You keep playing me like a fruit machine

Putting in change systematically

Winning streak that you had over me

It's turned into your broken tragedy

Turn your pockets out onto the street

Now you see you've spent it all on me

You see my true colors out of sync

Now your skin is a pair of sympathies

-Fruit Machine, The Ting Tings

Al's POV:

I sat on the couch in front of the fire, talking and laughing with Izzy and the rest of the Gryffindor team. Izzy seemed exceptionally happy tonight, and I figured it didn't have a whole lot to do with Quidditch. I had caught Finn flirting with her a little while earlier, and she had been ecstatic ever since.

Izzy yawned, leaning her head against my shoulder. She looked up at me tiredly with her large, blue-green eyes. "I think I'm going to bed. It must be past midnight…" she told me, yawning again.

I watched her walk up to the stairs, but she stopped. There was a blank sort of look on her face, which then turned to horror as she sprinted up the stairs.

This worried me; she had been so lively just a minute ago, but she had looked devastated when she ran towards her dorm.

"I'll be right back," I muttered, and James looked up at me curiously, his arm around Celeste's shoulders. I ignored the inquisitive glance and grabbed my broom. When I got to the stairs, I hopped on my broom and kicked off, gliding through the stairwell effortlessly. I hopped off when I got to the sixth year dorms, having made it past the enchanted staircase.

I knocked on the door, and Izzy opened it cautiously. When she saw me, she leaned into my chest, crying quietly. I stood in shock for a moment, but I lifted my arms and wrapped them around my friend's petite frame. Izzy McCallum didn't cry easily.

Whoever did this to her was going to pay.

I laid in my bed, thinking about Izzy: her small body falling into me, looking up at me with sad eyes, her heart-shaped face framed by her long, thick blonde hair that had fallen out of her usual braid. I wasn't tall, but I also wasn't short, probably a right around six feet. Despite this, I was still taller than my best friend, seeing as she was about 5 foot and 4 inches, and she had felt so tiny in my arms in that moment. Izzy's unhappiness had made me miserable. I hated seeing her like this. But I hated Finn Reeds even more for doing this to her.

I wanted so desperately to show that git why he didn't mess with Isabelle McCallum, but Izzy said no. I had promised her before leaving that I wouldn't hurt him.

After Izzy had collected herself a bit in her dorm, I accio-ed her pyjamas, then placed them in her hands, ushering her to the bathroom to change. I had waited on her bed for her to come out, and when she did emerge, I gave her one last hug good-night. Normally, I wouldn't have been so…touchy-feely, but she was completely heart-broken. Yes, it was a little awkward, but she had needed comfort. After she pulled out of the hug, Allison Creevey walked in. She looked at me for a second, but didn't seem bothered by my presence: I sometimes came to their dorm. I left her and Izzy together, knowing Ally would comfort her further.

Now, I was looking up at the canopy of my four-poster bed. All I could think about was Izzy, the hurt apparent in her eyes as had she wept into my shirt.

Izzy's POV:

I woke up the next morning, and last night's events immediately struck me full force again. Finn had made me miserable. He was snogging Melissa Jackson. That was all I could think about. Their bodies moving together, her fingers pulling at his hair, moaning, his hands moving across her back, their lips moving perfectly in sync…

No, I told myself firmly. I am not going to let him do this to me. He was just a guy, a stupid boy. And if he liked Melissa, there was no way in hell that he was right for me.

I determinedly pulled myself out of bed, slipping into my light purple tank top and skinny jeans, then put my white cardigan on over my shirt. I brushed my long, blonde hair out and pulled it back into a thick braid, tugging my black beanie over my hair. I could have used magic to get this done quicker, but I loved the way the brush felt in my hair.

I snuck out of my dorm, careful not to wake my roommates, especially Melissa; I couldn't deal with that right now. I trotted down the stairs to the common room, and Albus was sitting in front of the fire. He had dark bags under his eyes and a faraway look on his face. Al obviously hadn't slept well at all.

"Hey," I said quietly.

Al jerked around, and the worry was apparent in his eyes. He jumped up from his chair and walked over to me, pulling me into another hug. "You okay?" he asked me.

"Yeah, Al. I'm fine," I told him, and I could hear the resolve in my own voice. Last night really didn't matter. I was stronger than I looked.

My best friend just looked at me, the concern still present in his deep green eyes, but he smiled at me. "Good. Let's go get some breakfast."

"Hey, look at this," I said to Al, who was shoving so much food in his mouth that you'd think he'd not eaten for a week. I pushed the Daily Prophet across the table, pointing out a story to Al.

