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[color=darkred]“Noel, stop! We have to go if we wanna make it to class on time!”[/color] 

Demetria Graves found herself trapped away in a corner of the hospital wing’s deserted hallway, giggling in a low tone while a very enthusiastic Noel Jameson was busy kissing her neck. A few days prior to this day, Demi and Noel had found themselves alone at the library for yet [i]another[/i] Potions assignment. By this point, the sparks that had flown between then nearly two weeks before at the hospital wing were getting far too difficult to deny. And while both parties were fully aware of it, neither had discussed it any further or made any sort of move. However, while she’d been reaching for a book at one of the furthest shelves of the library, Noel had grabbed her arm, turned her around to face him and proceed wrapped the Gryffindor in a mind-shattering kiss. And in a surprising plot twist, Demi had wrapped her arms around him and simply given in.


Although she’d spent the next day beating herself up over what she’d done, there was no doubt about where her head stood. Demi had enjoyed the kiss, finding it to light up a fire in her she thought would be gone for a while. But was it really something worth exploring, or had the thrill of it been a one-time thing? There was only one way to found out…

This time, it had been Demi who’d instigated the kiss, taking advantage of the deserted hallway they’d been walking on after another study session. The results of this test had been as expected: the sparks were still there, and growing bigger at every moment shared. By now, the pair had made a silent agreement to explore the journey they had unknowingly embarked on, little by little pushing the limits in every secret meeting. As it stood, they were 5 days into the secret liaison. 

“[color=green]Be honest, you don’t [i]really[/i] want me to stop, do you?[/color]” Noel murmured against her neck, much too immersed in what they were doing and probably having completely forgotten about whatever it was they were [i]supposed[/i] to be doing and more focused on trying to get more of a reaction out of her. His body was fully pressed against hers, as if trying to trap her and make her forget all about Kalder.

The truth was, Noel was still suspicious. Even though he should have been satisfied with how things were between them now, every now and then he would remember her reaction anytime Kalder’s name came up in conversation. While it was nice to get to know her somewhat physically (as she definitely placed her limits) he wasn’t quite getting anywhere emotionally. It was like she had this wall up and shoved him back anytime he tried to get too close. The concept was completely backwards for him: he had never had to ignore a girl’s emotional needs and go straight for the heated stuff.

Not that he was complaining right now.

[color=darkred]“Not really, no.”[/color] Demi breathed out, a smile on her lips. Her eyes were closed, savoring the moment and the feelings. But after a few more seconds of it, she finally succeeded in prying his hands off her. [color=darkred]“But I would rather not be caught in a situation like this, so let’s call it a day and get going.”[/color] Noticing the disappointed look in his stunning blue eyes, she kissed him softly. [color=darkred]“We can carry on this [i]’conversation’[/i] tonight if you want, after I’m done with practice. We’ve still got to study for the Potions test on Thursday.”[/color]

He had half a mind to ignore her and continue, but the promise of a later date was good enough for him. As he would decide to listen, he couldn’t help himself, and stole one last peck on her lips before fixing his collar. “[color=green]Right, the test. Blackthorn is relentless; my hopes for getting that N.E.W.T. is slowly fading away,[/color]” He admitted sourly as the pair would resume their walk to the hospital wing. 

Walking beside each other, Demi took Noel’s hand and stroked the back of it with her thumb in a comforting way. [color=darkred]“We both know that’s not true. I’m not going to let you fail without a fight.”[/color] she assured him, offering him a small smile.

