One more chapter to go for this part. In this next chapter, I speed it up a bit. Hope you like it x I had so much fun writing this! Let me know if you definitely want a part two!

Chapter Twenty Two

After a few more very stressful weeks, N.E.W.T.s were over! I was so relieved. Nothing else changed much as time passed. I managed to get a hold of that UK Daily Prophet and the Wizarding World still had its tension, but nothing extreme happened. Selina was acting even stranger than before and was completely avoiding everyone. Cole came up to me a few times and said she was always leaving the room and disappearing alone. He tried to slip her the cure but she figured it out somehow every time. What was up with her?

Once Colin healed, he rejoined our class. Idella came back around more often. Now that Charlie was finished with N.E.W.T.s he spent any available hour on the Quidditch pitch. One night, after a few drinks, Charlie confessed how he thought his whole 'carrying Selina to the castle' would make her want him. He had so many other girls that adored him. One day he would realize he had many better options. I was walking down the hall with Charlie and Idella when hands wrapped tightly around my waist, Kent. He pulled me in closer to him and kissed my cheek. "Good morning," he said stepping back after that.

 "What are you doing up so early on a Saturday?" I teased.

"The play-offs are today. Have to get as much practice in as I can," he replied smiling. "You ready for the match today?" he joked with Charlie.

"You guys are going down," Charlie responded with a smug laugh. Tonight would decide which teams were playing against Eztroprea in the finals, since Eztoprea won the last two games. Kent smirked back at him.

"We'll see about that," Kent replied. "Anyway, you're coming to the after party right? No matter which team wins there's going to be a big celebration down by the beach." The playoffs after party took place on the beach every year. The Headmaster and professors knew about it as they helped arrange it. It was our one and only school arranged party. The entire castle was allowed to go as there would be teacher chaperones. There usually wasn't much drinking at these events, but there were always those rebellious students.

"I'll definitely be there," I told him.

"Perfect, see you then." Kent ran off to join his team. Idella gave me a look shaking her head. She always brought up now how 'in love' Kent and I were. For once, I didn't retaliate. We were.

The game dragged on and in the end Irdrea won. I cheered loudly with my house, but felt bad for my boyfriend. Their team has been off ever since the fallout between him and Grant. Their team chemistry ruined the season for them. In the end he didn't seem surprised, but Charlie was over the moon. He greeted us, when his team finally let him out of their sight, with tight bear hugs. After we congratulated him Idella got him to stop jumping up in down by placing two hands on his shoulders. "Now I know you're excited, but remember you're on probation, okay? Absolutely no drinking with your team tonight. It's not worth getting caught and losing Quidditch for good," Idella stated.

"Plus you know the Professors will have their eyes on you tonight," I added. Charlie nodded with the wide grin still on his face.

"I know, I know," he replied rolling his eyes but laughing. "Trust me, after this night, I'm not risking losing Quidditch ever again." His team was screaming for him to come back over. He was the seeker, so tonight he was the star. We hugged him once more before he ran off. Even more girls were surrounding him tonight.

Colin and Idella went to go talk with Annabelle, so Kent and I walked closer to the fire. He always got weird around me with fires and gripped my hand tightly, not letting us get too close. Grant then appeared behind us, he eyed the fire and then stared at me. Kent glared at him as his grip tightened. I looked at him dully to show him that he didn't scare me. Eventually Grant would have to let it go. "Pretty big fire tonight? Isn't it?" Grant muttered to the two of us.

"Oh sh-" Kent began saying when another voice joined the conversation.

"McQuinn you are so obsessed with fires lately," Selina said coolly to Grant as she appeared from behind us. I haven't heard her voice in a long time. Her head was held high. I was surprised she came out of her room, but then I noticed the dreamy look was back in her eyes. Icorany.  "He talks about you all the time, you know?" Selina said turning to me and twirling her blonde hair. She eyed the fire, stepping even closer to it. "He has been telling everyone how you walked through a fire unharmed." Selina smiled as the flames reflected in her eyes. She was so close. The heat should be too hot for her to stand as close as she was, but her senses were blinded. I was going to kill her. No wonder she has been disappearing. She never stopped.

"Well it isn't true," I snapped at Selina. "Now get away from there. I think it's time you and me headed up to the castle." My tone was threatening, yet it didn't seem to get through to her.

"Why so early?" she asked in a smug tone taking another step towards it. "I bet I would be fine stepping through fire. Maybe it's in the family?" she added with a smirk. I watched as Grant's eyes widened.

"NO-" I yelled but it was too late. Selina stuck her foot in the fire. I leapt forward to grab her but Kent held me back away from the flames. A few people around us screamed in shock. Thea and Nelly both ran over in horror. Before Kent could reach forward to grab Selina, Grant was pulling her out. It was probably out of guilt. He black boot was on fire as Kent performed 'Aguamenti' on her. She stood there smiling.

"Are you insane?" Grant screamed drawing a crowd. Selina laughed carelessly and shrugged.

"You have to go to the infirmary!" Thea yelled running over to her. Selina playfully pushed her away. There wasn't any serious damage, but her skin got burnt above her boot. "What's wrong with you?" Thea asked. "I'm getting a Professor then! Since you're going to act so stubborn about it!" Thea flipped a piece of short dark hair over her shoulder before rushing off. I wanted to call to Thea and tell her to stop, but that would have made the situation even worse. So I let her go. Thea came back with Professor Halliwell.

"What is the meaning of this?" he snapped staring at her. His dark black robes made him easily the most intimidating person here. I wouldn't want to be dealing with him right now, yet of course Selina didn't seem bothered by him at all.

