Late Night In the Sports-room
LATE NIGHT IN THE SPORTS ROOM
When I arrived at the lavatory Pia and Ced were already there. Ced had his head on Pia’s lap while she stroked his dark blonde hair.
About four or five small yellow sparrows flew in circles above as birdsong rang softly in the air.
When I got close enough to them I asked, “Okay… for once and for all… What’s the deal with the birds?"
Pia stiffened for a moment. Ced laughed very heartily. I sat on the opposite chair beside Pia waiting for the explanation.
Ced gently rubbed Pia's shoulder and said to her, “Don’t worry Pia… I love the birds. I enjoy them so much when you visit.”
“Do you not like the birds?” Ced asked me. I could detect a note of snarkiness in his voice.
I looked at Pia. Her face was getting redder and redder.
So, I looked over at Ced and said back to him, “I only wanted to know why they keep showing up.”
Ced began laughing so hard that he snorted. Then he kept saying, “He doesn't know! He doesn’t know!”
“The birds are there because of me," Pia answered with embarrassment.
Ced stopped laughing and took Pia's hand in an attempt to comfort her.
“You,” I said with puzzlement. “But… Why?" I asked.
Then Ced started laughing again… snorting and cackling. I really hated him at that moment.
Ced then began speaking between his laughter saying, “He doesn't know! He doesn’t know!
Pia looked at me and said, “I don’t know. They’ve been there as far back as I can remember. I really can’t give you an answer.”
Ced shushed him and said adoringly to Pia, “But they’re magical birds... ever so lovely. They change colours... they sing... and best of all since they are magical birds... they don't crap! I love them, Pia.”
“Well... I really like them too!” I bellowed.
I really didn’t know if I liked the birds or not... but if they came with Pia... I didn't really give a big damn.
“You really do like them?” Pia asked me.
“Yes… of course I do,” I answered her.
o0o
Suddenly the birds sang a different song… and their feathers turned to pink.
“Ohhhhh,” said Ced, “The birds turned pink!”
“So,” I said to him.
Ced just gave me a chastising look and said, “That means Pia likes you."
“Okay… I like her too,” I responded.
“No, no, no, nooo… pink means that Pia really, really, really, likes you a lot. Dare I say ‘love’ even?” Ced said in a teasing voice.
“That doesn’t’ matter because I feel the same way as her,” I said.
Ced looked a little sad… then turned his face away from me.
o0o
“Do you really feel that way about me?” Pia asked.
“When you disappeared… refused to see me... I almost went crazy. You have absolutely no idea about how that hurt me. That you could do that to me.” I said to Pia.
Pia looked upset… she covered both of his eyes with his hands and said, “Don’t you think it hurt me too? I was avoiding you because I cared for you. I felt you were better off without the likes of me. But trust me… I hurt when we were apart. You can ask Ced if you don’t believe me.”
Ced only looked over at me and nodded solemnly.
“Well… I began, “You need to decide if you want to be with me or with Ced.”
Ced gasped.
“But I love Ced…I love him desperately,” said Pia.
“Like I said, you will need to make a decision some day,” I said.
“He’s right,” Ced said. “I love you terribly but what kind of relationship could we have? You'd have to keep sneaking in the lavatory for the rest of your life. You’d grow old… then die… and I doubt you’d become a ghost… you’re just not the type.”
Pia looked lovingly at him, took his hand and said, “You know I love you Ced. If you were truly alive… If I married anybody, then it would be you.”
Pia and Ced hugged each other. Ced gently kissed her palm, then each of her fingers. He kissed both her eyes, her nose, then he gently kissed her lips.
Of course I was jealous as hell. Pia had never tried to kiss me.
I wanted to change the subject, so I said, “You were going to explain more to me. Why didn’t the school and our parents want us to be friends? Why would somebody place a memory hex upon me?
“Because of me,” Pia lamented, “All this is my fault because of who I am."
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“Also because of who you are. You're the son of Harry Potter. You're the son of the man who saved the magical world and the muggle world,” Pia said sadly.
“What’s that got to do with anything?" I said. “Our parents are our parents! Screw our parents!"
Pia got a steely look in her eyes and said, “Because my name is Scorpia Greengrass Malfoy. Draco Malfoy is my father.”