All over again (Mio, Ian, and Sydney)

Sydney's mind was racing as Mio dragged her to the library. She had made her decision. She chose Mio. She hoped she had made the right choice. She held on tight to his hand when she saw Ian in the library. She stopped cold, fear and nervousness paralyzing her. "Mio, I'm scared." She whispered.

Mio had a determined expression on his face and he tensed as soon as he set eyes on his friend sitting by himself at one of the large tables. He swallowed and looked down at the girl by his side. "It's neccessary. He needs to know what's going on." he muttered and then stepped into the library, calling out to his friend after making sure that they were alone.

Ian sighed and leaned back in his chair after a few hours of catching up on his studies. Due to all the things happening lately, he barely managed to do his homework anymore, so he had picked today to finish everything. Suddenly, he heard the familiar voice of one of his friends and turned, confusion coloring his eyes when he noticed that Mio was accompanied by Sydney and they were holding hands. After what happened with Artemis, he should not be surprised anymore, but this managed to do just that. "Erm...hi..." he stuttered, but managed a small smile.

Sydney saw the recognition of what was happening in Ians eyes. And it broke her heart. She bit her lip to try and fight back tears but they fell anyway. She turned to Mio and looked up at him helplessly. "I cant do it. Please. You have to tell him." She didnt trust herself to go through with breaking Ian's heart. "Please, Mio."

Mio felt his heart drop into his stomach at the expression of shock on his friend's face, but he had to pull through this. There was no going back now. Looking down at Sydney, he shook his head. "I think he deserves to hear it from you. It is your decision after all. I will step in if you can't go on." he whispered to her, so that Ian could not hear them. She was the one who had to make this big choice and Ian needed to hear it out of her mouth to believe it.

Watching the exchange between on of his best friends and Sydney made alarm bells start ringing in Ian's head. Something was definitely not right here. He had the same feeling when he found Sydney and Artemis, but that had turned out to be wrong, so he tried to relax now as well nad just wait for them to start talking. "What is it?" Ian asked quietly, looking at Mio with a question in his eyes.

Sydney nodded and squeezed Mios hand. She looked over at Ian and made her way over to him, "Hey, Green Eyes." She bit her lip nervously and thought about what she was gonna say. The more she thought, the more upset she got. She felt more tears fall and just whispered, "Im sorry, Ian. Im so sorry." She needed Mio by her side. She looked back at him and gave him a look that said help. "It just happened, Green eyes. I swear. I didnt... I dont want to hurt you anymore."

Watching carefully as Sydney approached Ian, Mio waited calmly for her to tell him. When he noticed her expression, he sighed and walked over to them, standing slightly behind her, but his eyes were trained on his friend. "Ian..." he took a deep breath and lowered his eyes, not knowing quite what to say. "Sydney and I kissed." Mio just stated bluntly, meeting the green eyes again.

"Sydney... what?" Ian asked in confusion when she started to cry in front of him, apologizing all the time. "What's wrong?" His eyes found those of his friend and they filled with a deep hurt and betrayal when he heard just what was wrong. "You did what?" He couldn't believe it. Just a few days ago, he had been thinking positively when Artemis and Sydney had been getting on better and now this? What the hell was wrong with everyone? Stumbling backwards as if he had been punched, Ian shook his head in denial. "No... you wouldn't do this!"

"I'm so sorry, Ian." She couldnt stop crying. She had hurt him... again! She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. "I'm really, really sorry." She looked into his eyes and felt the urge to just hug him, apologize and never let go. But Mios presence kept her in check with reality. She turned to Mio confused on what she should do next.

Mio felt like someone had stabbed him in the stomach when he saw his friend's face crumble in pain, but the worst for him was the betrayal he could see in the usually bright green eyes. It almost made him get to his knees to beg him for forgiveness, but he knew that he had to pull through this now or everything would have been for naught.
"Ian ... " it seemed as if he wanted to say something, but then changed his mind. "I'm sorry." was all he said, lowering his head in shame.

"Don't touch me!" Ian hissed at Sydney, pulling away from her, almost falling over his chair in his haste to get away from her. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and his brain seemed not capable of comprehending their words. Mio and Sydney? How was this possible? Worst than the disappointment he felt at Sydney breaking her promise to him was the absolute pain he felt at being betrayed by his best friend. A friend he though he could trust and who would stand by him forever, but he seemed to be mistaken about that. "So you want him now? I though you love me?" he asked her in a broken voice, his whole body being taken over by a coldness he never felt before, almost as if he was dead. The pain in his chest was almost too much to bear and his green eyes seemed dead.

Sydney felt her heart shatter into a million tiny pieces as Ian pushed her away. She hid her face in Mios chest and tried to hold back her tears. She counted to 10 before turning back to Ian, "I do love you. You know that. I'm just doing whats best for me. And you. I dont want to hurt you anymore. So im doing what I can to avoid hurting you. If I'm not with you, I cant hurt you." She reached out to touch him, but decided against it. She looked up at Mio and blinked a few times. She didnt know what to do. She shot him the help me look, in hopes that he would know what to do.

