A/N: Hello again! Thank you to .wanderlust, frozenangel1988, Sawchi, and Durin's Bane-FH for reviewing! The Blakes are in Gryffindor, but that should be clear from this chapter if it hasn't been before now!

Before we dive into chapter four, I just wanted to clarify the ages/years of the characters. Thank you to APhilosophicalThought for asking about this because when I looked back, I found it really isn't all that clear. Sorry about that! For reference…

5th Years: Octavia and Harper

6th Years: Wells, Finn, Nathan, Luna, Jasper, Raven, Monty, Clarke, Lexa, Emori, Murphy, and Bellamy (He is actually 17, but there is a reason he is in 6th year… more on that later)

7th Years: Roan, Anya, and Lincoln

Enjoy chapter four!

Chapter Four:

Try, Try Again

Tell me what you want to hear
Something that will light those ears
Sick of all the insincere
I'm gonna give all my secrets away
This time, don't need another perfect lie
Don't care if critics ever jump in line
I'm gonna give all my secrets away
Secrets - OneRepublic

"At this point your potion should be darkening to a nice, dusky pink," Professor Griffin's measured voice echoed through the dimly lit dungeon. She spoke rhythmically, like a metronome, no doubt intending to lull her student's into a false sense of calm. It's not working, lady, Octavia thought bitterly as she pushed her damp hair out of her eyes. She had been standing over this hot cauldron for the past hour and her face felt like a furnace. Not much broke Octavia's optimistic attitude, but Potions class had ranked number one in that department four years running. It had to be some kind of record. Just five more drops of my blood and sweat. Look, it's perfect! The sarcastic little voice in Octavia's head mocked.

She had just finished stirring the potion thirteen times in a clockwise direction, but it was still milky white… and it definitely looked much frothier than the picture in her textbook. Maybe a few more mistletoe berries would do the trick. Octavia sliced two more berries thinly before popping them in the milky potion. It instantly turned a fluorescent purple.

"Noooo," Octavia breathed, glancing around to make sure Professor Griffin wasn't close enough to notice. "Don't do this to me!" She whispered angrily at her discolored cauldron. Glancing back at her textbook she saw with growing dread that there was only one step left.

Stir once in a figure eight motion and then trace the figure eight backwards to completion. The potion should turn dark crimson.

You have now successfully made a blood-replenishing potion!

Octavia held her breath and stirred as instructed. Her potion turned a muddy brown color. Shit. She glanced over at Harper's cauldron and saw a beautiful, blood-red potion.

Professor Griffin walked ceremoniously around the room giving each student feedback, some were even asked to bottle and deliver their potion to the hospital wing. No one would be drinking her potion if they could help it; Octavia didn't even want to think about what it would replenish. The professor arrived at her cauldron examining it at long length.

"It appears you did not stir quite enough, Miss Blake. My best guess is that you stirred perhaps eleven instead of thirteen times… and added a few too many mistletoe berries," Professor Griffin said, not unkindly. Harper's potion was declared to be perfect, of course.

"Please clean up your stations and then come down to my desk to receive the results for your aptitude test," Professor Griffin addressed the class having finished her rounds. "Now, some of you might be wondering why you were asked to take this exam so early in the semester, but those are most likely the same individuals who have forgotten that the Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations are taken in one's fifth year. As such, I've given your test the same grade you would receive if it was indeed your Potions O.W.L."

As Professor Griffin returned to her desk with a swish of her rich purple robes, Octavia hurried to clean her cauldron. She never liked lingering in the dungeons longer than was required. It was a soul sucking place. The cleaning process was waylaid by the atrocious brown goo that now clung to the sides of her cauldron. By the time she was finished, Octavia was one of the few people left in the classroom. She put the remaining ingredients back in the storage cupboard and made her way reluctantly to the professor's desk.

The older woman laid a sheet of parchment in front of her that was marred by a large red 'D.' Octavia's heart sank.

"Do you know what 'D' stands for in your O.W.L.s, Miss Blake?" Professor Griffin asked, her expression stern.

"Delightful?" Octavia smiled, weakly.

