"Oh, he meant them." Alice bitterly bit back. She hadn't spent the past three months obsessing over the details of that conversation just for them to be dismisssed as a heat of the moment mistake. If that were the case, then he would've tried to at the very least approach her. But, he hadn't. The anger just festered and boiled until Alice began to wonder if they had ever been friends at all.

She tried to soften her demeanor for Sloane's sake, because really it wasn't her fault. Sloane couldn't have known how Sisse or Alice felt because neither girl ever told the fiesty Gryffindor. "That might've been the issue with you and Sisse, she really never told me about the fight. I can't say. But, I've known something changed between you and Cameron since this summer with the bracelet dilemma. And, honestly, I was more embarrassed to have crushed on him at all than I was upset by any thing between you two." In the moment of her fight with Cameron it was hot burning tears she wished to shed, but now she recognized her feelings for that they were: embarrassment.

"You and I are fine. I've only kept my distance because ..." Months of loneliness caused her to break off and look away sharply. How was it fair that Cameron was the one to have upset and hurt her and still Alice obligated to protect him? She took a deep breath and pushed on. "I didn't want you or anyone else to have to choose between him or me."