Hell Hath No Fury (Dean)

[Zoe Stratford]

Zoe shook her head. "No, but right now I'm not just sitting around doing nothing," she said. "I'm walking, I'm talking, I'm going to get some food... I'm with you."

Her voice grew soft at this and she stopped walking to look up at him longingly. "I've missed you, Dean. I miss the way you used to tease me until I smiled, the way you used to kiss me and make me forget about schoolwork, the way you used to hold me when I was stressed out. I'm all alone now and I realize how much it meant for me to have you there. I don't know how to do this on my own... I just concentrate on my work because it's the only thing I have."

[Dean Fisher]

Dean stopped as she did and shook his head. "Zoe," he said, "You have a lot more than just school work. I mean, I know you wonder why some people don't hang around you and its because of the way you are. You think that you have to get yourself so caught up in work and you don't have to. People would actually approach you if you would just calm down with your studying. You freak out about it and that pushes people away Zoe. You know that."

He didn't want to talk about when they dated. That was in the past now he was happier than he had been. "I'm not what you should cling to. You should really take a step back. I'm sure that you would have a whole group of friends that would surround you all the time if you would just relax like you're doing right now."

[Zoe Stratford]

"I don't want a whole bunch of friends, Dean," Zoe said. "I don't really like other people... stupid stuff like games and dances and stuff. I just want one friend... one person to understand me and love me." She sniffled loudly and looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears. "I just want you, Dean. I miss you. Did you ever really love me at all?"

[Dean Fisher]

At her words, Dean froze. "Zoe, we didn't work out," he said. "I mean, you're a nice girl and everything, we just didn't work together." He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. Dean didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he didn't really know what to say. "And I did like you, I really did Zoe, but it turned into just friends."

He could have thrown in the fact that she was so obsessed with studying and that was the only thing that she wanted to do, but Dean refrained.

[Zoe Stratford]

He said "like" not "love."

This ripped at Zoe's fragile heart and neurotic psyche like nothing else ever had. She looked for validation in her studies, as it was the only place she was special. The only thing she had to offer. She was convinced that her parents only loved her for her brain and her abilities, and that she had nothing else to offer anyone. If she wasn't brilliant, then she was nothing.

Dean had been the one person who had seen beyond all that, and liked her for who she was. Liked, not loved. It hurt.

She began to cry hysterically, flinging herself into his arms.

[Dean Fisher]

Dean was used to Zoe crying. By the time he sighed, she had already flung herself into his arms. He put his hands on her shoulders and held her out. "Zoe, don't cling to me like I'm the only thing that will keep you going. It's going to do nothing but bring you down. You're a nice girl Zoe, really you are. You just beat yourself up over the smallest things and you just have think that you're better than what you already think you are. I can't tell you enough there's more to you than just brains. You don't believe it, no matter how many times I've told you that before."

Dean sighed again. "Please Zoe, don't cry."

[Zoe Stratford]

And she still didn't believe him. All her life she had been told how brilliant she was, that she was a genius, and that she had to live up to her potential. It had reached the point where she didn't know anything else about herself. She had herself psyched up to be brilliant, and when she slipped, even a little, it made her feel like she was worthless.

But there were times when she wanted to be loved for more than just her brains... although to her, it seemed impossible. She didn't love herself, how could anyone else love her?

She was still crying, and she looked up at him desperately. "What? What else is there? Tell me what it is. Because I don't see it."

[Dean Fisher]

"Before you became completely obessed with studying, you did joke around a little bit. You're a nice girl Zoe. You really are. You can be funny if you loosen up and I'm sure that you can. You just have to think you can, no matter how impossible you think it might be. Nothing is ever really impossible Zoe, it just depends how much you put yourself into it." Dean didn't know what else to tell her. He didn't know any other way to make her feel better.

[Zoe Stratford]

The fact that Dean believed in her actually gave her hope. She couldn't quite remember any funny remarks that she had made, but the idea that she apparently could be funny did make her feel better. She looked up at him, her eyes wide as saucers.

"I really messed things up with you, didn't I?" she said. "I had something good... and I threw it away because of my studies." She sniffled and wiped at her face with her sleeve. "I still love you, Dean," she whispered, then abruptly, she leaned up and kissed him.

