We never played by the same rules anyway...

[Lily Drage]

Lily was leaving Defense against the Dark Arts when she saw him. That familiar head of dark hair leaving the History of Magic classroom and heading off to the stairs to the dungeons. She couldn't take it any more. She started to go after him. It was time to appologize again, beg him to take her back. Anything to be back together with the love of her life. But, too many people were in the way, and soon she lost sight of him, and her chance to try to talk.

Turning around and heading back up the corridor towards the stairs that went up to the towers, her emotions got the better of her. The hallway was clearing out, and she was close to alone. Lily felt the tears start to fall down her cheeks. She backed up against the wall, then slid down until she was sitting on the floor, her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Placing her head down, she let herself have a good cry right there in the hallway. She didn't care who saw her at this point. The emotions needed to get out.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner jogged down the stairs from the Ravenclaw tower. He was in a pretty good mood, he had plans to meet Kat later by the Lake, no classes since that morning and he was pretty sure pudding was for dessert at dinner. He moved aside to let some firsties go up then headed into the corridor. Maybe he'd sneak in a jog, check out the cliffs. He noticed the corridor was empty. Classes must be about to let out though.

He heard her before he saw her. Gasping sobs, wet indrawn breath, she didn't try to mask her pain. Sumner stopped abruptly, as though he'd slammed into an invisible brick wall. His captain, one of the strongest birds he knew, was weeping as though her heart was broken. He'd never witnessed Lily Potter as anything other than a happy, fun loving young woman who could most likely kick his arse on and off the pitch. To see her sitting there, broken like some doll a careless child had grown tired of and tossed aside, pained him.

His hands clenched into fists as he heard loud, raucous voices coming from the stairs to his back and the corner far in front of him. The noises were out of place in the once silent corridor. Damned if he'd let them see his captain, his friend, at her lowest point. Not thinking of the consequences or how she would react, Sumner walked over, scooped her up against his chest and ducked into the nearest broom closet.

Once inside, grey eyes appeared nearly black in the darkened room as they met blue. He let her gain her feet slowly, making sure she was alright to stand, but kept his hands on her shoulders. "What's wrong?" He didn't ask an inane question, like 'are you alright?' Obviously she wasn't, perhaps wouldn't be for a while. He would be with her however long she needed him.

 

[Lily Drage]

Lily didn't know how long she was sitting there on the floor. She didn't even realize there was anyone near her until she was suddenly picked up and pulled against someone's chest. Her first thought was that it was Blake, and he realized just how sorry she was and was taking her back. Then she realized as she moved her hands that the form was different. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see Sumner taking her into a closet nearby.

She looked up at him, trying not to cry any more, but she couldn't help it. Sumner's kindness was just too much for her to handle. She found her way to her feet, but as he asked her what was going on, she couldn't help but start bawling again. She fell forward, clutching onto him. "I- I saw Blake," she managed to choke out between sobs. She wasn't sure if her teammate knew what had happened between them, but she just couldn't tell him right then. Lily clung to Sumner as if her life depended on it, soaking his shirt in the process from her tears.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner's jaw clenched and he gathered her against him, tucking her head under his chin. Every tear that fell on him seemed to burn from her anguish. When last he'd seen Lily, she had been happy, they all had been. Estrella and Jaken's wedding had been beautiful, even he could admit that. The party afterward, sunny beach, smooth water, good food and friends, had provided a nice diversion for an afternoon. He'd thought Blake and Lily were on more than good terms, judging by the way they'd been inseparable.

"Did he say something to you?" He grimaced and held her closer. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" Fury, quick and potent, stiffened his limbs at the thought. He'd rip his stones off if he had. He'd make what he'd done to Chace look like childs play.

 

[Lily Drage]

Lily felt a bit of comfort wash over her as Sumner pulled her closer to him. She hadn't been held like this since the break up, and it felt good. Too good. She took a deep breath in, then tried to compose herself enough to tell him what happened.

