Relaxing

Chase stared up at the blue sky and smiled. Her hand over her stomach, which wasn't visible because of her cloak, but she felt like she could still feel it there. She grinned and laid back, her red hair fanning out around her face as she stretched out in the grass. There was just so much to be happy for. She had the most amazing guy as her boyfriend right now. She hadn't had any problems in school that she knew of. Of course she was KINDA almost failing Herbology, but that didn't really matter right then.

Chase smiled and closed her eyes, feeling a gentle breeze stir the grass around her. The Lake was beautiful today, and even though it was getting cold out really fast. Today was actually rather warm, though not warm enough for her to take her cloak off for. Chase sat up and looked around carefully. Someone was watching her, she could feel it, it was in her bones, like someone was staring at her. "Hello?" She cried out, her hand going to her wand. She couldn't be attacked, not again. Not Nerezza, not now! She jumped up and spun around in a circle. "Show yourself, I'm not afraid to use this wand.." She said pointing around her in all directions.

It was these circumstances that something always popped up on her. Something that always hurt her, scarred her, scared her. She wouldn't lose the baby, she wouldn't let anything hurt her anymore. Luckily it wasn't night time and she could see, in fact it was near noon on a Saturday, but that didn't stop her from being afraid of the feeling of being watched, it chilled her to the core, knowing that something was there, looking at her, and she couldn't see it.

Peter had found himself in a very precarious situation, a dangerous dilemma... Already! It did not take him long to get wrapped up in drama it seemed. Adam was that guy. The guy that fell head over heels in love at first sight. Peter was finding his affections growing for Amelia Lyons, and while she was complicated and guarded, she was not dramatic. The situation was normal.

It had started off like these things do. He had met her and been intrigued. So he went and brought her name up once or twice. It was obvious Amelia was not one to get along peachy keen with her peers, mostly because they simply did not want to deal with her icy exterior. But a gossipy Slytherin had informed Peter that the only one to get close to melting that ice seemed to be some guy named Elijah.

Then Peter was curious. What had happened, then? He had to know. So his inquiries included the name 'Amelia' less, and included 'Elijah Krum' more and more. And what he found made his stomach turn over. A womanizer, the guy who drank and smoked, who drew nude pictures of women he then shagged and left. Who took a relationship, who took the heart of a woman, and was fine with treating it like yesterday's newspaper.

But the thing that hurt him most was the fact that Elijah had gotten some girl pregnant and was now dating her, though the word on the street was that he still had affection for Amelia. At first, only that part got a rise out of Peter. Peter had known Amelia enough now to not want her hurt, but the name of the other girl made everything worse.

Chase Moor. Adam's beloved.

Peter could not be quiet now. He had not told Adam, for fear of Adam trying to kill this Krum character, but he found it his duty as a friend to weigh in the situation. He had only spoken to Chase once, but he knew, for her sake and for Adam's, he needed to intervene. It may not be his place, but Peter was a pacifist and he did not want to see anyone hurt.

He had been watching her from a ways off, but she had sensed him and freaked out, jumping u and brandishing her wand. He strode forward, smiling. "I am so very sorry! I did not mean to startle you! Do you remember me? Peter- Adam's friend? I have been looking for you. I want to talk to you about something."

Chase suddenly felt her guard drop when Peter walked up. "Oh! Hey Peter, I'm so sorry, I kinda freaked out there." She said with a smile. "Once about a year ago, I was on the grounds when I got attacked... it wasn't very pretty, two Death Eater kids, who thought it was funny to beat up and run, leaving me and my boyfriend at the time nearly dead." She smiled lightly like it didn't even bother her anymore. "I'm used to being attacked I guess, at least it learned me to stay on my guard out here." She laughed lightly, until she saw the look on his face, and she let the look drain.

"I'm sorry, I just rambled, somethings the matter." She said looking concerned now. "Is everything alright Peter? I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, sit down, talk to me." She said sitting down on the grass again and patting it near her. A small breeze drifted over them and she shivered lightly, not really caring for the wind, but not really worrying about it to much. Winter would soon be upon them, and now as a good time to get in a last few rays. She let her hand rest over her stomach for a long moment before she sat up straighter and crossed her legs, staring at him. "Now tell me what's wrong luv." She said with a gentle smile, the smile she would have given a patient in the Hospital if she were a healer, about to hear their life story, a kind smile of someone who had never done something wrong on purpose to anybody, without immediately feeling bad about it.

