For three weeks Albus had been dating Brooke Adler, who was pretty in her own aloof way. She was tall and pale, with long blonde hair slightly streaked with brown and light brown eyes. Right now her waist-length hair was unbound, and Albus didn’t hesitate to run his hand through it while tipping her head back. His lips brushed hers lightly; her eager response spurring their open mouths to meet again and again. Finally, they stopped long enough for Brooke to speak.
“Do you know,” she started in a whispery voice. “If we happen to make love right now, you would be my first.” She lovingly caressed his cheek with her hand.
Albus smiled. “That’s an honour, love.”
“What about you?” asked Brooke dreamily. “Am I your first?”
Albus frowned slightly, for no, she was not his first; she was one in the sea of many he had loved, but surely the one he would love the most. Brooke looked at him expectantly, awaiting a response. “No, you’re not,” said Albus hesitantly. “Does that bother you?”
“Not any more than it should,” said Brooke, wrapping her arms around his neck, and placing her lips on his for another kiss.
Dervish Jacobson stood at his dormitory window, overlooking the lake. He knew she was there, and he knew who she was with. Brooke was his best friend, but recently, he was beginning to think of her as so much more than that. He couldn’t explain his feelings, but he knew they were more than friendly or brotherly feelings. He wanted her with him, and he didn’t want her to be with anyone else. He wanted to touch her, to kiss her lips, to pull her into his arms. Watching her with Dumbledore made him crumble inside; it made his heart literally ache with the agony of wanting her. Yet he couldn’t tell her. He didn’t know how to. But, he considered as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, maybe there was a discreet way to drive her straight into his arms and away from that clever dick Dumbledore ….
“Leave me alone!” Brooke cried in frustration for the hundredth time.
“I don’t understand,” said Albus bewilderedly. Although three days ago things had been fine, she had been avoiding him since yesterday and he had no idea why.
“Just explain to me what I did to make you so angry!” Albus picked up his pace and tried to catch up with Brooke. He didn’t need to.
She stopped and whirled around furiously, her eyes rimmed with tears. “Like you don’t know!” she screamed. “I can’t believe I allowed myself to become so intimate with you, you perverted bastard!” She turned around and started running again.
Albus was so taken aback he stopped walking for a moment, contemplating what Brooke could have possibly meant. Quickly, he regained his senses and caught up to her again.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Albus begged desperately. “I really don’t.”
“Sure you don’t.” Brooke’s voice was icy and furious at the same time: she was extremely angry. One part of Albus considered waiting to talk to her another time; for she obviously wouldn’t consider listening to a word he said now. However, another part of him made him accelerate and grab Brooke’s arm. She fought, but with her fragileness, she was no match for him. He would, however, have to make this confrontation quick, for he could see Brooke’s friend Dervish Jacobson approaching in the distance. Dervish considered Albus a nuisance for some reason, and never could manage to keep himself from cracking an insulting joke about Albus.
“Brooke, tell me what I did!”
Brooke’s voice cracked, and the tears in her eyes finally broke a dam and fell freely. “How could you?” she cried. “I’m the joke of the school now!”
“What? Brooke, I never …” Before he could continue, he felt himself being wrenched backwards fiercely. Before he could react, a fist made for his face at extreme speed, breaking his nose in the process. He fell backward onto the muddy terrain.
Opening his eyes, Albus saw Dervish with his arms around Brooke’s shaking shoulders. He led her away, while Albus lay in pain on the ground, his nose bleeding. He couldn’t understand what had happened, and Brooke wouldn’t talk to him. Dervish certainly wouldn’t enlighten him. But he had to find out. Since Brooke was now, the “joke of the school,” Albus assumed he could ask anyone on the school grounds and they would tell him. Slowly Albus hefted himself up, the pain in his nose dulling most of his senses. Somewhere, a part of him was screaming at him to go to the hospital wing and get his nose fixed. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t go anywhere until he understood what was making Brooke so hysterical.
The sun was setting, so Albus had to make his interrogation fast. He walked through the student body, wondering who and how to ask. It was decided for him.
“Hey, mate.” Gordon Andrew, a fellow student his age, clapped him on the back. He gasped when Albus looked at him. “What happened to your nose? C’mon, I’ll take you to the hospital wing.” Knowing Gordon would most likely give him the information he needed, Albus allowed himself to be led away.
