I'm Better Off. You're Better Off.

[[ 19 ]]

Rewritten: 1/15/2021

[Baie]

AGH!!

I flinched as his scream as I closed my eyes.

I slammed my back against the castle wall and found myself holding my chest. 

I moved through the castle a little bit after I allowed the night to crawl its way into the corridor.

Was he right?

I frowned, feeling a conflict brew within me.

"If someone is, that someone would be you." 

"Face it Baie, your friends are already pointing this shit out. You're in a better mood, you're a better Slytherin, you're holding yourself in a more confident matter than ever before and it's all because of me you can't deny it, Baie."

"Seriously, we hated each other for five years and something changed this year...so we decided to check it out and when we did, you liked what you found."

"You actually like me."

"The whole idea to this was to out romance the other and then rip the rug out from under them. It was your idea to do it to me to begin with, now that its happening to you - you're not game?"

I found myself face down in my bed as the last bit of that conversation swam its way into my mind and heart. 

I allowed some tears to soak through my pillowcase.

I allowed the pain to throb along with my heartbeat as I let my weight overflow over the edges of the bed.

"Baie," came a familiar voice, which automatically caused me to pop up from laying down into sitting Indian style on my messed up bed and whipping my tears away. I grinned at Star as she pushed the door shut behind her. "are you alright?"

"Yeah, what makes you think otherwise?" I grinned, feeling my emotions peaking at the surface of what I attempted to be tough skin.

"Baie," she frowned, not removing her gaze from my eyes as she dropped her Slytherin bag and books on her bed and then swiftly made her way to my bed and dropped down beside me. She pulled herself onto my bed and sat Indian style to mirror me. "it's me....whats going on?"

"So," I gulped, feeling my throat threaten to close. "you remember Draco, right?"

She gave me an amused grin at my humor defense. "Yes, I remember Draco."

"Well, I fucked up." I admitted, rubbing my forehead out of my frustration.

"How?" Star pushed, now pulling my hand away from my forehead and taking both my hands into hers. "Baie, sweety - what did he do?"

"He's been perfect." I blurted out, watching Star's eyes widen. "I'm fucking falling for the asshole!"

"Baie," Star started, hesitating on looked to be debating on what to say, maybe attempting to sidestep any sort of wording that could cause more tears, considering tears started to silently jump ship from my eyes and began to slide down my cheek. I frowned down at my arms, which were still being held across my lap by Star, as the tears collided against them. "when did this start?"

"We started this stupid bet, to out romance each other about a week ago now..." I gulped, trying to wipe my tears away with my arms. "...and I found that you were right."

"Obviously," Star rolled her eyes playfully which caused both of us to crack a smile. "I know you Baie - just like Pansy and Haven do too..."

"...you know me better than them." I pointed out, frowning and tilting my head at her. "I found myself happier around him, knowing that I'm with him and now I'm on the loosing end of this bet and I don't know what to do."

"Well," sighed Star, looking down at my hands and tracing one of my knuckles with her finger. "would that really be a bad thing, for you to lose this bet?'

"Status wise, yes." I nodded then found my gaze dropping off to my right, Star's left, to the floor and my mind briefly got lost in thought. "The only way that this can work out though Star, because I see where you're going with this, is if he feels the same way."

Star sighed with a small nod, agreeing.

"Well, has he brought up your Potter mission?" Star tilted her head a little to her right. "How he doesn't like it or he's uncomfortable with it?"

I nodded slowly as she finally released my hands and allowed me to wipe my face clean. I projected myself off my bed and entered the bathroom with Star in tow as I washed my face.

I waited for her to continue her thought.

"Well, the way I see it," Star started, leaning against the doorway as I leaned over the sink and started to scrub away my tear affected skin, I broke out a lot when I cried - there was no hiding it. "if he brought it up and it bothers him, it's obvious that he's beginning to like you too - why else would he bring it up?"

Through the water and soap suds, I answered, "Popularity status Star."

"You two really think that it'll end up being all about that?" Star chuckled as I leaned up and scrubbed a little harder in my cheek area. "If you two actually fall for each other, that shit won't matter."

I shrugged, and looked at her with my soap soaked face. 

"If it is about status, then it's about status," she shrugged, moving from one side of the doorway tot he other. "why would Baie Marie let that get to her? Why not get even?"

"Even?" I asked, through the water as I rinsed my face thoroughly.

"Even." Star nodded with a big smile plastered across her face. "Listen, continue to date Draco - go on actual dates with him, and hopes he shows up..."

I nodded with that statement. 

"...but date Potter too." shrugged Star, earning a blank look from me. She knew this was my plan to begin with, but I didn't speak, I was allowing her to get her thought out. "If Draco looses his shit on Potter over you, then you'll know."

"What about the heartbreaking part?" I questioned, looking over the towel I was trying use to dry off with. I paused, realizing what I just asked and putting together her plan. "In doing that, it would have hurt Draco to the point of heartbreak, therefore making me the winner of this stupid ass bet!"

"Bingo!" Star grinned, passing me some PJs. "Now, if you can keep Haven away from Draco, and her legs closed, you'll have a running chance -"

"- Excuse me?" I smirked, in mid lift of my PJ bottoms in the bathroom. "Why did you put it that way...?"

Star paused. 

At this point she had made her way back over to her bed and froze when she realized I had no clue what she was talking about.

She slowly turned back to me and frowned.

"Star, what did Haven do?" I growled, stepping forward, pulling a tank top over my head. 

"She..." Star hesitated and flushed red with embarrassment. "...slept with Draco in the Room of Requirement the night of your first date with Draco, thats why he didn't show up."

"I'm sorry, what?" I blinked a little too fast.

"I thought you didn't care, that it was none of your business - it was Draco's business, not yours." Star pointed out and the conversation with Draco in the Great Hall came across my mind.

"That was then, this is now." I smirked, placing my clothes in the dirty clothes hamper beside my dresser. "In you saying that, it implied she's continuing to try and seduce him, am I right?"

"Well, its Haven." Star shrugged and turning away from me. "What she wants she doesn't stop until she gets. It's the way its always been with her."

"...until now." I smirked, as the door to our dorm opened and Pansy and Haven stepped inside.