Xavier was making his way through the castle heading back to the dorms. Most of his classmates were in the library or heading off to the Great Hall to get ready for dinner. Xavier had no interest in eating, much like his lack of interest in school and friends food didn't seem all that appealing anymore. He wasn't one to compulsively weigh himself but since he had been keeping up with his nightly work out routine he noticed that he had been losing some weight in the last few weeks from lack of eating.

All he wanted to do now was rest. He had taken care of all his homework during his study break and just wanted to be alone someplace safe and warm. He needed to let his body rest. He had been pushing himself too hard, his muscles ached with over use and his bloody bandaged hands seemed to have given up on trying to heal. He felt broken somehow and restless. He couldn't explain what was wrong with him but he knew it was all connected to his father and the betrayal he had made against him.

As he entered the dorm room all thoughts of sleep were washed away. There, sitting on the bed next to his was Callum. He was hunched over some ridiculously oversized parchment working on something that certainly wasn't homework. Curiousity getting the better of him Xavier walked over and without a word picked up one of the posters that had been finished. He looked it over with narrowed eyes and something inside him burst.

He had known Callum for four years. This was a man that had been one of his best friends since they had been sorted into the same house, they had classes together, they lived in the same room, in beds that were next to each other. Countless nights they had slept next each other for years, he had been the closest thing Xavier had actually had to a brother but none of that seemed to matter anymore. There was something about this year. Callum was more ruthless, more pigheaded, more violent and generally just more than he ever had been. Coming back to school Xavier felt like he was finally seeing Callum for the first time. All the bullying, everything Callum was doing was just too much and while he had been keeping quiet since they had come back he didn't think he could do it anymore.

He threw the poster back onto Callum's bed, "So wha's this then?"

Ever since the prophet article had been released about Sasha, and especially since he'd been attacked, Callum had been working on a good way to get back at the stupid Ravenclaw for treating him that way. The posters that he had spread out were ones featuring Sasha's face put on top of an Azkaban wanted to poster. There were five different drafts- each one with different sayings, and each one fingering the boy as he really was- a murderer. A teenager capable of killin an azkaban escapee. Someone who could be dangerous.

He had been toying with the posters for a few days. It wasn't too hard to make them, but it took a lot of effort to make the copies of every one- to fix Sasha's face on it. And then to write out the words on every poster. Callum had been hard at work and didn't notice anyone coming in.

So, Callum was surprised when Xavier picked up one of the posters he was working on. "What do you mean what is it? What's it look like, you git?" Callum shuffled it back into the stack of ones he had already done. "What's it to you? It's none of your damned business anyway."

The Slytherin boy gathered up all of the posters he had been working on, and locked them in his trunk. Although Xavier wasn't the sort to really defend Sasha, Callum didn't want to risk someone messing them up. Especially since it seemed Xavier was peeved about it. "What got your knickers in a knot, Tawse? Been smooching Amherst and Schlagenweit in your spare time? Is that why you're so pissed about it?"

Xavier's cold grey blue eyes narrowed as Callum ripped the poster back from him. Normally this sort of thing wouldn't have bothered him and honestly Xavier had just as much right to be angry with Sasha as Callum did. He had already broken his hand over the idiot when he had stolen Neely, his anger towards the German Ravenclaw for killing Manfred was unmatched by anything Callum's tiny little heart could feel. Mannie Ashford wasn't just a name like he was to all the other students at Hogwarts. Mannie was a friend, a confidante and one of the few people that could actually make Xavier step into line. If anyone should be warning the masses of students about how dangerous Sasha was to have killed a wizened and skilled wizard like Mannie it was Xavier but he just couldn't do it.

He glared down at the posters again, "Look I hate Sasha as much as ye do, believe me but seriously man this is jus goin too far." He looked up from the posters to the man that he realized he considered to formerly be his friend, "Hex thee git if ye want but this?" He indicated the mass amounts of posters he had slaved over, "And while we're at it outin' Fergie Amherst? Seriously? Shouldn't ye be concentratin on yer girlfriend or tha' lil brat yer parents engaged ye to instead?"

He crossed his arms over his chest knowing that the things he was saying were bound to get Callum going. In a way that's what he wanted. He needed Callum to get angry with him. He needed to have this fight or whatever it was that was happening between them. Closure, if you wanted to call it that.

"Fergie's a queen an' he bugs thee hell outta me too but what thee hell has he eva done ta ye?" He knew how weird all of this must sound coming form his lips. Xavier had never been one to stand up for their fellow dorm mate and he definitely wasn't against picking on his fellow classmates, his constant rivalry with Wentworth was proof enough of that.