"That's clever, Miss Blake, but, unfortunately, your cleverness has not helped you to improve at potions," Professor Griffin sighed. "I know you have expressed to Professor Indra that you would like to become an Auror… a very noble profession. I'm sure there is much Indra could teach you. You must know that she was one for many years before retiring to teach… However, to even be considered for Auror training you have to achieve N.E.W.T. level in potions. In order to do that, you must pass your O.W.L.s and right now that does not look promising."

"I know that, Professor. I am try-"

Professor Griffin held up her hand, silencing Octavia. "You need help, Miss Blake. Guidance. Someone who can work individually with you to redirect all that cleverness. I would do it myself; however, the combination of running the hospital wing and teaching potions demands more time than I have at the moment."

"Professor, I do want help, but-"

"Good. I've asked one of my best students to mentor you this year. He's in his seventh year and studying for his N.E.W.T.s so it should work out quite nicely for you both." Professor Griffin looked up as the door to the classroom opened, "Ahh, Lincoln, right on time as always."

Octavia spun around, wanting to see who had intruded on the scene of her humiliation. A tall guy sporting Hufflepuff robes strode towards her, walking between the rows of desks with easy purpose. His face was strikingly handsome; he had dark bronze skin that was only accented by the soft glow from the wall sconces. Octavia was so distracted by the newcomer that she momentarily forgot her frustration. He drew up beside her and gave her a cursory glance before addressing Professor Griffin.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" he asked. His voice had a deep, husky timber that made Octavia's skin shiver. Hello, trouble.

"Lincoln, this is Octavia Blake," the older woman gestured to her. "She has been struggling with potions for some time and it is imperative that she pass her O.W.L.s with at least an Exceeds Expectations. Do you think you could manage tutoring her along with your other studies?"

Lincoln gave Octavia another glance and then nodded. "If you think it best, Professor."

"Good. I expect bi-monthly reports on your progress together."

Octavia fought the embarrassment that rose like bile in her throat. She wasn't worthless. She was top of her class in Defense Against the Dark Arts and nearly top in Charms as well. It was with great restraint that she kept herself from yelling this at them. I am calm. Totally calm. So calm.

"Thank you, Professor," Octavia smiled tightly. "Truly, but Quidditch tryouts are starting so I've gotta go!" She grabbed her bag off the floor and propelled herself out of the classroom without a backwards glance. Calm. So calm. She repeated her mantra mentally, willing it into existence.

"Octavia!" Lincoln caught up with her quickly.

"What?!" she shouted. Then breathing deeply, "Sorry…yes?"

"Professor Griffin doesn't mean to be like that, she has a lot on her plate."

"Yeah, I have had her for five years," Octavia reminded him.

"Of course," he nodded. She turned to go, but his hand shot out to stop her; it came to rest on her shoulder. Octavia felt a shock run through her at the contact.

Lincoln pulled back his hand, "Sorry… So..."

"Yes?" she prompted as his dark eyes bored into her.

"When do you have time for tutoring?" Oh, of course. Octavia pushed away her disappointment; she could have sworn those hooded eyes were promising so much more than tutoring. Raven was always telling her that she had an overactive imagination.

"I have fifth period on Thursday free," Octavia offered, her eyes never leaving his.

"Great. Let's meet in the library."

"For potions?" she asked, unable to hide the skepticism in her voice.

"It's best to make sure there's a solid foundation before we build on it," he shrugged.

"That doesn't only apply to potions," Octavia smiled innocently, stepping forward to bring them closer.

Lincoln looked a little stunned by her advance, which could be a good or bad thing she admitted to herself. She held his gaze with a steady confidence. After a beat, he cleared his throat and took a deliberate step backwards. Decidedly bad then… Hmm. That's a shame.

"So, Thursday at two? I'll see you then." He turned and walked down the hallway with the same purposeful gait with which he had entered the dungeons. Damn it. Maybe she did have an overactive imagination. Either way, Octavia Blake couldn't be bothered to feel upset. Nope, not when she had Quidditch tryouts. Besides, she didn't give up on anything that easily. She was a force of nature that even the stoic Lincoln wouldn't be able to resist.

Octavia smiled the whole way down to the Quidditch pitch, forgetting any embarrassment or frustration she felt earlier. She took a deep breath, reveling in the smell of mud and cut grass. So calm. She thought smugly and made her way to the Gryffindor locker rooms.

"Where've you been?" Bellamy asked worriedly when she entered. He and Lexa had already changed into their flying gear… and so had everyone else it appeared.