"No," she managed to squeek out, "no he didn't hurt me on purpose. He didn't even see me." She shuttered as tears threatened to spill over again, keeping them back just long enough to add, "We broke up a few weeks ago." With that admission, the tears fell again as hard as before. She cried without abandon.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Anger died slowly in him to be replaced by another emotion. Confusion wrinkled his browline for a split moment then deeper furrowed. He didn't know where the words came or how he knew what to say. He'd never been in this sort of situation before in his sixteen years. All he knew was that he didn't want Lily to be sad anymore, to feel this pain for even a short while, if he could help it. "I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice a low buzz near her ear. He smoothed his hands up and down her back to comfort her. "I don't know Blake very well and I won't say anything against him. Other than he's a damned fool for letting you go."

He drew his head back and drew a hand around to cup her wet cheek, turn her face up to his. "You're a brilliant witch Lily. Worth more than you know. Don't let him hurt you like this."

 

[Lily Drage]

Lily sighed as Sumner comforted her. She was not thinking straight since she would have run from this situation. Being in the broom closet with her friend's boyfriend was not something a good girl did, even if they were friends. She certainly knew better than to be doing this. To be in a closet with Sumner. But she was, and she was not in any condition to leave at the moment.

When he turned her face up to his, she spoke softly. "It's all my fault. I kissed Ford. If I hadn't kissed him, things would be different. I would have made Head Girl and I would still be with Blake." Tears began to spill over again as she finally admitted the crux of the problem. "He didn't deserve this. Not at all."

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner, shocked, just stared at her for a moment before he willed his features to smooth out. If he knew one thing, it was that Lily was his friend. She was going through a very rough spot, whatever had happened, whoever had caused it, and she didn't deserve any judgement from him. He didn't know the details and he knew how devious and vile those Snakes could be. Ford was laid back, a smooth talking gangster. Sumner was sure he could talk oil from a rock, let alone a kiss from Lily.

"Maybe not." Sumner brought both hands to her cheeks and rubbed his thumbs over the tear tracks, wiping them away. "But it happened. He'll forgive you, Lily. How could he not?" He smiled gently, leaned in and gently kissed her. It was a gentle kiss, one between friends, meant to sooth and help forget.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat had stayed over after History of Magic was completed in hopes to catch up with someone. After a lot of careful consideration she figured she at least needed to let Chace know how she had been feeling in regards to him. Of course Sumner had no clue how she'd been feeling and it would be a cold day in Hell before she ever let on to him. Guilt filled her to the brim and threatened to spill over, but it was something that Kat knew she had to to or else she was going to have this gnawing feeling in her gut every time she saw Chace...especially with another girl. She figured that maybe if she could just get it off her chest then she could start getting over it and past the confusing feeling she now got every time she was near him. Spotting him still packing up his things she walked up to him, feeling like she was going to be sick and said nervously, "Hey. Um, I was wondering...well I just...oh Hell I was needing to talk with you about something. If that's okay with you." Kat didn't know what would come from this little venture, but hopefully nobody would get hurt.

 

[Chace Harker]

For once in his life, Chace had taken notes. It had seemed like a cold day in hell before he would do such a thing. His mother had gone into hysterics when his OWL results came in the mail. He wasn't exaggerating that fact either. Besides the usual threat that she would pull him back out of school if he didn't pick up his grades, she had also added that he would end up a worthless, do-nothing nobody. He had shrugged it off and feigned interest in his school life just to make his parents happy. Luckily, a good amount of sucking up had gotten him to the States for his friend's wedding. He was glad he had gone. Granted, Kat was there with Sumner, but both young wizards had been rather behaved and were able to enjoy the occasion. Things had definitely taken an interesting turn, with Andy being the one to kiss him. He still wasn't sure how to feel about it.

