The Ugly Veela | H.P |

Chapter 2

        I had a difficult time finding the Gryffindor common room, of course. I was eventually directed by Filch. "Girl problems." I lied, which allowed me to continue moving in the right direction. Getting past the Fat Lady was another obstacle of course, she refused to let me through, so I was forced to sit in front of the portrait and wait patiently for the rest of the Gryffindors to show up. I managed to barely tone out the Fat Lady's off-key singing. Barely. A few tears did manage to escape my eyes, despite my best efforts. "Hey." a familar voice spoke quietly from the stair case. I lifted my head up and saw Harry standing with a plate of what seemed to be food.

        "Ron... Means well." he started, sighing as he walked over to me and offered me his hand. I eyed him for a moment before taking his hand and allowing him to pull me up, ignoring the sensation it gave me in my stomach... Or maybe I was just hungry. "Bittermints." Harry spoke in a commanding voice. "It's good to see you as well, Potter." the Fat Lady sniffed as she opened up. I followed him in slowly, watching my step seeing as it was a bit dim. "I assumed you were hungry, seeing as the only thing you've had since we departed the station was a piece of caramel." Harry spoke as my eyes gazed around the room, "It's cozy in here." I said softly before turning back to him, "You didn't have to do that, thank you." I gave him a reassuring smile.

        "Don't mention it. Ron feels terrible, by the way. You should be expecting an apology soon." he gave a lopsided grin. Silence. "Aren't you getting back to the others now?" I asked after an awkward pause, taking a seat on the sofa in front of the fire place. "And leave you alone? Of course not. Besides, the banquet should be over soon anyway. No reason to waste time by making the trip. Now eat up." he handed me the plate and took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. "Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked him suddenly, setting the plate on my lap. "Because I know what it's like to stand out." he replied almost immediately.

        I stare at him silently, feeling a bit bad for acting so stand-offish. "I'm sorry." I let out a sigh, pushing my hair back as it fell into my face slightly. "Don't be. You were given a reason to put your guard up, I understand." he nodded slightly. I gave him a soft smile and looked down at the appetizing food, picking up the dinner roll and tearing a piece off before consuming it. "So, is it all true? The hype? I'd rather hear it from the horse's mouth rather than buy into the rumors." I watched as he let out a sigh and scratched his head. "Depends on what you heard." he finally said. "Sirius Black getting murdered over the summer, and The Dark Lord coming back?" I watched as his eyes slipped shut. That was a yes.

        "I didn't mean to hit any nerves." I pressed my lips together uncomfortably. "I appreciate you coming to me rather than listening to what everyone else is saying." he said with a tight smile and a nod. "You're not alone, you know..." I said slowly after a minute, hesitating as his eyes met my own. "Death Eaters killed my mother over the summer. My stepfather left shortly after." Harry looked as if he'd been slapped. "Annabelle, I'm so s-" I shook my head, "Don't worry about it." I insisted with a stage smile. Fake but convincing. But Harry wasn't easily fooled. "If you ever need someone to talk to about it, don't hesitate to come to me. Alright?" his tone was serious now as he held my gaze.

        "Alright."

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        The following morning was a blur. I woke up feeling rested, yet uneasy as I readied myself for classes. The uniform was a tad too frumpy for my liking, so I decided to trade out the black Mary Janes for black heeled Oxfords, then shortened the length of my skirt just a tad. "I hope you don't get into any trouble for that." Hermione mentioned as she slipped from the showers, a royal red towel wrapped around her frame. "Nah, I can't be the only girl in this school that makes adjustments to her uniform." I said with a confident smile. "So did you get acquainted with Harry last night?" she asked with a smug smile.