Mischief not so Managed

17: Rain

Lia:

The warm water ran over my body as the last of the blood on my hands stained the bottom of the shower. My tense shoulders couldn't relax under the water. It had rained that day, the day Dad died. I had forgotten that till now. The water splattered in my eyes, I didn't care. I didn't even have the strength to reach for the shampoo. I stood there, staring at the water running from the faucet. A knock on the door pulled me from my memories. "Lia, it's Ange" she called "I'm leaving you some clothes". It must have been close to seven am. I heard the door open and close again. I let the water run a little longer, there was another knock. I ignored it. There it was again. I heard Katie outside the door.

"you don't get out of that shower I'm bursting the door down" She shouted. I hadn't been in there that long.

"Katie!" I heard Angelina scold her.

"It's been an hour, have you drowned yourself?" Katie asked. I clambered out of the shower and tapped on the door. I pulled on the leggings and t shirt Angelina had left, then the big, long grey cardigan of hers that I was always stealing. I opened the door and my three girls were there. Alicia looked a mess.

"you guys look wrecked" I said in a really small voice.

"hey, look at the Brightside" Katie said, "Alicia got her potions essay done". It was meant to be funny, but I didn't laugh. I just nodded. Katie waved her wand and my hair was dry. I smiled thanking her. Angelina went first, I followed her, wrapping my arms around myself trying to seep some warmth into my freezing body. The common room was full of students heading towards breakfast. I walked into the common room and my blood ran cold. He was just standing there, standing there like nothing had happened, as if everything he did was okay.

"how dare you" I said, my body was shaking in fear, "how dare you". Suddenly, I had to most adrenaline in my body I had ever had. "how dare you" I yelled at him, there were tears in my eyes. Cormac stood there, his cheeks going red. Angelina reached her hand out.

"Lia"

"don't touch me" I said quickly. I walked towards Cormac. The whole common room was watching, I didn't care. "you are a coward" I choked out, tears blocking the string voice I had had minutes ago. "why?". Tears slipped over my cheeks.

"I was trying to help" he said weakly. I held out my hands, the moon shaped punctures shining against my skin.

"help?" I looked into those blue eyes, eyes at one point I could have loved. "you gave me up to her, you let her do this"

"I wanted to win you back" he said, I heard people moving out of the room, not knowing what else to do. My hands were shaking.

"Cormac, we broke up because of you" I exclaimed "I knew, I knew about the others". My heart started to break a little, I had never told anyone. "I knew about the other the whole time and I lied to myself"

"let me explain" he said "I wanted to try again"

"you are jealous of George" I yelled at him "so you tried to destroy what he had that you wanted and if they meant breaking me in two you didn't care". I didn't stop the tears I didn't stop the shaking. "you knew what she would do and you gave me up anyway" I wanted him to know what he had done to me. "you heard me screaming in that room and you did nothing", he looked clearly uncomfortable. "you heard me screaming in pain and you stood there and did nothing"

"Lia" I soft voice said at my shoulder. George. "come on"

"he doesn't deserve an easy way" I didn't look at George. "he doesn't deserve to walk away"

"and he's not going to get one, you've made your point love, come on" he held out his hand. I hesitated and then took it, I turned and looked at George. "Go". I heard footsteps and the door shutting. I threw my arms around George's neck, needing something stable to hold on to, that I knew wasn't going to slip away.

"start from the beginning" George said, handing me a cup of hot chocolate. I put it down, my stomach was still turning. Everyone else was gone to class. I nodded sucking on the inside of my cheek.

"I was going to the library, Malfoy and his stupid inquisitorial squad jumped me in the corridor and I ended up in, in her office" I couldn't even say her name, and I told the story. What I had said about Cedric, about the ministry and their lies and what she wanted to know about the DA. "then she, she, she"

"breathe, Lee" he soothed.

"she looked in my head, she was looking for the DA but it was like she couldn't find it. I don't practice Occulemency, I don't know how I did it. But I stopped her from seeing it". My breath was shaking. "so, she went looking for something she could use instead". My mind flashed back to that moment. I clenched my fists.

"no, Lia no" I felt George grab my hands and slide his into mine "it's okay, I'm here". I shook my head. "she, she looked at your childhood didn't she?". George said slowly. I nodded, breath, letting the warmth in his hands flood across me. I opened my eyes and looked at him. "she looked at your memories of your Dad"

"she found the day he died" I said it finally. My chest heavy. "I had blocked it out for so long". He opened his arms and cuddled up against him. There was a long bout of silence. He ran his hands up and down my arms, trying to keep me warm. After a long time I took a breath. "it rained that day" I said in a very small voice "it rained, my hair was wet when we got to the hospital, my Mum's red jumper had turned really dark", I sat up and looked at him "I had forgotten it rained"