beautiful - harry potter

chapter 30

"What a surprise," Harry commented as Thalia slid into the booth across from him. His heart skipped a beat when he looked her over, adoring her hoodie that was much too large and her leggings. It wasn't normally what Thalia wore but it was comfortable and she didn't really give a flying fuck about this date because there was really no one to impress.

"You asked me out. I'd hardly say it's a surprise," Thalia replied dully. 

"You showed up. That was the surprise." Harry shot her a hesitant smile but Thalia didn't smile back. Her face was blank and boredom was written all across it and Harry pretended to not notice. "So, how have you been?"

"Fine."

"How are your friends?"

"Ever since that night when they beat the shite out of you, I'd say they're lovely," Thalia said with an overly fake smile. "I can tell, they've got a little skip in their step because they just get so much heightened energy from bullying fellow students."

"Right." 

Thalia leaned back into the cushion of her seat and she drummed her nails on the wooden table, making a constant thumping sound. Harry nervously played around with his Butterbeer glass and kept looking down at the bubbly substance to avoid her hard glare.

After a few more minutes of Thalia's pestering thumping and Harry tapping his shoe nervously, the Gryffindor finally burst. "Look, I know the only reason you're here is because you don't want me pitching myself off the Astronomy tower-"

"Oh no, you've got me all wrong," Thalia frowned, sitting up in her seat a bit. "I'd love to see you pitch yourself off the Astronomy tower, just don't fault me. I don't need someone dying for me, especially not when the Dark Lord wants to kill you."

"God, is everything about you related to the Dark Lord now?" Harry huffed. "You're obsessed with the guy and he hardly even knows you."

"I wouldn't be one to talk. You're obsessed with me and you hardly know me," Thalia shot back. 

"I do know you though, Thalia," Harry exasperated. "We were together-"

"For a month."

"More than two months actually," the bespectacled boy corrected, "but we don't have to be specific. Back to the original topic, I know you don't want to be here but it's only a day and it would feel much faster for both of us if you just tried. I asked for an actual date."

"And I asked for fast metabolism, but not all of us get what we want," Thalia snapped. Harry clenched his jaw and closed his eyes for a second, trying not to be angry with her. 

He convinced himself that she was only acting this way because she wanted to put on a cold face, for her reputation. On the other hand, Harry had also convinced himself that Thalia would profess her love for him and they would be married and have kids together. 

Harry's chocolate brown eyes opened and he smiled at Thalia adoringly, making the Slytherin scrunch up her nose and recoil in disgust. "What's it like being on the Inquisitorial Squad?"

"Good," the brunette said stiffly. "I get to give detentions and take off points to whoever I'd like with no consequences whatsoever. I'm sure you knew that though, since you haven't had a free day after classes since last week."

"God, Thalia!" Harry exclaimed hotly, finally cracking. "I can't keep trying to make conversation with you if you're just going to keep saying stuff like that!"

Thalia raised her eyebrows slightly, somewhat amused. "I was about to jump off my fucking broom for you, 100 bloody feet, woman!" the raven-haired boy continued. "Do you know how small my friends look from 100 feet up? They look like fucking dots, okay?! It was bloody insane!"