Jenna stood frozen on the spot, staring at them with eyes wide in shock. She felt a pang in her heart, as though stabbed by a dagger as she watched them, unaware that her hair had turned silver.
But it wasn't just a simple kiss or a small peck, like the one they had shared at the Christmas Ball underneath the mistletoe.
As Jenna stood there transfixed, her friends were just as shocked, if not more. Alice had clapped a hand to her mouth and Marlene's jaw had dropped, her mouth hanging open. It was Lily who dared to slowly walk toward Jenna, wishing to offer her some comfort.
"Jen..." Lily whispered worriedly, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.
That was all Jenna needed to burst into tears. She pushed Lily's hand away before running out of the Great Hall, her heart aching and her throat burning.
"We should go after her," Alice said with a trembling voice.
Marlene nodded, but when Lily didn't answer, she turned to look at her, only to see that she was glaring at Sirius's direction fixedly.
"Lil?" Marlene said hesitantly, but Lily didn't seem to have heard her.
And then, without warning, Lily started pacing toward Sirius in angry and heavy steps. "YOU! YOU TREACHEROUS, UNWORTHY PIECE OF — let go of me!"
Lily yelled as Marlene and Alice were quick to keep her back, holding onto each of her arms. Sirius and the Hufflepuff girl had pulled aside, staring at Lily's direction in surprise. It was still early in the morning, so the teachers hadn't arrived at the Great Hall yet to witness the scene.
"What's she on about, Sirius?" Angelica asked, still blushing after their kiss.
"I don't know." Sirius shrugged carelessly, though he kept his eyes on Lily who was fuming while Marlene and Alice still held her back.
"Oh, you know exactly what I'm on about, Black!" Lily snapped at him sharply. "You won't talk to Jenna ever again! You won't even try to near her, you hear me? I swear to God, Black, if you hurt my friend one more time, you'll have to deal with me!"
With that, she freed herself from Marlene and Alice's grasp before storming out of the Great Hall. Glaring at Sirius one last time, Marlene and Alice followed after her.
When they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and said the password, the portrait swung open. They walked past it and climbed through the portrait hole that they came across James, Remus, and Peter.
James grinned at their sight. "Hello, ladies —"
"Get out of my way, Potter!" Lily snapped, rushing past them and quickly walking up the girls' dormitory along with Marlene and Alice.
James turned to glance back at Peter and Remus questioningly. "What's wrong with her today?"
"Er... girl problems?" Remus suggested uncomfortably.
James shuddered. "Never mind me asking."
While the boys walked out of the common room, oblivious to all that had happened down in the Great Hall, the three girls ran into their dormitory. They came to a halt at the doorway when they saw Jenna inside, hidden underneath her scarlet blanket, the sound of her loud and shaky sobs being heard.
Marlene gently closed the door behind them as they all took slow steps toward Jenna's bed, sharing worried glances.
"Jen?" Lily whispered softly, sitting at the edge of her bed. "Do you — do you want to talk about it?"
"There's nothing to talk about!" Jenna's trembling and angry voice came from under the blanket. "Go to your classes. You'll miss it."
"We don't care," Lily said firmly.
"We don't?" Marlene mused, surprised to see this side of Lily.
"Of course we don't. There are more important matters at hand right now," Lily said before looking back at Jenna's direction, who was still buried beneath the blankets, quietly crying. "Come on, Jen. Please talk to us."
Lily glanced back at Alice and Marlene, who nodded at her encouraging to keep going.
Lily gulped, before saying again, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. We all are. What he did was just horrible —"
"Horrible? Horrible?" Jenna repeated, pulling the blanket off her face before sitting up on the bed to face her friend. "Horrible doesn't even begin with it! H-he used me! He was playing with my feelings all this time!" She broke down into tears again and looked away, her hair still the color of silver.
"Want to go punch the living hell out of him?" Marlene suggested.
"N-no," Jenna sniffed, shaking her head. "I've got nothing to do with him anymore. I don't even want to see him again. Ever!"
"All boys are the same, I swear." Marlene huffed, rolling her eyes.
"Not all boys," Alice whispered fairly, although her face fell and her eyebrows furrowed the next moment. "But — but I was so sure... I was sure Sirius liked you too... I don't understand..."
"There's nothing to understand, Al. He didn't like me. He never did," Jenna said with disgust.
"Then why would he send you the Christmas gift last year? Why would he even ask to kiss you in the first place?" said Alice.
"Boys think it's cool to be the first to kiss someone!" Jenna snapped. "They think it makes them heroes to say that they've got more experience with girls than their other friends. That's what Sirius wanted! He just wanted to prove himself better than others! The more girls he kisses, the cooler he thinks he becomes! I was just another number to him."
"Well, you give him hell when you see him again," said Lily. "Give him a piece of your mind. Punch him, if it comes to it. He would deserve it."
Jenna would've been surprised at Lily's words if it were any other situation, but now she just shook her head.
"I'm done with him. In fact, I'm done with all boys." She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, now bearing a stern and cold face. "This was the last time I ever let any boy get to me. I'll curse all the next guys who even dare to walk up to me to ask me out or anything of the sort."
"Jen, not all boys are like that," Alice repeated herself softly, trying to be the voice of reason. "I know what Sirius did was wrong — even though I still don't understand what happened, because I was sure he liked you — but you might find someone better one day. A nicer guy."
Jenna shook her head, whether it was out of stubbornness or the anger that still lingered with her.
"That day would never come," she said with determination. "Because I'll never let myself fall for another boy ever again."