[Corridors] Saturday... (Girty & Will)

[Alex Doyle]

Saturday.

Alex liked Saturdays. Saturdays were the days when you could finally kick back and relax. Go out, have fun. Relax with the ones you cared about and loved. Saturdays meant care-free time, with no worries and no problems. Saturdays meant you could stay in bed later, and not have to worry about missing something important. Saturdays could be lazy, active, romantic or just plain fun. Yes, Alex liked Saturdays. But he did not like this Saturday.

Ricky had come up to him little over an hour ago and the conversation they had had was very disturbing. Alex didn’t want to believe what Ricky told him but he couldn’t help it. He knew about Thom anyway, how could he not? For one, when she went into the forest alone, he didn’t know where she went in her wolf form. He knew she still had her human mind so for all he knew she spent those three days with Thom. Missing him. Loving him. It ripped his insides to shreds to even think that she still loved Thom. It was strange, he couldn’t accept it in his mind, he couldn’t bring himself to believe it and yet he couldn’t deny it either. Thom was the reason Alex had never told Girty he liked her before, knowing how she felt for Thom he didn’t want to risk her happiness. Thom and Girty had a history, and Alex knew he couldn’t be a part of that, that was a piece of her he couldn’t touch. She wouldn’t even talk to him about Thom, and yet she expected him to talk to her about Steph.

”Well, I thought you should know, anyway.” Ricky spoke, his voice dripping in some emotion that Alex couldn’t quite grasp. ”I hate Ravenclaws, but she doesn’t love you, she never has and I thought you did have a right to know. Save yourself now before you get in any further and end up having your heart broken.” Ricky, though his voice was edged in hate for the ex Claw, did look at him with slight pity. Alex wondered if something had happened to him, but thought best not to ask. He knew Ricky could be a nasty piece of work. ”it’s a little late for me to worry about having my heart broken now, but cheers Ricky.” Alex nodded stiffly, ”You’re right, I do have a right to know.”

Ricky walked away, leaving Alex hovering in the corridors. He knew where Girty would be this time of day, and though Alex was stubborn, he couldn’t not confront her now. He couldn’t live with what Ricky told him and act as though everything was the same. He would always have that doubt, was she seeing Alex? Or Thom? Turning on his heel, his robe billowing behind him, Alex strode down the corridors and into the great hall, scanning for Girty he soon saw her with her usual gaggle of people. Walking behind her he bent down, close to her ear, though not close enough to touch her and he didn’t kiss her, which was strange. ”Can I talk to you, now, please?” He stood up and left the Great Hall, assuming Girty followed, he ducked down a corridor, through a tapestry and behind a portrait where they wouldn’t be overheard. ”I need to know something. And I want the truth, Girty. Don’t try to make me feel better or downplay it for my own feelings cause that wont help.” Alex ran a hand through his hair, ”is it true? Do you still love Thom?”

[Girty Hubbles]

The thing with Hufflepuff’s was that they were not really the ‘social climbers’ of the castle unlike Gryffindor’s, nor where they the ones who sat in the Great Hall throwing bread rolls at the Ravenclaw’s who had their noses stuck in a text book. No, Hufflepuff’s sat in their own little groups, laughing quietly to each other about in-jokes that nobody else but themselves would understand. And the weekends was a time where the Hufflepuff’s were at their element, time to relax, have fun but still do a bit of work on the side, but then today was Saturday and who does work on Saturday? (Well unless you wore the blue robe). And this particular Saturday morning Girty Hubbles was sat with her cousin Jamie, Via and her pet Mandrake Sunny.

“But what if someone got petrified and Sunny was the only person who could save them?” There was a slight grin on Girty’s face as she watched Via reach over and cover the leaves of Sunny as if they were ears. By the look on her face it was an extremely hard question for her to answer and after a moments silence and her hands still protecting his plumage, she looked from Jamie back to Girty before whispering her answer.

