Nott Your Boyfriend | A Slytherin/Hufflepuff Romance

Chapter 1: You're Nott Getting Out Of This

"Are you going to be okay, Susan?" her mother asked, eyes full of concern.

They were standing on Platform 9 3/4, quickly saying goodbye while the whistle sounded to announce boarding time.

"Yeah, it will be fine, I promise," Susan Bones said while giving her mother a hug.

She knew her mother was referring to the death of her aunt, Amelia Bones, who got killed by Voldemort a month ago. Susan was still grieving and she was scared. Afraid that something would happen to her parents while she was away at Hogwarts. But there was also another reason she was dreading going back to school.

She sighed, let go of her mother and put on a smile she only half meant.

"I will be okay, mum," she reassured her again before grabbing her suitcase and turning to board the train.

God, she really didn't want to see him, she thought while looking around for her Hufflepuff friends.

"Hey Susan!"

She turned around and saw Hermione waving at her. She waved back and walked up to her, dragging her suitcase behind her.

Hermione gave her a quick hug and then held her shoulders, looking at her gravely.

"How are you?"

"I'm coping," Susan answered, half smiling. She liked Hermione a lot but she didn't want to talk about her aunt. And she surely didn't want to talk about Seamus.

"Have you seen Hannah?" she asked Hermione to switch up the subject.

"Yeah, I saw her walking towards the back of the train with Ernie, Justin and Zacharias."

"Thanks! See you later?"

"See you later," Hermione nodded.

Susan continued down the train, checking every compartment for her friends. She was about halfway through the train when she suddenly heard a voice that made her freeze up.

"Spent all Summer with my parents in Cork visitin' family. What about ye?"

Susan would recognize the Irish accent anywhere. She had spent evenings last year listening to him whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Seamus Finnigan. The guy who had first stolen her heart while they were both in Dumbledore's Army and had then so casually thrown it away, as if she had never even mattered in the first place.

The door to their compartment was slightly ajar and she saw him sitting with Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom, his tie and hair as disheveled as always. He looked good, she thought and then immediately cursed herself for thinking it.

Seamus seemed to notice that he was being looked at, for he went silent and turned his head. His eyes crossed Susan's and Susan flushed. Neville also noticed and looked at her in sympathy. Susan rapidly moved away from the door and continued down the train.

"Susan, over here!"

She looked up and saw Hannah Abbott sticking her head out of a compartment a few paces ahead. She sighed in relief at the sight of her best friend and crossed the distance between them. Her friend grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into the compartment.

"Susan! So glad you're here!" Ernie Macmillan cried out. The other boys, Justin and Zacharias, mumbled in agreement.

Susan sat down next to Hannah and felt herself become more relaxed. She really loved her Hufflepuff friends. Always loyal and kind to her. They were simply the best.

She couldn't shake off the way Seamus had looked at her however, as if she were a complete stranger. She thought back on the day he had broken up with her. They had been dating for almost five months and she hadn't seen it coming at all. As far as she was concerned, things were going great. But then Seamus had shattered her romantic dreams when he had pulled her into a corridor after breakfast one morning. She had giggled, thinking they were going to make out. Instead, he had looked at her seriously and told her he didn't want to go out with her anymore. "You're too much of a good girl for me, Susan," he had said. "Just loosen up, have some fun, break some rules." She couldn't believe what she'd been hearing. She shut off from reality, convincing herself that this must be some kind of bad dream. Unfortunately, it hadn't been.