"Obviously you don't hate Sasha as much as I do, cause you're too busy kissing his arse to appreciate the genius behind this tactic," Callum spat. "And don't you dare say one word about Maeve- she's what a real lady is supposed to be." The slytherin did not, however, defend his betrothed. Imogen was a brat- there was no way to argue that point with anyone. "You say one word about her, and I'll have you for it," he threatened. Nobody spoke ill of his girlfriend (was she still his girlfriend?) and got away with it.

And then Xavier was on, defending Amherst as well. "What the hell is wrong with you, Tawse? Since when were you standing up for Schlagenweit and his little girlfriend? And he's done plenty of things. It's his fault that stupid Ravenclaw git got me in defense." Not true, but that was how Callum saw it. If he had been hexed in defense of Ferguson, then it was therefor Ferguson's fault. It made sense. Perfect sense.

But this whole holier than thou attitude wasn't Xavier. Were he a true friend, perhaps Callum might ask to find out what was going on. He might have noticed the bandages on his friend's hands or picked up on the signs of his depression- but he hadn't. Because Callum was most certainly self absorbed and was a crappy friend to everyone- not just Xavier.

"Since when were they off limits? Do I want to know what you've got going on with Amherst when the lights go out in here? You one of them now?" Callum asked. "Maybe I should make some posters for you, too. Out you to Beatrix and that stupid Hufflepuff tart with the falsies."

Xavier narrowed his cold grey blue eyes. He hadn't said anything ill about Maeve. He never would. Even in this brooding twisted state he would never say anything bad about Maeve. Much like Neely and Liviana, Maeve was a Slytherin Princess, a proper pureblood woman. There was nothing bad to say. The fact that Callum didn't know him well enough to even know that proved how much they really weren't friends anymore (if they ever had been)

His jaw was set as he clenched his teeth together. He was fuming on the inside, baffled by how ignorant and arrogant Callum could be. Sasha would have never hexed him if he hadn't thrown a spell at Fergie in the first place. Whatever pain he had gotten from the dark magic Schlagenweit was now weilding, he had earned every moment of it for being such an insufferable prick. He was even so angry he couldn't roll his eyes at the other Slytherin.

Then Callum went too far, suggesting his concern for Amherst wasn't out of sympathy for a fellow human being but out of some twisted unnatural affection for the boy. Xavier's jaw began to ache from clenching so hard. The icing on the cake came as the brute mentioned Bella and Ayla so callousely. Something inside Xavier snapped so hard he was sure it had been audible.

A gutteral growl escaped his lips as he pulled back and launched a fist at Callum's face. He had no idea if he hit his mark and he didn't really care. His vision was red with rage and he was ready to unleash everything he had been bottling up over the last eight years on Callum. On any other day the two boys would have been evenly matched. Callum was probably the only other fifth year who took as good of care of their body as Xavier did. Callum even had a bit more bulk to him only because he was more square than Xavier. They had rough housed before and no one had ever really come out the victor. Now however as Xavier was ready to draw blood the scales had been tipped. Xavier was blind with rage, underslept, overworked and malnurished - having only consumed pumpkin juice to stay hydrated since coming back to school - it wouldn't be hard at all for the brutish Slytherin to overpower him.

Callum had not been expecting Xavier to throw a punch. A lot of yelling, some threatening, maybe the guise of a true altercation- but no real harm to be done. He had been very wrong. Callum let out a sound of surprise mingled with pain when Xavier's fist collided with his face. He was definitely going to have a shiner after that one. Callum Knight with a black eye was not too uncommon- but uncommon enough that he wasn't going to want to answer questions, and definitely wasn't going to want to have to admit he had lost a fight by choosing not to fight.

"You bloody arse!" he yelled, standing up from his position to square himself in front of Xavier. "What the hell is your problem, Tawse? You come back to school acting like a bloody idiot, startin' fights with everyone! I'm your friend, you dolt, or have you forgotten?!" Callum rubbed his face, and glowered at the other Slytherin.

"Now you're walking around like someone shoved a stick up your rear end. Hands always bandaged, acting like a fool. We're wizards- bandages are beneath us. Get your bloody knuckles taped up at the hospital hut! You're better than this mess. You're angsting everywhere like a teenaged girl!" Now that his speech was aside, Callum knew that he had to hit back. He couldn't let Xavier punch him, and get off with a warning. "You're going to regret this, Tawse. There are some people you don't make enemies of."

And you did not punch a boy in the face who spent his holidays taking boxing lessons. If he wanted to fight like a man- he would fight him like a man. Callum didn't need his wand to prove who was boss, and he never thought that he was going to have to prove his superiority- physically and magically- to Xavier.

