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Anyway, on with the story…

"Whoever says Friendship is easy, has obviously never had a true friend"

–Bronwyn Polson

Chapter Twenty:

It had been our first proper game playing for the Gryffindor team together.

Why he had to knock himself out was beyond me, but he still managed to do it. Idiot. Should have watched for the Bludgers – it's his fault he wasn't looking (no matter how much Frank tries to blame himself).

Still, being the dedicated best friend that I was, I still sat quietly beside him, watching him intently for any signs of change.

Still, there was nothing. None at all.

I sighed, folding my arms across my chest, "Why won't you wake up? Please just wake up…"

"R…Ri-Ril…Ri-ley," I heard him mumble, which snapped me back into sense.

Did he just say my name?

"Rile-y… Riley…"

I started at him curiously, wondering why on earth he was calling for me.

It wasn't like I was anything special.

There was a pain in my neck, a stale cramp that cracked as I moved my head. Something hard pressed into the small of my back as I fidgeted around, desperately attempting to get comfortable and fall back asleep, but failing spectacularly in the process.

I could feel the warmth of sunlight through my shut eyelids, so grudgingly, I cracked open an eye to survey my surroundings.

"Well, good morning, sweet-heart," Madame Le'Dionettre loomed over me.

I realised that I was sitting curled up in the chair beside Sirius's bed, "… Sup,"

"Now, you broke the rules last night, but I guess I can let it slide this time… It must be hard to see your boyfriend in such a state, but you've already missed the first two classes…"

"He's not my boyfriend," I muttered sourly.

She looked surprised but smiled all the same, "Oh, your brother then… you don't look very alike…"

I shook my head, "Just a friend, I'm… just a friend,"

A wry smile replaces her previously confused look, "Of course you are," Madame Le'Dionettre spoke condescendingly and I frowned, "But you still should get to class, you can come back and see him later – he should be awake then,"

With grudging effort, I stood up, feeling pins and needles course through my legs as I began walking towards my Common Room, vaguely aware of the fact I was still wearing my pyjamas. Entering through the painting, Gryffindor Tower was near empty, with nothing but a few studying seventh years, putting their free periods to good use. They didn't even acknowledge my presence.

I'm not surprised – I lost them all the first game of the year.

When I got upstairs, my dorm was thankfully empty. Grabbing my school uniform from under my bed, I got changed as quickly as I could with my sore limbs. Then, taking a glance in the mirror on my way out, I realised how rugged I truly looked.

My natural copper curls had fallen in my face in a giant knotted mass, and my left eye had turned a lovely bruised purple and black from where Avery elbowed me, as well as the bags that had taken place under them from lack of sleep. I tried to reverse the effects as best as I could, but you can never fully morph an injury.

I was a wreak, inside and out.

Overhead, I heard the bells sound signing the start of the third class, so I quickly collected my Charms books and bolted down the stairs. I think we had it with Hufflepuff today.

When I reached the Charms classroom, I quickly took my seat beside James, right before the Professor burst into the room.

"How is Sirius?" Prongs whispered.

"Still asleep, we can visit later," I murmured back.

"'Kay," He replied and we continued to listen to the Professor Unglik rambling on about something that I couldn't comprehend – Merlin, I suck at Charms. I attempted to follow on and take notes, but eventually became lost in his words and reverted to sketching different mural designs at the bottom of the parchment.

When the class was finally over, I went to leave, but was stopped, "Excuse me, Miss O'Conner," Professor Unglik spoke up, "Could I please talk to you about your grades…"

Those are the words no student ever wants to hear from her teacher.

I put down my books and turned around, "What about them?" I asked with a note of suspicion in my voice.

Professor Unglik smiled sympathetically, "You see Riley, I know you have your heart set on becoming and Auror, but, you barley scraping by in my class…"

"And?"

"You barley passed last exam, and I'm afraid, if you don't improve you overall mark for the semester, I'll have to cut you from my class, which would mean…"

"… I won't be able to become and Auror," I frowned, feeling my heart contract as if all the life had been sucked out of it.

"But I do have an idea, because I really do think you'd make a good Auror and I'd hate to cut you out…"

I raised an eyebrow, hope beginning to trickle back into my mind, "Whatever it is, I'll do it, I swear I will!"

"I've set you up with a tutor, she's already agreed to it and would be happy help you," He smiled, clapping his hands together.

"Great, who is it?" I asked excitedly.

His grin widened, "Do you know Ariana Shaklebolt?"

"Hey Riley!" A bright and exited voice rang through my slugging mind.

I sat up with a jolt, knocking over the salt and pepper, "What! Where! Who's attacking!?"

Ariana sat down beside me, "You look tired,"

I sighed, "I feel tired… and dead… like a zombie… blah,"

It seemed that I had survived the day without passing out, but as soon as banquet started, I began drifting off, up until the point where my head finally down thunked onto the wooden table beside my dinner. Everybody around me just left me there to sleep – I needed it.