“I suppose if it was a life or death situation I would have to sacrifice him wouldn’t I? I suppose I should, being the Herbology apprentice” she sighed, stroking the mandrakes leafy exterior delicately as her eyes welled up with tears slightly. Biting her lower lip Girty looked over at Via starting to feel slightly guilty for asking such a question, maybe it had been a tad out of place but it was not as bad as Girty was going to feel this morning as soon Alex turned up. Normally this would be a very positive thing, to get that smell of his aftershave, the feel of his gristle on her cheek and the gentle brush of his lips against hers. But today he did not do this, today he was serious...he was not her Alex.

As he left Girty gave a nervous glance over at her fellow Hufflepuff’s before jumping up off the bench and following her boyfriend out of the hall. They walked down the corridor in silence, Girty a few feet always behind Alex letting him lead the way as her wild imagination started to run away with its self. But nothing could have prepared her for what he was about to say, the words that would leave his mouth would leave her, for once lost for words.

“Is it true? Do you still love Thom?”

Her mouth opened but nothing but air escaped, no words of encouragement, nothing to disprove this statement she could no longer look at Alex. Her brown eyes dropped to the cracked and dust covered floor as she could no longer look him in the eyes. Although she could not lie to him the truth was too painful to admit.

[Alex Doyle]

Saturdays, usually Alex would be alive with energy, the way he liked to be. Making people around him laugh, usually at his own expense but that didn’t matter. If he wasn’t making people laugh he was helping people with their work. He liked to think of himself as the helpful kind, afterall he is an apprentice and an ex Ravenclaw at that. Though a lot of the time people questioned his intelligence because he was a tad bit crazy, Alex had a good mind and he could soak up information as though it was going out of fashion. He enjoyed reading, many people found it weird, he didn’t look the type to sit in a musty library filled with books and just read. He remembered how Offley used to keep her eye on him especially since the time he almost destroyed the library.

Now he was in the Great Hall with the chance of possibly destroying the most important thing to him, Girty. And their relationship. Though Alex knew he couldn’t let this façade carry on if she didn’t feel the same about him as he did about her. For starters it wasn’t fair on Alex. So it was with a heavy heart and a feeling of dread that he asked to speak to her this morning, next to no contact asides from his hand lightly resting on her back as he bent over her shoulder.

As the question left his mouth when the two of them were stood in the archway, only a lamp behind them to light the dull blackness, the tapestry hiding them. It was as private as you could get in Hogwarts these days. Alex looked at Girty, he was both dreading what she was going to say, and hoping she would say it fast so they could get this over with. Unfortunatly, she didn’t say anything at all. He didn’t need her to speak now, he could tell as she dropped her gaze to the floor that it was true. She didn’t love him. She loved Thom and Alex never realised just how painful this realisation would have been.

”I understand.” He lied, his arm went around his stomach as he felt something leave his body. He felt heavy and as though something was now weighing him down. He looked at Girty and gave a weak smile, leaning in he brushed her cheek with his lips and whispered in her ear, ”thank you for not lying to me. I love you, always.” He stepped around her, his hand moving the dusty tapestry as the light flooded the open archway, he blinked into it, wondering how the sun could still shine on everyone else when he felt as though the sun had gone down around him. ”I guess there’s nothing left for us anymore. I’ll see you around…”

[Girty Hubbles]

Now she had done it. Everything that they had strove for in the past two years Girty had just ruined by staying silent. Her own morals had got in the way of something so perfect and pure that she was left staring and the dust covered stone floor unable to comprehend what had actually happened. She felt like she should cry, that was after all what everyone did when they broke up with their boyfriends. But as her brown eyes rose to look upon Alex once more she felt nothing, even though the pain that she had caused was as clear as day and as dark as night she still could not muster a tear.

But as he drew closer to her Girty’s breath got caught in her throat, her brow was pinched and as his lips gently grazed the side of her face goose bumps spread across her skin. She would miss this intimacy, the touch of his hand on hers, the faint smell of his shower gel that still lingered upon his skin. But it was too late now, they both knew the end was coming and they both knew that there was nothing that they could do about it. And as Alex spoke gently to her, his voice wavering with the hint of emotion, he still said those three words that had made Girty stand beside him for so long.