"Uh, in class? Chill out, big brother," Octavia laughed at Bellamy's irritated expression. Thankfully, Bellamy didn't push her; he raised his hands defensively and walked away to grab his broom. As always, Lexa wasn't as easy to shake.

"Better change fast or Gryffindor might have a different seeker this year," Lexa said, nodding to Octavia's clothes. Her voice was like sandpaper rubbing against Octavia's nerves.

"Wouldn't that make your life easier," Octavia snapped, her words brittle. Bellamy wasn't close by so she didn't have to pretend. She smiled coldly at the older girl, "Roan knows I'm the best he's got so don't even try me, Lexa."

Lexa growled, "Well that would be good for you if Roan was captain this year. He's not. I am. So watch your damn mouth and hurry up." Octavia reeled from the older girl's condescending tone.

Feeling white-hot heat lance through her, she hissed, "I swear to god Lexa if you ruin this for me too, I will never forgive you."

"Is that a promise?" she glared at Octavia. Lexa was so tired of this girl's bullshit and she let her know it, "You do change your mind about every five seconds."

"Screw you, Lexa." The younger Blake stormed away. Lexa's mouth pressed into a thin line as she watched her retreat. Octavia was such a child. Lexa didn't know what to do with her most of the time. The girl could hold a grudge like no one else.

"Lex, you coming?" Bellamy's shout from outside brought her to attention. Lexa shoved her irritation down with practiced determination and grabbed her broom, leaving the locker room behind. She stalked onto the pitch like she was entering a battlefield. There was an impressive turnout this year; an army of soldiers stood before her, awaiting instruction. A small smile crept onto her face, so subtle that most would miss it. She had this funny feeling that in another life she had been born to lead…

"Alright, listen up," her voice was strong and clear, reaching the far end of the crowd despite the distance. "We'll hold the Keeper and the Chasers tryouts at the same time and then move onto the Seeker last." Despite the angry voice in her head, she couldn't bring herself to intentionally sabotage Octavia. Although Lexa doubted whether Octavia would have made the same choice for her.

"I have already decided that Bellamy and I will be the Beaters for Gryffindor. If you have a problem with that then we can definitely hold tryouts… We'll hit Bludgers at you, you'll try to return the favor, and at the end we'll see who has the most bruises!" She smirked wickedly at the gathered students. "Any takers?" The entire crowd took a step back. Bellamy and Lexa high-fived behind their backs.

"Let's get started! For Keeper, we'll begin with Roan and Taylor," Lexa barked orders. "And first Chasers will be Nathan, Luna, Malcolm, Sarah, Myka, and Amalia. We'll play to fifty." As everyone began to shuffle off the pitch or take to the skies, she unlocked the Quidditch box and took out the large red Quaffle.

"Ready when you are, Captain," Bellamy saluted her.

"Are you giving me cheek, Blake?" Lexa asked, her face serious.

"No, ma'am," he assured with gravitas, but it wasn't very convincing because he kept cracking a smile. Lexa rolled her eyes and kicked off the ground without any warning, rising quickly above him. He was by her side in seconds.

Lexa was about to blow her whistle when another player flew up, stopping short of her.

"You're seriously going to make me try out?" Roan asked, his voice strained.

"Absolutely," she responded calmly.

"This is unfair," he snapped back, glaring at her. Bellamy snorted from her other side, but Lexa threw him a look that told him to stay silent.

She turned back to Roan, "If you wanted fair, you shouldn't have pissed off Indra. Deal with your shit about me being Captain and accept it or you won't have a shot in hell at getting on the team this year." Lexa blew the whistle and then raised her eyebrows at Roan as if to say 'what are you still doing here?' He flew off without a second look. Lexa lobbed the Quaffle into the air, watching as it fell and was swiftly caught up by Luna.

"Can we change your title from 'Captain' to 'Commander'?" Bellamy joked as the air below them turned into a blur of players, whizzing around the pitch like a flock of angry birds.

Lexa chuckled, "If you can make it stick, I wouldn't say no to being called Commander."

"I'll see what I can do," he said as they watched Roan block the first attempt on his goal. A figure on the ground far below drew Lexa's gaze. The speck emerged onto the field from the direction of the locker room.

"Look who decided to grace us with her presence," Lexa drawled, eyebrows raised in barely concealed contempt.

