Impossible to Return

Maybe It Just Wasn't

"Help me, please. We're all friends. We can't let this happen." Hazel pleaded with him.

Frank barely looked at her, completely absorbed in his argument. "Hazel, people move on, people change. I don't think I can date you anymore. We should split up, see different people. You know?"

He should've never uttered those words. He never knew they would come back to wound him so much, how much he would regret those words.

I don't think I can date you anymore.

Why had he ever thought that? Why had he ever even contemplated such a horrible thing?

We should split up,

No, they shouldn't. Those were false words.

See different people.

Frank didn't know if he could bear to see Hazel dating someone else. To see her holding hands with a new guy, for her to kiss his replacement.

And Frank couldn't imagine dating anyone but Hazel. He still loved her.

Frank raked his hands through his short black hair and sighed. He would never stop loving Hazel. It was one of those things that was forever. Him not loving Hazel was like a human who had stopped breathing, yet was still living. Impossible and nonsensical.

What Frank would give to go back and change what he said. If he could redo that moment he would help Hazel, he would try to break up the argument, and definitely not dump her. Actually, if he were redoing things, he would go back to where he had joined the argument out of his anger against Jason and Percy.

"Guys, calm down. People are gathering," Frank said stepping into the middle of Jason and Percy's argument.

Percy and Jason in unison said, "Shut up!"

Frank set his jaw. "No. I've had enough of you two telling me to do things! Just because you think you're all high and mighty-"

Jason and Percy always had to be the leader, but Frank guessed that's because they were used to it. Jason, who had used to be praetor, and Percy who had led almost all of his quests. But just because they might be used to being leader, didn't mean Frank had to snap at them, which he did.

Jason and Percy rarely acted as if they were better than everyone. Frank had been blinded by anger, false things spilling from his mouth. This definitely was a lesson in being cautious at what leaves your mouth.

He had lost his friends, and his girlfriend. He wanted to apologize- but would anyone take it? Surely not Jason or Percy who he had insulted the most, but would Hazel-?

No. She wouldn't. She probably hated him now and wanted nothing to do with him. She'd never take him back.

Everything had fallen apart in a matter of minutes. Was that really how fragile their friendship was?

>>>•<<<

Nico was angry. Furious. Enraged. No, he was livid.

How dare they call him a traitor? How dare they gang up on him like that? Even Hazel, who he trusted the most out of them all.

He was only helping the mission. Infiltrating and finding out how the Death Eaters work. Sure, Dumbledore said they didn't need someone to do that, but Nico had the best position to do that, so what was he supposed to do?

For example, he already knew Evan Rosier and Lucius Malloy were Death Eaters, same with Regulus Black, Bellatrix Black, and some bloke named Nott.

It was only a matter of time before Evan spilled more secrets about Voldemort. But in order for Evan to do that, Nico had to gain his trust. And there was only way to do that, unfortunately.

Nico hadn't wanted to hurt those kids. He tried to rein in Evan and Lucius has much as he could, telling them to save their best spells and tricks for the battle field and not for a bunch of kids. He tried to do the least harmful spells but still harmful enough for it to be mean to anyone he had to hurt. It wasn't an ideal situation, but Nico was making progress in the mission.

As for the next part in the fight where Jason had excused Percy of cheating on everyone or whatever—Nico was just plain confused there and decided to let that be.

All Nico knew for sure was that his friends didn't trust him enough to let him explain what he had been doing. They hadn't even paused to listen to what he was saying.

Maybe they weren't his friends after all.

Maybe he should forget them.

Maybe Hogwarts wasn't the dream they had all expected.

Maybe their friendship wasn't meant to be forever.

Maybe it just wasn't.