Obliviate My Choices {Book 4}

10. Break free

A/N So you know, about --- words into the chapter there's use of the f-word. It's come to my attention some people don't like it when it's used, so I thought I would fore-warn. But if it's a consilation, it's Rory standing up for herself :-)

Term was in full swing now, October was already almost over. Things had changed slightly between Arthur and I since I realised I was attracted to him. I found myself noticing him more, admiring his smile and snorty giggles when he thought I wasn't looking. He made my heart ache, in a happy way.

I explained all of this to Gennie one night over a tub of ice-cream Gennie had snuck in from an illegal trip to Hogsmeade. She had been more than supportive.

"This is brilliant!" Gennie exclaimed, waving her spoon in the air. "We'll be family by marriage then! Cousin-in-laws! I doubt that's a real thing, but it's pretty cool!"

"Gennie," I groaned, flicking a cookie dough lump at her. "I'm only attracted to him, it's a tiny crush. It's not like I'm going to get married to him and have two kids and a dog with him!"

"Aw, you picked how many kids your going to have, that's cute as hell."

I flicked more ice-cream at her. "You're annoying."

"You're wasting ice-cream, you noob."

"I doubt anything will happen, I mean it's Arthur." I laughed, taking a scoop of  ice-cream from the tub. I thoughtfully looked down. "But he makes me happy. That much I know."

Bored one evening, I ended up drawing in my sketchbook on a window seat. Lately I'd been in more of a mood to draw, something that had been missing from my life for a long time. Not drawing constantly felt as if I was walking around with one shoe, so I was glad the artistic side of me was surfacing once more.

I happened to look up from an intracate drawing to see Sam scurrying down the hall. She looked worse, hair stuck up and eyes almost bloodshot. Arms around herself she was hissing to herself, "Shut up, leave me alone."

"Sam?"

She jumped at the sound of my voice. "What?" she snapped.

"Uh, you were talking to youself," I pointed out.

She looked to her left, and shook her head. "No I wasn't. Leave me alone, Potter."

She stalked off, and I couldn't help raising an eyebrow. "Potter? Huh, suppose Malfoy is influencing her."

Cole and Sam still hadn't spoken since their argument in the start of term. Gennie said they'd argued directly after the incident about Sam being stupid (which I agreed with) but not a single word had been exchanged since.

Cole had picked her bag up for her when some first year rammed into her, but he hadn't looked her in the eye once.

I just hoped they could work it out somehow.

"And on my left, I see a lone artistic genius." A fake dramatic tone came from the other side of the corridor.

I smiled into my sketchbook when I realised it was of course, Arthur. He was on break from his evening patrols he had to make almost every day. The reason I knew this was because I had Gennie find out his schedule for me, but not that I'd tell him.

It sounded vaugley stalker-ish, and that was something I wanted to avoid.

He sat on the other end of the window seat, long legs folded up under him. With a cheshire cat smile, he asked "Watcha drawing?"

I couldn't help smiling again. Nobody usually cared about what I was drawing. "You can have a look if you want."

I passed the battered book to him, and watched him admire my latest drawing, a sun and moon with words related to them scribbled within. Carefully he flipped through the pages, seeing my drawings of hearts in hands, a ginger angel with flowers in her hair and cats playing with wool.