"Come on, Lex. Give Octavia a break." Bellamy's brows furrowed.

"She's driving me crazy, Bellamy. She's on my back all the time about the smallest shit."

"Do you want me to talk to her?" he asked carefully and Lexa saw the struggle in his eyes. He had no idea how to help the two people he cared about most and it was killing him. Guilt crept into her heart and she regretted saying anything. He didn't understand and, if she was being honest with herself, she didn't want him to understand. They could talk about anything… but not this. Octavia was off limits.

"No, it's fine. I'm sure it will work itself out," Lexa muttered, turning back to the game to see Nathan score on Taylor's goal. Unfortunately, Roan was a much more qualified Keeper.

"Nathan has gotten a lot better," she remarked to Bellamy and learned that the guy had been practicing all summer. It was impressive. The game finished in twenty minutes with Nathan and Luna making four out of the five goals. The last goal had been partially blocked and then wacked in by Taylor. After two more rounds of Keeper and Chaser tryouts, Roan had far out-maneuvered any of the other potential Keepers. Luna and Nathan were by far the most reliable Chasers. And in a surprising turn of events Aden, a nervous-looking second year, made three goals in his round, earning him a place as the final Gryffindor Chaser.

Everyone returned to the ground and Lexa listed the individuals whom had been chosen, thanking those whom had not as they left tired and disappointed. Lexa placed the Quaffle back into the trunk and opened the latch to release the Snitch. Again, she blew her whistle and the potential Seekers took to the air. She dismissed Roan, Luna, Nathan, and Aden as there was nothing left for them to do. The team could have their first official meeting later in the week during practice.

"You know you don't have to stay, right?" Lexa said, turning her head towards Bellamy, "I don't even have to watch this one. I'm just going to give it to whoever catches the Snitch first."

"Oh no, no, no. You promised me that we would put a nest of blast-ended skrewts in Pike's office! That's happening. Today."

Lexa laughed, "When did I say that?"

"Remember at the end of last year when we snuck that crumple-horned snorkack into Indra's office and then I had detention for a week alone because she wouldn't believe that you had helped me and then you said 'it was priceless and we should-'"

"Do it again, except in Pike's office. I remember, now," Lexa nodded. "Well, a promise is a promise." They sat on the grass leaning against the stands as they waited for the Snitch to be caught. Lexa chewed lazily on a piece of grass; it had a sweet, tangy taste.

"You do know how they fertilize the pitch to make the grass so green right?" Bellamy asked after she put the piece in her mouth. She gave him a blank stare.

"It's a mixture of hippogriff urine and manure. It's actually quite alkaline so the grass…" Lexa stopped listening and spit the grass out of her mouth, moaning and wiping the inside of her mouth out with her shirt. She only stopped when she noticed Bellamy had turned over in the grass, his back shaking in laughter.

"You, shit!" Lexa growled, giving him a swift punch to the side. He grunted and curled into a ball against her onslaught.

"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" Bellamy gasped out in defeat, breathless from laughing so hard. He caught his breath and then began to chew on his own piece of grass, giving her a infuriating grin that almost made her go off on him again. They sat in silence for a while.

"What are you thinking about?" Lexa asked, sliding down to lay on the grass. Bellamy didn't answer immediately as if wondering whether to share his thoughts. He must have decided to, because eventually he spoke.

"Remember when we used to pretend to have fancy dinner parties in the backyard of the orphanage, except the only thing we had to 'serve' was grass?" Bellamy's voice was quiet like he didn't know whether he could laugh at the old memory. They rarely talked about their time before Hogwarts, but it was always there…a part of them. It hadn't been a happy time, but they had made the best of it.

"You made an excellent grass pie." Lexa nudged him with her elbow.

"I think I had a stomach ache for a week after you actually made me eat your grass soup." Bellamy chuckled and then looked at her, "What were you thinking about?"

"Uhh," Lexa tried to recall where her mind had been. "Oh yeah, I was thinking about Anya."

"Dirty thoughts, I hope." Bellamy raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Lexa gave him a withering stare and replied, "No. She's still annoyed with me about last week."

"You mean when you saw her coming out of the lake naked with another girl?" He asked in disbelief.

"First, they weren't naked and second… yeah, that's what she's upset about."

