The Perks Of Popularity

Since the Christmas Party Cupid had climbed the social hierarchy almost to the top. Wherever he went there would be no doubting the fact he'd receive a pat on the back from a sixth year Hufflepuff, or a 'Hi, Cupid!' as he headed towards his next class. For once student life was perfect for the Slytherin, it was exactly what he had intended. Popularity at Hogwarts mean't he'd automatically be recognised in the wizarding world, or so Cupid thought. Besides, even if he had to work much harder than throwing a talked about party in the real world there was no reason not to enjoy the perks that his recent popularity had gained him.

A fellow Slytherin, sixth year prefect, had offered Cupid the password to the prefects bathroom when he'd overheard him complaining about how the showers had been cold as of late.
'The prefects bathroom always has warm water.' The prefect had advertised before offering the boy the password. Despite being popular Cupid obviously had to offer something in return, there never any generous Slytherins. To brag about him to a girl, Vivianna Varnes. It appeared the prefect liked her for some reason Cupid didn't know, nor was he that interested in the likes of Varnes and her activities. He'd return the favor of course, why wouldn't he? It could sprout another window of opportunity.

The prefect, whose name surpassed Cupid, wasn't kidding. The water was warm. Why was it the prefects had the best bathroom in the school? For studying hard, snitching on students, being a goodie two shoes? There was nothing special about any of those traits, yet here they were with a swimming pool-like bath tub that ran multicoloured water and foamed the entire pool. This was luxurious.

Putting his feet flat against the side wall, his hand stretched behind him gripping hold of the edge tightly, Cupid kicked off hard and pushed his way playfully through the foam bubbles. He wasn't the most keen of swimmers, the Slytherin much rather would play and splash about, which is exactly how he would be spending his time there!

Shane needed a place to get away, his hands had been full alot lately, and he needed some time alone.  From being a werewolf and turning during full moons to taking care of Katie, he was just tired and beat. Not that he minded either one of them, he just needed to relax.  

What better place then the Prefect bathroom? Of course Shane and the others managed to get the password when they heard another prefect tell the other one the password a few years back.  They been using it for there own advantage though and been doing it since there fifth year. Although they were all on the quidditch team so it wasn't like it mattered anymore, and plus they really didn't have prefects and heads anymore so it wasn't like the bathroom was getting good used like it used to.

Smirking to himself, Shane snuck into the bathroom and removed the Disillusionment Charm from himself.  Hearing the water already was on, Shane froze for a minute before he seen a familiar blond splashing around in the water.

Walking towards Cupid he seen the young boy's eyes widened in terror he laughed.  "Relax there Cupid, I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to relax."said Shane calmly.  "May I join you?"Shane asked pointing to the water that had bubbles surround it. Plus he needed to relax, and plus it gave him a chance to speak to him about Katie. He was sure the young boy was confused about Katie, Shane was here to help him clear that up. Although he didn't know until now though, but hey better now then never right?

Although Shane knew why he looked so scared, Katie haven't been doing good lately,  so he figured him and the guys would be after him.   That was the furthest thing from his mind even though he had thought about it at times.  Although he was a bit curious of how he really felt about Katie, maybe he could have a man to man talk with Cupid. Maybe it'll give him a better understanding why Katie was so upset and the way she was.  He was sure that Cupid didn't understand,  Katie was a VERY emotional girl, she went through alot lately.

Alot of people were telling Katie to get over herself, but they didn't know what she went through so Shane and the others simply told them off.   Katie wouldn't had told the him and the others if she wasn't so close to them and knew she could trust them.  Shane haven't told a soul about Katie's secret, but maybe it was time if Cupid kept it secret.

The sound of the door closing alerted Cupid. Standing up mid swim he waded his way to the side of the pool ready to reach for his towel if necessary. It had suddenly struck the Slytherin that he'd made no escape plan if he were to get caught, there was the option of pretending he was a prefect but Cupid doubted he could pull that off given he wouldnt have been to any of the meetings.

A sigh of relief. It was Shane Diamond who Cupid knew not to be a prefect. Not that that was any better than a prefect, the tranquil time the Slytherin had been expecting was starting to see his original plan fade out of view, replaced with another uncomfortable five minutes before he could leave. It'd look rude if he left immediately.

Relax there Cupid, I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to relax.

Cupid frowned. What made Shane say such a thing, did he expect him to be scared? Unless the thought of leaving had been read in his face. Although Cupid was a Slytherin he was almost a Gryffindor, no surprises considering his bold nature and sense of adventure.

'Sure.' Cupid replied, edging his body down into the water so only his head was no visible. Staring at the stained glass window engraved with the image of a sleeping mermaid distracted him for a moment from the uncomfortable knot in his stomach. Now Cupid realised why Shane would expect him to be scared. He was 'one of the guys' Katie always talked about and they no doubt was aware of why Katie had done what she did. Thankfully Shane wouldn't be talking about his fellow fifth year, or at least Cupid hoped so.

"Thanks!"said Shane softly before he flicked his wand as he changed into some swimming trunks. Slipping into the water, Shane started relaxing as the hot water hit his tense body. "So... how do you discover the great prefect bathroom?"Shane asked him smirking. Shane thought it was funny that Cupid found it the same age he found and discovered the bathroom.