Noel let out a small sigh, though he was glad of her confidence. As they entered, a thought came to mind. “[color=green]It’s not that I don’t understand, it’s more the practical that tends to get me, I have a hard time remembering--[/color]” He began to explain himself, though the sight before them would put an immediate halt to both his words and his actions. “[color=green]Well then…[/color]”

Demi, who had been quietly listening to Noel’s explanation, found herself stopping in her tracks at the same time he did. The pair had stumbled on a scene straight out of Demi’s nightmares, but at the same time even worse than anything her mind could make up. In front of them, face bowed down in Kalder’s direction as if she had every intent on placing her lips on his, was none other than Beatrice Balthazar. The brunette was shocked, a million emotions and thoughts running through her head. She was so absorbed in them that didn’t notice the way her knuckles whitened as she hardened her grip on Noel’s hand, nor his small ‘ow’ in response.

[color=darkred]“Um, [i]what[/i] the hell are you doing?”[/color] Demi asked bluntly, her unusually cold voice a little shaky, blue eyes narrowed suspiciously at her best friend.

Beatrice jumped, immediately releasing Kalder’s hand as she looked back. She was caught in action, it seemed. Her first reaction would have been to scream, but the sight of seeing both Demi and Noel together resulted in a rather confused expression. Noel seemed entirely amused, Demi on the other hand was seething. Her mind was a blank for a moment, unable to come up with an excuse.

Against his better judgment, Noel pitied Beatrice. “[color=green]It [i]looks[/i] like she was trying to plant one on him,[/color]” He said slowly. “[color=green]I’m sure there’s...an explanation?[/color]” There was no explanation, it was as clear as day she had been caught in the act.

Demi scoffed, turning to Noel with a disbelieving expression. [color=darkred]“Are you fucking blind? Or are you pretending to be blind? There’s, like, not a single fucking doubt in my mind about what the fuck was going on here.”[/color] Her tone was much too confrontational for her own good, but she was so blinded by anger that her actions were not exactly being the most coherent ones. After all, in Noel’s mind, she didn’t know Kalder as anything more than her classmate, Quidditch rival and ex-Potions partner.

Demi’s words seemed to snap Beatrice back to reality as she would stand, but rather than shame, she sported confusion instead. She looked at Noel first, then at Demi. “[color=red]Actually, I want to know what’s going on, too,[/color]” Beatrice said slowly, her gaze dropping down to their held hands. She couldn’t help but scoff. “[color=red]Are you two…? You’re here to see him together? [i]Together[/i] together?[/color]”

Realizing that she was still holding onto Noel’s hand for dear life, Demi’s eyes widened. She let go of his hand as if it had suddenly burned her, while all signs of anger and rage were replaced by stunned shock as she was basically [i]also[/i] caught in the act.

The brunette scoffed, buying herself a little time to come up with a convincing-enough lie. [color=darkred]“Pfffft, [i]no[/i],”[/color] she said confidently, flipping back a few locks of her hair. [color=darkred]“Noel- Jameson, I mean- pretty much dragged me here for a quick visit before we go grab breakfast at the Great Hall. We were gonna use that time to go over the notes of the last Potions class. Isn’t that right, Jameson?”[/color] Demi explained, quickly shooting Noel a warning look to not dare contradict her on anything she’d just said.

Noel and Beatrice locked eyes for just a moment, seemingly to verify Demi’s words. “[color=green]Right…[/color]” There was no way in hell Beatrice would believe any of that. Noel wisely decided to turn the conversation around. “[color=green]I’m more interested in hearing your bad excuse, see if you can top hers.[/color]” This earned him a discreet but hard pinch in the arm courtesy of Demi.

Beatrice was offended, but unfortunately, he was right. “[color=red]I--That’s--Um…[/color]” She cleared her throat, trying to think of something. “[color=red]I was just...checking his hair.[/color]”

“[color=green]With your mouth?[/color]”

“[color=red]N-No![/color]”

He wasn’t buying it, and with the way Demi was fuming beside him, he knew she wasn’t either. Taking a few steps forward, Beatrice wasn’t sure what he was going to do. She winced, expecting him to do something to her, but to her surprise, he stayed at arm’s length, instead pushing Kal’s hair off his face. “[color=green]Don’t need to get up close and personal to do that. Want to try again?[/color]” He asked as he would step back to Demi’s side.