"I'm still confused…"

Lexa sighed, "She was so worried about what I would think so I told her that it was fine and I wasn't bothered. Of course, she interpreted that as I don't care enough about her to be bothered that she might have been with someone else… and now we're in a fight. Again."

"Yeah, that's rough. You're not supposed to tell a girl that you're not jealous, but you're also not allowed to be jealous." Bellamy nodded sympathetically.

"I mean I saw her and Clarke swimming up to the shore and I didn't automatically think 'she's been cheating on me!' Isn't that a good thing?" Lexa threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Wait, Clarke was there? You didn't tell me that." A look of delayed comprehension dawned on his face and he added, "It all makes sense now."

"What does?"

"No, we're not done talking about you. You saw Clarke naked?"

"Clarke wasn't naked! Ugh, you're such a dude." She shivered with mild disgust, but Bellamy didn't respond. She looked at him; his eyes were closed and his face was suspiciously blank. "Oh my god, stop picturing her naked! You just made this weird."

Bellamy's eyes flew open, panicked. "Stop saying 'Clarke' and 'naked' in the same sentence! I was trying to picture Professor Pike in his underwear, but that's out the window now. Should I try Jaha?" He closed his eyes again.

"Gross." Lexa was repulsed. Sometimes she wondered why the fates had given her a male best friend… Actually she wondered that all the time. Life would be so much easier if Bellamy was a girl. Stupid boys.

A shout went out and Lexa looked up to see a stream of Seekers in a nose dive. One particular Seeker was further ahead than the rest, obviously having spotted the Snitch first. It wasn't hard to recognize the younger Blake with her long, espresso-brown hair streaming behind her or the way with which she maneuvered her broomstick. She really does fly beautifully, Lexa admitted grudgingly. Octavia was getting dangerously close to the ground. Before contact became inevitable, the young Blake pulled up, barely grazing against the grass. Lexa felt Bellamy tense up beside her. Octavia reached forward, letting go of her broom entirely. She used the momentum of grabbing the Snitch to propel herself into a somersault and somehow landed her gracefully on her feet. Damn.

Bellamy let out a big whoop, jumping to his feet when Octavia touched down. He clapped his hands together over his mouth and made a whirring noise, like thousands of fans cheering, "She's done it again, Ladies and Gentlemen! Octavia Blake brings in the big W for Gryffindor!"

Despite her own reservations, Lexa couldn't help but smile and roll her eyes at Bellamy's antics. Octavia was dusting herself off when the other Seekers landed, their faces drawn in disappointment. Octavia walked over to Lexa, holding the captain's steady gaze before dropping the caught Snitch into her captain's open palm. Octavia was silent as the grave, no customary 'I told you so' escaped her lips. She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to; her satisfied, jade-green eyes spoke volumes.

"Fair is fair," Lexa said quietly, her face expressionless. She addressed the remaining crowd, "Thank you for your time and effort. Better luck next year."

The Quidditch pitch emptied quickly, including Lexa and the Blakes. Octavia took off, citing a Charms paper that needed completing, while the other two headed towards the gamekeeper's hut. Before they could put much distance between themselves and the field, their progress was impeded by the arrival of the Slytherin team, who appeared to be having tryouts as well. After an awkward pause, the two Gryffindors decided to avoid the large group, figuring they weren't welcome; they were the competition after all.

Clarke observed Lexa and Bellamy's presence with apprehension. She was both intrigued and slightly envious of the apparent intimacy of their friendship. It wasn't the first time she'd found her gaze drawn to the pair or noticed herself fixating on the jovial, animated way in which they interacted. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have a sibling or even a friend that was like family.

Her brows furrowed as she trailed their progress with her eyes. At least she was finally able to look at Bellamy without inwardly cringing from the memory of their incident by the lake. She hadn't told anyone about it. Back at Durmstrang, Clarke and her friends would have had a good laugh, but she couldn't talk to anyone here. She liked them all well enough, but trusting someone held a whole different spectrum of difficulties. She kept imagining them laughing at her instead of with her or telling other people when she left the room.

Doubtlessly, Clarke would have forgotten all about her intoxicated embarrassment by now if it wasn't for Bellamy Blake. He kept staring at her, like he was trying to figure her out. Good luck. She couldn't even figure herself out half the time. Avoiding talking to him was becoming increasingly more difficult with all the classes they shared; however, Clarke was nothing if not stubbornly tenacious. Unfortunately, Bellamy seemed to have that trait as well.

