Nicola still had the hood of her sweater up her arms wrapped around her body for warmth, for some reason she felt chilled. Nicola knew the reason why she felt chilled it was the fear of what she had witnessed and the guilt she felt. She was a wreck mentally all she could think of was how stupid Kyle had been in kissing her and how nuts it was to believe what her eyes had seen because Kyle could not kill someone like that. Nicola did not want to believe that Kyle was capable of that. Had it something to do with the moment before? How could someone go from kissing their friend, potentially ruining a friendship to killing someone? None of it made sense and she just felt lost and uncomfortable.

He just made their friendship that much more awkward in more ways than one. The kiss had not been pleasant and rather forceful. It was definitely not like kissing Gavin. That kiss from Kyle had made her feel uncomfortable and all she could do was walk away. Then there was the attack; he had made it potentially impossible for her to ever see him again. Nicola just could not wrap her head around the situation she felt like she was completely lost and in a daze.

Finally she found Gavin, she just need to get away. Nicola slipped her hand into Gavin’s and looked at him. “I need to get out of here, away from this.” She said looking at Gavin horrified. She worried he had seen something of the kiss, but she couldn’t figure out how he would have he was here at the ceremony. Nicola didn’t want to deal with that now because all she needed right now was getting away from this and just being with Gavin. Nicola needed a distraction from her thoughts before she over thought everything, before she broke down, and before she did something stupid. “Please anywhere.” Nicola knew she probably had some sort of distressed look on her face. She herself felt like she was everywhere.

The ceremony was coming to a close and Gavin was about to explode from all the constant talk about victory and honor, love and courage. He felt like he was going to vomit. To Gavin, the atmosphere was all wrong. He didn't want to be here but it was out of respect -- he showed up for his father, who lost his life the day of the Battle at Hogwarts. In fact, Gavin really didn't know much about what happened, people never told him the full story since he was at such a young age but the whole "Your daddy is going to heaven with mommy." was crap that Gavin never believed. If there was a "heaven" as muggles and weird witches/wizards thought, then his parents wouldn't be dead.

Gavin Snark had a lot of anger in him that was kept inside, locked tight and never to be opened. And if it was, it would be on an enemy and everything Gavin left in would rush out of him. It wasn't fair, but who said like was fair? Meeting Nicola was a whole new experience and the whole time he was sitting down looking at his fingers tapping on his knees, he was thinking about her and his family. What if his dad was still alive, and/or his mom? That was a wish that could never be granted. But if they were, of course they would love Nicola, who wouldn't? The ironic part was that if they weren't dead, Gavin would probably be in Gryffindor, since he was more like his father, and Nicola would be an enemy. She would probably be with that Kyle kid who had a heart attack every time Gavin kissed her, could you say obsessed? It didn't matter to Gavin though he had a saying, "If you can't keep the girl then she isn't worth keeping."

All in all, Gavin hated being here, one thought led to another and he would totally go off subject, some people were surprised that Gavin came to the ceremony but he gave them a rude gesture and turned around to face the front every so often. He had no idea how to express his feelings about the whole thing.  When Nicola came by him, Gavin was a bit alarmed, why was she so upset? It wasn't hard to tell that Nicola was upset about something; even a muggle could figure that out, he took her hand frantically, and stood straight up and walked to the other direction. When they were under a big tree, he took her face in between his hands and stared into her eyes. "Nic, what is wrong?"

As much as she wished her emotions were not written all over her face she knew they were and knew Gavin would be concerned. She easily followed behind Gavin as they made it towards a place they could talk. Nicola still was in disbelief that she had seen what she had seen. If this kiss had not been enough to witness Kyle attacking an auror, it just didn’t seem like him. Sure Kyle was a bit high strung and wand happy, especially when it came to Gavin as of late, didn’t mean that Kyle would be capable of something like that.

Nicola stopped with Gavin as they reached the shade of the tree and place away from the others. They were alone, so to speak, and that was exactly what Nicola needed right now. She turned to him and felt his warm hands on her cheeks. She closed her eyes, Nicola was not the type to cry but she felt it could be possible today. “I…” Nicola didn’t even know how to speak the words she didn’t believe.

