Mason sat by the recently lit fire. The ashes had been cleaned out by the house elves and the clean smell of fire emanated through the Ravenclaw common-room. He was absent-mindedly doodled on the back of his hand. Sonny was thinking about nothing, his mind was completely blank. He only concentrated on the shape of the happy face. His poetry notebook sat next to him, tucked in between the cushions of the chair that he sat at, his knees hanging over the arm of the chair as he sat sideways.

He was feeling rather bad about Chloe and Heinrich’s break-up. He always knew Heinrich was a rat… no he didn’t. He was happy for Chloe, but now that the two were broken up, he just thought less of the German. The fact that he didn’t even return after break was the worst part. He ran away to his own country, afraid of facing Chloe again.

Mason hadn’t even attempted to comfort her. He had let her cry it out on her own. Chloe had never had a boyfriend before, and for him to dump her, it just broke her heart. Mason did commend Faust on doing it to Chloe’s face, and not over the telephone or texting or over owl, like he knew some people did. A gaggle of girls came giggling into the commonroom.

Mason jumped out of his chair and his sneakers tread over the carpet as he approached the girls, normally he would have wet himself, but he was concerned about his friend. “Hey, could one of you see if Chloe is okay upstairs? And ask her if she wants to come down to talk to me?” The girls all knew who Chloe was, she was quidditch captain now. Mason put his hands in his pockets and sighed. “Mason?” He said, telling them his name that no one remembered. A few of them nodded and the hoard went up the stairs.

Mason pulled his hat tighter over his head, and flung himself back over the arm of the chair and letting himself sink into the cushion. He didn’t know what to say to her, he didn’t have anything planned, but he knew Chloe needed a little pick me up, or just a shoulder to cry on.

Chloe's housemates dragged her down the stairs begrudgingly by her arms. She saw Mason sitting there. "He's the one, Chloe. He wants to see you, it's so sweet. Go on!" Her friend called. Chloe scrunched up her face. The girls pushed her farther into the common room, and closer to Mason. She then looked over at him. She was in rough shape, her hair disheveled, her eyes lost their sparkle and now bloodshot.

But as she saw Mason, she felt more tears coming on. He was there for her all the time. He always sprang to protect her, and what did she do for him? Date someone else. He was the closest thing she had to family here, and family was just what she needed. She had even sent a letter home, only to get no response back. Chloe plopped down next to him, burying her face into his arm, and starting to sob.

Mason wasn't expecting the girls to drag her down to talk to him, she could if she wanted to. Mason straightened up in the massive chair. The other girls lingered a moment as Chloe smushed her face into his sleeve and began to sob. They vanished as Sonny shot them a look. He stroked her hair. "Aww, Chloe..." Mason didn't really have much to say after that, he had never been in a situation where it had been necessary to comfort a broken-hearted teenage girl.

He grabbed a tissue from the table next to him and held it near her face. "I know it hurts, but it's okay." That was the best he could come up with. He shushed and continued to stroke her hair. "It's okay, you'll be okay" He repeated, no knowing what else to say.

Chloe took the tissue and blew her nose, before tossing it on to another table. She sat up a little, and lifted his arm to wrap it around herself. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked at the fire crackling. "I, I just didn't think he'd leave me like this. I thought we had something. Something special." She said, in a quiet voice, as one tear dripped down her face.

"Who's going to help me now, when Rohan comes out to get me?" She asked worriedly. "I feel so vulnerable, so scared now." She said, finally coming to face her true emotions. "Without him, who am I?"

Mason put an arm around Chloe's shoulder. "You're something special, not him. All he did was punch Han a few times and then got sent back to Germany big whoop." Mason said, patting his hat. "And I'll help you if Rohan tries anything, he's just a jerk hiding behind a veil of cowardice." Mason furrowed his brow at the thought of Rohan.

"Chloe, you don't have to be scared. You're independent and wonderful, and you were Chloe without Heinrich. You'll get over him, because you are fantastic and spunky, and you are strong enough to recover from this." Mason said, grabbing her another tissue.

"You'd, you'd help me out with him?" She asked, her mouth threatening to smile. "Really?" She cuddled into him closer, as she wiped her eyes with the tissue. "Mason, you're the best. The best friend I could ever have." She said, as the fire continued to crackle. She heard a giggle come from behind her, but she ignored it, as she continued to sit in silence.

She had already been sobbing for hours before, and didn't have many more tears to flow. "And you want to know the best part? I send my mum a letter, asking her for advice, and you know what she says to me? Nothing. She doesn't even reply." She said, angrily, as her chin began to shake again.

"I will always help you out, well except that one time when I ran away like a little wuss because there were two of them and I had already bitten on of them, but I promise if you need any help, I'll be there." Mason thought for a moment, than added, "Unless they're bikers, I won't do bikers" She kept using that word, friend.

Mason mentally sighed and decided that he could settle for friend considering the circumstances. Chloe's parents were never the most caring couple... Okay, they hated Chloe's "weirdness", or whatever they're calling it on the streets these days. But for a mother to not respond to her desperate daughter's cry for help was just low.

"They probably got scared as usual and all huddled in the corner with you dad shooing the owl away with a dust mop like last time."

Chloe giggled a little at the visual. It had happened before. Her father did not like birds. At all. It was then that she got the feeling in her chest. The feeling that was so foreign. The feeling that had been falsified for so long. The feeling that she never thought she could associate with Mason. Love. Did she love her best friend? What was going on?

"We probably won't be dealing with any bikers anytime soon, I can promise you that." She said said with a smile. She cuddled in closer. How was he so good at cuddling? This didn't make sense! She couldn't like him! There was no way! He was her best friend! She had friendzoned him! How was she still feeling the tightness in her chest and the warmth by being in his arms?

Mason was rather pleased with his work as Chloe giggled. Maybe he wasn't so bad at this after all. "Well, since there won't be any bikers anytime soon, I guess I'll never leave your side ever again." Mason leaned into her shoulder with his. "Sumo wrestlers too, those guys are all psychos." Mason said honestly.

Mase looked at the fire and appreciated its warmth and light. He stuck out the back of his hand in front of Chloe. "Lookit! My hand is happy to see you!" He exclaimed, and pulled back his hand. "Ah geez, the sleep, I need it, but it evades me, I haven't been able to sleep since I made my mom cancel my comic book subscriptions." 

Mason had insisted on canceling them, they had another mouth to feed, and the comic books were just taking up space he didn't have. He didn't want to waste any more money on L-brakets and plywood to make shelves for his useless hobby. It was difficult, but he'd manage without them.

"You'll sleep like a baby bear, deeply and loudly." Mason snored, trying to get her to think of anything other than her family and Heinrich.

She laughed some more as he made jokes with his hands. He told her about sleep. She too was feeling rather tired, and her eyelids felt heavy. She wanted to get up and walk up to her room, but as though a lightning strike struck her down, she was feeling sleepy. "Sleep? Sleep is for the weak." She said. Her eyes got heavier, and heavier, until she couldn't hold them open any more. She tried to fight it. She wanted to fight it. But she couldn't.

"Maybe I'm weak then." She whispered, as she drifted off to sleep, curled up with Mason, a smile etched on her face.

"Hmm" Mason said as Chloe drifted off to beddy-by land. He yawned like a cat, "Not weak, sleepy" Mason smiled as Chloe curled into him. Sonny kicked off his sneakers and leaned agains the arm of the chair. He didn't want to get up and spoil her sleep. All he could smell was her shampoo, which he rather liked, and it gave him a warm pleasant feeling.

Mason pulled his hat tighter over his head, and stroked her hair until, he too, closed his eyes for a bit of shut-eye himself.