Disclaimer: HA! I wish...

Previously:

"I'm sorry too," Skye said. "I shouldn't have yelled at you to start with. But the day was just so crappy."

"We are a sorry lot aren't we?" Draco grinned.

"Just a bit," Skye laughed. "But not anymore."

"No, not anymore," Draco agreed, leaning in to kiss his girlfriend once more.

Skye spent dinner that night sitting at the Slytherin table with her boyfriend. Draco had offered to sit at the Gryffindor table, but Skye didn't want to. She was so over everyone's problems, and she didn't think she would be able to keep her food down if she had to watch Harry shoving his tongue down Parvati's throat.

"Ew," Skye groaned. "They're at it again."

"Why do you care so much anyway?" Draco asked.

"He's pissing me off!" Skye exclaimed. "It is so obvious he doesn't like her but he doesn't have the guts to ask out the girl he really likes! She was just the easiest option."

"What's it really matter to you?" Draco asked.

Skye glared at him. "It matters because both him and Hermione are going to be coming up to me complaining about how their lives are so unfair and that things are so hard for them. Then, I'm going to have to pretend like I actually care."

"But you do care?" Draco looked confused.

"Sure I do," Skye shrugged. "But I am so over the way Harry just continually avoids the subject of who he likes. So I'm supposed to figure it out myself? How the hell can I help him if I'm not even sure who he likes?"

"Can't you just not help him?" Draco asked. "I'm sure Potter is able to look after himself. He's a big boy."

"I thought you two moved past your differences," Skye narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend's tone.

"We are, we are," Draco said hurriedly. "That was just habit. Sorry."

"It better have been," Skye said darkly. "Because if it wasn't I'm going to..."

"It was babe," Draco kissed Skye's cheek. "Promise."

"Good," Skye sighed. "I don't want to have to get angry at you again."

"I don't want you to be angry at me again," Draco said honestly. "You're scary when you're mad."

"Aw," Skye smirked. "Is poor whittle Draco scared of big bad Skye?"

Draco opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the screech of a bench against the stone floor. The noise was coming from the Gryffindor table.

Angela and Ri were standing up, obviously fighting about something. There was a resounding SLAP and Angela left the Great Hall in a terrible fury.

Ri was watching after her, almost in a daze. Teddy said something, and Ri snapped back at him, before he too left the Hall.

"Shit," Draco muttered. "That looked intense."

"Yeah," Skye nodded numbly. "Do you mind if I go find him?"

"It's fine," Draco said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks Draco," Skye said, kissing her boyfriend quickly. "I'll make it up to you."

Skye sprinted out of the Great Hall, summoning the Marauder's Map from her dormitory. She already had a fair idea of where Ri would be heading, but she wanted to make sure.

Checking the map, Skye saw that she was right. Ri was sitting by the lake under a big oak tree, one of both his and Skye's favourite places in the school.

Slowly, Skye made her way up to the dejected looking figure by the lake.

"Hey," she said softly.

Ri barely looked up as he replied.

"Hey."

Skye wrapped her arms around Ri in a tight hug.

"Life sucks sometimes, doesn't it?" Skye whispered.

"Yeah," Ri answered quietly.

He leaned into Skye's embrace and the pair sat together in silence until long after the sun had set. It was only when Skye began shivering that Ri pulled back.

"You're cold," he stated, his voice coming out a little hoarse.

"So are you," Skye retaliated.

"No I'm not," Ri allowed himself a small smile. "You're too little to produce enough body heat for yourself."

"I'm not little!" Skye protested weakly.

"Compared to me you are," Ri said, taking off his jumper and wrapping it around Skye's shoulders.

"Thanks," Skye said quietly, relishing in the warmth of the jumper.

"No problem."

The pair sat in silence for a while again. Finally, Skye couldn't take seeing her friend so disheartened anymore.

"Talk to me Ri," she pleaded. "Say something."

"Like what?" Ri laughed humorously. "Do you want me to tell you how much I wish I could take back the last couple of hours so that I might actually still have Angie?"

"Ri..." Skye began.

"Don't Skye," Ri said angrily. "Just don't even fucking try. It's not like you, with your perfect boyfriend and perfect little life, could ever understand."

"So help me to understand," Skye whispered. "Help me."

"It's hard to explain," Ri said.

"So try," Skye challenged.

Ri thought for a moment.

"I love her more than I love you," he said finally.

Skye nodded slowly. For anyone who knew how deep Skye and Ri's friendship was, they would know how much they cared about each other. Both Skye and Ri would die for each other without a single question asked, without even stopping to think about what they were giving up.

The fact that Ri said he loved Angela more than he loves Skye was something big. It was something really massive.

"Wow," Skye said softly.

"Yeah," Ri nodded.

"But if she feels the same, it will be impossible for her to stay angry with you!" Skye exclaimed. "What was it that you did anyway?"

"I don't even know," Ri sighed heavily. "We were just talking about Katie Bell."

Katie Bell was a Gryffindor seventh year who played chaser on the house team.

Skye glanced at Ri quickly. It seemed to her that the problem was quite simple. Angela was jealous.

"Jealous?" Ri repeated incredulously, when Skye voiced her conclusion. "Of Katie?"

"Yeah..."

"Angie doesn't get jealous," Ri said confidently. "Why would she?"

"I dunno," Skye shrugged. "What were you saying about Katie?"

"Just how much of an amazing Quidditch player she was..." Ri said, trailing off as a look of comprehension crossed his face. "Oh shit, she is jealous isn't she?"

Skye nodded, forcing her features into a grim expression to try and stop the laughter that was bubbling up inside her. Ri could be so dense sometimes!

"What should I do?" Ri asked, panicking a little. "I don't like Katie like that, I never have. Angela is the only..."

"Ri," Skye said firmly, stopping his blabbering. "Just talk to Angela."

"What do I say?" he asked.

"Just tell her what you told me," Skye said simply. "And if she doesn't believe you then you're really better off without her."

"How can you say that?" Ri demanded angrily.

"I don't mean any harm by it," Skye said. "I'm just saying."

"I know," Ri mumbled. "I'm sorry. But I can't even imagine my life without Angie. She means the world to me. Without her, I'd wander around aimlessly. My Mum once told me that when I find the one that's right for me, I'd go to any lengths to get her and then do anything to keep her. I didn't believe her," he laughed quietly. "It's funny how times change. Now, I know exactly what she means. I love Angie. I've never actually said it to her face, but I do. I love her so, so much it almost hurts to be away from her."

"Really?" a soft voice spoke from behind them.

Ri spun around with wide eyes.

"Really?" Angela asked again. "You really love me?"

"Of course I do," Ri said, standing up and taking Angie's hands in his. "More than life itself."

With a sob, Angela threw herself into Ri's arms, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. Skye averted her eyes; she really did not need to see this, and stood up as well.

"I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow then Skye," she muttered to herself, trying to imitate Ri's deep voice. "Bye Skye, thanks for helping me out."

Ri and Angie ignored her, lost in their embrace. Rolling her eyes, Skye headed back up to the castle to get some sleep.

A/N And that is Chapter 24...hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to leave a review!