A Date Without James

A boy Ara had talked to a couple of times a supper was walking up to her. It was almost a month after they had broken up, and neither had spoken to one another. Mary had tried so hard to get them to speak, but it just wasn't working. As Scorpius had suspected, their friend group had become fractured, and when they were together, it was awkward and confusing for everyone. Ara and James were the light of the group, and with them both so upset, it was hard for everyone. No one knew what to do, and the events that were about to occur wouldn't help in the matter. 

"Hello, Ara," 

"Hello, Mike." Ara didn't bother smiling at the boy, who had a grin plastered across his face. She was still upset, and everyone knew it. 

"I was wondering if I could sit here?"

"That's fine." Ara moved over a little so that he could take the open spot next to her on the bench, and Scorpius shot the boy a weird look. What was going on?

"I know that it is early to ask this, but there is a Hogsmeade trip this weekend, and seeing as you are not going with James, I thought I could take you," The boy seemed terribly well behaved and arrogant to Scorpius. Ara just looked at him, surprised, though. Was he really asking her on a date? She thought of how terrible it would be, but she wanted James to hurt. She wanted him to understand how awful she felt. He never even looked upset about anything after the night they had broken up. She knew it was a bad idea. She already regretted it, but she couldn't stop herself. 

"Alright," She tried to pull a smile onto her face. Scorpius looked shocked and quickly looked over at the Gryffindor table. He knew that loads of girls had asked him out since his sister had broken up with him, but he had said no to all of them. Scorpius sort of figured Ara would behave the same way. Boy, was he wrong? 

James could sense what was going on over at the other table, and his heart sunk. Maybe she didn't care about him as much he did for her. How could she go on a date with someone other than him?

The weekend came faster than Ara had wanted it to. Mike seemed nice enough, but in reality, she didn't like much about him. He didn't have manners at all. He acted cocky all of the time, and he was always saying things that made her uncomfortable. 

"Hello," Ara had met him at the entrance so they could go to Hogsmeade together. She was not looking forward to this and was regretting everything more by the minute. 

"You're late." Mike frowned at her and grabbed her hand forcefully. She groaned inwardly that she was letting him take her anywhere. He was so rude, and she didn't know how she would put up with him all day. As they walked down through the shops before stopping to get something to eat, all they did was look at things he wanted to look at. 

It didn't get better either when they got to lunch. Mike had ordered for the both of them. 

"I'll have the steak, and she will have the salad." He said, handing the menus to the waitress. Ara could have sworn he winked at her. They were both 5th years. That meant that he was only 15. The women taking their order looked much older, and Ara thought of ways to get out of this. 

"Actually, I wanted to have the fish." Ara looked at the woman with sad eyes. Hopefully, she would understand. 

"No, she'll be having the salad." The waitress looked uncomfortable with the whole situation and just nodded at them both. Ara was about to speak up and tell Mike how rude that was when he said something that shocked Ara right into silence. "Women shouldn't eat meat. It makes them fat, and men don't like that." 

Ara was hating this more and more but was far too scared to leave the table now. She was waiting for this date to be over to back to her dorm and find her brother. Scorpius and Hyperion would set Mike straight. How dare he talk to women that way. 

She didn't say anything the entire time that they ate. In fact, she had been given a salad, and she felt the anger grow inside of her the longer she sat there. All he did was talk about himself and how wonderful he was. 

She looked out the restaurant window and felt her heartbreak even more, when she saw James walking with Lily and Albus. James saw her too, and she felt the tears start to form. He wasn't fairing much better. The tears were hot in his eyes. 

"How is she on a date with him?" James thought out loud. 

"I'm so sorry, James." Lily took her brother's hand and looked at him with sad eyes. In her opinion, Mike was a terrible person, and Lily was upset for her brother and Ara too. She wouldn't want to be on a date with him. 

"It's going to be alright." Albus tried to think of why but couldn't, and he started to wish that he hadn't said anything at all. 

"Why are you looking at him?" Mike was staring at Ara with daggers. She was on a date with him, "You are the one that broke up with him anyway. "You should be listening to me," Ara turned to the boy and was about to start screaming at him when he got up and took her hand, dragging her outside. 

Ara was frozen in fear. What was going on? James would have stopped that behavior toward the girl he loved within an instant, except that he and his siblings had slipped into a store moments earlier, and he had no idea what was going on. 

Mike walked Ara all the way back to the castle, telling her more and more about himself. She just wanted her brothers, and she didn't dare say anything to set him off. When they finally did get back to the Slytherin common room, Mike pulled Ara in and started kissing her. Had he really thought this had gone well? She wiggled her way out of his grip and backed away quickly. 

"Don't touch me!" She had finally found her voice. Mike looked angrier than before, and Ara was truly afraid. This was all her fault, she thought. She was the one that said she would go with him when she knew that he wasn't the best person. She was just so upset with everything. 

"Take one more step toward my sister. I won't bother with my wand." Hyperion was somehow right next to Ara. She relaxed instantly. However, she wasn't sure how he had gotten here. 

Mike just glared at the two of them before going into the common room. 

"Thank you." Ara felt the tears falling down her face. She was so tired of crying. She wanted James and was certain she had ruined it for good now. 

"Come on. Scorpius is in the library." Hyperion put his arm around his crying sister and walked with her in silence to the library.

"Ara?" Scorp ran up to his sister. She still had tears running down her face. She fell into his arms, and he hugged her tight while Hyperion rubbed her back.

"I'll kill him." Scorpius hated anyone that made his sister cry, and he was furious. 

"Please, Scorp. You'll only make it worse." Ara wiped her tears and sat down in one of the chairs. She just wanted to forget this day and date had ever happened. 

"Alright, but he can't go anywhere near you. I won't allow it." 

"James is never going to forgive me now," The sobs returned, and Ara fell back into the chair. She didn't care that other students were looking at her, upset. She was certainly distracting their studying. She didn't care, though. 

"You both need time. Maybe everything will work out." Hyperion tried to think of a way it would. But he just couldn't. 

Ara stopped crying and pulled out a book. The only way she was going to get through this was by throwing herself into something else. She knew the only other thing that would take her mind off James, and the horrible thing she had done to him was studying. 

What a horrible date.