Shane wasn't a prefect and neither was Cupid, but here they were in the prefects bathroom enjoying and relaxing to a hot bath. "Here to get away from the world as well?"Shane asked him curiously. There was alot going on for Shane, to these decrees to wondering if he was going to be next in line to have to get married. It was a bit overwhelming sitting and waiting to see who the ministry paired him off with! Not that he was going to marry them, he simply loved Olivia and her only.

Shane honestly didn't know why he told Cupid he wasn't going to hurt him, alot of people think Gryffindors and Slytherins didn't get along so they always fought. That wasn't always the case, Shane gotten along with quite a bit of Slytherins.

(ooc: if you want to mention Katie I don't mind, itd make Cupid feel awkward, but given what has happened I am fine it being avoided)

His attention was drawn back to Shane as he submerged himself into the water too, all Cupid hoped is that he wouldn't wee in the pool-bath. Ever since he was a child he had worried about people peeing in the pool if only he could remember why, probably Becca had said it to wind him up before a swimming lesson one time. Cupid wasn't the best swimmer but he enjoyed it, they had a pool at home. Not that anybody urinated there but at the public muggle swimming baths where he'd learnt... Well.

'I did a deal with a friend.' Cupid replied, he didn't feel the need to explain the deal after all Shane may not know who the Slytherin prefect, although he had made a mental note to pass on the gossip to Becca that the sixth year had a crush on Vivianna Varnes. Becca probably wouldn't care but Cupid was hardly one to keep a secret.

'Yeah I suppose, I can't believe they get a pool. It kind of makes me want to be a prefect now so I can use it all the time.' Not that he wouldn't be using it a lot of the time now he'd discovered the password but there would always be a risk an actual prefect would show up. 'Have you ever been caught by a prefect?' He asked, wanting to know how bad the consequence could be.

((OOC: Shane would bring Katie up, but he's not going to do it like that, he's going to do it in a different way!))

Shane chuckled at his question. "Yeah we did a couple of times, but over the years me and the guys became masters at sneaking around!"said Shane smirking. "Although... Katie gotten caught a couple of times..."said Shane before pausing. It was a touchy subject for all of them, talking about Katie. "So um... just curious, but how are you and Katie?"Shane asked him curiously. "Last I heard you two were at each others throats, what happened?"Shane asked.

Shane knew he was pushing it, but he was curious to know what happened to the two friends that were almost attached at the hip and did almost everything together! If Shane didn't know better, he'll say both of them like each other although they are denying it. It was obvious Katie liked him, but he could tell that Cupid had some feelings for her or else he would of let her go a long time ago. Katie was a very difficult girl at times, she was hard to explain or get at times, sometimes Shane himself didn't get her! She just suffered from abandonment issue and took a turn for the worse, but now she's getting the help she needs.

Although he haven't seen Katie in a few days though, but he knew she was at therapy getting the helps she needs. She sends him and the guys letters updating on how she was doing. Shane was pleased to see that she was slowly starting to go back to her old self, he could simply see that even if it was through her letters. Although Shane couldn't wait for her to come back, the guys were planning a surprise party for her comeback. He was sure Katie was going to thrilled about it, seeing how it's a party welcoming her home.

Cupid thought for a moment as Shane spoke about his own adventures. He wasn't that far from being a Gryffindor himself. One of his favourite pasttimes was to explore the castle, discover new passage ways, stroll up secret staircases and even come across new portraits of famous wizards. Hopefully Cupid would have a portrait of himself hanging on the halls sometime in the future, maybe not just in Hogwarts either.

Katie. Cupid had wondered how long it was going to be before Shane had brought her up and evidently that time had come. The Slytherin didn't want to talk about her, not even to Becca anymore, he had more pressing problems. For starters it turned out he had a half sister who, despite Becca saying she has nothing to do with them, Cupid couldn't help but continue thinking the thought that she lives with the man he had always wanted to know.

'Yeah we did get into a bit of an argument.' Cupid told Shane, pausing unaware if he should continue. When it came to sharing secrets Cupid was the man. He could worm them out of people eventually, he wasn't an obvious manipulative mastermind but it was there within him. The Slytherin would even happily share his discovers, he never had been one to keep a secret but his own? Cupid always worried about sharing his secrets in case people did what he did: spread them.

He didn't want to tell Shane, no doubt he'd already heard Katie's version of events. So why not talk to him then? You have nothing to lose. Cupid mused. It was true, most people knew of their argument in the courtyard it wasn't exactly a secret. Besides he could use this time to settle the waters, make Shane see another side to the story.

'She said I wasn't paying her enough attention after the party.' He began, looking down at the ripples in the pool the Slytherin was forming with his finger. 'I don't see how though. We went home the next day and I sent her a Christmas present and asked to meet up with her in Hogsmede. Then she flipped out.'

Cupid sighed.

'Since then she hasn't really spoken to me properly, apart from when we kind of, uh, bickered a bit in the courtyard.' Cupid was about to go into a storm of complaining about Katie, say how much she had overdramatised the situation, made him out to be the bad guy but given to who the fifth year was talking too, Cupid decided against.