Demi had watched their exchange quietly, anger bubbling up inside her again. The way Beatrice was acting -all guilty and jumpy- was a clear indication that she was hiding something. It didn’t help that Noel kept adding more fuel to the flames with his questions, as if amused by the whole thing. The brunette knew that if she stood there listening to this for one more second, things were not going to be pretty. She had to intervene, [i]now[/i].

[color=darkred]“Actually, Noel, would you care to give us a minute?”[/color] she told the young man standing next to her, not even bothering to excuse the use of his first name now. Eyes dead-set on Beatrice, Demi walked over to her and grabbed her by the arm. [color=darkred]“If you would excuse us…”[/color]

With a little more force than necessary, Demi dragged Beatrice out of the hospital wing and into the hallway, stopping just outside the room’s doors. [color=darkred]“Okay, real talk: what the fuck were you doing back there, Bea?”[/color] she began, her tone angry again, blue eyes pools of never-ending ice. [color=darkred]“We both know that you were just about to fucking [i]plant[/i] one on him. Why the hell was that?”[/color]

What could she even say to get herself out of this? There was nothing she could say to change Demi’s mind. “[color=red]Because...because I’m in love with him,[/color]” She admitted quietly, her heart racing.

Demi was stunned, feeling as if she’d been literally stabbed in the chest. If there was something she wasn’t expecting from her best friend of all people, it was this. The confession had left her speechless, unable to move or think straight. It was after a few long seconds that the brunette finally found her voice, and only after a few more was she able to finally speak out.

[color=darkred]“Is this some kind of joke? Because if it is, it’s not a very funny one.”[/color] Demi said, trying to wrap her head around the words she’d said. She locked eyes with Beatrice now, searching the blonde’s ones for any sign of a bluff. [color=darkred]“This better be a fucking joke, Bea, because if it’s not, I fucking swear to God I-”[/color] she trailed off, deciding to not go into detail about the different gruesome scenarios going through her head at the moment.

“[color=red]You’ll what?[/color]” Beatrice asked, surprisingly less nervous. “[color=red]Well, let’s see what you’re going to do, then, because it’s not a joke.[/color]” She wasn’t sure she understood Demi anymore, and with a clearer head, things were snapping into place. “[color=red]You waltz in there to see your [i]ex[/i] while having your hand in someone else’s and think that you still own Kalder? Is that it?[/color]”

[color=darkred]“We both know that I had no fucking say in what happened between Kalder and I,”[/color] Demi began, furious at the fact that she had to explain this yet [i]again[/i] to the backstabbing ‘best friend’ that was supposed to know this story by heart by now. [color=darkred]“It didn’t end because we’d lost feelings for each other. He cut things off with me before the summer, and you know why? Because he’s getting fucking [i]married[/i] to some cunt his parents set him up with once he graduates. So if you were just quietly biding your time until he was done with me to make your move, guess what? Joke’s on you, because at the end of the day, he still belongs to someone else that’s neither you or me.”[/color] She took a breath before plowing onward. [color=darkred]“But if you still want to give it a try, be my guest. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. At this point, fuck Kalder, fuck you, and fuck everything. You guys seem to be [i]perfect[/i] for each other. I wish you guys the best.”[/color] she concluded sarcastically, rising to her full 5’9” height before walking off.

However, she turned back to Beatrice halfway. [color=darkred]“Oh, and by the way, the answer is yes: I’m fucking Noel Jameson, if that makes you feel any better. If you don’t tell on me, I won’t tell on you. That’s about as big as a peace offering as I can make. I promise that, if you accept, this conversation ends here.”[/color]

Beatrice was completely speechless. She couldn’t even find the words to respond, forcing herself to nod instead. Biting down on her lower lip to keep it from trembling, she couldn’t talk, instead choosing to leave, though it quickly turned into a run. 

