Chapter 6

Though the storms had let up during the first month of school, they immediately came back with a vengeance. The halls and almost everywhere else was packed since no students wanted to go out in the pouring, freezing rain. Jude had no problem, but he didn't want his clothes and papers to get soaked.

Quidditch practice, like James had told him, didn't let up. Especially since Olivia was Oliver Woods' daughter. They both loved quidditch to death and nothing would stop them from playing. Jude seemed a bit worried after hearing that.

Jude and James had to practically drag Emma out of the common room after she adamantly refused to go out for practice in the storm. James told her that she had to go since she was now on the quidditch team. Jude knew he was doing it for payback since she didn't tell them she was trying out in the first place.

When they got to the pitch, Olivia stood out in the rain, soaking wet and ready for an all out practice. Jude could see everyone else shivering, but he couldn't even feel the snippy wind on him like the others.

"Alright," Olivia called over the harsh rain. "I know what most of you are thinking, 'Why the bloody hell are we practicing in this weather?' Well, my dad always told me that quidditch waits for no man, so we are going to do as much training as we can. You lot ready?"

Jude thought he heard Simon sobbing next to him but said nothing of it. He would just blame the rain anyways. He nodded firmly, mounting his broomstick and shot off into the air. The others were right behind him.

Practice wore on for two hours before Olivia took pity on them and called it to an end. The only ones who actually got through practice without messing up horribly in the rain were Jude, Olivia, Louis and James. They were the only ones who seemed used to the weather. Emma just had a hard time gripping the wet quaffle. James always tried to help her, but since Leon wasn't practicing as much as the others, he went ahead and helped her.

Jude watched the others shiver and hug themselves tightly as they finally made it to the locker room. James growled at his friend through his chattering teeth, "H-h-h-ow the h-h-ell-l ar-are you not c-c-c-cold?"

Jude smiled, shrugging, "Natural immunity, I guess. Weather never bothered me before. That's why Piers had me in the room with the hole in the ceiling. He said since I never get hot or cold, I shouldn't have a problem with that."

"That's disgusting," James grunted, peeling his soaked shirt off. "I don't get how anyone would do that."

Jude slipped off his shirt which was equally soaked. He pulled out his school shirt and put it on, "Yeah well, it's how I knew I had immunity to the cold. That, and that time he threw in a snow bank and didn't let me inside the house till the next morning."

"He's a horrible man, and I hope he gets what's coming to him," James stated, pulling off his trousers that clung to his legs like a second skin.

"Thank you," Jude smiled, buckling his belt after he too got rid of his tight quidditch trousers. "I think Neville and Hannah said that once or twice."

"They should," James said, putting his back pack over his shoulder. "Now come on. We should get to class. I really want to just knock out. The rain is soothing."

Jude nodded, walking with him out of the locker room, "That's true but when is it gonna stop raining? These storms aren't letting up and I kinda don't want to play the first game in this storm. Besides, Neville and Hannah told me to watch out for lightning, especially when I'm playing quidditch."

"I wanna send my mum a letter," James mumbled as they waited for Emma. "I don't want to send Athena out in this weather though. The letter would get ruined and Athena would come back worse for wear. I can't do that to her."

Jude nodded once more in agreement, "I can't send Hestia in this storm either. Neville said he'd find a way to give Hannah our letters."

"Jace shouldn't deal with this either." They turned to Emma who had just come out of the locker room. She smiled at them, "My parents understand why I can't send any letters, and I care about Jace too much to have him deal with this storm."

"Right," James nodded. "Now let's go." He halted when Emma tugged on his sleeve. He glanced at her questioningly, "What? What is it?" At Emma's glances at the boy's locker room door, his lips twitched irritably, "No, nuh-uh. We are not waiting in the frostbiting cold for Adams."

"Please?" Emma tugged on his hand pleadingly. Jude could see the blush on James' already red cheeks. "He waits for me, the least I can do is wait for him."

James gritted his teeth angrily. Jude didn't know if it was from the cold weather or the fact that he was just really beginning to hate Leon. The brown eyed boy snatched his hand out of the red heads, almost hissing, "You can wait for him all you want with Jude. I'm going to class so I don't die of hypothermia."

He stormed off with his two friends watching him. Jude smiled slightly, "He doesn't really like the cold. You're lucky he let me stay here with you. He knows the cold doesn't bother me."

Emma sighed exasperatedly, rubbing her eyes with her glove covered hands, "I don't get why he gets mad all the time now." She turned to her friend with a raised eyebrow, "Do you think he's going through puberty?"

"That's mean," Jude said, feeling his traitorous lips twitch with amusement. "You know he'd never say that about you. He's just…going through some things." Going through some feelings, he thought to himself.

Emma waved her hand, smiling, "Sorry, sorry. I guess I really don't know what's going through his mind."

Jude shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets, "You really don't. I know what's going on but I don't really understand it just yet."

James was developing feelings for Emma; that he knew. He also knew that James didn't know what these feelings of love and jealously were which was why he was lashing out so much. The sad thing was that he knew James couldn't go to his dad because he wouldn't listen; he couldn't go to his mom because he didn't feel comfortable yet and he couldn't go to his own best friends because Jude didn't fully understand and he most certainly couldn't go to Emma.

As Leon walked out of the locker room, conversing with Emma, Jude followed them, running his hand through his soaking wet mop of unruly hair. He felt terribly bad for James and hoped he could get through this somehow.

This was too much drama for 12 year olds.