Disclaimer: I am not an orange. Nor are my initials JKR. So, no, I don't own Harry Potter.

So far: Marlene has major beef against Dorcas right now. Also she's stopped talking to any of her friends except her boyfriend. Also Lily and Sirius are best friends now or something. In other news, there are other students in this school besides sixth year Gryffindors.

Chapter 17

Or

Of Benjy Fenwick's Worst Birthday

(Fenwick)

Eighteen years ago, a baby boy was born into a family titled Fenwick. His parents named him Benjamin, and he was sweet and fun and happy, though at times odd things happened to him.

One day, when he turned eleven, a woman in a funny hat came to visit his house. She told him he was a wizard, and to prove it, she turned into a cat. Her name was Minerva McGonagall, and she was the vice principle at a school called Hogwarts – a school which taught, apparently, Witchcraft and Wizardry.

And so Benjamin enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he was sorted into the house of Hufflepuff. There, he was nicknamed Benjy, and he was sweet and fun and happy, and though at times he felt out of place, he couldn't help but belong.

On the day of his eighteenth birthday, however, everything went very, very wrong.

Benjy Fenwick, a seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, had been a prefect for two and a half years before he ever had to give a single punishment. It was, in fact, his first punishment ever, in a way – and he had to give it on his birthday, of all days.

"Black," he said, "mind telling me what the hell happened here?"

Black just shrugged and pointed to the two girls who were still basically growling at each other. Evans, the sixth year Gryffindor prefect – and, in his opinion, the likely candidate for next year's Head Girl – was standing between them, holding them at wandpoint, trying to stop them from what was probably going to quickly turn into a murder scene.

"Evans," sighed Benjy. "Do you know what happened here?"

Evans simply shrugged, as if mirroring Black. "I don't really know, I got here about a second before you did."

It was a lie, he could tell, but he didn't push it.

"Then who do we punish?" he asked. "And how?"

Evans glanced at Black, then turned to look at Black's younger brother, a couple of Slytherins he didn't recognize, and Snape – all of which were lying unconscious on the floor – and then threw a pointed look at Longbottom, before finally looking back to Marlene McKinnon and Meadowes, who were not struggling as much anymore.

"I say all of them," she suggested finally, "straight to McGonagall. Let them explain what happened to her, and she can do whatever she wants with them."

"What about these?" he said, pointing at the pile of Slytherins lying rather comically on the floor.

Big on the shrugging today, apparently, Evans raised her shoulders and then lowered them in one consecutive motion. "We'll call Slughorn on the way."

"So what happened today, anyway?" Benjy asked. McKinnon was already inside, and so he was left outside her office with Meadowes, whom he was addressing at the moment. (Evans had disappeared with Black, apparently having chosen to spare her boyfriend the atrocity of waiting with the rest of them.)

"Long, long, long story," she muttered. Her left eye was bruising and swelling rapidly, and it looked like she may have had a group of hairs pulled out. Her left pinkie was crooked, too, but she insisted that it wasn't broken, and he was no Healer.

"Well, since she'll be telling the same story inside, I'm pretty sure we have the time."

She looked up at him, and he hoped that his expression was kind. It might have been condescending. It might have just been annoyed. They did ruin his birthday after all.

"Well," she began, sitting up. "Do you know Cameron McKinnon? Marlene's brother?"

Benjy nodded. "About as much as I know any of you."

"Fair enough. Well, Marlene and Lily and Mary and I had a row about two months back. Then Lily and James – well, let's just say everything's went to shit in our social circle. Marlene refused to speak to me even during class, and the rest weren't much better."

Benjy waited for her to continue. "Well?" he pressed eventually.

Meadowes grimaced. "Wait a second, I'm trying to think. So. Cameron and I started studying together a week ago…"

(Meadowes)

We were studying everything we share classes on. It just sort of happened. Then two days ago – the day everybody came back from holiday – he kissed me. We were sitting outside watching everyone come up from the train – it was calm, and he said that no one could see us, and then he was kissing me.

I swear on Merlin's eyeballs that I had no idea that was going to happen and that I didn't kiss him back. Initially.

It took me a while to even realize I could kiss boys. I'm a late bloomer, or whatever. Kissing a guy I basically talked to for the first time a week ago, and whose sister hates me with the fire of a thousand burning suns, was sort of out there for me.

Is. Is sort of out there for me.

I didn't let him kiss me again, but we may or may not have started holding hands in the hallways if nobody was looking.

If we thought nobody was looking. Apparently, people were looking. Marlene caught us, obviously.

You know, I think of Marlene as being quiet and reserved, but something's happened to her this year. She just seems angrier, all the time, and she overreacts – I'm not even talking about the "I betrayed them" incident. I'm talking about smaller stuff that I noticed beforehand, as a friend. She's been louder, bolder. She's dating James freakin' Potter, and if that's not a warning bell that she's trying to rebel then I don't know what is.