Peter winced at the story, feeling even worse that he did not bear some sort of good news for this girl who had obviously gone through more than any young lay should. "Oh, dear. I apologize. I did not know. Eef I knew zese people, I would make sure to not let them go unpunished. I am sorry such a bad thing 'appened to to you." He sighed, hating what he was about to do.

Her kindness only made him feel worse, and she sat down, patting a spot for him to join her. He could understand why Adam would like her. She was a sunny person who seemed to have no capacity to be cruel or mean. This basically made him feel like the worst, the most evil person on the face of the earth in this moment. But if it was Amelia and not Chase, Peter would want someone to spare her. So, he would do what he could.

He sighed and sat. "Zank you. I 'ave recently developed an interest in a girl here, named Amelia Lyons." He figured he should be honest with her, seeing as what he was about to do. "And like any paranoid teenage boy, I asked around about 'er to learn what I may need to know. And I found out about a boy in 'er life who did not treat 'er ze way I theenk she, and every other girl, deserves to be treated."

He swallowed. "And I 'ave 'eard 'e 'as not changed, and 'e 'as even tried to get on her good side as well. To try to convince 'er 'e still likes 'er. And this boy... ees Elijah Krum. "Oo, eef I am not mistaken, you are involved with..." He did not want to say having the child of... It made it a million times worse...

Chase tilted her head to one side as he spoke, listening with a mild curiosity, but a light disbelieving air. "I understand.. that Elijah has a... reputation with females.." She said carefully choosing her words as she tried to defend Elijah. "I myself looked him up after meeting him, and... well I didn't like what I saw to be honest, but you see, he's changed! He's... he's been so kind to me, he's gotten me some really well needed contacts, some support, help, friends. Things I haven't had for so long, he's gotten for me.. and not a month ago, he told me he loved me.... which he hasn't said to anyone." She smiled at him lightly and reached forward, patting his hand.

"I appreciate you telling me this Peter, I really do, and I know this concerns a girl you like too, I haven't had the pleasure in meeting Amelia outside of class yet, but from what I've seen she's a very nice girl, and you two would be great together. But I promise you, Elijah has changed for the better. He would never leave me for someone else, especially for a girl who has such a charming guy already." She smiled at him, but this time it was a bit more strained, obviously she was trying to keep back the hurt that she knew was coming to her. "But he has changed Peter, I'm sure of it.. he has to have changed.. he just.. he has to have..." She said with another forced smile.

It was killing Peter, it really was, but he saw it in her eyes. She was not convinced by her own feeble arguments. She wanted to believe it, he could see the earnest and the hope in her eyes, that feeling that she needed to be able to believe her words, that she needed to trust the boy who had gotten her pregnant, but somehow... he knew she knew... She just was not ready to sacrifice her hope and her happiness for it. And he felt rotten, knowing he had to convince her too, for he won good.

"Chase... I..." He sighed. Her kindness made this torture to him. How could he be so cruel to someone so happy and nice? Though he knew the cruelest thing was to let her go without knowing the truth, and be blind sighted later. "I 'ave spoken to your old friend Jack 'oo has spoken to 'im recently. She said 'e was acting rather 'ostile towards you. And I 'ave made contacts with some of the more informed 'Ogwarts students... 'E has recently told Amelia 'e still 'as feeling for 'er and is with you for ze baby only."

He quickly shook his head, saying. "Zis may be 'eresay, but from what I know, eet ees not. And anyone 'oo ees like zis does not deserve your affection. Not while zere are people lining up to even speak to you, let alone 'ave the 'onor to be your friend or more. I theenk 'e ees not good for you."

Chase shook her head. "No.." She said softly, closing her eyes and her hands clenched into fists. "No... he loves me... he does, he told me, he never says that to anyone.." She could feel her hands start to shake, and could feel her nails digging into her palms almost to the point of bleeding, but she just couldn't believe it, this was a dream, no not a dream. This was a nightmare, she was having a nightmare, but the pain in her palms was telling her it wasn't. "Peter... how can I believe you? He's the only one I have!" She said spinning to look at him, her eyes sharp and fiery. "He's done so much for me.. how can I.. I can't.." She shook her head and stood up. "Amelia... the baby.." She stopped and stared down at him.