As per usual, he was surprised when Kat stopped to ask him a question. Speaking to the Slytherin at all was not something she usually did when her boyfriend was lurking about. Chace smiled as he jammed his notes into a textbook. Hopefully he would remember to go over them later. "Sure, what do you need to talk about?" he asked curiously as they walked out of the classroom together.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat felt the butterflies do a number on her stomach as she walked out of the classroom and up the corridor. Though she had gone over this scenario in her head a million times the words now seemed to fail her. "I don't even know how to tell you this. I'm not sure I even should be telling you this. Oh Merlin...I know I'm getting in over my head here, but if I don't tell you then I'm just going to go crazy," she started nervously stopping right at the base of the stairs. "I still...oh man...I still have feelings for you. I know I'm not supposed to and don't even have the right to, but I do. I don't even know what do about this...it's not right and Merlin knows I know its not right, but I don't know how to fix this Chace." Her whole body was feverish now and she didn't want to cry...she wasn't going to cry, but Kat did do something that she hadn't meant to. Grabbing a handful of Chace's shirt she jerked him around and opened up the broom closet right where they were talking. As she grabbed the door she pulled his mouth down over hers and kissed him deeply. As she was backing him into the broom cupboard she bumped into something. When she turned she felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach. "Oh," was all Kat could manage to mutter out before she started shaking all over, both from hatred and shame.

 

[Lily Drage]

"I hope so. This is killing me," Lily replied, feeling Sumner's hands on her cheeks wiping away her tears. Then before she knew what was happening, his lips were on hers. The kiss was so gentle, so soft that Lily forgot what exactly she was doing. She stood frozen to the spot, her hands around him. She had no idea how long they were standing there, lip to lip, but at that moment, she didn't care.

Suddenly the door to the closet flew open and a person slammed into them. Breaking the kiss and turning her head, she looked over and felt her mouth drop. There was Katalina, Sumner's girlfriend, full out snogging Chace. "Merlin's beard!" she exclaimed, not realizing that her own situation could be viewed a bit sketchy.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Sumner lifted his head, felt Lily be jostled and looked up as bright morning light from the corridor filtered into the dark broom closet. He froze, his hands still cupping Lily's soft cheeks. Kat, his girlfriend, the girl whom he'd given his promise ring to, planned to propose to on their graduation day next year, his love, embraced another. It would forever be burned into his brain, seared into his soul, the sight of her soft pink lips meshing with those of Chace, the Slytherin snake.

Sumner had been beat down in a fight, suffered broken bones, lesions and contusions. Yet nothing in his life hurt as much as this moment. His heart sped up painfully and he could feel something within himself rend, break in two. Greyish green eyes met dark blue; eyes once so pure he'd longed to stare into them forever. His narrowed, his hands tightened and suddenly he jerked Lily to him, his mouth met hers. He kissed her as he'd never kissed anyone before, with a fierce passion. In that moment he wanted to hurt Katalina Vanderhol; he wanted her to feel as dead inside as he would every time he closed his eyes and saw her break her promises to him.

He didn't know that the wetness on his cheeks wasn't from Lily's tears.

 

[Chace Harker]

Thunk. Chace's copy of Defensive Magical Theory landed on its spine, the covers flopping to each side and opening the book to pages 74 and 75. Kat's words were still churning in his mind, leaving him on overload and unable to process what was happening. He wasn't sure what to say or do. Should he console her? Tell her that he still had feelings for her too? Nothing could hide his shock as the Gryffindor girl tore at his shirt and yanked him into a broom closet. He had never been kissed so ferociously; Andy's kiss seemed like mere child's play compared to this. What was a teenage boy supposed to do? Just when he had managed to gain some control over his own affections it was stopped. He was left, completely speechless as he took in their current situation. For once, he could claim innocence.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Tears began to well up and flow freely down Kat's cheeks. She could only stand frozen as she watched Sumner kiss Lily with some sort of intensity that he'd never had with her. So this was how it was all going to go down. Kat's whole body was visibly shaking now from head to toe. On one hand she wanted to pull Sumner off of Lily and start a fight with both of them, but on the other hand she wanted to kick herself hard in the ass for doing something so stupid. All she could do was stand their sobbing hysterically. There would be no comforting her...she didn't deserved to be comforted. Kat looked back to Chace who was staring back and forth between Lily and Sumner and then herself. She was hoping that he would do something, say something, anything, but instead he looked at her for one longing moment and then turned and walked off. So there was her answer. He felt nothing for her. Kat's stupidly bold venture had turned out empty for her...she was alone now. Truly alone.