‘I love you’

You can call Girty egotistic; you could call her all the names under the sun for using Alex in such a way, but really, although she cared so dearly for her goofball she was with him because he loved her. He would prove this love to her everyday and she would take it with a smile and that warm feeling of pride and selfishness that had fuelled their relationship over the years. Even now as Alex slowly turned and started to walk away Girty was having to fight that Hubbles gene, the one that wanted her to become all smug and pigheaded, but it was not just this she was having to compete with, her morals were standing their ground and taking over. She could never lie to Alex, she respected him so much that she could never hide the truth from him and even now the words tumbled off her tongue, even now when the pain would be too great for both of them Girty Hubbles spoke before she thought, she put herself and her own well being first.

“I kissed Will.” She blurted out, the end of her sentence trembling and an octave higher then normal. Her hands were tugging viciously at her sleeves out of nerves as the Hufflepuff desperately tried to find her voice again, but this time it was a childish whisper signalling her resignation to defeat and disgrace. "I am sorry."

[Alex Doyle]

He tried, he honestly tried to not let it get to him. To not allow him to feel too much. Alex could already feel it, his emotions closing down as he tried to hide the pain he felt. Their relationship was over. Two years all for nothing now it seemed. Dan had warned him to be careful, he had told Alex there was more chance of Girty hurting Alex than Alex hurting her and once again she seemed to prove this fact. Alex would have given this girl the world, the clothes off his back, he would have given her anything, anything. Now, after all those nights he thought he couldn’t imagine his life without her, he was going to have to start planning a future without her. It hurt. His hand rested on the tapestry as she spoke. She spoke finally. But the words she spoke, Alex wished with all his heart she had kept to herself.

It happened all at once. A white hot rage flooded through him along side a fresh new pain. Jealousy. His fist gripped the tapestry and his breathing soon became rugged and rather heavy. His eyes flashed dangerously as he turned around to look at her though instantly wished he didn’t as he saw her stance and realised he hadn’t just been hearing things. His grip on the tapestry became harder, his knuckles turned white and in a flash of new anger he managed somehow to pull it down. Alex rarely lost his temper and with good reason, his temper was fiery and it took a hell of a lot to calm him back down. He advanced on Girty and pushed her onto the wall, a violent streak ran through all the Doyle family, but Alex had always hidden it from Girty, unfortunately, it came out in force now as he pinned the brunette to the wall. ”Kick a man while he’s down why don’t you?” The words had a nasty edge to them. ”As though it wasn’t bad enough… As though I wasn’t enough you had to go and stick your tongue down Vaid’s throat. Your brother’s best friend? You’re disgusting.” Of course he didn’t mean it, but anger makes you say things you don’t mean. ”Nothing but a selfish brat.” He turned away from her, muttering something about ‘im gonna kill him’.

He stormed out of the archway, dropped the torn tapestry on the floor and pushing some kids out of his way with a nasty yell of ’move’. He down to the dungeons, pushing a group of Slytherins out of his way who didn’t say anything to him, apparently he must have a slightly dangerous look on his face. He wasn’t aware of the eyes on him as he half stomped, half vented on his way to Vaid’s office. Part of him wished he would calm down, the more rational part of him. Though there was the part which was now in total control over Alex, the part that wanted Vaid to suffer. To suffer as much as a man could. The thoughts that was running through his mind was fuelling his anger, Vaid’s arms around Girty, his mouth on hers… Touching her… Kissing her… He kicked a suit of armour as he passed by, though ignored the throbbing feeling on his toe as he got to Vaid’s door.

”VAID!” He yelled as he banged on the office door. ”Get. Out. Here. Now. Or-I’ll-blow-your-door-down!” The last string of this sentence came out rather quickly. A group of people were beginning to gather, Alex felt a tug on his arm but he didn’t know who it was off. He shrugged the person off as the door opened, Alex stepped back as the man’s face came into view. ”You dirty son of a b--” His last word was lost as he pulled his arm back and then pushed it forward. His fist connected with the side of Vaid’s jaw. ”You just cant leave anyone alone can you? Anyone you cant have, anyone you shouldn’t have you have to have a go at! Hell, you screwed up Hannah, but were you satisfied with that? No! You had to go for Girty as well!” He pulled his arm back to punch Vaid again but someone caught his arm this time, ”You’re nothing but a bleedin’ pervert! You’re sick, vile… Does Dan know?” He asked and pulled his arm free. ”You mess everything you come in contact with up. You’re nothing. You’re scum.”