“Kyle attacked an auror,” Nicola looked as if she was about to lose her breakfast all over the ground and more than likely Gavin’s shoes if it actually happened. “He killed someone,” she shook as she spoke. “I cannot believe that it was him, that he would do something like that.” Nicola didn’t want to think that he had done it but what if he had. Nicola also had to additional feelings of guilt all from a kiss that she had pushed upon her and she didn’t participate in. Nicola fiddled with the zipper of her sweater looking at Gavin before moving in and resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him.

Still looking into her eyes, Gavin dropped his hands when Nicola explained what had happened. Gavin was in disbelief. That was impossible. Gibson would never do such a thing like that, even though he was an annoying boy who couldn't get over Nicola - and he was also Gavin's worse enemy. Confusion crossed his face as Nicola went to hug him; he was a bit in shock. How could this happen when there was practically everyone at the ceremony, no one noticed something going on in the woods?

He hugged her tightly. "Listen Nicola, you can't be here right now. I think you are falling apart. I still can't understand or imagine Gibson killing someone but if he did, you can't be here at the moment. Did he know you saw him?" For Gavin, Nicola's safely was all that mattered right now. If Kyle could kill an auror, then who knows what kind of pills he was on. What if he didn't want any witnesses and went to find Nicola.... Gavin couldn't leave her.... She would have to be watched by him always.... He was going to get that Gibson... WHY WEREN'T PEOPLE PAYING ATTENTION... Where to go now...

Gavin couldn't help his mind wonder, there were several things to think about all in seconds. His kissed Nicola gently on the forehead. "Does anyone else know love?" he said. Gavin didn't mean to overwhelm her with question after question when he knew she was in no mood to remember the incident but this was all important.

If only Gavin stayed at the event to witness everything that had happened, if he did Nicola wouldn't be in this situation. Gavin left moments after arriving, he settled himself further away where he could just think. Luckily Nicola found him. Gavin would've been sitting next to her protecting her from Kyle if he only told her he would be going. Gavin felt a rush of guilt come upon him. If he wasn't so mad about the whole ceremony and if he said he would be there, then... Wait, Kyle knew Gavin wouldn't be near Nicola? Someone knew how Gavin felt about the whole Remembering Day event. And with that thought, Gavin knew for sure that Kyle wasn't the only one in the mess. He wasn't that intelligent to make this whole plan up by himself. Kyle and Gavin were equally matched.... he knew better. Now this didn't make sense.

Nicola didn’t know what to say she was just wanting to stay here with her arms around Gavin, she wasn’t sure if she could even let go of him at this point without feeling her knees go. “I don’t know Gavin, I don’t know.” She didn’t know if Kyle saw her but others had been there, people had put at stop to Kyle doing anything more. Still how could it have been Kyle who had done something like that.

“Yes other people know,” she said looking up at Gavin. “I just ran after it to find you.” Nicola was glad she had somewhere to go after seeing the events at the ceremony. “People stopped him that was the last thing I saw, I don’t know what happened.” Nicola didn’t have a clue what was currently happening to Kyle, what they were doing she had just left to find Gavin because he was the only person she thought to go and find.

Nicola felt her body shaking despite being in Gavin’s arm. She was trying to fight back the tears. “Gavin I think I need to sit down.” She said rather breathy, she felt rather dizzy and a little bit nauseous. She looked up at Gavin and took a deep breath. “I don’t understand how he could do that.” How could Kyle kill an auror? That was not the type of person that Kyle was.

As Nicola answered all of his questions, Gavin just stood there feeling amazed. He nodded his head when Nicola said she needed to sit down. He grabbed her by the waist and sat down underneath the tree. "Babe, you need to take deep breaths." Gavin said rubbing her back. More than anything Gavin wanted to go back to the scene and find everything he wanted to know about what had happened, but he knew he was to stay here and try to comfort Nicola. Did he just call her babe?

Gavin hated Gibson more than before, which was close to impossible but it seemed like his hatred for Gibson grew. It was still confusing, he knew Kyle was a flashy kind of guy who loved to show off but he wouldn't just murder someone during the most populated event of the year practically. Kyle wasn't stupid, it couldn't be him. But it was... that stupid idiot.

