And There Were Always Two... - oc x r. lupin & oc x s. black

- 42 -

Ashley felt like dying, there and then.

It was technically her fault. She had broken up with Remus. It felt like ages ago, but still the wound was fresh. And Mary MacDonald was just rubbing salt in it.

At the end of sixth year, Ashley and Remus had a little quarrel. It was over something trivial and Ashley couldn't even remember what it was. But they let it stew over the summer, and all negative feelings that ever were between them resurfaced.

It was harsh.

They tried to be civil, but everything broke when Ashley found out that Remus had kept Mavis' apology from her. It was her own sister. That's when it ended. What hurt the most was that Remus didn't argue. He didn't beg or ask her to reconsider or apologise beyond the words he'd already said. He just accepted it and left the room.

Mary MacDonald asked Remus out the next day. She hadn't been updated on the state of their relationship, but it seemed to be going well from where she was watching.

The game went on and on, and Ashley lost track. The bottle never landed on her anyway, why would she care.

It was two am when they stopped. Everyone started leaving. In particular, she saw Mavis guided away by Sirius. He was whispering something into her ear. Ashley took her chance to escape when James looked the other way. She didn't go to the dorm but out of the common room to her nook, far away from everyone.

She had been walking for about a minute, when she heard someone running after her.

"Wait!" they called.

Ashley looked back, and was able to recognise Mavis through the swarm of tears blurring her eyes.

Mavis caught up to her.

"Ashling," Mavis' eyes were tearing up, too. "Ashling dearest... what's happened to us?"

Ashley sniffed.

Mavis' hands reached up to cup her chin, wiping away tears with her thumbs. After looking into her eyes, examining her for every sign of her brokenness, she pulled Ashley into a hug.

They sobbed into each other.

They were reunited.

It took time for them to let go, but even then only so that they could walk. Mavis had her arm wrapped tightly around Ashley's shoulder, while Ashley leaned her head on Mavis' shoulder. They slowly walked down the halls, well aware that it was hours past curfew.

They made their way to the top of the astronomy tower, where they sat down.

"I'm so sorry, Ashling."

Mavis looked in pain from the sadness, the guilt, that was coursing through her veins.

"It's not your fault..." Ashley whispered, a melancholy smile creeping onto her lips. "It's my fault, too."

"But I shouldn't have said those things. I should have apologised. I should have apologised to everyone. And much sooner."

"Shhhh," her sisters comforted her rant. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is your back."

"How can you say that?" Mavis argued. "You and Remus broke up and it's all my fault," she started sobbing again, "It's all my fault..."

"I broke up with him because he was acting differently. He was keeping secrets and not talking to me, not because of you."

"I made him keep my apology a secret, I did. He begged me to tell everyone. He even told me how all of you were suffering, but I refused. It's all my fault. Its all my fucking fault."

"No. It wasn't because of that. That's just what we want everyone to think, it just makes things easier."

"What?" Mavis asked, jerking her head up to look at Ashley.

"I think... I think he got bored of me."

Ashley played with the hem of her sweater. Mavis waited for her to continue.

"He used to pull me away to the Black Lake to read together in our spot under a tree. He used to make me tea with honey on days I felt off." Ashley smiled at the ground, consumed by the memories. "But by the end of sixth year he barely spent time alone with me. I guess I should have tried harder. But we had a petty argument before he left for summer vacation, and he was still angry about it when we came back. When I found out he kept a secret from me, I just used that as a reason to break up. He knew I wouldn't have broken up over that, but he just accepted it.... And the next day, he went on a date with MacDonald."

"That bastard."

"What hurts the most is that I want him back. I want my best friend back, Mavis."

"Let's just get you back to normal. Let's get you back to functioning properly and then we'll deal with him, okay?"

Ashley nodded, and sank into Mavis' embrace.

She loved the idea of having Mavis back in her life, but she was scared about what Mavis was going to do to Remus. Terrified was a better word for it. Not to mention what MacDonald was gonna go through.

"Just don't deal with him without me, please?" Ashley mumbled into Mavis.

She felt Mavis nod, and that was good enough for her for the time being.

The sun had risen before they parted ways. It felt like eternity and a day, yet no time when they pulled away from their embrace. Mavis was clingy and Ashley was distant, but together they were perfect.

Ashley didn't go to class the next day but just sat in her nook, moping about her lost love. She wrapped herself in warm blankets and stared at the floor.

She had bedecked the nook since that day when Mavis left her. She added a mirror, lots of blankets, a multitude of pillows, and even more books. When she broke up with Remus, she taped up the window so she couldn't see the Whomping Willow.

She glanced in the mirror. Her sunken eyes from not sleeping in the last seventy-two hours. Her hair fell limp and her cheeks were sallow and cast shadows in her jaw. She was skeletal. Maybe if she had eaten in the last couple days, she wouldn't look like that. Why would Remus want her back if she looked like that?