I'm awakened with a start by somebody yanking me.
'James! Bloody hell! We looked for you everywhere!'
It's Francis glaring at me 'You skipped the whole morning! You could actually tell us you were gonna do it!' blorts out annoyed.
'I tell you McGonagall is going to be proper pissed off when she finds out. She is already quite mad at you' Patrick says loosening his tie and slumping on his bed.
'Why?' I yawn whishing I could return to sleep, for once I managed.
'The broom cupboard' Francis sniggers 'Somebody saw the whole scene and now the whole school knows'
It takes me a minute to focus and remember about the morning, when I do, I turn on the other side hiding my head under the pillow 'I'm not the only one using them' I reply wearily.
'You jerk' Francis cackle wrenching away the pillow from me 'You are not. But surely you are the only one who dares answer her what you did. It was lit!'
I arch my eyebrows annoyed. The drizzle has subsided, and some pallid rays of sun are making its way from the window hitting mercilessly my eyes. I squint against the light.
'And then somebody saw you causing that shitload with the armours.' Patrick adds smirking 'McGonagall has lost the plot completely'
I sigh understanding that there is no point in staying in bed anymore. I look for a clean uniform in the drawer and I endeavour to give a shape to my hair. A fruitless attempt at the best of times but with the humidity of the morning it seems hopeless. One day I'm just gonna shave it all.
'Shall we go to lunch?' I ask casually.
'Somebody told Mohini you were speaking to Ophelia; she was proper annoyed' Patrick says riffling lazily through a broom's catalogue. I frown, that only means she will be all horny today.
'Any progress with her?' he asks while Francis is emptying his bag on the bed.
'I'm already banging her how and whenever I fancy, remember? There is no other progress to make. Unless you mean an improvement in conversation, but I assure you I lost every hope of it…' I mutter looking in the mirror still undecided if to comb my hair or not.
They both halt in their activities and stare at me baffled, I understand suddenly who they mean.
'Ah, Ophelia you mean. Nope. And I don't care about it anymore'
'Yeah right' Francis rolls his eyes and snorts 'Like if we swallow that' he mutters, perusing the afternoon's schedule gloomily 'double term arithmancy, blimey…' he says under his voice.
I shrug unconcerned 'You can believe it or not. I don't care. I'm not interested in her anymore. Shall we go down? I wouldn't mind a bite.'
Silence falls again, Patrick sits up dropping his catalogue and Francis stops fiddling with his bag and schedule.
'What happened?'
'Nothing. There is no point in cracking on. She doesn't fancy me. Are you coming or not?' I ask going toward the door.
They follow me throwing perplexed glances to each other. We stump down the stairs and through the portrait of the fat Lady.
Francis catches up with me, placing his arm on my shoulder, conspiratorially 'Come on. What happened? It's three years that you are fawning all over her and she never even gave you the smallest of encouragement. Why all of sudden you drop the matter?'
I shrug his arm annoyed 'I can't be arsed anymore, alright?! It's as simple as that!' I say aggressively.
'Alright, alright!' he replies smirking 'No need to get warm!'
Patrick, on my right, arches an eyebrow 'Shame' he murmurs.
'What do you mean?' I ask narrowing my eyes.
He glances at me quickly 'Nothing' he gabbles.
Students are heaping to the dining room that fills up quickly, the tables are already covered with food.
'I want to know why you said that' I insist pointedly sitting down.
He sits in front of me looking all leerily 'Nothing. I just thought… dunno… You looked different when she was around…'
'Like?' I press on suspicious taking some sandwiches from a close serving plate.
'Never mind. Forget I said anything!' he blabs avoiding my eyes and taking a baked potato from another plate.
'Like?' I almost bellow.
'I don't know' he says confused dissecting the potato with knife and fork while Francis is looking interested from one to the other.
'I guess... Dunno… Different… I guess kind of in love…' he mutters almost murmuring the last word and hunching his shoulders probably fearing my reaction.
That doesn't arrive. I'm so stunned I can only stare at him in a paralysis. Sensing I'm not going to eat him alive, he hazards a second sentence 'You always look kind of bitter most of the time, not very… you know… in a good mood or something. But not when she was around. That's all.' he says still eyeing me carefully 'That's why I think it's a shame…'
Francis nods staring at his plate and pouring himself some juice.