"I hope they catch him..." Gavin said coldly. "This doesn't make sense Nicola; Kyle would never do something like this. At least the Kyle we know... maybe he was holding a dark side from you to try to gain your trust?" Or maybe something bigger was going on in the picture. Kyle was stupid, but not that stupid... Everything was so confusing.

Nicola felt the weight lift from her feet as Gavin’s strong arms helped her down to sit on the ground beneath the tree. She moved her head against him, not wish to part from him. Nicola felt his hand soothingly rub her back as she tried to take Gavin’s advice. Her breath was so short or not at all, she felt as if everything was caving in her. Gavin felt like she did when she was trapped in the closet or a dark space. Nicola tried to breath; she didn’t even realize that Gavin had called her babe.

Finally the soothing motion of his hand rubbing her back finally calmed her enough to let her breathing return to some normalcy. Nicola kept her eyes closed afraid if she opened them she might let the tears that were bound to fall. Nicola didn’t want to believe what she had seen but how could one dispute such damning evidence.

“I don’t want to believe that he could do that, or lie to me, or kill.” Her voice broke between words and her eyes opened and looked at Gavin. “I cannot believe he could be so stupid.” She said before she rested her head back on Gavin’s shoulder as the tears that had threatened to fall finally did.

Everything was a mess today and if it didn't involve hurting Nicola, than Gavin would have regretted not being a part of the whole scandal, but he wasn't and it was hurting Nicola. The whole freaking-out-Nicola was really getting to Gavin and inside he had no idea what to do about it. He never had a girl who freaked out in his arms; no scratch that; he never had a girl who freaked out in his arms that he cared about. He kissed her head and tried to once again calm her down.

"Kyle is an ass." Was all Gavin could say at first. Anger was building up inside of him and he wanted to find Kyle and put an end to his existences. Currently, Gavin had no idea what to believe and all of the babble that was going around his head had to stop; now Nicola needed him.

"Love, what can I do to make everything better." he said. What Gavin really wanted to say was YOU FREAKING SCARING THE CRAP OUT OF ME STOP THAT!

Nicola rubbed some tears from her cheeks as she rested against Gavin. She felt herself shaking with each breath she was afraid hiccups would start; she had that bodily function that seemed to come with her tears. Tears, so unusual with Nicola and she had never done it front of someone. Nicola had never cried in front of anyone but her mother and definitely not the boy she was falling hard for. His compassion right now was not helping the falling hard aspect. Feeling him kiss her forehead she felt a wave of calm drifting over her slowly before wiping away a few more tears.

“He is an ass,” she mumbled against Gavin. “I cannot believe he would do that.” Nicola was moving from the stage of sadness, despite the still falling tears, but she was growing angry with her friend for being so stupid. She might not want to believe what she saw but how could she not believe it? She had seen Kyle, the very Kyle who had forced his lips upon her just previous. The mere thought of this ‘new’ Kyle’s lips on her own disgusted her. How had Kyle changed so much to commit an act like that, maybe the time he had spent with her was a farce.

“Gavin all I want from you right now is to just sit with me here. I don’t really want to move from this spot.” She finally felt comfortable and safe in his arms, and really he just had to keep doing what he was doing to make her feel better.

Nothing was going to calm Nic's nerves other than Gavin comforting her. That's all he could do at the moment. He kissed her neck softly, which sent shivers down his spine, and rested his head on the tree, eyes closed. What else was there to do for her? Gavin contemplated on it for a moment and then just gave up all together. If anyone was going to make her feel better it would be Kyle and he was long gone by now.

His instincts were to kill this man, but his logic told him to stay where he was. He most certainly didn't need to do something stupid again and cause attention to himself. He had to think of Nicola now, include her in on every option. He knew for sure if he did something stupid it would break her heart and from experience, breaking a girl's heart was funny but now it seemed just rude.

 There was so much change in Gavin's thoughts now. The usual grabbing boobs, making out sessions with everyone, and closet mysteries were in the past. He never thought about them anymore. And if they were, it would include Nic. He was stupid to ever get so caught up in a girl, especially in school.

Still patting Nic's back, Gavin looked across the field. He could still see people there, but many fled. This day was turning a lot more interesting then he thought it would be.