No one knew about the baby... and yet.. Peter knew, that meant that at least some of what he had heard must be true. It must be because it wasn't common knowledge that she was pregnant, it wasn't like it was out there for everyone to see, she looked just like everyone else. It wasn't the way she walked, it wasn't anything, someone was telling the truth, someone realized that Elijah was only in it for the baby, and had sent Peter to tell her. She collapsed back onto the ground and stared at the lake with an almost defeated look in her eyes. "Peter... my family was murdered this summer... my boyfriend broke up with me, my best friend abandoned me, I've been tortured, strangled, nearly killed more times then I can count.. but do you know what the worst hurt of all is? Knowing that you're right, and knowing that I knew that for a long time, but I haven't been able to convince myself that it was true.." She said her voice showing that she was clearly about to cry now. She looked at him and then threw her arms around him and cried. "What do I do Peter? Oh what do I do?"

Peter saw it on her face and it broke his good-natured, kindly heart. He did not like seeing people upset. He was a cheery person, relying on jokes and manners to get him through life. He acted like a goofball to keep people smiling, simply because he did not know what to do when they were anything less than happy, anything less than content.

But he had brought this about. He had told her what she had already known. But he had been the one to burst her bubble. To bring reality crashing down on her. To drag her out of the dark and into the light... or the opposite. He wished he could let her delusions, her hope, her false happiness continue, but that would be even crueler.

She flung herself onto him and he stuck out his arms awkwardly. His first instinct was to comfort her, but that was not his place. He had too many conflicting obligations. On one hand, he cared for Amelia and did not want to become like her last guy, paying more care to other girls rather than her. And to Adam; what would he say if he saw this?

Peter awkwardly patted her head and then gripped her shoulders. "'Ey..." He lightly pulled her away from him, bracing her shoulders and staring at her "I know eet is not easy. I know. But zere are people who care about you. I do not theenk I can attend to you ze way someone else can. I know Adam cares for you very deeply. Even Jack seems to still care. You 'ave people 'oo care very much for you."

Chase wiped her eyes on her sleep as he pulled her away from him. He was right, of course he was. But there was so much that she had to deal with, so much that she had brought upon her self. If only she hadn't of opened that door, where would she be right now? Single, but happy. A family at home, she would be happy. But she HAD opened the door, and now... now she was paying the price. "Adam?" She hiccuped, wiping away a tear from her eye. "But Adam..." She stopped and looked at Peter. "Oh..." She said as though suddenly realizing it. "Adam?" She said her eyes wide again. "But he.. I mean.. He.. Oh..." She looked down at herself and then looked up at Peter again, confused and upset at the same time.

"He was always so nice to me... so... nice, and happy, and.." She suddenly dissolved into tears again, only this time she didn't fling herself at Peter, this time, she merely looked down and let the tears flow down her face, landing gently on her lap. "You don't know how it felt... to be standing there, waiting for the guests to arrive, and feel his arms around you, he makes you feel like the luckiest person in the world. Knowing that YOU.. You of all people got HIS attention. He makes you want that attention, pine for that attention.. and then.. he drops you down a hole of despair. He lets you suffer, and enjoys it." Chase wiped at her tears, but they kept coming, her face continually pointed at her lap.

"The day he said I love you, I caught him flirting with a girl he said was just his friend, right behind my back... he stares at women's breasts, he flirts, he woos, he does everything he can to get them in bed with him.. he makes a game of it, because you feel special when he actually does get you in bed. You feel like you are the only one in his life.. and then..." She had to collect herself and then looked up at Peter. "Can you.. can you take me to Adam? I'd like to talk to him please." She said softly, tears running down her cheeks still.

Peter watched her and nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. He had seem a few boys like that at Beauxbatons, had watched even the strongest of girls fall to their trick, bend beneath the pressure the boys managed to apply. Make them feel privileged to even have an open relationship. Privileged to be one of many girls.

Peter reminded himself to send a jinx to those fools.

He patted Chase's back and nodded, "I know... I know..." He did not know what more to say. He could not take back anything, he was already a stranger trespassing too much on this situation. If he said more, he would be crossing lines he had never intended to near. At her words, he nodded and helped her up, pulling her up by the elbow. He knew Adam would know what to do... "C'mon, 'e is at ze carriage."