Mio took a step towards his friend, but did not try to touch him as it was quite obvious how hurt the Hufflepuff was right now and Mio hated himself for being the cause for it. He knew that there had been no other way around this, but it did not make the situation any better. "Ian, please let me explain." he tried, keeping his voice calm and soothing to not upset his friend any more than he already had.

Ian kept shaking his head and sank down on the chair. Just a few minutes ago he was sitting her, thinking that maybe things would turn out alright after all; Artemis and Sydney had already managed a truce and Mio had promised to at least ignore the girl. And now? Now Sydney, the girl that had promised him to wait for him, wanted to be together with his best friend? "I can't understand this..." he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, as the pain was now so bad that it was almost suffocating him. It hurt so much that he couldn't even cry, just keep staring at his hands that were clenched together in his lap. "There is nothing to explain, Mio. Just go and leave me. I think I got what you wanted to tell me." He was tired of this. Being hurt. Being lied to. Being disappointed. He just wanted it all to end.

Sydney couldnt just stand there when Ian was so upset. She sank down to her knees and hugged him, refusing to let go. "I'm so sorry, Ian." She just wanted to take all the pain away and deal with it herself. But she knew she had caused the pain. She stood up before he could push her away agin and went to stand by Mios side. "Mio, maybe we should just go?"

Mio could see how upset his friend was and it pained him as well because if there was one Thing he could not handle was to see someone he cared for in pain. Biting his lip, he looked down and Sydney and motioned to the door. "Go. I need to talk to him." he said quietly.

Sydney nodded reluctantly when Mio told her to go. "Ok..." She looked over at ian one more time. She fought the urge to kiss Mio good bye and exited the library. She leaned against the stone wall and sun to the floor as she waited for one of them to come out to get her.

Feeling her so close to him made something snap in Ian and he jumped up, glaring at her. "I told you to stop touching me, so just fuck off!" he roared, all the pain, betrayal and despair he was feeling fuelling his anger. When Sydney left, he also got up, putting his books back into his bag, not once looking at his former best friend. “You can fuck of as well, Mio, I have nothing to say to you anymore.” Ian said and turned to walk out.

Mio sighed in relief when he finally was able to talk to his friend on their own, so he quickly stepped in front of the Hufflepuff, preventing him to leave the room. If he had to, Mio would fight him to make him stay and being the taller and stronger one, it would be an easy match, but none he wanted to fight. "Ian, listen to me, you don't understand. Just give me the Chance to explain everything to you, okay?" he tried again.

Ian laughed mirthlessly, his green eyes dead, not even pain visible anymore. He just wanted to crawl into bed and never come out again. "What is there to explain, Mio. You just managed to make the girl I love break up with me, so you can have her." His voice sounded hollow, but when he stepped up to Mio, his eyes blazed in anger. "You're a fucking bastard, Mio. I can't even blame Sydney, if she loves you more than me or thinks that I'm not right for her, I can't force her to be with me, but you!" he had to stop and calm himself because otherwise he would either hit his former friend or break down crying. "You are my friend, you're closer to me than my own brother!" Ian noticed that he was shaking and turned away from the Gryffindor.

Sydney peked around the corner and watched as the two boys talked. She flinched when Ian started yelling at Mio. He loved her? He still loved her? She reted her head against the wall and shook her head. She messed up. She messed up so bad. She didnt know where she belonged. Or who she belonged with. Ian made her feel safe. He knew more about her than anyone. But Mio made her feel loved and he was fun and risky. She looked up and waited for them to finish so she could go back inside.

Mio felt like someone was pulling out his guts while he heard Ian talk, so very unlike his normal self and for a second he regretted everything he had done, but then his resolve strengthened and he looked up at his friend. "Do you really think that of me, Ian?" he asked him in a calm voice, slightly hurt, though he could understand him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a blond head and he growled, flipping his wand to smash the door shut before turning back to his friend. "Do you really think that I would do that to you? To any of my friends?" Taking a step closer, he put a hand on his friend's shoulder and turned him around. "I would NEVER hurt any of my friends intentionally. I only try my best to protect you, Wolfe, Rowan and David. I would do anything for you guys, Jade." Mio spoke intently, willing the Hufflepuff to believe him.

Ian wanted to punch the Gryffindor right into his face when he touched him, but something in his words made him hesitate. No. He had would have never been able to think something like that of his friend, but after all that has been happening, he just did not know whom to trust anymore and how did Mio want to talk himself out of this? He had been kissing his ex-girlfriend when he knew that Ian and Sydney had been getting closer again. Looking up at the taller boy, Ian sighed. "I thought so as well till you came here telling me that you kissed Sydney. What do you want me think?" he asked quietly.

Mio sighed in relief when Ian seemed to calm down a bit again and he quickly tried to explain the situation to his friend. "Listen, I know that you and Sydney have been getting closer again I also know that Artemis made a truce with her, so that leaves only David and me. Well..." he swallwed hard and looked away for a second to gather his thoughts. "it scared me." he admitted quietly, his head still lowered.