Clarke let out a deep sigh of relief when the Gryffindors skirted around the horde of Slytherins, giving them a wide berth. Clarke turned around and realized that she wasn't the only person watching the two leave. Anya had her sharp eyes trained on the retreating figures, a look of repressed frustration maring her pretty face. The expression fled quickly when she noticed Clarke was watching her; it was replaced by a look of blatant annoyance at being caught.

"Sorry," Clarke muttered, knowing how unhappy she would be if someone observed her in a private moment.

"It's fine," Anya shrugged, her face returning to its normal neutral. They continued walking towards the pitch with the other Slytherins. "Some people can be so…" Anya made an explosive gesture with her hands. The girl was obviously not happy.

"Yeah," Clarke replied, despite the fact that she had no idea what Anya was talking about. She assumed it was about Bellamy's friend, Lexa, since her and Anya were dating.

"I used to find her and Bellamy's shenanigans endearing, but now... " Anya shook her head, "and she never gets in trouble. Someone else always gets blamed. She's like that, you know, it's never her fault. I ask for more time together and suddenly I'm 'demanding'… sorry, I shouldn't be dumping this on you." Anya laughed nervously, obviously uncomfortable with how much she shared.

"I'm sure you two will figure it out," Clarke said reassuringly because it sounded like something Anya would want to hear. How could she know if they would work things out? She barely knew either of them. She hadn't even spoken two words to Lexa.

Clarke hung back when they reached the locker rooms, not quite ready to coexist with the crowded mess of bodies that waited inside.

"You coming?" Emori punched Clarke lightly in the shoulder as she passed the blonde.

Clarke nodded, "Yeah, I just need a minute."

"Sure," Emori shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat, Griffin."

Clarke gave the girl a half smile and waited until she was alone outside to lean against the wooden wall. What had she been thinking? She couldn't do this. She couldn't fly… not when her dad was…. Clarke shook her head, trying to return to the calm state of indifference that served her so well, but her efforts were futile. The broom in her hand seared like hot iron against her skin, and as much as she wanted to drop the wretched thing, she couldn't bring herself to let go. Instead she gripped the handle tighter, focusing on the feeling of wood against her skin rather than the memories that were trying to claw their way out of some deep pit in her soul. Her father had given her this broom only a few months before his death, but it was more than that… The earlier memories forced their way to the surface, reminding Clarke of all the times her father had escaped work to teach his little girl how to fly.

Voices broke through Clarke's reverie as a herd of Ravenclaws marched around the corner. Clarke bent down quickly, pretending to tie up her shoelaces so no one would see the shimmer in her eyes. Her worry was moot though, because an argument started up inside and drew everyone's attention. Clarke could hear Anya and the Ravenclaw Captain fighting about whose team had signed up for the current time slot. The already occupied locker room quickly reached capacity and the rest of the Ravenclaws shuffled about the lawn while waiting on the verdict from inside. And like that, whatever peace Clarke had been hoping to find outside was lost.

Standing up again, Clarke spotted a familiar face in the crowd that made her gut clench painfully. Raven was standing only a few feet away, talking to a tall, thin boy. She'd obviously already seen the girl in a few of her classes, but Clarke had tried her best to fade into the background as much as possible. She barely spoke in those classes, hoping to prolong the inevitable confrontation. She had already imagined ten times over all the horrible things Raven would yell at her when she finally realized who Clarke was. Just thinking about it made her want to shrivel up into a tiny ball and roll away from this hazard zone.

The boy whispered something to Raven and the girl turned around, catching Clarke's eyes. Shit.

"Can I help you?" Raven asked, her tone agitated. Clarke shook her head, looking away; her throat felt as if it might burst into flames if she spoke. The Ravenclaw Captain emerged from the tent saving Clarke and informing the loitering crowd that they would have tryouts tomorrow.

"Clarke?" Emori poked her head out of the locker room, "You coming?" Clarke felt like a bucket of ice had been dropped over her body. She stole a glance back at Raven and saw with dread that painful realization was dawning on the girl's face. Clarke's claustrophobia suddenly felt completely irrelevant; she made a snap decision and escaped into the safety of the locker room.