“So, who did this to you?” asked Gordon, laughing.
“Dervish Jacobson,” replied Albus carefully.
Gordon shook his head. “No surprise. I bet it had to do with Adler, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, I hope you beat the ruddy crap out of him. It’s not your fault Adler is as loose as she is.” Albus willed his brain to rewind and play what was just said.
“What?”
“I mean,” Gordon continued as if he had not heard him, “she sleeps with you on the first date, and continually brags about the other boys she’s done? What kind of girl does that?”
Albus stopped in his tracks. “Excuse me?” he exclaimed in disbelief.
“You don’t need a girl like that, anyway,” Gordon assured, nodding his head. “You’re better off without her.”
“Gordon, stop,” said Albus firmly. “Where did you get that information?”
For a moment, Gordon looked nervous. “I know, I’m probably not supposed to know, but hey, the entire school knows by now.” Gordon defended himself fiercely. Albus growled. For some reason, someone had been spreading around filthy rumours. But who? His frazzled mind whirred through names and faces and motives, and quickly settled on an identity: Dervish Jacobson. The guy couldn’t stand him from the start, and it was no secret he wanted Brooke and he to go their separate ways. But would he really go to such ends to achieve such a goal, hurting his best friend in the process?
One way to find out.
Albus made his way into the Great Hall and approached the Ravenclaw table, where Dervish was seated alone. Brooke was most likely in her dormitory. The Ravenclaw table stared at his muddy clothes and bloody face.
“May I have a word alone with you, Dervish?”
“My pleasure,” said Dervish, a sly smile creeping up onto his face. Albus and Dervish sought a private corner, where they would be witnessed by no one.
“You spread that rumour, didn’t you?” Albus hissed venomously. His eyes narrowed into slits, and he clenched his hands into fists.
“You should get that nose fixed up, Albus,” said Dervish innocently. “I’m terribly sorry I had to get physical, but Brooke was terribly distressed, and I couldn’t allow you to manhandle her in such a way.”
“She’s distressed because of you! You started a rumour that she’s some sort of slut, didn’t you? And you made it seem like I did it to have her break up with me, didn’t you?” Dervish cocked his head in such a way that made Albus furious.
“Would I do such a thing? I love Brooke very much, and I doubt I would do anything to hurt her. Unlike you.” Dervish looked at Albus with contempt.
“You love her, and you want to have her at any expense, even hers.” Albus looked at Dervish in disgust. “She’s yours “ but I doubt she will stay yours for long.”
“I don’t think so,” Dervish said thoughtfully. “Brooke needs a break from boys and people in general. I’m her one true friend. I think we’ll be together for a very long time.” Albus looked Dervish up and down, truly believing he was somewhat insane.
Dervish understood, and shook his head angrily. “No, don’t look at me like I’m crazy,” he said, his voice cold and strong. “I merely did what I had to.”
“There was also the alternate option of you telling her how you felt, and letting her choose for herself,” Albus said bitterly. Albus walked away. He didn’t want to spend another second in the vicinity of such an unfeeling person, a person who had his wants and priorities so completely mixed up he couldn’t even see the wrongs in his doings.
Albus climbed the stairs to the hospital wing, the pain in his nose becoming more apparent by the second. Not bothering to knock, he stepped right in.
“Madam Renaldo?” Albus quietly closed the door behind him, and approached the matron's office. Before he could reach his destination, the nurse popped out from behind one of the curtains.
“And who might you be?” she asked briskly, sitting him down on a bed and getting to work without another question.
“My name’s Albus Dumbledore.”
“Yes, yes I’ve heard of you. Fist fight with a friend, eh?”
“Yeah,” said Albus sheepishly.
“Hmm,” she said worriedly as she examined his nose.
“What?”
“This hasn’t been broken just now, has it? It’s been this way for a while.” Madam Renaldo shook her head.
“Maybe an hour. Is that a problem?”
“You should have come to me straight away. I’m afraid there’s no way to make it straight again.” Albus looked at the nurse with Galleon-sized eyes.
“Are you serious?”
Madam Renaldo glared at him. “My child, I am never anything but serious.” Albus sighed. He would have a crooked nose for the rest of his days. It would most likely serve as a reminder for this strange day of his life.