[Professor William Vaid]

If he had awoken this morning, not even Hannah Edgecombe could of (or probably more like would of) told Will what was coming. In truth he deserved everything he got, he was a vile human being and quite frankly deserved to be tortured and put into Azkaban. He was sure it wouldn't be long before that happened anyway, it was just a matter of time...He was currently sat at his desk in his office watching the clock and counting the seconds before they came to take him away. As his slumped body lay lifeless as he leant on his desk, only his eyes moved following the hands on the clock as the seconds turned into minutes and the minutes turned into hours. He had been there for three solid hours before he finally gave a sign of life and gave a huff as he stood up, pushing the clock away before heading towards the door when he heard almighty thuds on the floor. From the sound of them he could of sworn it was a suit of armour terrorising some kid but as he turned to grab his wand from the desk he heard his name and turned around wandless before taking a few steps towards the door before it slammed open and he was greeted with a swift smack in the face, the impact and shock instantly knocking him to the floor a little dazed and confused before his eyes focused and he realised who had just swung a punch at him.

“Alex, I...” he started as he held his jaw as he propped himself up on an elbow before he noticed Girty right behind him and it was then that he realised what he was so angry at. They had kissed, he had kissed his best friend’s little sister, he had betrayed the trust of Dan and had just betrayed Alex straight out. No remorse was felt however because it wasn’t long until his shocked face turned into a lopsided smirk and he began chuckling deeply.

“Alex, it’s not my fault if you can’t satisfy your own woman. Perhaps she was sticking a little more closer to home and realised Hufflepuff’s really do make better men? Or perhaps she just wanted a real man for once, who knows. Girt?” he asked her questioningly but he knew she would not answer. He gave a sly look over to her before his eyes slid back over to the seething Alex. He touched his jaw again feeling the sling as his fingertips skimmed his skin before he looked to see if he was bleeding by checking his fingers. Somehow this angered him quickly and he stood up sucking through his teeth slightly.

“If you were going to punch me you could of at least made me bleed” he mocked.

[Girty Hubbles]

What should Girty have expect? Alex to turn around with a wide grin and say ‘that is wonderful’, did she expect him to turn around and give her a big hug and act all happy that she was finding comfort with other people. Instead when he did turn around his face did not bare that normal charming smile, neither did he say those reassuring words, in fact what he did next scared Girty no end. His slow advancement on her caused Girty to reach out backwards, he hands pressing themselves firmly against the cold stone wall until eventually her whole body was pressed desperately against it, like a small creature cowering from the more dominate species. Never before had she heard words spoken by Alex with such a vindictive tone, never before had he looked at her in such a way.

What happened next passed in such a blur that not even Girty could fully remember the details but from being pressed against the stone wall and wishing it would just absorb her she was soon running down the corridors of the castle after Alex as he went on the war path. Only a fool would not know where Alex was heading, but then only a fool would have said those words that had caused such a rage.

Pushing her way through a crowd of Slytherin’s she could only swear every time one stood firm and refused to budge even after being asked politely because the longer this took the more distance that was put between herself and Alex, the more time he had to do something stupid. In clear air Girty pounded down the corridor, one yellow shoe in front of the other her mind set on getting to that potions class room before anything could break out.

“You’re nothing. You’re scum.”
“Alex, I...”

Then will locked eyes with her and Girty knew as that lopsided smile filled his face she was too late, that flick had switched in his head and all she could do was stare open mouthed over Alex’s shoulder at what he had to say next. After Will’s silky voice finished the dungeons fell silent until Girty realised that Will had asked her a question, a question she did not want to answer at all. Once again Girty had reminded silent when a question was directed at her and most likely once more the silence would speck louder then words ever could. But Will’s mocking laughter soon filled the air once more but what he had to joke about was not funny…Alex had already punched him.

