILITY OVER THE SUMMER?" Fletcher blaster from above me.

"Hey, come one man!" James said, disgruntled. I quickly tried to focus on gaining possession of the ball again, to prevent an argument from ensuing.

Alright, here she comes. I thought as Cheryl Johnson sped towards me. She's going to feign right. I've got this. I lunged forward, swerving to the left, my hands reached out, attempting to grab the quaffle, when I heard Sirius shout my name. I turned my face to the left, and my eyes widened as I saw a bludger hurtling towards me at shocking speed. I froze. It was like I forgot how to fly. I sat there in the air as the heavy ball continued to travel towards me.

SNAP.

Something made contact with the bludger, sending it off course.

I looked down to see what the object was. Two objects. They landed on the ground with a dull thud that echoed across the empty grounds.

"WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING. HARPER!" Fletcher boomed.

I closed my eyes. How did I not see that coming? That was the widest throw I have ever seen. All the team members flew over, I felt my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Cheryl put a hand on Fletcher's chest, and he looked like he was making a strenuous effort to keep quiet.

"Are you alright Bells? What happened?" James inquired.

"I-I don't know" I replied, lamely.

Fletcher looked to be fuming.

"Gee I'm sorry Bells, I thought you had that!" Nicolas Sawyer, the other Gryffindor beater exclaimed. I should have had that... "Good thing Sirius threw his bat out to stop the bludger! It would have destroyed you!"

I looked to Sirius, his eyes displayed the utmost concern and I suddenly felt like I'd rather be anywhere but there.

"Alright guys, practice is over anyway, rest up Bella" Fletcher patted my shoulder awkwardly and the team touched down to the ground and dispersed to the changing rooms.

I didn't move after I landed on the ground. Neither did Sirius.

"Bella are you alright?" He asked again, moving towards to me.

I ignored the question. "Your bat is broken." I stated. I stared at the once sturdy limited edition beater's bat, which lay split into two splintered pieces a few feet away.

He continued to give me a strange look.

"Bella, if this is about what I told you the other day, I'm sorry. I had no idea you would react like this. Just forget it okay? I don't want it to be awkward like this." And with that, he strode off the the changing rooms, leaving me with a barrage of emotions rumbling through me.

Staring at the broken pieces of the bat, I shut my eyes, feeling indescribably worse that this day last week. I couldn't even recall the happiness I had felt such a recent time ago.

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- Sugar