Romulus purred into her ear as she slept, drooling on The Standard Book of Spells: Level Six. The cat stepped over her on the mattress and curled into a ball. Rain began to patter against the foggy windows, causing Amelia to stir. Barely a week into the new year, and I'm already falling behind, she frowned inwardly. She picked up her wand, and waved it around, causing the book to close itself and soar over to her open trunk at the foot of her four-poster.
It was early in the evening, her roommates were gathered in the Hufflepuff commonroom, talking away about quidditch and who'd been caught snogging in the corridor. Amelia new the latest gossip. That Damon Bones had been found in a broom closet with another Ravenclaw. She tried to pretend that this hadn't bothered her, but as she sat thinking on it, her hand started to cramp from gripping her wand so tightly. Damon's just a stupid, arrogant prat. I've got better things to do than worry about his dissheveled existence. Amelia remembered a time the previous winter when Damon's arms had been around her waist, and Damon's eyes had searched for her own in a dark room, and Damon's lips had touched hers ever so gently. She shook her head vigorously, attempting to leave the picture behind. One image came clearly to her: an empty room, and the sound of her own sobbing.
Amelia stood up and exited the room. She jumped down the stairs and rushed out of the commonroom. She rounded a couple of corners, waved to some friends and skipped down a staircase. As she turned a corner again, she bumped into the very person that she least expected. Damon stood in front of her, books tumbling out of his grip. He looked at her, mouth agape. She looked back, and for a moment she thought she saw a hint of deepest regret. No. She pushed past him and walked on. She pushed open the lavatory stall and crumpled to the floor. She covered her face with her hands and cried until she couldn't anymore.
Damon stooped to the floor to pick up his books. He replaced Magical Creatures and Where to Find Them in his arms, thinking hard. He felt a pain deep in his chest over Amelia. She was the most amazing person he'd ever met. He hated to see her upset. Well, you stupid git, it's your fault anyway that she hates you. Damon figured that since he'd told Hestia that he was through with her, that Amelia would want to be with him again. Hestia wasn't like Amelia, she didn't care for him. Hestia didn't laugh at him and smile the way Amelia did. Nights spent with her had none of the passion and love that existed when he had been with Amelia. Damon regretted ever leaving Amelia at the ball. She'd insisted that he dance with Hestia, she wanted to get a drink. Little did he know that Hestia had other plans. What was I thinking, going off with her, anyway? I'd known that she'd been with plenty of guys before.
Damon realized that he had been standing in the middle of the corridor for the entirety of his wondering. He continued on his way to the Ravenclaw commonroom. He answered a question and walked into the large room, gazing up at the domed ceiling, knowing how much Amelia would love the sky that night. Stars glinted and sparkled from every angle, seeming to smile down on Hogwarts. Even so, Damon only felt shame and remorse. You'd think, he told himself, that since i'm in Ravenclaw, I would have known better. He continued to beat himself up until Taran Corner sat beside him near the fireplace.
"Damon. You can't just sit here forever," he spoke with an edge to his voice.
Damon looked back at him with an amused expression. "How can you know what I'm thinking about?" he asked, pointedly.
Taran chuckled quietly. "Mate, your face is a brilliant shade of red, and you're wringing your hands." Damon stopped fidgiting and put his hands to his face, which was surprisingly hot. He dropped his hands to his lap again, looking blankly at his friend. Suddenly, Damon stood up and left the commonroom. He couldn't stand it any longer. A whole summer apart from Amelia had been enough to almost kill him. Hestia had been there to help soothe his pain over losing her, but she only satisfied his physical wants. Amelia completed him, and he was willing to do anything to win her back.
She wiped the tears from her face as she walked down the corridor. Checking her watch, Amelia gasped. She hadn't realized how late it was. Amelia did nothing to quicken her pace, she was lost in thought. In fact, she hadn't seen Damon and Hestia together since school started.
Amelia was too occupied to look where she was going, which concluded in her smashing into something in the corridor. The thing, which was hard and warm, let out some colourful profanities and, "Lumos!"
A burst of bright light was pushed in Amelia's tear-stricken face. Instictively, she covered her face with her hands. The wielder of the wand lowered it for a brief moment. "Parker?"
Amelia lowered her hands. Remus Lupin stood in front of her, his brown hair swept across his grey eyes. Great, a prefect. She looked at her feet. "Yeah, it's me," she sighed.
"Sorry, Amelia," Remus cleared his throat. "What're you doing out so late?" He dimmed his wand and looked into her face.
Amelia bit her lower lip. "I was just cr--walking. I guess I didn't realize what time it was."
As he hid something in his robes, Remus gave a small smile. "Okay," he began, "I really shouldn't be wandering the corridors either." He was studying her face rather a lot, and it made Amelia blush a little. "Can I accompany you back to your commonroom?" Amelia nodded, and Remus took her hand and muttered, "Nox." Amelia felt oddly warm and protected. It was nice to have the company of someone and to feel the warmth of someone's hand. She was sure that Remus was only walking her back to the commonroom because he'd seen that she had been crying, but it was nice nevertheless.
As the two neared the tapestry concealing the entrance to Hufflepuff, Amelia was positive that she heard someone else breathing. She dismissed it as one of the nearby paintings. Remus re-lit his wand, and looked at her again. "Are you all right, Par--Amelia?" he asked quickly.
"I'm fine, now. Thanks, Remus." Amelia watched as he nodded and marched off in the direction of Gryffindor. She turned and continued down the short corridor, giving the password, "Veritaserum," to a statue of an over-sized badger.
Damon's eyes widened at the sight of Remus and Amelia. He thought, Stop breathing so loudly! They can hear you for certain! Damon did all he could to quiet himself, which was rather hard seeing as his heart was beating so fast he felt that he would collapse. Damon stayed behind the tapestry until he was alone. Solemnly, he walked back to the Ravenclaw commonroom.