WHO: Barney and Stella WHAT: Barney is even more oblivious than usual WHERE: miscellaneous Hogwarts corridor WHEN: probably a couple of days ago RATING: G
It wasn't like Barney to mope. Actually, it wasn't like Barney to even frown - he usually managed a sort of oblivious optimism that was the envy of many a more realistic soul. Now, though, he couldn't help it. It wasn't that he and Audrey had been together for very long, and he certainly hadn't been in love with her or anything like that, but he liked her, and he liked being with her, and he didn't like the thought of being second best. He was sort of grateful that she had broken up with him, because he didn't want to be a consolation prize or anything, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. He couldn't hate her for it. She was honest and kind and she was a really quite lovely person - but that didn't make it hurt any less either. He'd tried to go running, but it hadn't helped. He had sort of jogged for a bit and then given up. The fact that the Yule Ball was coming up really didn't help either. Barney knew that he didn't have to find a date or anything, and he knew that he wouldn't have any trouble finding someone to go with if he really wanted to, but it was hard to think of who he wanted to go with, since he had assumed he would be going with Audrey. He also felt bad that his own melancholy might interfere with Samir's excitement, and so he was keeping to himself quite a bit, which probably wasn't helping. Barney and alone did not really mix.
With a sigh, Barney rounded the corner of the castle, kicking a stone in front of him that chanced to be in his way, and approached the big back door. He should go back inside. This wasn't doing any good, him being out here and failing to run. Barney went into the castle and walked along the corridor, tracing his fingers along the stone walls.