godsent | h. potter

ten point five.

CINDERELLA

Harry Potter wasn't a party person. The Yule Ball was supposed to be boring and dreadful, but he finds himself having the best time of his life since he was first introduced to the Wizarding World, the Weasleys, Ron and Hermione, and Quidditch. How could he not? Patricia Jackson aka Pat Waterson was in his arms, her head buried in his chest as the most mellifluous sound leaves her chapped lips. How could he not when he, despite his atrocious dancing and his awkward self, the most beautiful girl he had seen in his whole life chose him?

So it wasn't his intention, really, when things went south. 

"Cho." Harry breathes out, his emerald green eyes going past Patricia's befuddled stare and onto the Ravenclaw who was now making her way over. She looked pretty, in a preppy, it-girl way where being ugly or average was illegal. But she paled in comparison to Patricia, whose beauty goes past her outside appearance; a warrior who dons sarcasm as a shield and witty remarks as her trusty sword. To Harry, she couldn't be more perfect.

Harry glances back at Patricia, whose careless smile was now replaced by a small frown, barely noticeable to anyone. It was then that Cho arrives, sending Harry a warm smile and a greeting, barely noticing Patricia.

He doesn't feel the butterflies, or the weird hammering of his heart in his chest as he gazes at the Ravenclaw whom he had assumed to be his crush. It was with this realization that he urgently asks her for a dance, one, that he believed would be enough for closure. Especially when he knows that Cho still believes he fancies her.

As they sway, and dance hopelessly to the music, Harry's mind wanders back to Patricia, who was standing awkwardly alone. He gulps, feeling a tad guilty for leaving her alone, but he knows that he had to do this.

"Cho, I-"

He wasn't given a chance to speak, to verbalize his feelings and thoughts, when Cho Chang pulls him in for a kiss. He pulls away, stunned, after a second. Immediately, his wide emerald green eyes hastily moves to meet sea green. Ignoring the hushed whispers, he doesn't hesitate to move after Patricia who, like Cinderella, had ran away from the ball as the clock struck midnight (a total coincidence...or was it?) ㅡ his princess.

"I-I'm so sorry, Harry! I didn't mean to, I swear. It's just that...Ced and I-" squeaked Cho, but Harry wasn't listening and had even blocked out all noise. Normally, he would've stayed rooted on the spot, unmoving as he lets his curiosity take over. But this time, he had already been pushing past people unapologetically, rushing to catch the girl who has had a tight hold on his heart, desperate to explain everything. Explain that the kiss hadn't sent the same, familiar swarm of butterflies in his stomach that her touch did, explain that even during the kiss, all he could think about was her and her stupidly breathtaking smile, explain that the girl he likes wasn't Cho who had pushed herself onto him (for reasons he didn't know why, and for reasons he didn't want to know why), but her ㅡ Pat Waterson. 

Harry Potter likes her. The girl with the most beautiful sea green eyes and chocolate brown hair who landed on top of him one sunny afternoon, changing his life forever. The girl, with mischievous tendencies and adorable fondness over nicknames, who entered his life and gave a whole new set of colors to his already colorful world. The girl, with an obsession over blue cookies and milk, and anything sweet, who had unknowingly settled permanently in his heart.

But fate wouldn't have it. Quicker than the strike of lightning, she was gone.