Chapter 4

"HE WHAT?" Miranda shouted as soon as I announced the news of the new happy couple.

"Yes," I confirmed grimly. I felt dismayed. Still. And shocked. The news hadn't quite sunk in yet.

Char was staring jaw-dropped.

"What a wanker. You know I love him, but he can be so bloody stupid. Lucia? Lucia Thomas?" said Miranda.

"Exactly. There's nothing wrong with her, but she's… I don't know. I can't quite put my finger on it."

Miranda nodded. "I know what you mean. There's just something fishy about her. I don't like her. But she hasn't been rude to me ever, so I don't have a reason to dislike her."

I hugged her appreciatively. "Thanks for your support."

Finally Charlotte opened her mouth as if to speak, then shut it again. After a moment, she said carefully, "And how do you feel about this?"

I shrugged morosely. "I'm not happy about it. James is my best friend, and she'll try to usurp my place, like all the others who have dated him."

Char nodded, a gleam in her eye. "I wonder…"

I looked at her. "What?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing, I'm sure."

I shrugged. "Okay. Anyway, do you like Lucia? She's such a bint."

Char shook her head profusely and shuddered. "She's horrid."

I smiled. "Thanks."

They shared an affectionate look and Char hugged me.

I said, "You know, it's not even the fact that James is dating. We all do. We all will date. That doesn't bother me so much as the fact that it's LUCIA he's dating. I just… urgh. She's so fucking irritating."

Miranda looked sadly at me. "I know. No one likes this. Ben pulled me aside this morning and told me he was shocked to find out they were an item."

Char nodded. "Luke said pretty much the same thing to me."

Miranda added, "So if it's any consolation to you, no one likes this predicament. It's bloody unfortunate. I hope James comes round soon."

I smiled wistfully. "Me too. Me too."

Things only got worse in DADA. Professor Hennings was rambling about the Unforgivable Curses and I couldn't stop watching James and Lucia. First off, James hadn't sat with me at breakfast. Nor had he walked me to DADA, as usual.

I should've expected this. It was always the same when he dated someone, until they inevitably broke up and things went back to normal.

Clearly, I didn't like people taking up my time with James. Well, it wasn't fair. No one should be allowed to come in and try to overtake me when I'd known him my whole life.

Of course, the dense sod didn't even realize his hair-brained girlfriends tried to do this. He bumbled along blindly assuming everything was namby-pamby. Well, he was wrong.

I gave a low growl when Lucia giggled loudly at something James ostensibly said. Bloody chit.

I looked angrily down at my notes unseeingly. Fuck her.

Calm down, Milla, calm down. Breathe. It's just James's girlfriend.

Suddenly I felt Miranda put a reassuring hand on my arm. I looked gratefully at her.

I forced myself to concentrate on what Hennings was saying. Something about Cruciatus? I wasn't quite sure. I just couldn't focus.

My eyes kept darting over to James and Lucia. Her dark hair was swinging attractively when she laughed at James. Merlin, could her flirting get any more obvious?

No, it could, apparently.

She had just laid an arm on James's chest. In class. IN CLASS. Why didn't she just shag him now and get it over with? Christ.

I felt my fists clench involuntarily. What a whore. She needed to fucking become a prostitute already.

This really was bloody annoying.

And it continued all day. All day. I didn't think it was possible for people to flirt for so long. Didn't they get tired or something? This was unnatural.

Nevertheless, I managed to keep this inner rage inside. I tried to behave fairly normally to James and everyone else. I only let myself explode when I was alone with Charlotte and Miranda, who patiently listened to my incessant ranting during breaks.

It was a stress outlet, that's for sure.

"Ugh! So annoying. How could he date her? Did you SEE them today?" I complained, thoroughly pissed off.

Miranda looked at me sympathetically. "I know, it's really irritating. And obnoxious."

Char nodded in agreement. "It's so grotesque. Like get a fucking room. My husband will not be so disgusting."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course."

Miranda said, bless her, "Char, not the time. We can discuss husbands at another time. When Milla isn't annoyed."

Char looked sheepish. I hugged her impulsively. "Thanks, guys," I said affectionately.

Miranda smiled. "Of course."

At dinner, Lucia sat with us at the Gryffindor table. Awkward.

Ben and Luke looked discomfited. They sat silently, sharing significant looks while James glared at them. I toyed with my pasta, trying to avoid speaking to Lucia or looking at James. This was so fucking weird.

Lucia was simpering and pressing herself intimately close to James. I was on the other side of James and he kept trying to catch my attention. I ignored each attempt and determinedly avoided his gaze.

"Miranda," I said loudly, "What's our Potions homework?"

Before she could respond, James grabbed my arm and pulled me next him. I could feel his muscular side against me and I winced as I crashed into his side.

He muttered in my ear, "Milla, what the fuck is going on?"

Suddenly I felt indignant. Why was he asking me what was going on? HE was the one with the whore of a girlfriend.

"Nothing," I whispered back, slightly coldly.

He searched my face and I softened slightly. It was hard to be mad at James. "Milla."

I said softly, "Really, it's nothing. Talk to Lucia before she thinks something is up."

He nodded and shifted his attention back to Lucia. I sighed heavily and recommenced conversation with Miranda.

Ben interrupted us. "Milla, when's our next patrol?"