Callum took a deep breath and sized Xavier up, before throwing out a strong uppcercut to Xavier's chin. If he could startle him backward, then he could have the advantage. Besides, he might crack a few teeth while he was at it- then the little bastard couldn't flash him that shit eating grin anymore.

Xavier stepped back when Callum got to his feet and raised his fists in a defensive position. Adrenaline was pumping through his system like a drug after his surprise throw had connected with Callum's face. For someone who had been his best friend, practically his brother for four years, it felt surprisingly good to knock him one. He knew that his attack wouldn't go without some kind of retaliation and he figured he was ready for it.

Everything Callum said fell on deaf eyes. It was the first time Callum had even acknowledged the bandages on his fists and it wasn't all that surprising that he had taken the whole 'wizards are above such muggle means' approach. If Xavier wanted his hands healed he would have done it weeks ago when his mother and Grandmother had tired to do it for him. He was doing it on purpose but of course Callum was too stupid to understand that.

For as prepared as he thought he had been for a return attack Callum had still managed to get through his guard. He felt the sudden crack of impact as the beefier Slytherin's fist pushed up from under his chin. He stumbled backwards and tripped over one of those ridiculously fashionable shoes Fergie wore. Laying on his back his head bounced painfully on the stone floor. Stars burst behind his eyes, his jaw ached and he was sure he had chipped at least one of his teeth.

This was not over.

Though he didn't have the strength to get back to his feet he still wanted Callum's blood. He still needed this fight, to end their friendship in a flurry of fists and flying blood. With another growl he kicked at the man trying to get at one of his knees to drop him. Leaving himself in a rather vulnerable position.

The sound that Xavier's head made when it bounced off of the stone floor was a satisfying one. Callum grinned, laughing at the pathetic attempt of his housemate's to try and catch one of his knees to bring him down. "The number one rule of every fight is to never underestimate your opponent," he stated. "What's the matter, Tawse? Not man enough to get back up? Here, let me help you!"

Stooping, Callum grabbed Xavier by the collar of his shirt and pulled him up. "If you're going to start a fight, you better damn well be ready to finish it like a man." But there was something wrong with Xavier. Callum could pick up on that. He had never seen Xavier fall so easily, or let himself be dragged around. If Xavier hadn't thrown the first punch, he might even be worried enough to stop and figure out what was going on. But guys didn't talk about their feelings or what was wrong with them to other guys- unless you were a boy like Fergie, but he was hardly a guy.

"I'll even give you a free shot," Callum told him, dropping his arms to his side. "C'mon, let's see what you've got Xavier. Better make it good- because I'm about to beat you within an inch of your life."

Xavier became more furious at himself than at Callum. His body wasn't responding the way it should be, he was slower than he usually was, his reflexes were pretty much shot and he didn't even try to protest when Callum pulled him up by his collar as if he were a rag doll. As much as he needed this fight he wasn't in the best of shape for it and would end up paying for it in the end but there was no way he was backing down.

Back on his feet his fists came up again, lightly clenched and up around his face, his feet spaced apart to support his weight as he faced his opponent. He wanted so badly to wipe that smug look off of Callum's face permanently. As he dropped his hands willingly giving Xavier a shot he didn't hesitate in taking it. He knew this wasn't going to end well for him, he might as well get as many licks in while he still could.

He pulled back again and with a little less speed and at only half strength of what his normal punches would have been he aimed lower this time, looking to catch Callum in gut rather than the face. At full strength he probably could have knocked the wind right out of him but he was no where near his full potential, he was just aiming to cause as much pain as he could before Callum took him out. At least then he could say he had tried.

"You're pathetic," Callum sneered, ignoring the punch that had landed in his gut. "You never start a fight that you can't win, Tawse." That was one of the first things he had learned. You never fought anybody who was bigger than you, or someone that had more talent magically or physically. And if you did, then you learned how to play dirty. Xavier apparently had no idea how to do that. Otherwise Callum wouldn't be at such an obvious advantage.

"I don't know what your problem is, you arse, but you are better than this. You are better than Schlagenweight, you are better than Amherst. You're a pureblood, Tawse. That means you have a place in this society that is above filth like those. And if you're going soft on me, then I think we don't need to associate with one another anymore. I cannot be friends with someone who disagrees with the very basic morals of our society."

"I should've know the day you hit that girl. It doesn't matter who she is or what she has a done, a real man would never lay a finger on a woman- it's barbaric. It's downright muggle." With that, Callum landed his fist as hard as he could into Xavier's nose- enjoying the sickening snap of the bone and unsurprised at the blood that followed. "Bow out of the fight while you still can, Tawse. I don't want to have to kill you."

