Battle Scars Don't Fade

Chapter Twelve: The Breakup

"So, where should we go today guys?" James asked. James, Lucy, Michael, Me, Lily, Albus, Alice, and Hugo were seated around a table at the three broomsticks, sheltered against the cold. It was the pre-Christmas break Hogsmeade trip, and the pub had never been more crowded. 

"Oh! Let's go to Zonko's!" said Michael. Lucy, James, and Hugo agreed, but Albus, Lily, Alice and I groaned.

"We went to Zonko's last time, for two hours!" I said. 

"Yeah well, we also went to that boring bookshop for more than that!" replied Michael. "At least Zonko's is fun!"

I snorted."Define fun, because we obviously have two very different ideas of what it means! Besides we were in the book store for less than a half an hour!"

"Please, that can not be true! Not considering how long it takes you to pick out a book!"

"I like to see all of my options!" I snapped.

"As a matter of fact you can't decide on anything anymore. Not books, movies, parchment, or even a place to have dinner. I'm tired of making the decisions in this relationship!"

Things had been good with Michael since we learned that we were both cheating on each other, we were good friends now. However this realization had had the opposite effect on my relationship with Lily. I couldn't trust her. How could she find it so easy to know she was her best friend's boyfriend's other woman. I talked to her sure, but the trust was gone, and I told her even less than I had before. I only spoke of trivial everyday things that didn't matter to me.

Lily knew how hurt and disappointed I was. She knew that our friendship would never be the same the second I asked her to make the unbreakable vow. I really didn't want to have to do that, but if she would violate my relationship, why wouldn't she give away my ultimate secret?

The thing that was interesting with Michael though, was that before we had kept our relationship a closed book. Well really since Michael had said "I'd be around more if you wore more low cut shirts." After that we fought with harsh, stinging whispers behind closed doors. And even those fights stopped happening. There was nothing but repressed anger in the air when we were together. 

Now we were purposely letting the world, particularly my cousins, that our relationship was falling apart and fast. The funny thing was, the fights had turned out to be the fights we never talked about in our relationship. The huge ones that ultimately caused us to cheat. Letting them loose felt good, but it also was scary to see how lost our relationship had been after it ended.

We were now rowing so loudly that heads in the pub were turning toward our table. My cousins were looking more and more uncomfortable. Finally James could take it no longer, I saw his patience leave him. He slammed his fist on the table rattling the glasses. Heads promptly turned away. Michael and I were silent immediately. 

"Look," Hugo began. "we love you both, and we don't want this wonderful group to be broken up, but you're constantly fighting. It makes you two unpleasant to be around. Relationships are supposed to bring out the best in both people, but it's having the opposite affect on you two. Honestly you're fighting about stuff that irreversable. The smart thing to do now, and it pains me to say it, is to break up."

Michael and I shared a special look. This was the moment we had been waiting for. The moment our fighting pushed someone past the breaking point and finally we could break up. We just had to "resist" it for a few more hours, and then we could end it. The gang took it to mean that we were realizing the truth of what my brother was saying. So, we surprised them by acting hurt and shocked at the proposition.

"What are you talking about Hugo? I thought you wanted me to be with your sister?" exclaimed Michael. 

"Yeah what the bloody hell are you talking about! We're a great couple. Sure we bicker now and then, but we love each other." Love. It pained me to say that when it was not true, but this was the way out.