*With a sigh he looked down at his feet and shrugged.*
"I don't... what happened that day... and who said I have to like every person I meet... I have my reasons..."

"Yes. You. Do." Mia had no idea where the forcefulness was coming from but she couldn't seem to stop it. "You know exactly what happened that day in the courtyard. You just don't want to tell me." She took a step to the side and sighed. "You're right, you don't have to like everyone you meet. I just thought that as my friend that you would make an effort."

Waving her hand towards the door, Mia looked at him with sadness. "Seems you can't wait to get away from me. Well there you go there is your way out."

*Matty looked up with an angry frown and finally looked her in the eye.*
"Don't you think that I might have a reason why I hate that scum!? I know his type, I know what he has done! And if you know what I'm feeling then tell me because I am so... confused..."
*His anger slowly fell and he looked back down again.*

She was a little shocked by the angry look on his face but when he spoke about Nik like that, Mia felt an unfamiliar feeling bubbling in her stomach. "Don't you ever speak about him like that again." She fumed, her eyes narrowing at him. "You don't know him at all. You got one look at him at the opening feast and yeah he was behaving like a prat then. But I have spent the good part of the year with him and he is an incredibly nice person."

So there!!

Mia had to take a few deep breaths. She had never spoken to anyone like that before. Ever. And as soon as the anger erupted it faded just as quickly. One look at his face did that.

"I don't know either Matthias but you seem to bee having a hard time being around me right now and I know it's all because of Nik." She paused for a moment and ran her hand through her hair. "Are you jealous?"

"No! I don't I know. Look Mia I've seen how he acts-" *Matty stopped trying to calm down. He wished so hard that he wasn't the one to tell her this. And he had no idea still how he felt about her.*
"Never mind... you made your choice..."
*Looking back down he started to walk to the door, wanting to run away again.*

"You're wrong about him." She said quietly as she watched him walk towards the door. "And you're right I made MY choice. It's my life and my heart and I choose who I want to give it to."

Mia could her throat closing and her eyes begin to sting. What in Merlin's name was wrong with boys? "Just because I am with Nik doesn't mean I don't want to still be your friend Matty."

*Stopping at the door he sighed but still didn't look back at her.*
"I wish you hadn't given your heart to him... I'll always be your friend Mia... but I wont be strong enough to see you when it all crashes... when you find out the truth. I-I really am sorry."

Why was he so sure that it was going to crash? Mia sighed also, she'd had enough of this fighting with him. If he couldn't support her as a friend then well she just didn't know....

"Just go Matthias."

*For some reason those words from her felt like a knife in his back. He had heard them all his life but from Mia they hurt. Maybe he would take up his uncles offer and not be back next term. It was to painful at Hogwarts. Putting his food in the bin by the door he left. He wasn't hungry any more.*

The moment the words were out of her mouth, Mia regretted them immediately. Before she could apologise and take back those words, Matty had left.

Merlin!

She threw her cauldron cake at the spot he had just vacated and watched as it hit the wall and bounce back.

This was turning out to be the worst train ride ever.

First Nik leaves and she didn't know whether she would see him again, she has a fight with Matty and to top it off, she's now wasting food. Things were not going well for Mia right now.

Placing her hands on her hips and blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall, Mia took a deep breath and was just about to make her way through the train and find a compartment to wallow in when she heard her name being spoken.

She looked up to see Finn standing in the doorway and she tried to give him a smile but her mouth just wouldn't work so she just decided to give up. "Hey Finn. Long time no see."

As Mia stood there looking at Finn, her best friend, the guy she had been through a lot with, she couldn't help but notice that he didn't look too happy either.

But as he walked closer to her and asked if she was okay, Mia shook her head and looked down at the floor as the tears spilled down her face. She hadn't meant to cry. Hadn't meant to fall apart in front of anyone but she just couldn't seem to stop herself.

"Just give me a second." She whispered as she desperately tried to wipe her tears away. "I'll be alright in a moment." Which was a total lie because she didn't know when she would be alright.

Woah. Mia was crying now. Gah. Finn really had had enough of girls crying, but still he wrapped his arms around Mia, and gave her a big hug. He didn't like seeing anyone crying, especially not one of his best friends. He rubbed her back gently, feeling a bit worried. He'd not seen her like this before, and that definetly meant something was wrong.

He pulled back a bit, and wiped her tears for you. "Cry all you like Mia." He spoke softly, smiling at her a little. He didn't even know what was wrong with her, yet he still felt bad for her. Apparently he wasnt the only one having a depressing train journey home.

Feeling his arms wrap around her just made Mia cry even more. His concern for her was extremely touching and she appreciated that he was trying to make her feel better when she had the feeling that he was not too happy either.

Taking a couple of deep shuddering breaths, Mia looked up at him and finally gave him a smile. It was a very wobbly smile but it was a smile nonetheless. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cry all over you."

She took another deep breath and when she finally felt calm again, she spoke. "So looking forward to the summer?"

Something did cross his mind now. Lexi would probably think something if she past. But part of him didn't care. He was allowed to comfort his friends, she could think what she wanted, although part of him still wanted her. He'd write to her in the summer or something. See if she was okay.

At least Mia was smiling a tiny bit now. That made him feel better. "Don't worry Mia." He didnt press her to tell him why she was upset, because it would probably make her cry again, and he didnt want to deal with crying girls.

Looking forward to Summer? Finlay had been. Not any more. "....no." He shook his head with a shrug. Should he tell Mia? She was his best friend, and she'd probably ask anyway. "Lex split up with me."

