And all good things must come to an end

[Estrella Drage]

It was a Tuesday morning. Estrella couldn't believe that she'd been at school for over a week already. If she wasn't careful, the year was going to slip like butter out of her fingers. She had managed to get back to a regular sleep schedule, so she was positively perplexed when she found herself waking up at high noon. The Ravenclaw girl, who enjoyed the perks of having only a handful of classes this term, was grateful that she had the day off. She would probably use her free time to finish off the Arithmancy assignment she had gotten on Saturday. For now, however, she wanted to eat. Her chronic sleepiness had evaporated and left a sediment of hunger in her empty stomach. By now, lunch would surely be served. However, this time her hunger was surpassed by something much more powerful- craving, and an immense one at that. She wanted to sink her teeth into a juicy, artery clogging hamburger, and she was positive that this particular item would not be served today, or any day for that matter.

She slipped into the kitchens, giving a nod to the house elves that were hard at work. Being Head Girl, she wasn't too worried about being chastised for being down here. The Ravenclaw headed straight for the ice box. She was pleased to find a package of ground beef and some vegetables. Perfect. A smile creeping onto her face, she made her way to one of the counters and began her hunt for dishes and utensils.

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken had yet another sleepless night. That event with the gang and Estrella still haunted his dreams. Though Demitris did put Svetlana back in her place, and even changed her attitude a bit, it still left a huge dent in his perfect summer. Jaken had been in his dorm, once he realized that his own girlfriend was avoiding him. Jaken glanced over at the clock, and sighed. Time had flown by, and well, he decided it was time to get out of his bed, and actually do something other than sit here all day. He put on a black shirt, and a pair of jeans, throwing his sleep clothes to the side. He wouldn't need them. Not now anyway. He made sure his hair wasn't a mess. He put on his boots and headed out.

Jaken needed some sort of snack to help him throughout the day. Something healthy and wholesome. Though he had no idea what first. Well, he would decide once he got to the kitchens. He walked out of the dungeons, and toward the kitchens. The seventh year stepped into the kitchens, and saw the one person that was avoiding him. A knot grew in his stomach as he remembered the tears that had fallen from her face that dreadful day. Jaken had to say something. No, just leave. She obviously doesn't want to see you. A voice pounded in his mind. Despite his better judgment, Jaken's deep voice finally spoke, saying the first thing that popped into his mind, "Greasy foods like hamburgers won't do much good for your body." Jaken mentally slapped himself in the head. A simple hey would have suffice, idiot.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella had been busy flattening a chunk of hamburger when the last voice she had anticipated to hear invaded her ears. She set the meat down, her skin turning a deep flush of red. Her expression sour, she snapped, "Thanks for the prognosis, Doctor Phil." Of course, Jaken wouldn't know what she was talking about, but as far as she was concerned he could stand there scratching his head for the rest of the afternoon. Her hands were itching to meet violently with the Slytherin's face, but she thought better of it.

She turned back to pounding the hamburger, with more ferocity than she had before. Men are idiots, she thought to herself. Jaken may have not meant to be so insensitive but it sure as hell had come across that way.

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken almost took a step back from the way she sounded. Jaken raised an eyebrow instead. Doctor Phil? Who the hell was that? He dismissed it, thinking it was something to do with the world he knew nothing about. The muggle world. Jaken let out a sigh, and said, with a hint of forlorn in his voice, "Would you stop avoiding me and just listen to what I have to say?" Women are so difficult and excellent at holding grudges. Jaken restrained from rolling his eyes. Of course, he was the one who sounded awful first, and plus, had a past that he never wanted to come up again. And it came back. Jaken shook his head. What was he supposed to say?

If she would just stop being so difficult, then we wouldn't have a problem. A touch of anger flashed in his eyes. Jaken said, "Look, I'm sorry for not bringing up my past. But you also mentioned that you didn't care about that. What else do you want me to say to you?" Jaken wanted this to be just over with, and they be happy like they were before, with the butterflies and all. But something told him that it wasn't going to be so easy.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella spun around, fighting the urge to put her hands on her hips. "Fire away," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She had cried a few too many tears over Jaken to let him get off so easily. At this point, she thought that there was probably no repairing the damage that had been done. Her boyfriend may not have meant to do it, but she couldn't help feeling that he had somehow torn her heart out of her chest, played with it a bit and then ground it to mush beneath his shoe.