Shane listened to Cupid's side of the story, something he wanted for awhile. What made Shane want to laugh is what Cupid knew little about girls. Girls were complicated to understand, they had so many emotions that guys didn't have, which made guys like him and Cupid frustrated. "Girls are complicated to understand Cupid, especially Katie since she has abandonment issue."said Shane sighing. "Maybe once she comes back, you can prove to her that you were always there for her and never left her as she felt you did when she needed you the most."said Shane softly. "Katie is very stubborn indeed, she hides so many emotions Cupid, she just wants someone to call her friend which she never truly had due to her getting bullied alot."said Shane.

He could tell that Cupid was frustrated with Katie, he could simply tell that just by looking at him. "Don't give up on Cupid, times like this is when you really need to be there for her."said Shane softly. "I think she thinks she feels like she isn't worthy enough for you, seeing how she said you haven't went to any of her late night meetings at the lake and you haven't been hanging with her like you have since the party."said Shane shrugging. Shane didn't know, but there was tons of times he seen the pain in Katie's eyes although she tried to hide it so well. Shane was very skilled at reading people, even though they try to hide it so well.

"I'm not going to tell you wait to do, cause I'm not like that, but if you want to make it right you got to make it right with Katie."said Shane simply. "Which isn't going to be easy, but if you honestly try without fighting she'll listen!"said Shane softly. "Katie hates fighting, which is one of the reason why she been avoiding you cause she doesn't want to cause a fight."said Shane simply. "Or.. you can simply let her go, but something telling me if you didn't care about her, you would of let her go a long time ago."said Shane smirking at him. "Your choice Cupid, no one can make it for you."said Shane before he dropped the issue.

Abandonment issues. There were those words again. Everyone was walking around talking as if Katie was the only one who had been abandoned. He'd been abandoned, Becca had been abandoned and they weren't so affected by it. Just because their scars were beneath the skin didn't mean that they didn't have any. Biting his tongue Cupid simply waited until Shane had finished.

Katie needed him. Shane said that as if the Slytherin had suddenly not been there for her. He had been there the moonlit nights when they were escaping their dormitory's by the lake. He had been there at the parent and she had been the one who sent him away. He had been there over Christmas when she had stormed out of the Three Broomsticks for not listening to what he had to say. Cupid had even visited her when she was unconscious in St Mungo's but had anyone acknowledged this apart from Becca? Now here was Shane, perfect Shane, telling him what to do - even if he said he wasn't he was already pre-judging what Cupid would do. If he walked away, the opposite of what Shane suggested, he'd judge.

'Is she being serious?' Cupid blurted out uncontrollably, he had kept it bottled up too long. 'I haven't been to any midnight meetings because I have been at home for the Christmas holidays! And I haven't been with her because she has just come back to school! And how she can blame me for not seeing her when, like you said, she's been avoiding me, I don't know.'

He was starting to give up on Katie. The lies, excuses for what she doing. Becca was sure Cupid wasn't the main reason behind Katie's self harming, nor did the Slytheirn think so. Although everyone that had spoken to him about it were suggesting he do something. Why him? He wasn't the bad guy, he wasn't the one who had to make up for anything and he was sick of being cast as the culprit especially now he had an image to uphold.

Sighing he looked at Shane in the eye, his cheeks red with a mix of regret and embarrassment over his sudden temper. 'I'm sorry, but she's acting like the only one who got hurt. How does she think it feels for me? Blaming me, making me feel guilty when I haven't done anything wrong?' This last rant, unlike the other, was spoken softly. Defeat filtering through his lips. Cupid was almost about done with Katie.

Shane raised his eyebrows at Cupid's all the sudden burst of anger. "Just give up on her then Cupid, just give up on her if you tired of it."said Shane simply. "But remember, who was there for you before you had anybody to call a friend?" Shane asked him calmly. "Who was the one who went out of there way to show you were the room of requirements was so you could have your party to become popular?"Shane asked him his eyes narrowing at him. " Like I said before, if you tired of her end it already, stop wasting your damn time!"said Shane.

Shane meant what he said to, there was no way Cupid could change what happened, so he either had to deal with it or let it go. It was obvious Katie was letting go of it, but was he? "You got to stop living in the pass man, Katie's over it, but are you?" Shane asked him shaking his head. "Whatever choice you make, you got to move on from that."said Shane simply.

Shane swam away from him doing a couple of laps in the tub to clear his head. Shane did have to admit, this was really starting frustrate him. But then again, Shane was already frustrated about others things before this issue came along. This was just adding to the pile of things he already had. He wasn't going to continue this talk with Cupid any longer, it seemed like it really wasn't getting anywhere.

Shane didn't know what else he could do, it was like his hands were washed cleaned on this issue. Shane didn't want to be the bad guy to Cupid, but he was trying to make him understand. Of course Shane had issues, they were worse then Katie's but Katie was a girl and they had more emotions and feelings, something he figured Cupid didn't get. Girls were more fragile then guys were, the broke easily and Katie being the tough girl she was broke due to being bullied to the point she just broke.