He scanned the article I had placed in front of him. "Oh, yeah. My dad was telling me about this guy...sounds like a nutjob," he said before pushing the paper back to me. The story I had pointed out was about some insane dark wizard. He'd supposedly attacked some shop in Diagon Alley recently.

"Really? What did he tell you about him?" I asked curiously. Al's dad was Head Auror, so I figured that Al was the most accurate source I had.

"Er...I'm not really sure of the details," he told me between mouthfuls, "but he sounds like a crazy wizard trying to get power. Calling himself...Dúnmharú or something. Apparantely he was a huge Voldemort supporter, and now he's trying to bring all of that stuff back," Al informed me. "Dad says they're not too worried about him. Rather daft, I guess."

I nodded. "Anyone who believes what Voldemort was saying is probably an idiot."

Sunday was fairly uneventful. I got Al to act normally around me. I loved him, but the sweetness was kind of creeping me out, just a little.

Monday, my classes were awful. I was completely and utterly bored. Most of my time was wasted by passing notes to Al.

This is sooo boring! -Izzy

I'm terribly sorry. -Al

You should be.

Ok, I'm actually trying to focus for once. Unlike you, I don't read textbooks in my spare time, nerd.

Shut up. I don't read textbooks. You're just jealous because I'm smarter than you and I can perform a simple disarming spell!

I could disarm you any day! I just want to pay attention to this one lesson, okay?

Fine. Leave me to die of boredom, you prat.

After that, I had nothing to do for the rest of Defence Against the Dark Arts. I really liked Professor Lupin but…this was boring.

Finally, Lupin dismissed our class and I gathered my things, escaping to the hallway. Al was talking to his god-brother/professor about something in the lesson, so I made my way down to lunch myself. I was very hungry.

As I was walking to the Great Hall, I saw Finn talking to Melissa, who was giggling, their hands intertwined. I stopped for a split second, and I caught Finn's eye. He…did he just…wink at me?

No. He was with obviously Melissa now. I had got over him anyways. Seriously. I didn't like him anymore. At all.

I pushed on towards the Great Hall, getting Finn out of my head. Soon, Al came and sat across from me, shaking his messy black hair out of his face. We ate and talked and laughed like we normally did, but there was a certain coldness hidden deep beneath Al's gaze.

Why couldn't he get over this Finn business as fast as I had?

I sat in the common room, doing my assignments as usual. Al wasn't by my side right now. He was talking to James, Scorpius, Rose, and Celeste about Quidditch or something.

I sighed and stood up, walking towards my dorm to retrieve an extra quill. When I got to the stairwell, someone stood in my path. I looked up, expecting Al, but instead found myself staring straight into bright blue eyes.

"Hey, Izzy," Finn said to me.

Ok. I would be normal around him. He needn't ever know my previous feelings towards him, or that I had caught him after the game…

"Hi," I replied, smiling politely at him.

"So, Hogsmeade is coming up next week," he told me. What was going on? "Would you care to accompany me there?" Finn asked, a crooked grin covering his face.

I was shocked. Not pleasantly, either. "You're going out with Melissa," I said, almost informatively.

He laughed. "Good point. How about you meet me tonight in the corridors, instead?" he asked, then added, "Melissa won't find out." He winked at me as he said this.

I stood there in astonishment, unable to speak. Finally, my voice seemed to work again. "You're asking me to cheat with you," I managed.

"Come now, love. Don't say it like that. I can love more than one woman at once, can I not? Especially a young lady beautiful as yourself," he cooed.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you, Reeds?" I shot at him as I tried to push past so I could leave. "I won't tell Melissa about this, but you speak to me ever again, and I swear, this will find its way around the whole freaking school," I hissed maliciously as I turned from Finn's astonished face.

I shoved him out of the way and sauntered off towards Al and my other friends. James and Albus both glanced up at me wonderingly. I brushed them off as I sat down by Rose, who was giggling next to Scorpius. I didn't hang out with these people a ton, but they were probably the closest group of friends I had. I wasn't exactly Miss Social.

I watched Rose and Scorp. They were perfect for each other. You could just see how easy it was for them to talk to one another, though Rose did blush occasionally. The two of them were practically a match made in heaven. They were just the only ones that didn't realize.

"What's up?" Al asked me quietly.

I looked to him and sighed, then recounted my story hesitantly. Albus just looked at me, astounded and angry.

Suddenly, he stood up and walked towards the portrait hole that Finn had just exited through.

"Al no-" I started, but he was already clambering out of the doorway.

GASP! What a jerk, that Finn. So, the last chapter didn't quite work out like I'd wanted it to, but whatever.

So, I've been working on this chapter FOREVER! You likey? Tell me what you think please! And any suggestions or predictions for the upcoming chapters are welcome here!