✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

22 | H O G S M E A D E

don't forget that I am human,
don't forget that I am real.

   "HIT A NEW low, did you, Potter?"

   "Sod off, Malfoy!"

   "Really, I always thought it's your brother ending up with the weasle king someday, but you?", the blonde Slytherin snarled. "What do you think he'll say about the creepy side of Ember Potter, huh? Will you let your demons snuggle with him?"

   "I will let my demons rip your throat out and drink blood out of your skull if you won't back the fuck off now", Ember hissed, narrowing her eyes at Malfoy. Her eyes flickered to the bar, where Ron was ordering two butterbeer right at this moment. He would be back in no time. Looking back at Draco, the boy was already grinning devilishly.

   "Don't worry, Potter, he already knows I'm better than him", he snarled, "and that if I wanted to have you, he wouldn't stand a chance."

   "Okay, Malfoy, let this be my famous last words before you either piss off or I'll let my demons have a little snuggle with you", she snapped at him. "First, Ron's a friend. Get that? I know it's hard for you to cope with that, because your pityful self doesn't have friends. But nevertheless I have, and he's one of them. Second, there's no way, no world, no parallel universe, neither in this or any other life, that I'll ever be yours. I'd rather date one of the acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest, before this would happen!"

   "When everyone finds out what you are, gigantic spiders will be the only choice you'll have", he dryly replied, but his eyes glimmed dangerously. "Enjoy yourself, Potter."

   He stepped aside, walking away, just to reveal the view on Ron, who cocked an eyebrow and a moment later placed two butterbeer on the table. "What did he want?", he growled, furrowing his eyebrows.

   "Annoy me", Ember scoffed, "just as usual. Told him to sod off."

   "And he actually did?"

   Ember laughed. "Oh, you wouldnt believe it, but I can be pretty frightening."

   "You're right, I definitely wouldn't believe it", Ron chuckled, the tension falling off of his shoulders and his face softened. "You're a fluffball!"

   They spend some time in the Three Broomsticks, then deciding to go to Honeydukes.

   "Oh, in an hour or so, Hermione wants to meet us in the pub again", Ron suddenly said, as if it had just crossed his mind. "She didn't tell me why though ..."

   Wandering the streets of Hogsmeade, a silence laid over the two of them, having Ember tugging on her sleeves like she always used to when feeling uncomfortable, and Ron's ears turning red, but latter could be as well caused by the cold February air. Nevertheless, Ember didn't get rid of the feeling that Ron got bored with her and the whole situation was about to get awkward, if not suddenly something caught Ember's attention.

   "Oh, look, Harry seems to have the time of his life", she chuckled, nudging Ron with her ellbow.

   In a tiny café Ember had never noticed before, Harry was sitting with tensed shoulders and a face that was clearly telling that he wouldn't mind if the floor would tear open and swollow him whole. Opposite to him in this pink hell was sitting Cho, and if Ember thought that Harry did look unhappy, this was nothing compared to Cho Chang. Her eyes were swimming in tears, her nose red, her cheeks wet from crying. Just in that moment a flying fat Cupid threw a handful of confetti onto Harry's head, Cho jumped up and stormed out of what was called Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop.

   "That was —"

   "Oh yes, it was", Ember snorted, throwing a gaze at Ron, who watched Cho stomp down the street with his mouth agape. "Maybe we should go, I don't think that this was a moment Harry wanted to share with u— oh, never mind ..."

   "Cho! Cho, c'mon, wait!"

   Harry had exited the café, first calling after Cho, who of course ignored him as she rushed on, then turning around, looking kinda lost, until his eyes landed on Ron and his sister. Ember had thought the reddest object in this world she would ever see were Ron's ears when he was embarrassed; but Harry's face in the snowy surroundings was shining like a traffic light, and she could hardly surpress a laugh at his flustered expression.

   "W—what are you doing here?", Harry stammered, just about to lose it.

   "It's Hogsmeade weekend. And this is Hogsmeade, Harry", Ember replied, the corners of her mouth still twitching. "But I see, you obviously forgot about that, being trapped in this world of heart-shaped confetti. Have you also wondered, if the disigner of this thing here was Umbridge?"

   "No no no, what are you doing here?!" He was wildly gesticulating at the café, his eyes snapping to Ron. "You — you aren't — with her — are you?"

   "What? No!", Ron gasped, turning just as crimson as Harry, and also Ember felt her cheeks heating up. "Gosh, no! We just — See, you and Hermione had planned dates, and Ember's friends have dates, so I thought it would be nice —"

   "To date my sister?" Harry's eyebrow vanished under his hair, his face suddenly losing all its color.

   "Oh Harry, don't be stupid", Ember groaned, rolling her eyes. "We were on our way to Honeydukes, when I spotted you in there." She nodded at the pinkest place on earth. "Ron and I are just hanging out because all you guys are not having your hormones under control. What I'm even more curious about", she then said, crossing her arms, "is how it came you are dating Cedric girlfriend not even a full year after ... you know —"

   "I'm not —"

   "Yes, you are", Ember hissed, narrowing her eyes. "Don't even try to lie to me, Harry. Say, have it ever crossed your mind, that she just — she just likes the interesting boys? As she suddenly liked Ced, when he became champion, and now you, with all those rumours about you and —"

   "It's not like that", Harry snapped.

   "Then she's really lucky to have forgotten about Cedric before he could even properly start to rot!"

   "Erm, maybe we should go now, Hermione is waiting ...", Ron carefully tried to distract the fighting siblings, but Ember's blood was already boiling as she turned on heels and started to get away.

   "You can go. I'm done!"

   Harry watched her vanish in the crowd, feeling his stomach fall.

   "I have overreacted, have I?", he muttered at Ron, who was staring after Ember as well.

   "Maybe a bit."

—