Stars burst behind his eyes as the larger Slytherin's fist easily snapped his nose. The metallic taste of his own blood as it gushed from the fresh wound seemed to have woken him up. The adrenaline was pumping into his veins furiously but even still he would hardly be a match for Callum at full strength, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying.

Every word the man spoke was worse than taking a hit. Callum was an ignorant fool that put stock in ideas that no longer mattered. Xavier believed that wizards were miles beyond muggles and would always be but he wasn't as archaic as to believe that men were superior to women. Women needed to be held accountable for their actions, Maddie shouldn't have been shooting her mouth like that assuming that Xavier wouldn't retaliate just because she was a girl.

Xavier's eyes narrowed and he spat his own blood onto the floor between their beds. He looked to Callum with pure hatred shining in his cold grey blue eyes, "You talk too much." He didn't need to hear anymore of Callum purist dribble. This was a fight, there was no room for idiotic words in a fight.

Xavier launched himself at the other man aiming to take him to the ground and pound on him as much as he could until Callum overpowered him or knocked him out. Callum wanted him to fight like a man, he'd show the pompus jerk just how manly he could be.

Callum was surprised when Tawse took him to the ground. The boy got in a couple of decent hits before Callum over powered him, pinning him to the ground with one arm as he used his other to grasp at his wand. "Petrificus Totalus!" He watched Xavier's body go rigid and he stood from the floop, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You will regret this one day. I am not an ally you want to waste." Callum spat on him then, then grabbed Xavier by the collar, bringing head up to slam it back into the stone. The fight was over as far as he was concerned. Callum wiped his hands on the boy's shirt and then adjusted his own uniform.

"Maybe Amherst will come in and save you," he spat, ending the incantation. Callum made sure all of his posters were stashed carefully into his bag before leaving the dorm. Whoever found him could deal with him. Callum was done with Tawse. He didn't need a boy like him anyway. The guy was everything that was wrong with purebloods these days. Fraternizing with Huffletarts and willingly tainting himself with Dark blood. Pathetic.

Xavier knew it wouldn't be long before Callum over powered him but he hadn't expected the other Slytherin to use his wand. So much for fighting fair and like a man. Callum was taking the easy way out and there was nothing he could do about it. He was frozen, paralyzed, unable to do anything as the brute pulled him up and slammed his head against the stone floor again. Once more stars burst behind his eyes and he felt overwhelmingly dizzy.

It only took a few more punches to do the damage Callum wanted, one on the left side of his face would result in a black eye later and split the tight skin over his eyebrow. Blood poured out and into his eye as he lay there unable to even wipe it away. One last punch on the corner of his jaw was enough to knock the boy out. He hadn't even heard Callum's final words or noticed that the incantation had been removed.

---

Xavier had no idea how much time had passed when he finally came to. Although he didn't think it had been too long considering there was still no one inside the dorm and the common room outside sounded rather quiet as well. He sat himself up, nausea overwhelmed him and he felt like puking. He probably would have if there was anything in his stomach to bring up. Truth of the matter was Xavier hadn't put anything solid in his stomach since coming back to Hogwarts and had been keeping himself going on pumpkin juice and water.

He doubted he'd be able to get to his feet, the bump on the back of his head was giving him a killer headache. He shimmied over to his bed and pulled a spare blanket out of his trunk before climbing in under the large forest green four poster. It probably wasn't the smartest idea to curl up under his bed instead of in it but he didn't really care at the moment. He curled up under the blanket and waited.

---

The laterns were extinguished and the Slytherin dorm was quiet except for the sound of heavy breathing from his sleeping room mates. Xavier crawled out from under his bed. He wasn't as dizzy as he had been but the swelling in his face was makign things a little hard to see. It wasn't anything he hadn't gotten from Peyton before but mixed with how laggy his body was he felt as though he was going to pass out again.

He spared a look at the sleeping forms of his room mates - Callum, Fergie, Erin, Vincent and Julian. None of them seemed to have cared that Xavier hadn't been there when they went to bed but then again Xavier had been known to be up late working on his homework or just plain working out. They probably hadn't even thought about it.

Xavier pulled his sweater vest and tie off leaving the dorm room in just his dress shirt and slacks. He had no set destination other than a passageway he had been told about in his third year. It was supposed to lead out of the castle. He had no idea if it actually did but Hogwarts was the last place he wanted to be right now.

Continued in Broken, Battered, Bruised