You Only Live Once

CHAPTER 15

"They will eat you alive!" Sirius shouted. "You think you're one of them, now? You think snogging Nott protects you somehow? Oh but of course you do. You wanna know why? Because you're a bloody idiot Ro!"

"Snogging Nott?" Fleamont asked with horror filling his features.

"That's not the problem here dad. Although seeing them kissing was...ewww" James stated his face much resembling a child being asked to eat his vegetables.

"Okay let's all calm down"Euphemia suggested. Mira was abnormally quite , siting crossed legged in one of the Potters' living room armchairs. Mia had noticed she had started to tear up after all the shouting and decided to stop it. The situation was bad enough as it was.

When they had arrived at King's Cross that morning the kids didn't even get a second to greet Mia and Monty before none other than Walburga Black alongside her husband ,Orion and their youngest son, Regulus, approached them. Regulus gave Mira an apologetic look before his mother even managed to utter a word. After the most awkward greeting in the history of greetings , Walburga had invited Mira to the Black Christmas Ball, saying that she wanted all of her son's close friends there. She also informed her that Regulus would write to her about the time, date and place. The Blacks just left after that, without giving anyone time to respond to any of the things they heard. So now , the Potters plus Sirius and Mira were sitting on the living room discussing the situation and their options.

"Do you want to go Rosie?" Mia asked softly, turning everyone's attention to the teenage girl, who was now lost in thought, looking at the ground.

"Yes" she replied just as softly, before lifting her head up to look at Mia who was already smiling at her. "All my friends will be there, I'll be fine"

"She's mental!" Sirius bellowed in exasperation, receiving a nod of approval from James and Monty.

"It's her choice. Now! You boys go to sleep" they might have mumbled something under their breaths but they all did as they were told ,without asking anything more. As soon as they were out of sight, Mia patted the empty seat next to her on the couch. After a hesitant while Mira's head was at Mia's lap, while she stroked her hair gently. Mira had never felt this way before. Her family wasn't affectionate. Not at all. So when she found herself around people that loved physical touch, she couldn't help but be hesitant. Mira had seen movies of girls sitting like that on their mothers' laps, talking about their problems, opening their hearts to them. She would never get to experience that, not with her own mother at least. So when Euphemia asked her about what was going on between her and Theodore , she couldn't help but feel a pain in her chest.

"I know he's not-" she started but stopped immediately. She stood up and crossed her legs, turning her whole body to Mia's direction. "I know he's not a paragon of virtue ,Mia. I know what family he comes from. I know his reputation. I've even seen him curse a second year Hufflepuff for looking at him the wrong way" Mia's facial expression hadn't changed through anything that Mira said. She remained calm, concentrating on the teenage girl's words like it was the last thing she would ever hear. "But he's good to me. And I... I like that. That he's only good to me." she admitted . "Does that make me a bad person?"

"Of course not sweetheart" the older woman replied, softly caressing Mira's cheek. " So ,is he your boyfriend?" she asked raising her eyebrows in a suggestive way that made Mira laugh.

"No" Mira replied making Mia's expression change immediately.

"The way those boys talk about it you'd think you've gotten married!"

"They're always dramatic" Mira laughed. "But no, we're not together. And honestly I don't see it happening either. Let's just say...we enjoy each other's company."

.....

The next day Barty visited Mira. Actually Mr Crouch visited the Potters to discuss their children's' invitation to the ball . He seemed to be hesitant as well. Mira understood that her and Barty would get to spend much more time together that she would imagine, after that day. Mr Crouch didn't seem to be the biggest fan of his son's friends, so when her learned that he befriended a Potter he was more than happy to let Barty hang out with her as much as he wanted. He had even invited her to dinner .Barty enjoyed Mira's company, he really did, but it also frustrated him that he wasn't allowed to see his other friends. And mainly his boyfriend. In the first four days of the holidays Mira and Barty did almost everything together. With Barty being an only child and Mira not really getting along with James and Sirius , it was all they needed . The day before the ball had arrived and the two teenagers were sitting on the floor of Mira's bedroom, discussing what they thought awaited them the next day.

"I still can't believe you've never been there"

"I've been invited before. But dad always found excuses"

"Well maybe he was right" as soon as Mira said that Barty stood straight up and looked Mira right in the eyes.

"Why? Are you scared? Aren't you Theo's girlfriend or something? Nobody would even bat an eye if they see you with him" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"I'm not his girlfriend idiot" Mira laughed , ruffling his hair. "As I've said a million times before we're simply enjoying each other's company, it'll never be anything more than that"

"Right" was all Barty replied. For some reason he avoided looking at her , something he did only when he tried keeping a secret. Mira might have known him for four months but she had seen him make that face a million times. Although, all those million times before, she knew the secret he was trying to keep.

"What is it?"

"I'm not telling you Potter!"
"You're not even denying that there's something!"

"What something?"

"Come on Barty, we don't have secrets"

"And yet I learned about you and Theo from Reg"

"Has it got something to do with Theo and me?"

"Whaaaaaat? Noooooo"

"Does he think of it as a joke ,Barty?"

"What?"

"Does he?"

"Oh Mira, please. If anything he's much more smitten than you. Since the first time he saw you on the train. And I told him to be careful with you before I met you and we became friends and he said it would be just for fun and I told him to be careful with you after we became friends because you know...you're my friend and I don't want you to get hurt because Theo was a bit of a lady's man. But now...oh Mira. Now you have turned everything around. I'm telling you-" Barty lost in his rumbling, didn't see Mira's face until then. Her widen eyes and her horror-striked expression seemed to make him stop talking. But he had already said too much. "Pretend I didn't say anything?" he raised his shoulders with a pleading look on his face.

"It won't do me any good to pretend I heard it Barty" Mira said standing up and going outside, on her bedroom's balcony to take some air. She hated to admit that all of this scared her. Theo being the one she went out with gave her the certainty she needed. The certainty that there wouldn't be any strong feelings present between them. It was convenient.

"I thought you would be happy Mira. Not everyone can say they made the Theodore Nott even think of settling down" Barty said coming behind her, clearly confused with her reaction.

"What did it have to be me?"

"Mira I-"

"Just forget it Barty. I sure will"

Just then Fleamont shouted from downstairs that Mr Crouch was there to collect Barty. "See you tomorrow" she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek before disappearing into the bathroom. Barty thought he knew Mira well by now, but clearly there was a lot to unpack. And he would unpack it.