[Jaquelyn Frazier]

If Jackie hadn't been hungry, or if she hadn't been bored, or if Reese had kept her talking for five more minutes... or if a thousand other little events hadn't happened the way they did, she wouldn't have run into them.

But she was hungry and bored, and Reese was busy doing something else, so he said goodbye, and she was on her way to the kitchens from the Gryffindor common room.

She heard voices, and thought she heard Dean's, and the thought made her smile. She quickened her pace, but then she stopped dead in her tracks.

She had indeed heard Dean... and Zoe... but they weren't talking. She took a quick breath, realizing that she had stopped breathing, and the only think she could think was that she couldn't let Zoe see that she was bothered. Maybe she could sneak away without being noticed at all. She turned.

[Dean Fisher]

Dean had to admit, he wasn't expecting Zoe to kiss him. As soon as he realized what she did, Dean pushed her away from him with no desire to kiss her back. "Zoe," he said looking confused. "No. This can't happen." A look of anger crossed his eyes. "I have a girlfriend. You can't still hold on to me Zoe." Dean took steps away from her. He shook his head and started to walk away.

[Zoe Stratford]

Zoe let out a frustrated cry. "Oh, so that's it, then? You can build me up, but you're just saying words. You don't mean what you say. You don't actually care about me, do you? Nobody does. It's because I'm not perfect... I'm not smart enough..."

Tears were streaming down her face. "I... I need to get back to my books. That's the only thing that makes sense... the only place I belong." She turned and ran away, heading back to Gryffindor tower. But exhaustion, from lack of food and sleep, finally caught up with her. She tripped on a crack in the floor and tumbled to the ground, too tired to move.

[Jaquelyn Frazier]

Jackie had only made it to the staircase before she lost it. She knew she was far enough away that they wouldn't hear her, and the whole event just came crashing down on her. She sank to the steps and started crying, burying her head in her arms.

And she sobbed. It was the one thing Jackie wished she could change about herself was how easily she cried. She wished she could just write Dean off... but it hurt so much that she couldn't even make it up the stairs.

[Dean Fisher]

Dean was about to say something, but he closed his mouth and didn't say anything. Whatever he would say wouldn't do anything. He ran a hand through his hair, things just weren't going right so far. Maybe if he found Jackie, things might change.

He started to walk toward the stairs, but froze whenever he saw Jackie. Dean took a few steps toward her and bent down. "Jackie?"

[Jaquelyn Frazier]

Jackie groaned, running a hand through her hair. Of course it was him. Of course he had to find her... Was Zoe with him, witnessing her misery and humiliation?

"No," she said, choking back a sob an refusing to look at him. "Go away, Dean, please go away."

She tried to get up, clinging to the banister and turning away from him.

[Dean Fisher]

Being clueless as to why exactly Jackie was crying, Dean looked at her confusedly. "Jackie, what's wrong," he asked worriedly. He was going to tell her about Zoe, it was only right, but he couldn't tell her at the moment since she was crying. Dean wanted to make her stop crying and try to make things right for her because he hated to see Jackie cry.

Standing up, Dean extended his hand. "Let me help you...."

[Jaquelyn Frazier]

Jackie scoffed but it still came out as a half sob. He wanted to help her? How dare he. He could he not know she had seen?

She pulled away violently when he reched for her. "Don't touch me. Don't act like you want to help. What gives you the right?" she hissed at him, her anger greater than her pain right now.
'Go back to Zoe. I'm sure her lips are lonely."

[Dean Fisher]

Dean's eyes widened when Jackie pulled away from him. He saw the anger on her face and realized that she had been there. She had seen what happened, but from the way she was acting she hadn't seen everything.

He frowned. "I didn't kiss her," he said. "I didn't expect her to do something like that. Jackie..."

[Jaquelyn Frazier]

But Jackie wasn't listening anymore. It was taking everything she had to just concentrate on getting away from him. She wanted to beg him to forget Zoe and love her, but she wasn,t going to beg any guy. Dean had messed up bad, and he had to pay for it.

"Just go away, Dean. I can't do this with you. Leave me alone!"

[Dean Fisher]

He wasn't sure what he should do. "Jackie, I promise," Dean said still frowning. "I didn't do anything other than push her away."

Jackie wasn't going to let him talk, but he was going to try his best to. "Just listen to me," he started again. "Please Jackie. I didn't kiss her."