Battle Scars Don't Fade

Chapter Eight: A Carefully Planned Prank

"Hi James!" Rose said sweetly as she came in to my dorm with Hugo. "So, I've done all your homework for you and Hugo has enlisted Bridget to go on a date with you. But first you are going to take a shower." I groaned in response. So, she ripped off my covers, spilling me onto the floor. Hugo came over and pulled me to my feet.

"Here are some fresh clothes. Make sure he puts them on when he's done with his shower." Rose said. Hugo nodded and put the folded clothing under one arm. Then he took me away. When we got to the shower he looked away and said:

"Come on dude, just get in the shower, this is weird enough already." I groaned again but got in the shower and washed off. The hot water made my dirty skin red. Then I put on the new clothes. I felt cleaner, but I felt just as sad as ever, and was sure that this was a bad idea. We headed back up to the dorm, where Rose had cleaned it all. The bed sheets were clean, and all of my clothes too. There was also a little table with a hot meal on it. It smelled wonderful.

"Eat!" said Rose pointing to the food. I sat down in the chair. Rose made me eat every last bite. My body felt better, but my soul remained sorrowful and darkened. Rose cleared up from the meal, and fixed my hair. Her and Hugo led me down to Hogsmeade, and sat me down at a table across from a girl named Bridget.

"Hi James." she said with a smile, and sipped her butterbeer.

"Hi Bridget!" I said attempting a smile.

"I'm so glad to see you out and about. For a while there no one knew where you were." she said, concern coloring her eyes.

"Yeah I was in a pretty dark place but I-" I stopped. Bridget was really pretty and really nice, and I appreciated what my friends were trying to do for me here, but I just couldn't be on a date with her. I was lying to myself if I thought I was not in love with Victoria anymore. I had really wanted to marry her. I had really wanted that to be my baby. But it wasn't. It was a fact I had to get over, and I had made a huge leap today, but I definitely wasn't ready to be on a date! "I'm sorry Bridget. You are such a beautiful and nice girl but I can't be on a date with you. I was ready to marry her Bridget. But I'm not going to, and I just need a bit of time to get used to that fact."

I stood up to leave, fishing out a few galleons to pay for the drinks. "James, wait!" said Bridget. I turned to look at her. "I get it. Well, I mean I don't, obviously. But I understand the fact that you're not ready to date again. I just broke up with Ray, and my friends really pressured me to go on this date. The fact is, I'm not ready to date either. What I could really use is a friend who understands. Who I can talk to and who can talk to me about the fresh pain of a breakup. So would you sit down, and finish the butterbeers, as friends?"

I hesitated for a half of a second. She gave me a nervous smile and looked up. "Yeah, I could really use a friend right now too." I said with a genuine smile.

We laughed and talked about Quidditch, complained about our parents, and finally talked about the breakup. "I thought it was getting serious, you know?" I said gruffly, looking down into my drink. "I was ready to commit, and then that blow comes. And the worst part is, it wasn't even a hook up. They fell in love as I watched, completely unaware. Albus even tried to warn me, but I didn't want to hear it. I've been such a fool."

"No, James Victoria is the foolish one. If she had feelings for Tom she should have told you when she first started having them. And if she really wanted to sleep with him, she should have broken up with you first." Bridget said this firmly and reassuringly. I knew it was true, I just felt like I had done something wrong for some reason.

"So why did you break up with Ray?" I asked cautiously.

"I broke up with him because, because I had to."