Mischief Managed

18: Like A Flower

Heartbreak is so hard, isn't it? We both know how it goes- you hand someone your heart, and, more often then not, they don't take care of it.

It's nice to think that people will be selfless, but the truth is that they like to put themselves first.

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I was thrust into consciousness without warning- suddenly my shoulders were shaken back and forth so violently I felt as if I had fallen off a cliff and the wind was twisting and battering my body as I fell.

The loud, obnoxious voice of James Potter sent angry waves through the air. "Brianna-Eve-Convelo!" he called. "You are going to be l-a-t-e to Herbology!"

I peeled one eye open. James had stopped shaking me, and his body was bent over my face, his brown eyes wide beneath his glasses. Remus and Sirius stood behind him. Remus's face was strained, his mouth tight as he tried not to laugh, but Sirius's face, once again, failed to reveal any emotion.

My heart cracked again. I shrugged my armor back on and grumbled, "What's it to you, Prongs? I'd have guessed you and S-Padfoot would skip."

James wrinkled his nose in disgust, as if a particularly disgusting food had been placed before him. "Pfft," he said scornfully. "It's basic class-cutting code that you don't miss the first day. If you're there for the first day, the teacher thinks at least a small part of you wants to be there."

"That's rubbish," I snorted, rubbing my eyes. Sunlight leaked through the glass window between the dormitory staircases, and I squinted in pain. "What time is it?"

"8:50," Remus said, gritting his teeth.

"Merlin!"

I jolted up from the chair, my body suddenly shocked with currents of panicked energy, and shoved James backwards.

He stumbled back, snickering as he caught himself from falling, then waited with the others in the Common Room while I raced upstairs and got ready quicker than I ever had in my entire life.

After forcing on a wrinkled set of robes, I flung myself down the staircase back into the Common Room. "Bloody hell-" I exclaimed, my chest heaving. "I have to go down to the Great Hall for-"

"Here," Remus interrupted. He handed me my schedule, and I hugged him gratefully.

"W-We b-better be heading t-towards the greenhouses, right?" Peter asked, his small eyes blinking rapidly. He had been standing beside Sirius, perhaps the whole time, but I hadn't noticed until he spoke.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and shoved open the Portrait Hole. "Yes! Let's go!"

Remus and I walked at a faster pace than James and Sirius, who tried to look cool by walking slowly behind us. Peter stumbled behind us all.

Remus and I stepped into the greenhouse just as the bell rang. Professor Beery stood at the front of the class, and he discreetly pointed us to two empty seats near the front, his old face wrinkled with distaste as if he were somehow disappointed that he couldn't mark the two of us tardy.

Remus took the closest seat by a blonde Hufflepuff girl, which left me the one near the opposite window by...shite...

I shuffled to my seat, suddenly feeling like an athlete waiting at the starting line. I bit my lip and dug my nails into my palm as I took my place...next to Dylan Abbott.

My relationship with Dylan after we'd broken off hadn't been completely lost; we were still somewhat friends...I mean, at least we weren't bitter.