Oh yes, did I forget to mention? I was a Prefect. So was Ben.

"It's in two days," I answered with a grimace.

Ben groaned. "Great. I love patrolling."

"I know," I agreed. It did suck.

Everything sucked.

Suddenly everything was quiet. Awkwardly quiet. After a few moments of this unbearable silence, Luke took pity on the group and announced at large, "So my detention was fun. Too bad about the Quidditch match….bloody Ravenclaw. Oh… sorry Lucia," he added belatedly, but halfheartedly.

Did I forget to mention how much I loved Luke at the moment? He was such a dear. Like Char.

This comment got James talking. His face hardened a bit and he said, "Well, Luke, if you weren't so bloody stupid you wouldn't have gotten –"

This was enough. I cut him off shortly, "Enough James. We've been over this."

For good measure, I gave him a cold scowl. He faltered a bit and looked sheepish.

Lucia apparently felt ignored and had the need to put in her two cents to the conversation. "Jamesie, you won't play harshly against Ravenclaw will you?"

Wow. I was surprised she knew what 'harshly' meant.

Okay, okay, I knew I was being mean. The girl was smart enough, if not brilliant. She wasn't some dumb bimbo. I had to give her that.

Despite this, I found myself making a face which Miranda caught and she coughed loudly, masking a laugh. This caused me to laugh which I unsuccessfully tried to turn into a hacking cough. James saw right through this and looked at me pointedly. I stopped immediately. I blushed slightly. Fuck.

He said warmly to Lucia, "Of course not, Lucia. But we'll do our best. We'll play fairly."

HA. Like hell. James would push us to the brink to win. My God, what was this girl doing to him? He wasn't behaving like himself around her.

I stabbed a piece of pasta angrily and Char looked amused by my anger.

Ugh, what a day.

Later in the common room Livvy came up to me and asked where Miranda was.

"She's on a run, like usual," I said with a grin.

Livvy laughed. "Of course. I should've known. She always is this time of the evening."

Bloody Miranda and her schedule. Merlin, everything was pissing me off today.

"I know," I said.

Livvy put a hand on my arm. "Oh, I also heard about Lucia Thomas and James. I'm so sorry. I know he's your best mate and she's well, you know, going to try to fuck everything up. I'm sure of it."

I knew I always loved this girl.

I nodded. "I know, I'm fucked. But James doesn't see this for some strange reason. It's always the same process."

Livvy nodded sympathetically. "What an ordeal."

"It really is. And the annoying thing is, I can't really say anything to James because I'd either look jealous or overprotective. Not that he doesn't act like that towards me when I have blokes looking at me. But it seems to not fly with him. It's so strange not to be able to say anything to him about it. I mean, he and I talk about everything. Nothing is off limits. Except this. And I bloody hate it."

Livvy put her arm around me. "I'm sorry. He's dense. He'll come to his senses soon."

"I hope so," I muttered.

Suddenly a giggle wafted over from the other side of the common room. It sounded eerily familiar. I glanced over.

No.

What the bloody fuck was Lucia sodding Thomas doing in the Gryffindor common room?

Livvy grimaced. I glared at Lucia. Char caught my glance and looked angrily at Lucia from her spot with Ben where they were practicing spells.

I shifted my gaze back to James and Lucia. Bollocks. Lucia had raised the bar for flirting. She was now half atop James, and he had a big stupid grin on his face. She was saying something – no doubt witty, stupid Ravenclaw – into his ear and his eyes had a wild cast to them.

It was sickening. I felt my body lift itself of its own volition and in a rage I got up to walk over and break up this little party. But somehow Charlotte had sensed what I was about to do and jogged to the middle of the room to intercept me before I did something disastrous. She dragged me over roughly and gave me a look. I quickly snapped out of my fury, logic returning.

"Oh my goodness," I said, "I can't believe I was about to do that."

Char nodded as if to a dumb person. "Yes, that would be fucking terrible if you did that."

"Thanks," I mumbled. I slumped my shoulders. Fuck my life. I suddenly felt a little despondent and in need of some sleep. I hadn't slept well the past few days. I was exhausted and frustrated and I desperately hoped some shuteye would cure my seemingly endless problems.

"I think I'm going to go to bed," I said in a depressed tone.

Char eyed me worriedly. "You going to be okay?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm just annoyed. I need sleep. I'm so tired."

"Okay."

She squeezed my shoulder and I left with a small smile. The second I sighted James and Lucia together I felt a twinge of annoyance. Thank Merlin he didn't spot me in my irrational fit of rage. I thanked my lucky stars.

But as I turned to go up to the girls' dormitory, I suddenly felt an urge to let James know that I was annoyed with his behavior. So I turned in his direction and strode purposefully over, taking long strides.

As I neared he looked up, and so did Lucia. She eyed me disdainfully. Fucking cow. I hated her.

I raised an eyebrow and surveyed his seductive pose with a disapproving eye. She was laying across him, hand on his chest, and it looked like they were ready to snog. Shag was more like it. I pursed my lips in disdain and gave James a look.

Then, with a frosty tone, I addressed James, and James only, completely ignoring Lucia.

"Goodnight James."

Without a second look, I turned and walked quickly over to my dorm, and hurried up the stairs and shut the door.

That night, I slept fitfully again.