Pragma // s.b.

17

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I no longer felt the cold air like I had about an hour ago. Maybe it's because of my close vicinity to the fire, or maybe it was because the warm cup of spiked Butterbeer I had clutched in my hands. The music had gotten steadily louder as the night got darker. I had lost sight of my friends from Hufflepuff a while back, but Remus had been by my side the whole night, to keep an eye on me I assumed.

It was a kind gesture due to the fact that I was starting to feel a little tipsy. I stood by the fire, giggling to myself and waiting for Remus to return with s'mores supplies. Remus came into view and I waved enthusiastically, causing him to grin and shake his head. When he reached the edge of the bonfire with two large skewers of marshmallows, I threw my arms around him and sloppily kissed him on the cheek. "I think I am in love with you", I giggled. His cheeks burned and he handed me a stick, holding his out over the fire so a marshmallow burst into flames, the outside quickly turning to a black crisp.

"You are certainly a piece of work, Briony", he smiled his crooked smile that I absolutely adored. People's faces whirred around me, everything slightly blurring. "Hey, guys!", Peter appeared on the other side of Remus, "Your pretty friend with the brown hair is looking for you", he said glancing at me, a smear of chocolate on the corner of my mouth. I giggled and reached forward, wiping it off with my thumb. His face turned more scarlet than the Gryffindor banner that was strung from a tree above. Remus moved forward and slung his arm around Peter saying, "Don't worry, apparently she's like that with everyone when she's had a little bit to drink".

I winked and trotted off in search for Liv, who apparently was in need of me. She probably couldn't find Quinton or had smudged her lipstick or something. I pushed through the crowd of people dancing and drinking. Bodies bumped into mine and I pushed my hair out of my eyes. I was near the edge of the crowd when I heard a muffled sob, one that I recognized.

"Olivia?", I said, pushing my way out of the fray towards the body curled up against a stray tree. A loud sniff was the only response. I quickened my pace, the sounds of the fire and music fading as I approached. "Olivia, are you okay? What happened?", I threw myself onto the ground so I was on the same level as she was, not caring about the mud that was sure to now be covering my clothes. I felt the effects of the alcohol fading as the image of my best friend crumpled at the base of a tree filled my vision.

I pulled her hands away from her face, and her wide brown eyes looked up at me, the mascara that had once been perfectly applied now streaming down her face. "Tell me what happened, please", I whispered, pulling her onto my chest. I felt fresh hot tears leave her eyes and her breaths came in shutters. "Shh, shh", I whispered into her hair, now completely sober. A panic filled my chest, what had happened?

"Alexa Chadwick", she said, her voice barely above a whisper. I searched my mind for who that could be. "That blonde Gryffindor girl?", I thought out loud. Olivia pulled out of my arms so she was facing me, her eyes still closed. "Her and Quinton, I caught them just over there", she pointed to a small clearing, "He was all over her". My eyes widened. I didn't know what to think, what to feel. It wasn't true, it couldn't be true. Why would he cheat on her?

"Are you sure it was him?", I said shakily, fighting to push down the anger threatening to burst out of me at any minute. She nodded, and tears began to stream down her face, "He was still wearing the jumper I bought him". I clenched my jaw and tried to deepen my breaths. I reached up and wiped away the tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'll take care of this", I said in a low voice. Using the tree, I pushed myself up and grabbed Olivia's hand, yanking her up after me. "What are you doing?", her voice was small and the lipstick she had spent so much time on was rubbed onto her right cheek. I inhaled sharply and straightened my back, "I'm gonna teach that dirty, lying cheater not to mess with my best friend".