Raven stared at the spot of grass where Clarke had stood only a moment ago, feeling like she had just been punched in the stomach. It couldn't be. Finn would have told her. He would have warned her, it was the least he could do. It's her. Raven knew it, there was no doubt in her mind. The way Clarke had stared at her, the look in her eyes, it all made sense.

"Hey," Jasper grabbed her arm. "Are you ok? What happened?"

"I'm fine," she snapped, brushing him off.

"Raven, you just turned white as a sheet." He was looking at her like she was about to pass out.

"I said, I'm fine." She took off, stalking towards the castle. Her brain felt like one of those old, muggle televisions she always tinkered with, fuzzy and filled with those crawling black and white ants. There were too many thoughts in her head and they pinballed against her skull like a cacophony of noises, indistinguishable in their sheer abundance. She felt rather than saw Jasper catch up to her, but he didn't say a word, silently keeping pace with her footsteps.

An eternity passed before they reached the door to the Ravenclaw common room. Jasper answered the knocker's riddle and they walked into the warm hearth room. Raven sat down on the edge of a chair by the fire and Jasper took up residence on the ground facing her, his back against the warm flagstones. Mercifully, he stayed silent.

When her mind finally settled down enough to parse out individual thoughts, Raven realized she felt numb. All of the anger and the sadness she'd felt over the past month had given way to something entirely different. She was tired, so tired of feeling consumed by rage or by hurt. She was tired of feeling out of balance, out of control in own life. She took a deep breath, finally looking up at Jasper, whose amber eyes were trained steadily on her. He hadn't uttered a word and Raven knew how hard that was for him.

"I'm ok, really," she assured him, leaning back against the plush chair.

He raised his eyebrows dubiously at her, "Will you at least tell me what happened? You haven't spoken for an hour."

Raven closed her eyes, considering whether she wanted to speak this truth out loud. She hadn't told anyone yet, but holding it in couldn't prevent it from being any more real than it already was. She opened her eyes and nodded, looking into the fireplace where the flames lapped happily against the stone.

"Finn and I broke up," she started, pausing to maul the words over. Finn and I broke up.

"I figured as much since you won't talk to him anymore," Jasper blurted out, his long silence obviously having taxed him. Raven gave him a withering stare and he quieted, letting her tell her story.

"Finn and I broke up," she repeated, then corrected herself, "I ended things with him after I found out he'd been cheating on me for nearly two months." Once she opened the floodgates, the whole lake poured out. Raven told Jasper everything: how she found out, how betrayed she felt, how the girl they had just seen was the same girl who she had tried to picture countless times over the past month. She didn't cry when she told him all this, she didn't even feel like crying. She had cried enough already. That part was done.

Raven finished, "I don't think I'll ever forgive him. Not because he wanted to be with someone else, I could have accepted that. I can't forgive him for lying to me for months… for telling me he loved me when he was sleeping with her." Raven's hands shook slightly at this admission and she balled them up, quickly. She hadn't even admitted to herself that what she and Finn had shared was broken, forever.

She smiled at Jasper with as little bitterness as she could muster. "It'll be for the best, I know it. I just can't see how right now."

"You're strong, Raven. I don't know how you do it," Jasper swallowed, shaking his head. His eyes looked a little moist, but there was also anger in them, anger on her behalf. He didn't understand that she had already been angry enough for the both of them.

Raven smiled wryly, "You're stronger than you know, Jasper."

Jasper got to his feet and offered her a hand, "Let's go work on that Potions report. Nothing cheers you up as much as homework."

Raven took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. "Ok, but that means we're going to the library."

"The library?" Jasper gasped exaggeratedly, "Oh, no! I'm melting! You've said the exact word that destroys me!"

Raven stared at him evenly as he pretended to crumple up on the floor. When she didn't concede, he sprung back up quickly. "Fine, you win. Dusty old tomes here we come!"

He hooked his arm through hers and the two friends left the common room arm in arm, their spirits much brighter than when they had entered.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this last chapter! Leave a review if you so wish :) I love hearing your thoughts about the chapter! If you want to follow me on Tumblr, I usually post moodboards for the houses and for the individual characters as well as notifications when the story is updated. You can find me under the same name: TheFutureUnseen. Until next time Xx