The Ravenclaw's expression slipped from sarcastic to downright poisonous. Jaken's anger made her all the more incensed, and she let him have it. "Does that make everything fine and dandy, then? Because the last I've heard, you've been engaged to some b1tch, who on top of it all, makes my best friend's life a living hell; you spent a good chunk of the summer with her and the rest of those scumbags; and you don't even send me a damn letter? Not one?"

Her nostrils were flared as she turned back to what had once promised to be a delicious afternoon lunch. Now, she didn't even have an appetite. She wasn't sure if she was going to burst out into tears or be sick. After a moment, she muttered, "Sorry doesn't cut it, Jaken. Not this time."

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken remained utmost calm about Estrella's explosion, and shook his head. She wouldn't understand. He narrowed his eyes, and stated, "Svetlana was different then. And besides, I was just as heartless as she was back then. We were something, but now it is over. And if you stuck around for a bit longer, then you would have seen Demitris get on to her. I let her have it over the summer too." Jaken added, "And she was there for a total of a few hours. Big deal." Jaken flinched when she mentioned not sending her a letter.

His voice dripped with poison as he hissed, "I was also busy over at the family's Manor. I'm sorry for my sister blowing herself up. Excuse me for being so damn busy grieving to write a simple letter." Jaken's eyes went completely from fury to depression. A tear had fallen, and he quickly wiped it away. Any sort of mention of Alessine made him rather emotional.Jaken listened to the next part, though he had to strain his ears to even hear her. He felt like he had his own parents die rather than anything else. Just a blow to the chest, and he didn't know how to handle it.

He turned his back on Estrella, and whispered, his stormy eyes closed, "So, I guess what we had, is just gone. Isn't it." He faded off. There wasn't more he could say or do.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Every word that Jaken uttered managed to pile onto the behemoth that was Estrella's rage at this point. Her nostrils flared as her eyes narrowed at him. She was seriously considering planting a fist right onto his deceptive lips. However, she managed to stay her hand for the time being. "Why in the bloody hell would I stick around for any longer? I can't believe you just suggested that." And it was true. It was bad enough that the little motley gang of Svetlana's were terrorizing Katerina, without Estrella bursting into tears afterwards. She didn't know if it was getting across to her boyfriend, but the whole matter was a big deal.

She knew that this argument would bring with it some hostility from the other end, but she wasn't expecting Jaken to be downright nasty. The girl found herself trying to back away, but she really had nowhere to go. This was a side of Jaken that she hadn't seen, a side that she had never wanted to see. Would he hurt her? She didn't think so.

Her temporary terror evaporated as Jaken's poisonous expression was replaced with immense sadness. Estrella's heart contracted painfully as her boyfriend turned his back on her. She couldn't imagine what he was going through right now, but it was hardly the time to talk about his sister. The Ravenclaw girl wasn't prepared for what he said next. "I, I-"

Although it was akin to a five year old, she placed her head in her hands and began to sob. There was no holding back the flow of tears. She knew that Jaken would probably leave her there like that, but what was she supposed to do?

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken turned to face her once more, seeing the terror he had inflicted. He couldn't believe that he had just acted like Asparuh or Kalif when they were ticked off. A completely different side of him had emerged for just a moment, and it even scared himself. He wasn't nearly this bad even at Durmstrang. It was rare, and yet, he never wanted to happen again. Especially not to Estrella. He definitely did not want to show that side of him to her. He just hated himself for such an action.

When she began to sob, Jaken turned his head away. He could barely look at her, and yet, all he wanted to do was to fix things. And here he was, making a girl cry. Jaken thought in his mind, Maybe I am more like my family than I thought I was. He dared not to think evil. Was he truly evil? No, he couldn't be, not if he was feeling horrid for doing such an action. If he had turned and walked away, then yes, he would.

Jaken approached Estrella, and carefully exposed her face with his hands. Gentle and nurturing, he was trying to be. Jaken reacted out of impulse, and pulled the Head Girl into a kiss. This one was unlike the others. It was full of passion, and it was forceful. Almost seductive, if it wasn't already. Jaken couldn't believe how much he was letting out, all his feelings for her in just one kiss. It was almost leaving him breathless. Jaken opened his eyes, and gently pulled away. He stared into the Head Girl's eyes for a moment.