I didn't used to think of her as a person, I guess. Most of us didn't. It's not like people didn't talk to her – it's just that it was more at her. I felt bad for her. Not bad enough to change anything, though.

Maybe she got tired of being used as a diary that belongs to everyone.

I was walking down to dinner today when Cam appeared. And like I said, he really likes to be intimate with me. I don't mind it, exactly, I just don't think it's the most appealing thing. But I held hands with him as we walked and chatted. We were talking about – about cars. Muggle cars, you know.

"My dad loves them," he was saying, explaining about different models and stuff. No offense to cars, but I prefer a broom any day.

I honestly don't know what I said next that made him laugh so much, but he was talking one moment, roaring the next. He grabbed me and kissed me. It wasn't like anything else he'd done so far; it felt like he really wanted to kiss me. Which can mean that up until then he hadn't, but that's not true either. It was a good kiss. I guess I enjoyed it.

Marlene chose that moment to turn the corner. It really was a moment, by the way. He had barely touched me before her footsteps could be heard, and another second had passed before we disconnected – just in time for her to have seen us, and us to have seen her.

Marlene is usually very good at keeping secrets, you know. She really doesn't care what other people do, as long as they're safe and happy. As long as it doesn't damage anyone else's life. As long as, as long as… Well, she's usually discreet about things she sees, things she hears – she's the least active gossiper in our dorm. Well, maybe except for me. But with me it's simply because I'm not interested. With Marlene it's because she has a principle: people have secrets, and everyone has the choice to keep them. If someone tells her a secret she won't give it out, like a piece of paper. No, it was their choice to tell her and it should be their choice to tell anyone else.

This didn't always work, and as I've said, she has her conditions.

I don't know what made me bolt. I just saw Marlene, and her eyes – well, if you'd seen it, maybe you'd understand, on some level, why I bolted. But when I say I ran, I mean one second Cam was kissing me, the next Marlene was there, and the third second I was already gone. In just three beats.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

(Fenwick)

"I think you can imagine the rest. I ran, she ran after me, Cameron followed both of us, and she started yelling at me, and Cameron yelled at her, and then I yelled at him. Somehow Cameron managed to insult James Potter, so Black stepped it, and then his little brother was there and the two of them fought. To protect the younger Black, I guess, a bunch of Slytherins joined, and then suddenly all of us were fighting, not just with our words, but with our wands, and then – well, then you and Lily came along."

Meadowes finished her story just in time – just as McKinnon came out, that is. It was almost comical.

"Your turn," McKinnon said coldly. Meadowes was very careful about not brushing her while passing, Benjy noticed. The two – the blonde, tall and pale, and the brunette, dark and more on the heavy side – were striking in contrast, each of them standing for their own and each of them very aware of the fact that they were being tested, not just by each other, but by themselves as well.

I might have gone a bit too far with that metaphor, Benjy thought to himself.

Before Meadowes could close the door, he jumped up and stuck his head into the Deputy Head's office. "Professor," he said, "can I go yet?"

"Oh, I think not," said Professor McGonagall. "I'd like to have a chat with you – and miss Evans as well – once I'm done with Meadowes and Black."

"Black and Evans have disappeared, Ma'am," he said. "They – "

Just then there was a grunt noise behind him, and when he turned around he saw that not only had Black and Evans (though looking slightly disgruntled) finally shown up, but they were physically stopping Marlene McKinnon from leaving as well.

"Never mind, Professor," he said. "They're all here."

"Close the door, Fenwick, if you will."

He did.

"What's going on with you, Marlene?" demanded Evans, her voice slightly shriek-ier than usual. "You're acting mad!"

"Positively bonkers," supplied Black. "James told me that this morning – "

"Shut up, Black, that's none of your business" said McKinnon, the edge in her voice practically a tangible thing. "Listen, I've had a shit day. And it's not like we're talking, so you have no say in this either, Lily."

"And WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?" cried Evans. "I tried, I tried to have – "

"And you failed, quite miserably I have to say – "

"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!"

Surprisingly, both girls did. Not only did they not expect Benjy to yell, they probably had both forgotten that he was even there. Benjy reached up to his glasses to straighten them, expecting both of them to continue shouting, but everyone else kept quiet.

"You know," said Benjy, "this is maybe the worst birthday ever. First, my best friend tells me that my birthday present – that is, a cake – was accidentally sat on by one of the younger students. Then, it turns out my Care of Magical Creatures assignment got a D because somebody else copied off it. Now, I have to waste most of my dinner and the remainder of my evening dealing with you lot, and I don't even understand what any of this is about."

Benjy was breathing hard by the end of that, and all three of the sixth years were looking down, similar to embarrassed children being scolded by their parents. Black mumbled something along the lines of, "Happy birthday mate."

Beat.

Benjy burst out laughing and collapsed on one of the seats, exhausted, and Black grinned, joining him there.

"So," said McKinnon, "can I go now?"

"No," said everyone else together.

