Where do we go from Here?

[Jessica Reed]

Most students had gone and left Hogwarts to spend Christmas with their families which left Jessica one of the few who stayed behind. She was aware that her brother was back and she really did want to catch up with him on his rise to fame but the thought of packing was enough to make her miss out on seeing him. Besides, after last weeks incident at the Yule Ball, Jessica badly needed this time alone to think. She didn't know what on earth it was the crossed her mind when she kissed Jacob, her best friend of all time. Not only had she kissed him once, but she kissed him twice! She knew she wrecked his relationship with his girlfriend but that wasn't what bothered her, it was that she might have lost her best friend because of their stupid actions. It was rare that a pair of friends recovered from a stunt like that, so why would they be any different?

Jessica slid down the trunk of an old oak tree, allowing the pieces of bark to snag onto her t-shirt as her bottom hit the warm grass. The lake looked beautiful this time of year, it was about the only time she visited the usually crowded place. It seemed to dispend a certain glow as tiny water droplets evaporated off the surface of the water. The sun was beginnning to set leaving the sky a violent mixture of purples of pink. Temperature was slowly cooling and so Jessica was perfectly content in her jeans. She brought a black polished fingernail to her lips and bit down on the tip as thoughts of Jake entered her head once more. The boy didn't seem to leave her mind which made her more angry at him, it was bad enough that he cast her aside like some sort of ragdoll but the fact that he seemed to cling to her thoughts made the situation worse. She let out a brief sigh as she dropped her hand to her side and there her fingers fumbled with a loose thread on her t-shirt. She was a completely alone apart from a romancing couple by the lake itself, but Jessica was too far away and too mad at a boy for them to bother her. And so, she simply turned up her music on her muggle music device, hoping that maybe that would block Jake from her head, even if it was just for a few minutes.

 

[Jacob Holland]

The week back to Hogwarts hung endlessly in the air like a needle poking at his side telling Jake it was time to get up for the oncoming lessons. As if that wasn't enough to torture him for the next few weeks of hard studies and boring assignments that only kept him awake at night. Unfairly did he ever get a wink of goodnight sleeps. Something else was left unfinished before the break departed leaving him to his lonesome thoughts. Did he forget about the events that had taken place at the Yule Ball? Never. Lost and unsure where his mind was, he let his emotions take over before anything else. Jake needed to look for Jessica. Explain his cause of action had merely been out of lust. And years of wander come into play, and beg for his best friend forgiveness? Its not easy coming back from that. Any guy would tell you it was a lost cause. Deep down inside were the pit of his stomach dwell, he wish he could've taken that night of sweetness back before it happen. Jake wanted Jess as a friend and Kat as his girlfriend. Nothing should change, though his mind wander deep in thoughts. The What ifs never will go away and he knew it was gonna be an awkward ride. Jake could already by the tension that was building up out of spinal cord and into the tightening of his shoulder. Jake had to look for Jessica, fast before it was to late.
For a half hour he discovered Gryffindor's turf walking up and down the corridors. His flat converse making less sounds, the soles of the shoes not having any grip made him less noticeable to other older students. Now the young girly ones would stop and stare, questioning why a tan masculine Slytherin was up here and not down in the dungeons were he ought to be. Jake ignore them, honey optics focus elsewhere till he saw Victor his club mate walked by. With a few exchanging of words and a warm welcoming back, Victor explain to Jake, Jess wasn't here. Last time he spotted her going out the crowded common, it had been chaotic hence Victor believe she wanted piece and quiet.
Jake quickly thank the fifteen year old, waving off a quick farewell before he absent mindly walked around the castle's corridors. Not a spot of the familiar amber flecks or hazel optics who he would recognize from across the room. How could he forget anything about her? There went his thoughts thinking about her cause him to detour the school grounds some more...Till he found himself giving up.
Jake reached the school's exit, where can she be? Is she mad at him seriously? Did she go back to Boston? This had the young man pondering, deliberating why hadn't he took the course of action before Jake took off after Kathryn. He hadn't been thinking, everything had been screwed up. Jake was taking the fall now it was time to apologize.

 

[Jessica Reed]

The sun had long since settled and Jessica decided it was time to leave as the air around her became much cooler. She stood up and tightened her arms around her slender frame in attempts to keep some of the heat in her body. She made her way quickly through the grounds up to the entrance of the castle. Taking the steps two at a time, watching her feet as she did so, she was alarmed to see a shadow reflected down on the steps. She quickly looked up to see only the boy that she couldn't stop thinking about. She stood on the step below him and stared up at Jake. His large frame drowning her more than it usually had. Jessica pulled out the blaring earphones from her ears, allowing them to dangle over the collar of her t-shirt. She dared meet his eyes and without a smile on her face she mumbled a quick, "Hey."