Kat looked back to the sight in front of her. "So you caught me...now care to explain what the hell is going on here?"

 

[Lily Drage]

Lily was shocked when she saw Kat snogging Chace in the same closet as they were in, but nothing prepared her for what happened next. Sumner pulled her to him and held her body tight to his and kissed her with a passion that took her breath away. She was not prepared for this, and stood there a bit stiffly before her body gave over to the contact and began to melt into Sumner's. Her mouth began to move with his and her hands wound their way into his hair, responding to his kiss and taking it deeper. No one else existed in her mind right then - no Blake, no Kat, no Chace. Only Sumner and her existed.

Slowly, Lily floated back down to Earth as she heard the angry words Kat spoke. She was right to question what they were doing in the closet, and the simple bad timing that she had to open the closet door at that moment. Pulling back just a bit and breaking the kiss, she waited not speaking, her forehead pressed to Sumner's. Her hands slipped down to his shoulders, then down his arms to take his hands in hers. She knew Sumner's temper and hoped that if she was there as an anchor, he would be able to maintain a bit more composure in what was a horrible situation.

 

[Sumner Drage]

Anger flowed through him. Sumner fed on it, it would keep away the hurt inside, right? It had to. Something else gripped him, something unexpected. He had meant to kiss Lily to show her that he was her friend, to soothe her hurt like his mom used to when she kissed his scraped knee when he was a child. While he could appreciate how pretty she was and admire her strength of character, he'd not felt any stirrings. He wasn't supposed to for his friend, for his captain. Yet when his mouth had crashed down on hers and slowly she responded, his anger gave way to something else. Desire. Her mouth was sweet, her lips soft, her hands inviting. In that moment, that horrible moment of betrayal, Sumner knew Lily as a woman, not a friend.

His head lifted for a second time that night. Except this time he stared down at her and knew that two bonds had been severed. He knew what it was to hold her, to kiss her and that wasn't something a friend should know. Kat's words slowly penetrated the destructive fog. It also began to bring back his anger until he felt Lily touch him, smooth her hands down his arms and link with his hands. It was this soothing touch that tempered his words.

He turned his head, looked at Kat with heavy lidded, deadened eyes. "I don't love you." He brushed a kiss over the back of Lily's hand then stepped away. He walked to the door then through it without a backward glance.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Sumner's words cut her heart in two. All control was lost as Kat hit the floor on her knees and let her shame and pain completely take over. He didn't love her. She thought that maybe hearing those four simple words from him would make what she had just done easier, more justified in a way, but no...it made her feel like she'd had a hole ripped right through her. "But I'll always love you," she muttered through her sobs. This was the end...no turning back, no fixing things...the end had come and Kat literally wanted to curl up in a ball and let the earth swallow up her entire miserable existence.

 

[Lily Drage]

Lily watched the scene play out before her as if it was in slow motion. She was shocked when Sumner basically broke up with Kat right there on the spot and left. Standing there, she watched as the other girl fell to the ground and was in the same position she was not even half an hour ago. Knowing her friend, she hesitated over bending down next to her and trying to comfort her, or just simply leaving her be with her grief.

As she started to bend down, she noticed the glare that was being directed towards her from Kat. Realizing that she needed to leave, Lily whispered, "I'm sorry," to the girl before she headed out the door. Her first order of business was to go and find another one of their friends to be able to go and help Kat out. She did not want her to be alone right now.

 

[Katalina Harker]

After Lily left Kat was all alone. Might as well get used to it you cow she thought bitterly as she managed to pull herself up off the floor, her whole body still shaking from sobbing. If she could just make it back to her dorm with no questions asked then she would be able to soak in her own remorse and pain in private. At first she could barely put one foot in front of the other, but within seconds she was in a full on sprint towards Gryffindor tower. Oh what a pretty little mess I've made she thought hating herself for all she was and all she had done.