Who Knew?

The Party

The smell of butterbeer and sickeningly sweet cakes is overwhelming to my sense of smell.

I crept inside the portrait of the Fat Lady, hoping to remain undetected, but ultimately being noticed immediately. The crowd of Gryffindors erupts with a cheer, congratulating me with pats on the back and whoops of celebration.

I do a 360, taking in the sheer density of the crowd but locking eyes with someone all too familiar, eyes of brilliant green.

Harry.

He was smiling at me with a glass of butterbeer in hand and a swarm of admirers around him. He set down his glass and ignored the group around him, finding his way over to me.

"Great game 'eh?" Harry smirks, clearly amused with himself and his smugness. I mentally roll my eyes.

"I suppose," I replied with a neutral tone, "You did help win it after all."

Harry's eyes crinkle at the corners as he chuckles at my lack of amusement. He then takes my hand gingerly with both of his and looks straight into my eyes.

"Would you like to be my girlfriend, Abbott?"

My eyes widen in surprise and I suddenly couldn't breathe. The party noise grows louder and louder in my ears, fogging up my thoughts.

"Harry.." my voice trails off. He looks at me with a quizzical expression and loosens his grip on my hand.

"You're rejecting me, Abbott?" Harry whispers loudly to where I could barely hear him over the loud music being played by a group of students in the corner.

"Harry, I don't want anything between us to change, I love you as my best friend but nothing more than that."

Harry's expression shifts from overwhelming sadness to slight irritation as he drops my hand entirely.

"There's someone else isn't there?" He asks, tangled up in blinding rage. His face grows wilder by the second, his breathing more rapid and uncontrolled.

"Of course not, Harry." I reassure him calmly, trying to soothe his boiling temper.

"I can see that there is. Don't lie to me," He says aggressively.

"Who is he?"

His behavior has gotten a rise of anger out of me. I shout, "It's none of your business, Potter!"

The crowd quiets down immediately after my outburst and the musicians stop playing to observe the scene. They all turn to stare at me confusedly. Harry continues to look at me angrily.

I run up to my dormitory and begin to cry uncontrollably.

I hear Hermione knocking rather harshly on the door, repeatedly shouting "Are you okay? What happened?"

I fall asleep before my roommates return after the party.

***

The next morning at breakfast, Harry sits on the opposite side of the table from Hermione and I. Ron joins him to provide moral support.

Hermione watches me stab at my toast with a fork, my eyes red and puffy from crying the previous night.

"Honestly Abbott, I think the toast has had enough," she says pulling my plate towards her. "We should do something today, just us."

I look up to meet her pleading eyes. "She wants to help," My mind complies.

"Okay, what would you like to do 'Mione?" I ask quietly.

"I was thinking we could ask Professor Sprout if we could plant some new bulbs in the courtyard, the flowers have become quite drab." She states pleasantly, trying to make gardening sound very appealing.

I decide I might as well, to keep my mind off of having lost one of my best friends.

"Sounds wonderful, meet you at 11 in the greenhouse?" I ask with a semi-fake grin.

"Yes, I'll see you then." She beams.