That tore the line for Girty; she knew she had to intervene now for Alex’s sake. He had no idea what Will was capable of and for his safety, to save his life Girty would have to break his heart that little bit more (if that was actually possible). Dashing past Alex Girty stood with her back to the Ravenclaw and her brown eyes set upon the rouged features of William Vaid. “Will!” She reached out place a hand on either arm (although finding it hard not to blush when she felt his muscles tighten) as she tried in vain to calm the man down. “He is not worth it, he is just a boy.” These words caught in her mouth, she could not believe she was saying them. “Please Will, for me.”

[Alex Doyle]

Alex stood there, breathing heavily as he looked at Will who was lay on the floor, holding his jaw. Alex wasn’t really one for violence if he could avoid it but recently things had began piling on top of him and now it all seemed to come out on Will, though Alex, if he was calm, he would never have hit Will, he’d probably have talked, yelled a little then got drunk. Though he would have done it better than this. Alex was better than this. He watched Will’s face change from slight shock to a smirk, and this angered him more. Though he just focused on his breathing, not really wanting to hit Will again.

”Well if she wanted a real man as you say I’m shocked she went for you.” He answered coldly. Ignoring the fact that he looked over to her, ignoring the fact she was stood behind him and also ignoring the fact they had an audience. ”You’re hardly a real man anymore Will. Especially if you have to go around acting like the big hard man, treating Hannah like dirt not to mention messing around with your best friend’s sister. Man, that’s low. Even for Slytherins that is low. I doubt even Ricky would do that.” Alex didn’t move as Will stood up, yet he saw a flash of anger move over his features and this, surprisingly, satisfied Alex. He wanted Will angry, as Will looked at Alex, Alex’s hand twitched to his wand. Will was angry and he did look a little bit dangerous and if this was going to turn into a full blown fight, then Alex wanted to be prepared at least.

”Would you like me to try again?” Alex spat ”This time you will bleed.”

Before Alex had time to react, Girty had pushed her way past him straight to Will. Her back was to Alex and he watched as she touched him. His hand faltered at his wand as he looked at the back of the brunette’s head. He heard what she said and he simply nodded, his anger to Will evaporated as he realised (or thought he realised) that he had nothing to fight for now. Not really. ”I guess Puff’s really do stick together, don’t they?” He spoke, his voice icy yet hurt. His hand dropped from his side, letting go of his wand. ”You’re not worth it. Both of you. You deserve each other.” The only thought Alex could think right now was that at least Will was alive. At least if she was cheating on him with anyone, it was a solid person not a ghost. He turned around, pushed a group of Slytherins out of his way and began making his way back up the dungeons slowly, away from Will and as far away from Girty as he could possibly get.

[Girty Hubbles]

It killed Girty to do this; the enormity of the situation had not hit her yet and as she stood with her back to Alex, her heart pounding and eyes glued on Will she had no idea what to do other then stop herself from shaking too much. Girty was not dumb, she knew she had screwed everything up, she knew that simply by being stubborn and unwilling to admit her true feelings she had ruined everything that was perfect in her life. But still in the true Hubbles manor she held her head high, refused to let tears fall and put on the arrogant attitude as a defence mechanism. Breathing in deeply Girty did not even look around as the sound of Alex’s icy voice floated over her shoulder and filled her eyes and only then did the first stab of despair hit the Hufflepuff.

Flinching slightly has his harsh words hit her Girty’s ears strained to hear every low thud of his footsteps as Alex walked away from her and Will. At last she could only hear the sound of her own thudding heart and the distant jeers from a group of Slytherin’s but as the silence fell around her and Will as they stood in the doorway to the potions classroom. Her eyes were glued onto his as the smile that normally filled the face of the young Hubbles was instead replaces with a deep-set frown causing lines to spread across her pale skin.

“If…if Dan…” Girty could not even finish her sentence as her voice wavered as the emotions that she had tried to restrain started to flood to the surface. With a small shake of the head the Hufflepuff dropt her gaze from Will and started at a crack in the flagstone flooring of the castle. With a small groan she ran her fingers through her long brown hair in frustration before glaring at will, her brown eyes ablaze with frustration. “Go jump off the roof Will. Save everyone else from having to deal with your crap!”

With a small huff Girty spun around on the spot and stormed off out of the dungeons, shadowing Alex’s footsteps in almost the same mood. Hard spinning with memories and heart breaking with step she took as the realisation that she has lost everything and it was all her fault.