I look bewildered from one to the other. I just never thought it was visible. I never thought they would notice. It's strange and make me feel odd. It seems like, I don't know… perhaps they actually give a damn.
I open and close my mouth stupidly, I pick up the fork, I put it down, I try to speak but I don't know what to say so I shut it. I take my sandwich about to eat it but then I put that down too and I open my mouth again to speak. Nothing. I close it.
There is an awkward moment in which we are all staring at our plate without saying anything, fiddling with whatever is under our hands.
'Well, she doesn't fancy me, she made it quite clear' I gabble sheepishly at the end 'End of the matter'
They both nod and we start to eat our lunch still uneasy.
'So, what did I miss?' I ask to loosen up the moment.
We unfreeze from our awkwardness as they update me on the morning events. Nothing of consequence.
When we are finished with our lunch, we are joking and taking the piss like usual. Mohini makes her appearance and sits on my lap running her long fingers in my hair.
'Did you miss me?' she says all sweetly pecking my lips.
I force a wicked smile that I hope will suffice as an answer, I cannot lie through my teeth like that without preparation first.
'I just thought we could spend the afternoon together' she says all horny in my ear, as she takes my hand and place it right on her breast. I knew it, I just knew it. Unbelievable how jealousy works with women.
Patrick is staring with half open mouth, froze in his drinking.
'I can't, love' I answer quite pleased with the turn of events, savouring the fullness of her breast 'I ditched the whole morning. I need to show up this afternoon otherwise McGonagall will behead me with the Gryffindor sword'
She giggles coquettishly 'She wouldn't, you are too precious' she says tapping a finger on my nose.
Hugh, all this saccharine is making me want to puke my lunch. Although another part of my body is responding with enthusiasm to all this physical contact, starting to show unwillingness to go to lesson when such a sweet alternative is offered.
Then I feel a tap on my shoulder, I turn around to see Ophelia. Her glance falls immediately on my hand still feeling up Mohini's breast, but I don't bother to remove it.
'I need to talk to you' she pipes up bringing back her attention to my eyes.
Francis and Patrick are suddenly mighty interested despite pretending, not very convincingly, to nibble their desserts. Mohini looks thunderous; she glowers at Ophelia who ignores her deliberately.
'Interesting' I say 'Shame it's not reciprocal' turning my attention back to Mohini showing her more attention than I would normally do in different circumstances.
'It'll take only a minute'
I turn my attention to her again, feigning an annoyed snort 'I'm listening'
'In private'
'If you must tell me something you can do it here'
I see her falter and Mohini tighten her grip on me keeping scowling but managing at the same time to kiss me quite voluptuously behind my ear.
'I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry for what I said…' she says steadily not lowering her gaze 'Perhaps I've been unfair and probably wrong'
'Mohini, would you mind excusing us for a sec?' I whisper with more sweetness that I would normally use with her.
She puckers her lips morose but seeing my reassuring smile, she pecks me murmuring an assent and, sending a last poisonous scowl to Ophelia, she returns to her table not averting her eyes from us, alert on any Ophelia's movement like a hippogriff.
'I'll be back, guys' I murmur to Francis and Patrick who have completely forgotten any pretence in the last exchange and are openly staring interested.
I lead her outside the dining room in a quiet corner.
'Right. You can speak now' I say darkly.
'I'm sorry, James. I've been unfair in your regards' she repeats.
I look down at her not softened at all.
'I'm sorry I said you had no feelings. It wasn't nice of me to say and It's not true'
I decide to speak 'Yes, it wasn't nice of you to say. And yes, it is wrong. And it is exactly that sentence that made me understand you are not so clever or observant as I gave you credit for.' I stop a second observing this girl that for three years made me feel what I thought I was destined never to feel, and disappointment and shame fills me again for the vain hope I nurtured in her regards.
'You had my feelings under your eyes, every single time I looked for you, and tried to talk to you, every time I approached you, for three long years, and you never even noticed. I'm glad to hear that you finally realised it, but it's a bit too late'
She bites her lips looking mortified.
'Excuse me now, but Mohini is waiting for me. She doesn't care to get to know me either, but at least she doesn't despise me for what I'm not'
I don't think I need to add anything else. I get back to Mohini and I decide to spend with her the rest of the afternoon.