He let out a sigh and took a few steps back, almost shocked by his own actions. Jaken murmured, "I can't keep on hurting you, Estrella. It is killing me. Just end it with me, for your own well being." Jaken was pleading, something he rarely did. He took a few more steps back, making the distance between them more so. "I don't want to put you through anymore pain and tears than I already have." Jaken finished, and closed his eyes. He turned his back on her, and began to leave. He would stop if she would just break it off.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella's hands were wet with moisture, yet she couldn't bring herself to look at her boyfriend. She had made such a mess of things. Had she been eager for this? The feeling of inner turmoil was worse than anything. She was seventeen- she was supposed to know what she wanted! But the more she thought about it, the more uncertainty took hold of the reigns and dug spurs into her sides.

She had not been anticipating Jaken's next action. The seventeen year old did not struggle as her boyfriend brought his hands to her face. She simply stared back at him with watery eyes. In a moment's time she found herself slipping into oblivion. She blatantly ignored her conscience as she returned Jaken's affections. This was definitely the best kiss that she had ever had- irony put aside. Just for a moment, the tears had ceased to fall. She found herself entwining her fingers in her boyfriend's hair, hoping that she could keep him there for just a bit longer. Despite all of the problems they had run into she still had strong feelings for her boyfriend, and it was evident. This was almost animalistic, and she liked it. Every emotion that had plagued her was poured into this one kiss. Whomever had said 'nothing beats a first kiss' was a damned liar.

And just like that, it was over. Estrella had fooled herself into thinking that everything could be fixed, but the truth was lain bare right in front of her. Matters of the heart needed time, much more time than either she or Jaken had allotted to themselves.

She brought her fingers to her mouth, where Jaken's kiss still lingered and would probably linger forever. The girl literally felt her heart shredding in two inside her chest. Fighting against the urge to burst into tears once more, she nodded slightly. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to banish away what she had just done. The girl didn't want Jaken to leave, but she couldn't stand another moment beside him. Did she still love him? She already knew the answer to that question.

"I-" she started quietly, but then pressed her lips together again. It would be easier for the both of them if she didn't speak.

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken knew that in his heart, all the feelings for her were absolute. Solid. But for now, they could not work out until he knew that he would no longer hurt her again. Even if that risked losing her forever. I have never felt this way about anyone. My feelings for Svetlana were mediocre compared to this. Jaken wanted to smile, but he couldn't. He kept his back turned. His hand touched the wall next to the exit. Jaken wanted to simply stop time, and reverse it to the kiss. That one, it was much better than the first. It was just something that Jaken could not put into words.

Jaken heard Estrella start something, but she stopped. He turned his head, and stared at her, half of his body facing her as well. He inquired softly, barely above a whisper, "What is it?" It was terrible that they had just... Jaken couldn't bring himself to say it. It bothered him too much. Jaken glanced down at the floor. He was too curious to what she was going to say, but then again, could he bare to hear it if it was good or bad? Jaken ran his fingers through his hair, and finally gazed back to Estrella's eyes. Jaken forced a tiny smile for her. Things will get better. He did not know when, but he had a feeling that they would anyhow.

 

[Estrella Drage]

It was strange that Estrella didn't break out into tears, but they had all dried up. She felt her heart lurch as Jaken smiled at her. Was everything going to be alright? It just had to. The feelings they had for each other were mutual, but for right now it would be best if they took some time apart.

Finding herself returning a minute smile, she stepped forward. "Don't worry about it," she said quietly. Standing on her tiptoes, she gave Jaken a slight peck on the cheek before tearing out of the kitchen. The seventh year could wait until dinner to eat something. For right now, she had a lot to think about.

 

[Jaken Styx]

Jaken rubbed his hand on the place that Estrella had given him a small kiss at. He watched her leave, and had half a mind to go after her. But he stopped himself. Jaken had to make sure that he could never hurt her again. Jaken remained in the kitchen for a bit, and thought to himself. He decided to go to the cliffs, and get rid of something that had been more of a burden to him for the past years rather than a relief. But first, he wanted to change his appearance slightly. Short hair was getting on his nerves. With that last thought, he went back to the common room and then into his dorm.