Nikki Potter: A Sister's Betrayal

Chapter six

The third year's female dormitory was dark and quiet, everyone was asleep, including Nikki. whose cheeks and around her eyes were red from crying, she had silently cried herself to sleep.  Nikki didn't even go down to Dinner, she didn't want to see James.

Nikki shifted restlessly in her bed, her breathing was shaky, and more tears were starting to form behind her closed eyes "No..." murmured  Nikki in her sleep before shifting again "I'm not..." continued Nikki in a sad voice, as sad as she could while asleep.

The dream Nikki was having was rapidly getting worse, from once a pleasant dream to a raging nightmare. Even though Nikki knew it was a dream, she couldn't help but believe everything that was going on, each action, each word. Everything.

Warm tears managed to escape Nikki's eyes, irritating her eyes and cheeks more than they already were. Now Nikki started to move more restlessly in her sleep, getting tangled up in her blankets as a result,  but that did wake her up.

One of the girls in Nikki's year got out of bed  and shuffled her way through the dark, trying to find Nikki's bed, soon as she found it,  she grabbed Nikki's arm easily and shook her while trying not to scare her "Nikki." she whispered, trying not to wake anyone else up.

Nikki forced open her eyes, her breathing was quick as was the beat of her heart, tears were streaming down her face much like they were earlier. It took Nikki a minute to  feel able to move,  but she couldn't find her voice to speak.

The dream, no, nightmare. Nikki had just woken up from replayed what James said over and over again, but also in the dream other people were saying it too,  they said how much better James was. Even people she was close too, even Severus had said it to her in her dream.

Next morning, Nikki distanced herself from where she normally sat with James and her other friends. Today she sat with Lilly and some other older students, Nikki  barely ate any of her food, all she did was pick a part of a piece of toast and set the pieces down on a small white plate.

"You need to eat." said Lily with a small frown forming on her lips "You didn't eat dinner last night, besides you have double Charms next and another class straight after, you need the energy" continued Lily in a tone that reminded Nikki of her mother.

Nikki wanted to smile, but she couldn't bring herself to actually do it "Yes mum" said Nikki jokingly, this made Lily giggle, she was glad that Nikki was at least well enough to joke around despite what happened yesterday. Lily was also glad she stopped crying.

"Hey, Nikki." began a girl in Lily's year, making Nikki look at her "Remus Lupin is looking at you again." she said in a cheerful and amused voice, this confused Nikki, he was looking at her again? He had done it more than once today? Or this year even?

To confirm what the girl had said,  Nikki glanced over at where James, Sirius and Remus were sitting, along side Peter Pettigrew, a person Nikki typically tried to avoid. But sure enough, Nikki caught Remus looking towards her and the group she was with.

When Remus noticed Nikki was looking back at him with a puzzled look on her face, he looked away. He was sure he was over her, but why did he feel jealous  whenever he thought of the fact that Nikki might like Severus? A thought entered Remus' mind that got him thinking.

What if he wasn't completely over Nikki? What if the crush he had on her in his second year never completely went away? Even if that was the case, Remus knew that Nikki would never like him back, he knew that Nikki only saw him as a friend.

Another thing that made Remus want the fact he may not be over Nikki to be false, is how Nikki has been acting  about and around Severus.  That must be why thought Remus,  I am just worried about her, nothing else,  I did get over her two years ago Remus told himself.

Nikki looked back at her friends, still a bit confused but shrugged if off "You know..." began another girl, who was in Nikki's year "You'd be cute with Remus,  you two would be great with each other." she said with a grin and peered over Nikki's head at Remus.

"Yeah." agreed a couple of other girls at the table, but Lily seemed to be the only one other one of the group who didn't seem to think that was a good idea. In fact, Lily didn't think it was a good idea at all, she couldn't see Nikki with someone like Remus.

"I don't like him that way" said Nikki shaking her head, she had never felt that way towards Remus, in fact when he had confessed his crush to her in her first year, she avoided him for nearly two weeks. She liked their friendship, she didn't want to change that "Besides, I like someone else..." Nikki admitted quietly.

Hearing Nikki say that made the group stare at her,  Lily was even surprised to hear her say that, she instantly wondered who it was "Really? Who?" questioned Lily, far as Lily knew, Nikki never showed any interest in anyone. Not even in the many male friends she made hanging out with James and his buddies.

Nikki rubbed the back of her neck shyly "No one in particular..." mumbled Nikki, she was pretty sure that her cheeks were turning a soft shade of pink, when she saw she was about to be questioned, she spoke up again "It doesn't matter who it is..." continued Nikki.

Lily looked at Nikki curiously, she was still trying to figure out who Nikki could like "Come on, tell us. We wont tell." said Lily, with a hint of eagerness to her voice. Maybe if she figured out who Nikki liked she could try and push the boy towards Nikki.

With a small dismissing wave Nikki spoke again "It doesn't matter." said Nikki and dropped her gaze toward the table "Besides, he doesn't like me anyway..." a sad whisper escaped from Nikki, she looked back up and tried to shake the thought off.

The group stared at her for a moment before they went back to chatting as if it never happened, but the feeling of a blush on Nikki's cheeks still burned in her face. She wasn't used to talking about feelings like that, she had always sat with James, Remus and Sirius and their friends. Never with other girls who she could actually talk with.

"By the way, Nikki" began Lily, making Nikki slightly worried it was going to be another who she liked question "Are we meeting up later? You need a break from." asked Lily but paused and looked at James from the corner of her eyes then back at Nikki.

Nikki thought for a moment and resisted the urge to look back at the Slytherin table, they met up with Severus on the weekends when they barely had any classes starting this year, they never met up on the weekdays "Um sure... Same as usual?" said Nikki.

"Yep" said Lily with a nod, this got strange looks for the both of them from people around them. No one really knew they met up,  but with they way they were talking. They could expect that they were meeting up for studying, not meeting up with a student from the rival house.