She rubbed her arms vigourously as a cool breeze swept by them feeling the sudden coolness begin to take hold of her. Her tone carried no sort of anger or hatred yet it was not how she would normally great her friend. She was merely just acknowledging his presence, there towering over her. She took a glance up at the castle never really having appreciated it from this side. She only ever stood on these steps when she raced to her next class that she was already several minutes late for. She took a glance back at Jacob before staring down at her converse hoping that whatever it was that he would say would be quick.

 

[Jacob Holland]

The night's air circulated his surroundings bringing a slow breeze of tranquilizing comfort to Jake. Everyone else who patrol the school grounds were either shivering from the brisk chill, or were embracing the very little body heat they can afford to penetrate with the shelter of their own arms wrapped around them. Jake stood still on the steps for mere than a few seconds when a light creamy face came into the focus and the familiar flock of amber hair were drawn down past her shoulders, her arms entwined with one another, hands rested at the elbows told him she had been out here long enough and was seeking refugees from the Summer's night. Jake would've taken a step aside, but the blunt emotions that broke across her face held him down to were he was standing. He rejected the idea of moving till what had to be said become undone, whatever happens be sure not to regret this he thought, exhaling slowly as he meet her bleek optics.
"Hey to you too..." as awkward it may seem or plain stupid he sounded, part of Jake couldn't help but unfold his old characteristics when he was around Jessica. She may have been angry with what he cause, Jake discover it was harder to be serious when all he wanted was to crack Jokes and get in details about qudditch with Jess. Though his silent demeanor never change nor did his posture, but his fingers flicked every now and than. It moderate the feeling of knowing he was still alive and breathing, Jake was still capable of understanding of what was going on. With great amount of courage he felt his limb of athletics legs pushed down the few flights of steps in attempt to close the gap between them. "Can we talk?" he gesture before she turn around and stalk away. It was now or never for him, get it over with it and hope that Merlin would answer his wish tonight. Or will he soon come to reality of actually losing a friend....

 

[Jessica Reed]

When Jake asked her if they could talk, it was a sure sign that things weren't so hot for the pair of friends. 'Can we talk?' was the breakup line and even though she wasn't in a relationship with Jake she was pretty sure she would get all the bullsh*t lies that followed the three worded question that seemed to sink every girls heart. So, Jessica was in the right mind to avoid the awkward conversation and refuse his wish to talk to her, but he was her best friend and as stubborn as she was, she would do anything for him and so she simply nodded, "Yeah." Her grey eyes watched him beginning to walk down the steps for her to follow. She let out a tired sigh and dropped her arms to her side.

The silence was easily broken by Jessica's blaring yet muffled music from her earphones. It took her a few hurried steps to fall in line with Jacob but she managed to do so pretty quickly. She stared straight ahead, not a word escaping her lips. If Jake wanted to talk so much then he could be the first to do it. Besides, it was him that needed to apologise, all she did was kiss him back. He was the one who kissed her first, who abandoned her just as quick and who was making her stay out in the cool breeze that was making small goosebumps begin to rise up her arms. Staring at her feet as they took each widened step to mimic Jake, she waited patiently for him to say something, something she hoped would bring back some normality between the two.

 

[Jacob Holland]

Distant sounds came unexpectedly, straining the awkward silence to some type of comfort suitable in his favor. Jake honey orbs floated passed his shoulder, were Jess was a couple steps behind from his align stride. Heads sets fell down her side, the cause of what he just heard a minute. Alternative music played in the background, a band Jake sure he wasn't familiar with trash out loud enough for them to hair. Long as got her attention, he didn't mind who was playing, besides he was hopping for short and sweet. Maybe not sweet, but less tension. "About the Yule ball? Right?..." words didn't come to mind or explain what he was trying to say. Saying sorry was getting old, maybe a beat down sound better than feeling the guilt sweat run down his face. Jake huffed than sighed. She fncking hates me came in mind when he looked back at his old best, who sang that again? Not the point Jake! Right, now he's arguing with himself?
"Look for the sake of it, can we just be friends Jess? I mean like old times?" he began his long null apology. Will someone just kick me the guts or something! "I mean how did you feel about what happen?" a buzzard question, but it was something he truthfully wanted to know. He fail to think about what might happen if she said something negative and that be his downfall. Still some form of emotions was building up and he didn't have a clue what to think maybe? Kinda felt like a blind shot, if anyone was to ask how that felt.

 

[Jessica Reed]

[sorry for only posting now ]

Jessica let her head roll to the side as Jacob asked the rethorical and stupid question of wheter it was about the Yule Ball. What else were they going to be talking about? She knew she shouldn't have been this mad at him, he didn't deserve that, but that there was no controlling Jessica Reed when she was angry. She refused to answer his question on wheter they could just be friends because it was obvious they would still remain friends, but they couldn't just bounce back to being best friends after what happened between them. They couldn't just ignore the fact that the kiss they shared felt beyond perfect. Well, Jessica couldn't and so those were her reasons for not answering his second question. He went on to ask how she felt about what happened, a dangerous choice of question, but one she was willing to answer.

