A GUILTY THOUGHT THAT IVY HAD ONCE HAD WAS THAT SHE WISHED LEO WAS NOT GAY. She quickly dismissed the thought and cursed herself for ever thinking it. But things would be so much easier because Ivy felt she would have a calmer fifth year ( forgetting the fact she had exams that kind of shaped her very future ). But again, she felt so guilty for even thinking about it because there were people who have had it much worse, such as her parents who had her whilst the war was still raging on.

Percy made her so nervous and with the added pressure of exams and the whole ordeal with her friends, Ivy was exhausted. It seemed all she did these days was study, try and solve her friend's problems and feel strange around Percy. Olivia and Professor Sprout both stopped her from doing prefect rounds until after OWLs as she seemed overdone with stress; Ivy hated the 'special treatment' as Luke, Leo, Marcus and Percy still did rounds. They were the only people she really ever talked to. She was even limited to one hour of studying a day, not including classes, and it left Ivy incredibly bored. She even had to find new things to do with Percy.

Ivy Parry felt like she was going insane and there seemed to be nobody there to carry her away from the feelings.

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"Thank you so much Marcus!" Ivy exclaimed, hugging him, and he tried to ignore the bags under her eyes. "I was dying for something to do. Sorry, I won't be much help studying anymore. Professor Sprout has kind of limited me to an hour a day and threatened to take away my being-a-prefect."

Marcus Flint looked over her, noticing how much she had changed. "Well, I can see where she is coming from. So wha-"

"You got crystallised pineapple?" Ivy grinned and held back a yawn. "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"How are things with Whitehall and Humphreys?" He said, clearing his throat; Ivy's expression fell and her true feelings started to come out.

Her shoulders dropped, and the charm that had been placed on her hair fell. Ivy could barely bring herself to look up at him. They sat in silence for a long, awkward moment. Slowly, she brought her eyes up to his. "I just, I don't understand. They can't even look at each other and when they do it's that stupid longing look, not that I've even seen Luke. He's gone to walking in the shadows and he's too good at it. I don't know what to do and I'm trying but I just want us to all be friends again. Is that too much to ask?" Her hair was a greasy mess, it didn't look like she had properly washed it in weeks, and she probably hadn't. "I know too much has happened between them for them to ever be just friends again but I just want things to be more normal. And all I can think about is ways to help them and study."

"I think you need to focus on yourself." Marcus put a hand on her shoulder. "You always put your friends first, it's time to do what you want. Don't let anyone else stop you."

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Ivy Parry got back up on her feet and chose the path which held what she wanted most.

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Ivy knew exactly where to find him. It wasn't that hard as he was always in the library, his common room or outside (though that tended to be with her). She didn't even have any trouble figuring out which person he was, even at a quick glance; Ivy would recognise him anywhere.

As she approached him, second thoughts ran through her mind. The whole thing could be a disaster like Luke and Leo. She didn't allow it to stop her. This was what she wanted.

Ivy tapped his shoulder, and even though she looked like a dishevelled mess, Percy still thought she looked pretty. Although he didn't have much time to even react as she kissed him on the lips, the only right decision she felt she had made the whole year.