You Only Live Once

CHAPTER 23

 "So...ummm that's all that happened the past week that you lived in your own little, traumatic world" Pandora and Mira were sitting on the floor of the Hogwarts kitchen where the elves greeted them excitingly and welcomed them like royalty , bringing them anything they requested. Once Mira and Evan were back at the Slytherin common room , Mira immediately went up to her dorm to have a shower and freshen up after the harsh past week she had while Evan stayed behind to tell his friends what he had learned earlier. Pandora had walked up to the dorm, her eyes glossy , where she found Mira drying her hair with a towel. They looked at each other for a short moment before Pandora rushed up to her friend , hugging her like there was no tomorrow. A few tears and a lot of hugging later they decided to go to the kitchen where Mira could eat something after all.

"Then ,sounds like nothing changed Dory" Mira replied , wiping her hands with a napkin. Pandora had been telling her every little detail about her life the past week. From the times she had seen Xenophilious to the number of times she had brushed her hair. Mira knew she was stalling her . She had seen Theodore, Evan , Barty and Regulus storm off the Slytherin common room just before her and Pandora left. From the moment she told Evan, she knew what would possibly happen to McLaggen, and honestly she didn't care much. Bloody bastard had it coming. Maybe it was the Slytherin in her talking but she really felt no sympathy for the boy like she normally would. Perhaps James was right. She had changed. She was also certain that McLaggen would stay alive, at least for as long as they were in school. They knew better than to kill on Dumbledore's watch. "Look I know what you're trying to do, Dory. And you should stop. I'm not gonna try to stop them or anything." she chuckled, standing up , gathering a few dishes and bringing them to the sink so she could wash them.

"You're a really special girl , Mira. I hope you know that. That's why, in such a short time, you have managed to make everyone love you so much that they would kill for you" Pandora said after a small pause, standing behind Mira while she was washing the dishes. Mira stopped what she was doing and brought the plate she was holding down before she turned off the sink.

"Thank you, Dory" she breathed before turning around to tightly hug her friend once more. "I really needed that"

"Just telling the truth"

.......

Mira and Pandora decided it would be best to walk back to their common room since the time was getting closer and closer to curfew and they didn't want to be caught out of bed. Once they were inside the common room they found Barty , Regulus and Evan sprawled on the couches. They looked torn and tired but most of all angry but once they saw the girls all the anger faded away and they stood up slowly, letting Mira approach them first.

"He won't be able to walk for a few days. He's in the hospital wing" Barty said , feeling proud that he had anything to do with McLaggen's downfall after what he had heard.

"But we had nothing to do with it ,of course" Evan added with wink of his eye. Mira chuckled, grateful that she had them and that they would do something like that for her.

"Well , thank you all. For whatever you did or didn't do" she smiled at them, feeling a tear escaping her right eye.

"Aww is little Potter getting emotional?" Barty pouted mockingly, making everyone laugh.

"Group hug!" Pandora announced making everyone groan but do as they were told nonetheless.

"Where's Theo?" Mira asked when they were done hugging, per Pandora's request.

"Up to our dorm, trying to cool off"

"You should go up Mira" Pandora mile at her friend encouragingly , to which Mira smiled nodding her head . She didn't know what of everything that had happened he had to cool off from but she wanted to see him. She hadn't actually been with him for over a week and she had missed his company terribly. She also felt guilty for skipping their Sunday morning walk without even talking to him about it. He could be angry. He had every right to.

"Black!" she whispered to Regulus before going up the dorms, when everyone else was distracted. "Thank you for reminding me who I am" she said with a small smile , once he turned around to look at her.

"My pleasure" he replied, trying not smile . That might have been one of the most wholesome and peaceful moments between Regulus and Mira for a while.

......

Mira didn't even knock the door when she arrived up to the dorms. She felt bold at the moment and she didn't want to risk any possible rejection on Theodore's part, bringing her down.

"If you were anyone else , I might have killed you right now" he said with his back to her, facing one of the windows, before taking a puff of his cigarette.

"Good thing, I'm not then" Mira decided to macth his energy. And it had worked just how she had hoped.

"Bloody hell Mira" he chuckled finally turning around to look at her. She looked somehow better than he last saw her, even if it was just a couple of hours ago. And in his eyes, she looked more beautiful thank ever, because he finally had his Mira back. He had lost his favourite person for a week and even though it's a small period of time he still missed her terribly. Everything about her."How do you forget someone who stands out in a room full of people, darling?" he asked out of the blue, taking slow steps towards her.

"You don't" she replied with confidence, not knowing where he was going with it.

"That's what I felt the past week. You wanted us to forget about you. Well I'm telling you right now. It's impossible" she breathed ,carefully caressing her cheek with his hand. He was afraid to make any sudden movements, terrified that he would scare her. But Mira was anything but scared.

"Theo can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything"

'Touch me"

"Where, darling?"

'Everywhere." she replied looking at his confused expression with amusement. "I'd rather feel your hands everywhere rather than his" she explained, making his eyes soften. He nodded his head with a smile before taking her face in his hands and kissing her for what felt like the first time. And everything that came after that, would be engraved in their minds forever. It's safe to say that Mira forgot all about McLaggen.

.....

"Well we need a new chaser now" James said, sitting comfortably next to Lily on the couch in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room.

"Why is that?" Mira asked confused. It had been three days since everyone had found out and Mira decided it was high time her Gryffindor friends had known as well, because four Slytherins beating up a Gryffindor had to somehow be questioned no matter how common it was. Turns out Evan had told them everything but had also advised them to let Mira be the one to decide when she would want to see them, giving her time to recover.

"McLaggen's off the team, cousin" James said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, and he won't be able to walk for another week" Remus added , earning a fist bump from Sirius.

"Yeah, poor lad tripping on the stairs one time after the other" said Sirius in a mocking tone. Lily shook her head like she always did but this time she did so with a smile.

"Thank you guys" Mira said, grateful that so many people in her life would go to such lengths for her.

"No one deserves that ,Ro" Sirius said and suddenly it felt like there was a chance the two of them could finally get along. That they could actually be friends. "I still don't' like you one bit, though" There it was. Maybe a friendship wasn't in the books for them after all.

"Way to ruin it, Black"