"You get to tell us what's going on," said Evans. "And besides, McGonagall might want to review your version of things."

Benjy was about to correct her, but then changed his mind. He was curious as well, if he was honest. McKinnon sighed and sagged her shoulders in defeat. "Fine," she said. "I'll tell you."

"Thank Merlin," mumbled Black to Benjy, "Lily was going to make me beat her. James would not have appreciated that, believe me."

Benjy choked back another string of laughter as McKinnon started saying, "Well, you know the basics, so I'll just jump in, I guess…"

(McKinnon)

I think you may have noticed I've not exactly been the same this year. I really did try, you know, to be my normal self. Quiet and self-loathing, instead of loud and self-loathing. But something happened last summer. I –

(Fenwick)

"I can't do this," said McKinnon. "I can't talk about this. I'm just not ready – I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She ran off, and though Evans was going to run after her, Black whispered a soft "don't", and she stopped herself.

"You're right," she said. "It should come from her. But – "

"I know," said Black. His hand rested on her shoulder, as if a calming force. Benjy had that feeling again that the two had more going on than just friendship.

The door to McGonagall's office opened. "Your turn, Black," said Meadowes. "She knows most of the details, but feel free to waste her time as much as possible." Black nodded and, as the door closed behind him, Benjy could have sworn he murmured something affectionate for "ole' Minnie".

There was a silence, and then some more silence, and then finally, Meadowes simply walked away. Evans hadn't so much as blinked in her direction. Apparently, whatever was going on did not cancel what had already happened.

In a spur of the moment decision, Benjy went after her.

"Hey, Meadowes," he called.

"Yeah?" she said, turning around. Silent tears streamed down her face, red eyes and flushed cheeks marking the fact that she was crying, but apparently trying very hard not to show any weakness, as she was as quiet as anyone could be.

He stopped dead in his tracks, not actually particularly sure why he was there. "I just – "

"Listen, whatever they told you, it was all true," she said quickly. "I'm a nob. I'm more than a nob – I the stupidest, nob-iest nob in the history of nobs. I was a jerk to my friends, I was a generally terrible human being, and I – I – I should have never pretended – pretended I could avoid this. But how do you – choose?" she demanded, sobs now interrupting her rambling every once in a while. The tears seemed to have dried up, but she could barely string a sentence together. "How do you choose between friends and family, between the people who gave you life and the people who give you reason to continue living? I – would you, could you really blame me for not wanting to choose?"

Dumbfounded, Benjy simply muttered, "I guess – I just don't think you're nob."

Meadowes grinned at that, wiping tears away again. "I am, I am, I am… That's not the issue here. I just – I regret it so much, but – "

"But," he agreed.

There was some more silence – it's amazing how much silence he'd endured today, and how little of that silence was actually meaningless, void, or silent at all – and then he said, "I don't blame you. Whatever it is you did, it's a new year, and you deserve to be happy just as much as them. And you know – "

Another bit of silence.

"You should know," he continued, "that life is about choices. So yes, you're going to have to choose between your friends and your family. It's going to cost you, but eventually, you're going to have to find your own path in life. And if the differences are that huge…" he shrugged. "You're just going to have to choose what's more important to you. What's most important."

And at that, he turned around, because he guessed Black would be done soon, and McGonagall had said she wanted to talk to him.

A/N: Heya guys! Long time, no read. I have been busy with schoolwork which is basically drowning me. I have hard times ahead, so I wanted to get a lot of writing done before publishing another chapter. Apparently, that doesn't work too well. I just barely wrote at all. And now I have bagruyot - the most important standard tests that I'll ever have to take - and my thesis coming up, so I'm just dying. I'm 17 (as of three weeks from now), I should not have so much stress on me!

As I am publishing this on the 15th, I will also say happy birthday to my little brother. Despite the fact that he doesn't know much about this except, maybe, that it exists.

divergent-witch-within: Hey, look, I did what you asked!

MelodyPond77: It's my version of the specials released in Welcome to Night Vale, only I wrote it, like, four or five months ago. I just loved writing from the perspective of characters I don't get to use as much as I like, though if I have anything to do with it - and I do - I will use all of them more later on. Especially Regulus. But this all has to wait. Chapter 25 or so should be the start of a new arc - like chapter 12 was - and I hope that I'll get to it before this year ends, but not in this pace I won't.

Grace: I don't understand why you think that I abandoned this? I didn't publish for a month, after warning that I wasn't going to publish for a while. I'm pretty sure that there's no reason for me to publish a last chapter, considering I just started writing chapter 20...

I hope you all had a good New Year's - I sure did, but the year itself has been meh. I got my report card today, and it was terrible. Now I just have to move on, and not fail anything for the rest of the year so they don't kick me out of the genius school I go to. HNNNG.

My birthday's on the seventh of February, in case you were wondering. I know you were.

Lots of love, and please remember to favorite, follow, review and share,

JustGail