She smiled warmly at me, "Sorry, I was just wondering how Sirius was going… I haven't had a chance to visit him yet, with Prefect meetings and Charms club… so how is he,"

I yawned, "The bones in his arms were completely shattered. Madame Le'Dionettre decided it'd be easier to remove the bone and regrow it, instead of trying to piece together the many shards like some kind of impossible jigsaw-puzzle,"

She nodded, "Is he awake yet?"

I shook my head, "Sadly, no – I was about to visit him, if you'd… like to come, I guess you could,"

Oh Merlin, did I seriously just give Ariana permission to visit her own boyfriend? A boyfriend of whom I kissed without him knowing so last night, and in quite a creepy manner, night I add.

She shrugged with a quiet smile, apparently not noticing my evident rudeness, "Sure, I've got time before Astronomy Club starts,"

I felt my knuckles clench under the table. That fact that she hadn't yet visited Sirius and that it had to be plotted into her busy schedule made my detestation for the bright and smiley girl deepen – if he isn't that important to her, why bother at all? Of course, that might also be the jealousy talking… oh well, I'm allowed to loathe who I wish to loathe – there's no law against it. I think.

"C'mon, then," I deadpanned and I walked off, her following with a spring in her step.

Ariana was the first the break the silence, "You know, I want to be a healer when I leave school…"

I stopped to look at her, "Why?"

The corners of her mouth twitched into a small smile, "Well, I know it's not exactly a flashy or well-paid job, but I guess I just like… helping people," She paused to look up at me, "What about you? What do you want to do?"

I stared at her, "Why do you ever care?"

The smile fell from her face, replaced with a look of genuine confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Well, usually Sirius's girlfriends hate me and act as if I'm invisible… why so you act so… nice… to me," I finished awkwardly, the sentence not coming out as I'd planned.

She gaped at me yet still answered plainly, "Well, because you're his friend and any friend of Sirius's is a friend of mine. Plus, he talks about you all the time, it's hard not to wonder what you're like…"

I gave her a sceptical look, "Are you serious? That's it – no ulterior motive or anything?"

She shrugged, "You know, it's sad that you expected one, but that doesn't change my original question,"

I just looked at her blankly, "An Auror… I-I want to be an Auror,"

"Well, that wasn't so hard," Ariana beamed at me, "And don't worry, I'm sure we'll get to know each other much better during our tutoring sessions, anyway,"

"Right…"

It was a short time later when we reached the Infirmary. Sirius was still sleeping, but he appeared restless, murmuring something under his breath.

"Did he just say something?" Ariana asked me, looking puzzled, as she stood beside him gently stroking his hand with her thumb.

Her voice snapped me back into reality, "I-I'm not sure,"

"A-Ari…"

She crouched beside him, big brown doe eyes staring widely at him, "Yes, what is it?"

"Ar-Aria… Ari-Ariana…" He murmured and I felt my heart drop like a dead weight in my chest.

"It's okay I'm here," She smiled warmly, kneeling down beside him and clasping his hand.

Suddenly, I felt as if I shouldn't be there – like some sort of sick-bay third-wheel. When would I ever get it into my head that I'm not the number one girl in his life anymore? Probably never, knowing my stubborn self as well as I do. But none the less, it still hurt, standing in the background watching him mutter her name and hold her hand – not mine.

So, I did the only thing I could do…

I walked away.

"I cannot believe you kissed him?! That's so… creepy, Riley, and maybe an itsy-bitsy bit cute, but mostly just it's just plain creepy!" Alice stared at me a horrified expression on her face.

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, I know – I'm a creeper, sue me,"

She stared curiously at me, "Sue you…?"

I waved off her questions, "It's a Muggle term, like a legal accusation,"

"Well, in that case, Ariana might if she ever found out," Alice tutted in disapproval.

I frowned, "Oh, save me the lecture, Alice. It was wrong and I get that, so get over it,"

"So what are you going to do? Obviously, you're unable to act sanely around your best friend or civilly around his girlfriend, so what's your plan?" She asked, frowning slightly in thought.

"I… have no fucking idea," I sighed resting my head on the table.

Ariana shrugged and stated plainly, "How about you just avoid them, Sirius never keeps any girlfriend for long, you know that,"

I sighed, "There are two problems with that plan, one; I can't avoid either one of them, since Ariana is tutoring me in Charms and Sirius is my potions partner and, uh, I dunno, my best friend, which generally implies we see each other often," I paused and then continued, "And two; I don't see them breaking up any time soon, his other girlfriends were total bitches, and they were doomed from the start, but Ariana… he'd be stupid to break up with her – she's so fucking nice!"

"Well then you're in a bit of trouble, aren't you," Alice looked at me, her lips pursed into a tight line.

"What, did you get detention again?" Asked Andi as she sat down opposite us, "You know that sorta shit goes on your record, right?"

"Yes, I am in fact aware of that… and it's not like you can talk, sneaking around with Ted-bloody-Tonks every night," I gave her a wry smile accompanied by a wink as her face fell.

Alice's jaw dropped, "Why is this the first time I'm hearing of this?!"

Andi glared at me, "You're dead, O'Conner,"

I smirked, "Tell me something I don't know…"

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