Taking Beatrice’s nod as a confirmation, Demi spun on her heel and stormed off in the opposite direction. She was no longer hungry, nor did she care about attending class anymore. All the young woman wanted was a place in which she could yell and scream and let out all the anger that was currently coursing through her veins.

A pair of footsteps quickly ran to her, grabbing her wrist and halting her in her tracks. “[color=green]Where are you going?[/color]” A voice asked her, making sure he had a tight grip on her.

Demi turned furiously to face the person who had the audacity to approach the beast, and found herself staring at Noel through red-colored vision. [color=darkred]“What does it matter to you?”[/color] she spat, glaring at him as she struggled to free herself from his grip.

What the hell? “[color=green]If it didn’t matter, I wouldn’t have caught you,[/color]”He said, searching her face for an answer. “[color=green]What happened? What’s wrong?[/color]”

[color=darkred]“Noel, please. I [i]really[/i] don’t wanna talk about it.”[/color] she replied, surprising herself with how whiny her voice sounded, as if she would fall apart if he pressed her any further. [color=darkred]“I just wanna be left alone.”[/color]

“[color=green]Do you [i]really[/i] want to be left alone right now?[/color]” He asked her, his grip now more gentle. “[color=green]I don’t like to see you like this.[/color]”

As much as she wanted to believe his intentions were sincere, she just couldn’t bring herself to. After all, this was Noel Jameson she was talking about: the Slytherin Casanova. [color=darkred]“If you’re looking to take advantage of me for a quick fuck right now, Jameson, you better stop before you earn yourself a bed next to Sigourney,”[/color] she said defensively, hoping that his true intentions would show now.

Noel stared at Demi rather sternly, releasing her hand. “[color=green]That’s not funny,[/color]” He replied, his voice low. “[color=green]Kalder has been out for two weeks. I just wanted to make sure you were fine.[/color]”

At the mention of Kalder, Demi’s anger flared right back up. She was being irrational now, but there was no stopping the beast once she was out of her cage. [color=darkred]“Can someone please explain to me what’s the big deal with Sigourney?”[/color] she cried out, voice slightly raised now. [color=darkred]“Everybody treats him with such damn reverence, as if he was the biggest thing to grace this Earth and us mortals. But he’s not as perfect as you people paint him to be, you know? He’s really a- a-…”[/color] Demi trailed off, unable to say what she really wanted to say. Her lower lip began to quiver for a few seconds before she suddenly burst into tears.

As she cried, Noel started to feel really bad for her. How was he going to admit that everyone was on bad terms with Kalder? Telling her how things really were didn’t seem right, at least not until she was calmer. But all that seemed so insignificant as the tears rolled down the poor girl’s cheeks.

Shaking his head and expecting retaliation, Noel took a hold of Demi, wrapping her in his arms. “[color=green]Just let it all out,[/color]” He said.

To Demi’s surprise, she found herself wrapped in the arms of by Noel Jameson. If there was anyone she expected to find herself in this situation with, it certainly wasn’t him. After all, he’d always been vocal about how he regarded half-bloods like her below purebloods like him, and it was common knowledge that he didn’t like to associate himself with those he considered of a lower class. Yet here he was, publicly embracing and comforting her, without a care in the world about who did or didn’t see them. In this simple gesture, Noel had done more than Kalder had ever done in seven months of dating… This thought brought yet another wave of sobs from the distraught Gryffindor.

She didn’t know how long they stood there, arms wrapped around each other, until she’d finally composed herself enough to face him. Her beautiful face was stained with tears, her red-rimmed eyes puffy. It certainly wasn’t her best moment, but that was the least of her worries.

[color=darkred]“I- I honestly don’t feel like going to class today,”[/color] she confessed, looking up at Noel with still-sad eyes.

Taking her hand in his, he nodded. “[color=green]Okay,[/color]” He said simply. “[color=green]Wherever you go, I’ll follow.[/color]”