"Oh nothing Professor," she replied rocking her place and smiling brightly. "Just proving a point over here."

"Get to the infirmary this instant Miss Beckingham," Halliwell demanded.

"Alright fine," Selina replied rolling her eyes and flipping her hand in the air. He stared at her until a knowing look came upon his face. Professor Halliwell clearly knew what was up. His face darkened. He must know she was using icornay from the way she was acting.

"Thea go tell Headmaster Elwood to meet us in the infirmary at once," Halliwell said in a dangerous tone, turning to Thea who nodded yet seemed terribly confused. "I will escort Miss Beckingham to the infirmary." Selina rolled her eyes once more at him. "Follow me this instant." Selina shrugged and began to follow a fuming Professor Halliwell up to the castle. She was in big trouble... Her secret was out. But does that mean mine will be as well? Kent gripped my hand tightly, he was thinking the same thing.

After a week of living in fear that my secret would be revealed, nothing happened. Professor Halliwell did in fact recognize what Selina was using and alerted the school at once. Everyone found about because the other students in the infirmary overheard everything. She was facing expulsion. Her parents were alerted. I actually felt bad for her, they were going to kill her. Her mother would probably want to disown her after this.

How could Selina let herself get back on it after the near death experience I saved her from? The healers kept her there for a week and weren't planning on letting her out anytime soon. The infirmary needed to make sure the addiction was broken before they released her.

A few more days later, I decided to visit. When she saw me coming a knowing look appeared on her face. "I know, I'm stupid and reckless. You can save your speech," she said looking down at her hands. "I've already heard enough of it to last me a lifetime." Selina rolled her eyes and looked out the window. "My parents are going to kill me..." Her mother already treated her horribly and her father was the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister...it wasn't going to look good for the family. Not wanting to make this any worse, for her I decided not to yell at her for being a complete idiot. Apparently she already knew.

"You seem fine now," I replied noticing that she was back to her normal self.

"Yeah Cole came by," she answered. "I finally took that stupid potion he has been trying to force on me for the past month." So it worked? I suppose Cole was smarter than he seemed. Yet he still was at fault for introducing it to her. "Have you...seen him?" she added in a tone of worry. "I'm afraid what they'll do..."

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"They're not expelling me. I lost all free privileges and have to attend every meal, game, and I have detention every day. I'm pretty much being watched twenty four seven, but I'm not being expelled because of Cole. I'm worried though." I asked her what Cole did to possibly save her from getting expelled. "When he came to visit me he looked like he felt bad. I told him it was my own fault, but when the infirmary came over to him he said it was his fault. That he practically 'forced' me into using Icorany in the first place which began the addiction. It was obviously my fault though!" My eyes widened. He did that? Cole? He was one of the most selfish people I ever knew...or thought I knew.

"The infirmary told him to wait for the Headmaster to get here, but he left before they could arrest him." This whole story was causing my mind to spin in a thousand different directions. "I'm just worried, what if they do arrest him?"

"Wow," was all I could say in response.

"Can you check for me?" Selina asked. "Please." I've never heard her say please before. She must be desperate.

Once I left, I decided to look around for her. Mainly, I was curious myself. Kent met up with me and helped me search. Cole wasn't anywhere in sight but I rarely saw him anyway. He could be anywhere. After checking all the spots I thought he may have been and asking a few Eztoprea students if they've seen him, I came up with nothing. Maybe he was arrested. "Bradley," Kent said rushing over to me. "He wasn't arrested."

"Really? How did he possibly get away with that?" I asked somewhat shocked. I knew he came from a very wealthy family, but considering he smuggled an illegal drug into the castle, I doubt any amount of money could save him.

"He didn't get away with it though," Kent replied. "He ran."

"What?" I gasped.

"I saw a few of the seventh year Eztoprea students. They said he came back to the room in a rush, packed a few of his things and said he was done with wasting his time at school. The followed him, and he just walked out the front gates and got in a boat."

"He just ran away like that? It's going to make it even worse when they find him now!"

"I know," Kent said in agreement. "If they find him though." I suppose in the midst of the war, Cole wasn't going to be the Ministry's first problem. How was I going to tell this to Selina.

When I finally did tell her she seemed happy he got away but then her face fell and it looked as if tears were going to fall from her hazel eyes. They did really like one another, in their own arrogant ways. "What if I never see him again?" Selina muttered in a low tone looking out the window. I didn't know what to say. I had to put myself in her position and think what if I never saw Kent again? It would be devastating.

"Sel-"

"Thanks," she responded quickly in a dull tone. "I'm tired now. I'll just see you when I'm released." She rolled onto her other side and put her head down on the pillow. There wasn't much left for me to say, so I left her.

Apparition exams came too quickly. Thankfully almost everyone passed. Colin never tried apparating again after his accident, it just wasn't for him. Selina missed too many practices to take the exam, so she would have to wait until next year. I wrote to my father and still got no response. I wrote to him once more, asking if he would even be there when I got off the train. Still no response. I cried to Idella about it one night and she told me I was more than welcome to stay with her if he unfortunately didn't show. All I needed to know was what was causing him to act this way?

Our year was coming to an end. Selina was distant, but this time it was a sad and lonely distant. Everyone knew what happened to her and for once was they were treating her badly. People weren't fawning over her like before. Girls weren't afraid of her. Cole disappearing was the biggest gossip for the entire month after. Irdrea won the Quidditch Finals and there was a massive party after. I wasn't really in the mood to celebrate though. With the year ending, I had to think what would happen to me this summer with my father acting differently. Kent and I skipped the party and hung out just the two of us. I was going to miss him terribly when school ended.