Situations (Jory/Jamie)

[jamie]

Jamie found himself back in the Room of Requirement. He didn't particularly want to revisit this spot, but he seemed like the only place he could meet with Jory without anyone finding out about them. It helped that when Jamie opened the door, the Room looked a lot different than it did the last time he had been there. The last time he was there was when he was with Bill. He wasn't sure if he could even tell Jory about it. I mean, nothing happened...right? He was pretty sure they had been seen considering the latest Prophet article, but at least no one had recognized them. No names were mentioned. Still, Jamie's name had been mentioned. Apparently he was unawares of a love triangle he was supposedly in. Jamie sighed and wondered if Jory had seen the article too. He sat down on the couch that was set in the middle of the room and ran a hand through his hair.

[Jory Addison]

Jory had read the article, and it had immediately plummeted his mood that had been soaring from their last conversation and meeting up with Zilly. Still, he had decided to meet up with Jamie at least one more time to try to figure everything out. Maybe he was just blowing it all out of proportion, or maybe Jamie really was who he had been during their first meeting and Jory had been fooling himself in believing they could work. Whichever it was, he opened the door to the Room of Requirement to see Jamie already sitting there. He took a deep breath and shut the door behind him.

[jamie]

Jamie glanced at the door as he heard it open. A wide grin spread across his face as he saw Jory. He pushed any thoughts about Bill or the Prophet out of his head. All he could think about was how Jory was there and how he always looked so good. "Hey." Jamie said. He stood up and walked towards Jory. He hadn't seen him since that time in the Astronomy Tower. "I missed you." He said sounding as sincere as he felt.

[Jory Addison]

"Hey," Jory breathed, immediately wanting to completely forget his earlier thoughts. "I missed you, too." One hand rested against his own shirt, his fingers running over his newest piercing like he had taken to doing ever since coming back from London. He had a smile on from seeing Jamie's, but it faltered as the initial feeling of seeing him began to fade as his doubts returned.

[jamie]

As Jamie came closer, he noticed Jory’s smile falter and unknowingly his own smile dropped. “What’s wrong?” He asked while reminding himself that what was in the Prophet wasn’t a big deal. Well, not the part when his name was mentioned. He had been with Verity once and only once and it was before that night in the Astronomy Tower anyways. Still, why did Jamie feel so guilty?

[Jory Addison]

"Um..." Jory looked away and brought his free hand up to the back of his neck. He didn't want to think about it. "Who's Verity?" he made himself ask, anyway. He just wanted to know, and maybe this all could be over with soon and he could go back to his, probably naive and ignorant, belief that they were going to work out perfectly.

[jamie]

Jamie had expected the question, hadn’t he? He bit on his lip. “You read the article.” He stated slowly. Of course Jory had read it, it seemed like everyone had read it in that bloody school. “No one.” Jamie said quickly. “She’s no one. Just some new girl. I helped her get the Three Broomsticks fixed up before she opened it.” Jamie should’ve stopped talking because he wasn’t saying anything remotely useful. For some reason, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut so he kept going. “It was in terrible shape.” He added with a hopeful smile. Jamie sighed. It’s not like he had anything to hide, he just couldn’t come out and say what he meant. “Would you like to have a seat?” He asked gesturing to where he had been sitting before.

[Jory Addison]

Jory nodded and didn't say anything else until he was seated, one leg tucked under him with his other foot pulled up to rest on the edge of the couch. "But the article said it wasn't like...it said you guys had been together all over the place." Sure, the column made up stuff from time to time, but it was generally based in fact, wasn't it? Jory just didn't want to get hurt.

[jamie]

Jamie took a seat, but as he listened his eyes grew wider. "All over the place?" He repeated incredulously. "No! Not at all!" Then, Jamie stopped abruptly. He remembered the Common Room, then the Quidditch Pitch, then the Three Broomsticks...it did sound like it was all over the place. He took a deep breath and started at the beginning. Only, when he spoke his voice was fast and rushed. "There was one night in the Common Room. I was drunk and she was there, only nothing happened." Not that he even remembered much. "I mean she kissed me, really came at me, and then just walked away. And then the same thing happened on the Quidditch Pitch, only I wasn't drunk at all." Jamie added sheepishly. "But she came at me again and then walked away. Then I ran into her in Hogsmeade one day and she was trying to fix up the Three Broomsticks, like I said. So I helped her, it was in awful shape." Jamie stopped again and looked uncertain. "Something did happen that time." He added softly. "But it meant nothing. None of it meant anything. It was before..." Jamie's cheeks were flushed and he looked up pleading with his eyes. He had to force himself to keep quiet before he said something even dumber.

[Jory Addison]

Jory was quiet as Jamie spoke and he tried to piece everything together. He remembered Jamie mentioning something about the Three Broomsticks. "I just..." He looked away from Jamie, unable to keep his thoughts straight when he was looking at Jamie. "I don't want to get hurt, and...I want to trust you not to do that." But it was so hard to trust when things happened like that stupid article.

[jamie]

"Hey.." Jamie said reaching a hand out. He cupped his hand under Jory's chin and tilted it upward so Jory would look at him. "I won't hurt you." He promised, refusing to let any nagging thoughts cloud his mind at the moment. "It was nothing, it was foolish, it's not going to happen again." He promised. He offered a small smile.

[Jory Addison]

Jory felt no reason to think Jamie was saying anything but the truth and besides, this was in the past, anyway. "Okay," he said, bringing a small smile to his lips. "Just promise." Hadn't Jamie already promised last time? Yes, but that was then and this was now and Jory needed to hear it again. He didn't know when he would be able to trust without being around Jamie, but he didn't want to feel like he couldn't trust whenever they were apart.

[jamie]

"I promise..." Jamie said, his smile widening as he could feel the tension start to shrink. "...that I won't hurt you, Jory Addison." With that last bit he poked Jory's side playfully. He had wanted to start the entire thing over, let the conversation they just had go. "I missed you." He repeated, still smiling foolishly.

[Jory Addison]

Jory smiled at that and shifted with the light touch at his side. "I missed you, too," he said again. "Guess what?" He figured this would be the best, easiest transition, and his eyes shined brightly with the shift in his thoughts. Before the Prophet article had been great, and he had to tell Jamie about meeting up with Zilly and taking the trip to London.

[jamie]

Jamie noticed the way Jory’s eyes lit up and he relaxed more. “What?” He asked after a moment’s thought. He was ready to forget anything about the Prophet and this seemed like an easy out. By the look on Jory’s face, it was something he was excited about. Jamie rested his elbow on the side of the sofa and rested his head on his hand.