Mia was grateful that Finn hadn't pushed her to find out why she had been crying because she didn't know if she was ready to speak about it yet. Not because she didn't want to tell Finn about Nik but because she wasn't sure if she would start blubbering again.

His answer to her question took Mia by surprise and it showed her on her face as she looked at him. "You're not looking forward -" And then he said the last thing she was expecting. "Oh Finn. I am so sorry."

Now it was her turn to wrap her arms around him and give him a hug. "Do you want to talk about it?"

It kind of made him feel a bit better to tell her, because well she was his best friend, the one that would let her talk about it. Jimmy would probably tell him to get over it, which probably would work if he hadn't cared about Lexi so much.

"It's okay." He sighed, holding onto her. It felt a bit weird, that little Mia was comforting him, in the food trolley. But it did then again make him feel better. He pulled back, and watched her. Did he want to talk about it? He didn't know. He would probably get angry if he tried to talk about it. "She said she needed a break...." He didnt even know what that meant. "And that I only ever got angry or annoyed at her." That was not true. "I dont think she even cares that I love her." Frownn.

If Finn thought this was weird that Mia was comforting him then he had no idea how she was feeling at the moment. How was it that simple little Mia from a backwater town in Australia managed to get caught up in other people's romances? When she really had no idea about relationships herself.

Well except for when Nik came along. But still she certainly wouldn't call herself an expert. But this was Finn and he was her friend and he needed her right now.

She listened as he spoke about his break up and she contemplated for a moment before she spoke. "Do you get annoyed and angry at her?" Mia figured that was the most important question to ask first.

Mia was the first to actually ask that question. Even Lexi hadn't really asked it herself. Did he get angry and annoyed at her, and if he did why did he? Finlay didn't really know himself. He sighed, looking away. This was why he didn't do relatonships because they were too hard work. "Probably." He couldn't deny it. But Lexi had probably got annoyed at him too.

"She was so emotional all the time. Nothing I did was right." And that was what had confused him the most. Even when he had tried to comfort her, he'd done the wrong. It had probably been why he lost her. "I tried my best Mia....it obviously wasn't good enough." Was he meant to change his whole being for her?

Probably? In other words, yes he did get annoyed at her and a lot going by the rest of what he said. Mia took hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Finn, you're my best friend and I love you. And even though I don't know Lexi as well as I know you but I love her too."

Because Mia loved everyone that's just how she was. Except maybe Duncan Fletcher, she wasn't sure her love extended that far for him.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "So I say this Finn because I love you and I want to see you both happy. But you have never been in a relationship before, have you? And Lexi probably hadn't either. Now I am not an expert in these things, I am just going off from watching my parents." Oh Merlin, he was probably going to think she sat there and spied on her parents.

Eh...she had started, she may as well finish off what she was going to say. "A relationship is a two way street you know? You need to listen to her and be there for her when she needs you. In saying that she also needs to appreciate that you are trying even if you do happen to say the wrong thing. This is a new thing for both of you and it takes work to have a relationship, maybe you two aren't ready to put in that hard work yet." She shrugged her shoulders hoping that kinda helped him a little.

Finn did smile at her as she took his hand. This was why Mia was his best friend, because she actually got him. "I love you too Mia...." He nodded, still smiling at her. In a way she was a better best friend that Jimmy, seeing as she was a girl. she could give him advice like this, and he didnt think it was weird for her to know it.

He nodded at what she was saying. Lexi was his first proper girlfriend, and he had tried so hard to be good to her. He thought he had been good to her, but she obviously thought different. "My parents relationship....isnt exactly the best one to take advice from." He admitted with a frown. No wonder he was bad at relationships, if he took advice from his father. But he knew he'd not done anyhing that bad to Lexi. He hadn't let it get that far.

"I kind of feel like she's given up on it." That was his opinion. Finlay had been ready to fight for her, fight for them, but Lexi had just wanted a break. "I might write to her..." And say what? Apologise? He'd been doing enough of that over the past few weeks. "It was horrible walking away from her, leaving her crying." He sighed, shaking his head. "Thank you Mia. You have helped a little."

Ah that's what she liked to see. A smile on his face because he was far too cute to be frowning like that. Mia was unsure of where that advice had come from because she had never been in a relationship either but that's how she thought a relationship should be like that.

Mia could understand why Finn might have troubles being in a relationship when his role models could not even make their marriage work. But that did not mean he had to be like them. He was his own person. "Your parents aren't you Finlay." She said quietly.

Heaving a little sigh, Mia shook her head. "Just because she wants a break to sort herself out does not mean she is giving up on you Finn. Seems like she cares enough to step away because you two are fighting so much that she doesn't want you two to end up hating each other. Takes a strong person to do that." She gave his hand another squeeze and smiled up at him. "If you love her like you say you do then fight for her and don't do something you will regret later." And she was pretty sure that she didn't have to spell it out what she meant by that.

His parents weren't him. Sometimes he felt like that wasn't true. "I'm more like my father than I would like to be." He confessed, frowning momentarily. But at least Finlay had his priorities straighter than his father.

It did seem like Mia's perspective was really opening up his eyes. Finlay had thought she was giving up on him, but really Lexi was giving them space to breath, to get their lives straight before they got to serious. "I think your right." He nodded. He could understand a little now why Lexi had broken up with him. "I am going to fight for her..." He smiled, because well he'd hate to have to watch her be in the arms of another guy. "And I'm not going to do something stupid." He gave her a look, and chuckled. "Those days are over." Those days were long over.