The cool breeze swept through her raven hair, she brought her hand to her left eye rubbing it ceasing the itch that she felt, causing the dark make up to smudge onto the tips of her fingers. "The kiss itself or the abandonment?" She asked in return, her words sharp and quick. "The kiss felt great...but the way I was cast aside without further explanation wasn't so hot." Her laid-back American accent contained an obvious emotion of annoyance. She jammed her lips shut tightly almost as if to stop her from saying anything else. The two teenagers were left in a short-lived silence as one song ended and another began. "Just to clear things up. I don't feel that way about you." She looked up at his tall frame, her eyes meeting his side profile. She was certainly glad that she didn't feel that way about Jacob because he clearly was a heartbreaker. She promised herself right there and then, that she would never fall under Jacob's charms knowing to well from the night of the Yule Ball, that he was too tempermental. She had him just as quickly as she lost him.

 

[Jacob Holland]

[Its cool no biggie]

Jessica was quick to ignore his first few questions but than attack his actions without no remorse of what she was saying to him. Yeah he would admit being wrong, being a douche bag for taking advantage of his best friend and for hurting his girlfriend. Hasn't he suffered enough? With Kathryn slapping him right after he kissed her and than Jake having to force himself halfway across the world to apologize endlessly to Kathryn before she sympathetically took him back. Now his friend was taking a bit shot to lower gut, and let me tell you for a guy it hurt just as being kicked in the groin. Nice. "I didn't plan that to happen it just did" he shot back with an enticing glare and his demeanor still as he looked down at Jessica. "Was just gonna apology to you, not if you felt anything for me" he sounded a little hurt, but his pride was to strong, he wasn't gonna showcase that sort of emotion in front of Jess, her attitude pretty much sucked.
"Guess I'll be seeing you around much?"he side stepped away from her, his shoulders slumps while he dug his hands into the depths of his denim jeans and walked away. That was far enough for him to mess up something bad. Jake's pride always came first before anything, he felt enough was thrown out worthlessness, he saved himself from the dispute. Whatever it didn't matter anymore, forget she even goes to this school Jake, she will never understand you.

 

[Jessica Reed]

Jessica kept her eyes locked on Jacobs, her focus never left his harshly spoken words, words that she did in fact deserve. Her self-centredness blocked her from seeing this, of course. What he said next was a serious slap in the face for both her and their friendship. Her eyebrows fell from their angered furrow, her lips loosened from their tight scowl and her racing heart sank in her chest. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, allowing her best friend to walk away. Her grey eyes danced in a panic around her as she frantically thought of something to do. He was walking away from her, maybe for good? She didn't know. But what she did know was that she was about to allow her stubborness to take the back seat for the first time.

And so, in an angered and paniced rage she quickly closed the gap between them and slammed her fists hard onto his upper back, forcefully putting all her anger into that one hit. "So you're just walking away?!" She yelled, hurt obtaining the main emotion in her voice, anger followed. She panted heavily her bottom lip quivering, "After all that we've been through?" She spoke softly and her closed fists fell to her sides, her voice was almost pleading but still a whisper amongst their quiet surroundings. The fact that he was just about to walk out on her with such ease left her hurt and unsure, unsure of their friendship and unsure of Jacob. Someone she thought she knew better then she knew herself. Her judgement on her friend was muddled and that very moment, she thought of better times with Jake. How she longed to be back in that place.

 

[Jacob Holland]

Jake caught the movement lurking behind him by the corner of his eyes. To bad he was to slow to respond or contemplating his next move. He felt her fist coiled against his upper torso, his back receiving her reckless blows. Jake seriously thought for that second if she wasn't a female what would've he done than. To bad Jessica wasn't, plus she wasn't just any female, she was still his best friend. Jake turn slightly, not entirely facing the grey iris of his best friend. Instead he stood bane tempting to lose control but he hadn't move an inch. "Why do you care if I leave or not? Didn't you just say you didn't feel the same way about me?" it was something stupid to say. Jake just probably confused even more. He was going nowhere with this, his choice was either to stay and listen. Or run and leave her be. When your limited to choice and the guilt suppress you, no point in walking away now. Buck up and face her like the man you want to be.
Jake turn some more to face her. His thoughts raced endlessly, his temper still at mild heat. He waited to see what she wanted to say to him. To feel all her wrath and maybe later rebound from the said damage. "Look it happen okay, there's nothing we can do..." he round his lip slightly, his blood racing rushing towards the center of his chest. He swear he could feel the vein on the side of his skin prickle up towards his collarbone. He could feel some nerve trigger from his fingers and slide up to his tone elbows. He felt everything right now, his eyes avoiding her stares as they fell slightly along her slender shoulder.
"Let's forget about it and go back to the way things were meant to be. I don't want to ruin what we all have" he drag on more of what he'd had to say. If he said anything, Jake would be risking of losing Jessica as a friend forever. If that's the case, his relationship with Kathryn will descent just the same. There was more to like than chasing after pretty skirts and good looks. Jake had his plans set after Hogwarts, dealing with childish drama didn't revolve around it.