Chapter 18

                                    

                                          
I was sat on my bed, staring intently at my wand when a knock came at the door. I wiped the tears from my face and went to open it, to find Adam standing outside. He stepped in quickly, shut the door behind him and swept me up into a hug. 
"Are you okay? Black told me you were upset. He said Eric had been a dick." I broke down into tears again. He held me for a while longer, just letting me cry, no more questions. When I felt a bit better I pulled away from him and went to sit on my bed again, he followed. 
I took a deep breath and told him what happened. How Eric had forced himself on me, how I had felt so alone, so helpless. That I had gotten away relatively unscathed but how I felt so stupid for letting myself get into that position. 
"I should have left when I first felt uncomfortable. Why did I stay? You know? Why did I go to the party? Why did I say yes when he invited me? Heck people warned me he was an arse" I ranted.
"Who warned you?" Adam asked, nudging my shoulder as if to remind me he was still there.
"Sirius".
I saw Adam smile ruefully. "At least someone was looking out for you. I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I knew Eric was a dickwad. I just didn't think..." he sighed "I didn't think you would have listened to me. I thought If I told you not to go with him then you would do so anyway. I'm glad Sirius had the balls to tell you" I smiled weakly. "He was keeping an eye on you tonight too. I saw it. I tried to, but I figured if he was as well... I'm sorry I failed you." 
I leant my head on his shoulder "You didn't fail me".
We were silent for a moment more then Adam asked "so how did you get away from him?" 
"I may have electrocuted him?" I said, more of a question than a statement. "I kind of... Let go? Like I used to do when I was a kid. I'm not really sure but when I was done with him his hands were twice their normal size..."
Adam snorted "see. You're not powerless. You'll never be powerless. And you're not alone. There are so many people here who have got your back" 
"Thanks Adam" I smiled. He was good at that. Making me feel better. 
"Bludgers Adam! Sophie!" I jumped, turning to stare at him. "You were on a date! What are you doing here consoling me?" I started flapping my hands at him to go but he just laughed. 
"Sophie is a good egg. When she heard you were upset she understood that you come first. She gets it".
I breathed out a sigh of relief. "So" I shuffled closer to Adam, looking up at him mischeiviously "how was your date?"
He grinned down at me in response, before lying back on the bed with, letting out a contented breath of air. "She's wonderful Tru! I mean, for starters she's beautiful. You saw her tonight, she was stunning, a natural beauty. But we just had so much in common. We danced, we chatted.... I really like her Tru. I really do"
I grinned. "Me too Adam. Me too"
At that moment my door banged open for a second time that night. Jane stood there all in a fluster "What. Happened?" She asked, making her way into the room and shutting the door. "What happened? Black and Roswell just had a show down in the entrance hall and I can only assume that you are the reason?"
I blinked. "What? What do you mean they had a showdown?" 
"What" Jane started again but I interupted her.
"No Jane, what do you mean by showdown?" My panic was starting to rise again and she could evidently see it in my face as she backed down and went into story teller mode. 
"Black collared Eric in the entrance hall. I think he had been waiting for him but when Eric appeared he started shouting 'how could you. You're a dick. You're scum. You don't deserve to just wander home all happy this evening after what you've done'. Stuff like that. They got quite a lot of attention. Roswell just sneered to start with and denied knowing what Black was talking about but he kept at it. Eventually Roswell broke and screamed about how he didn't get off scot free either and showed Black his hands. They had swollen to twice their normal size, but Black wasn't impressed with that and pulled out his wand. They were about to start duelling when McGonagall showed up. You know the way she does, all imperious and what not. She asks them what's going on" I held my breath. Had he told everyone? But Jane continued "and Black, he's about to say something when he looks around and sees everyone watching, so he walks over to professor McGonagall and whispers something in her ear. I don't know what it was he said but she flipped! I have never seen her so angry. She started berating Eric. She docked Ravenclaw 100 points right then and there! She's put him in detention for a month and she took away all his social liberties, it was crazy!" Jane paused for breath. I just looked at her. Sirius had kept his word. He hadn't told anyone. Obviously people would find out. It would be impossible to keep it a secret if Ravenclaw had lost 100 points in one night, but he hadn't told. My heart beat just a little bit easier. 
Adam left not long after Jane's announcement. Kate and Helen arrived too and he decided there were far too many girls in the room for his liking. He gave my hand one last squeeze on the way out though, just to reassure me. I smiled at him. "Thank you" I mouthed. 
I gave the girls a brief account of my night. A very brief account. Even though I felt better, holed up in my room, thinking about that moment still made my heart contract painfully. So instead we mostly focused on Jane and heard her account of her date with Charlie. It seemed to have gone well, they were both happy and he had even walked her back to her room and given her a goodnight kiss. Such a gentleman. If she hadn't realised she had left her earrings at the party and gone back for them, she wouldn't have ever come across the Sirius/Eric drama. And I for one, was glad that she had. I wanted to be as prepared as possible for the fall out tomorrow. Something that I absolutely dreaded. But there was not much we could do for now, so we chatted for a while longer then went to sleep.
I woke up early the next morning, and woke the girls up too. I wanted breakfast but I also wanted to avoid the rest of the school so I hauled them out of bed, in their pyjamas, with the promise of bacon. And more sleep after the bacon. My hunch was right and the hall was mercifully empty when we arrived. Only a few Slytherines and Gryffindors were seated at their respective tables. As we ate, the hall got busier and just before we were about to leave my worst nightmare was realised. I had a tap on my shoulder. I looked up, expecting someone to ask me about last night's drama, but instead Sirius took the empty seat next to me. The girls tactfully looked away as he leant in to talk to me quietly. 
"Hey. How are you today?"
"I'm alright" I sighed. I've been better. I've been worse"
He nodded "I told McGonagall" he admitted quickly. "I'm sorry, I know you asked me not to tell anyone, but I had to. He..."
"Thank you" I interrupted him. "I mean it. You did the right thing. And thank you for not telling the rest of the school. I know they'll probably find out eventually. But thank you" 
He gave me a small smile. "You're welcome. I got your back. I just wanted to check you were alright" he patted my knee clumsily then stood up. 
"Thank you" I said again. "I mean it"