Impossible to Return

What About Her?

"You know, that Tyler girl is pretty cute," Troy suggested, wagging his eyebrows at Jason Grace.

Jason's mind flashed back to when Isla Tyler and her two giggling comrades had flirted with him in the library on his first day. "Too giggly. I like a girl who can fight."

Jax Gray and Troy Stein were currently listing girls and asking Jason's opinion on them, trying to subtly get him to go out with one of them. They weren't doing great on the 'subtle' part, and Jason had picked up on their plan early on.

"What about Marlene McKinnon?" Jax asked, putting his feet up on the Ravenclaw common room coffee table.

Jason raised his eyebrows. "She's your girlfriend."

"I know," Jax said, who was now twirling his quill in between his fingers. "I just want to know your opinion on her."

"She's nice, I guess. I don't know her," Jason said slowly, carefully choosing his words.

Jax nodded, satisfied with Jason's answer. Troy spoke up. "Lily Evans?"

"She and James are practically a couple. Everyone knows that."

"Cora Tentsworth?"

"Have you seen how she laughs when people get hurt? No thanks."

"Elizabeth McKay?"

"She's a fifth year, I'm not keen on dating someone that much younger than me."

"Alice Livia?"

"She's dating Frank Longbottom," Jax reminded the brunet.

"Oh yeah. What about Nyx Rameriz?" Troy suggested.

Jason paused and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Who?"

"A Ravenclaw, in our year. You've probably seen her." Jason only looked confused so Troy prompted, "She's the one with blue in her hair? Usually keeps to herself?"

Jax shook his head. "She gives almost everyone the cold-shoulder though, so you might have a problem with her. How about Sarah Mitchella?"

Troy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, she plays Quidditch like us, she'd be perfect for you—"

"She's confident and, well, I assume she's kind of a fighter—"

"You should go talk to her—"

"Guys," Jason interrupted.

Neither Jax nor Troy heard him though, as they were too enthused about this new idea. "You'd make a perfect couple—"

"I can see it now—"

"GUYS!"

Troy and Jax paused and stared at Jason, who's hands were red and throbbing from slamming them down on the mahogany table. A few other students in the Ravenclaw common room looked over curiously.

Jason awkwardly cleared his throat and removed his hands from the table, rubbing them on his black pants. He spoke again, his voice significantly quieter. "You don't need to do this. I'm not looking to date another girl."

Troy raised an eyebrow and stared Jason straight in the eye. "Are you sure? Because we could probably find someone."

"No. I—" Jason took a deep breath, and said something he had realized only during this conversation. "I don't think I'm ready to move on from Piper."

The thing was, Jason really did dislike Piper right now. He still believed she cheated on him, and he didn't want to get back together with her.

But he didn't want to move on either. The very thought of Piper with someone else—kissing, holding hands or dating someone else—physically pained Jason.