The Difference in Reality [A Harry Potter Fanfiction]

Year 4: Chapter 3

"The hell is she playing at?" Miranda groaned. "We already have three extra books to read for Charms! How are we supposed to read this textbook tonight? When are we going to sleep?"

"We're not going to," Willow sighed. "Why isn't there a spell that allows me to learn this in two seconds?"

"There probably is, we're just not allowed to learn it," Lisa said.

"And I cared about rules when?"

Lisa shot a look at Miranda. "Since it could get you expelled."

"Aw, Lisa, don't tell me you'd miss my sarcastic comments," Miranda teased.

Lisa suddenly blushed. She accidentally dropped her wand, and Miranda caught it before it could clatter to the floor. Lisa was red as a tomato when her hand brushed Miranda's as he handed it back. "Um – sorry – I'm such a klutz – I should– I should get McGonagall – to check on us– "

Lisa stood up and hurried away. Willow cocked an eyebrow at Miranda, and he leaned back in his chair.

"Huh. I didn't know she fancied me."

"How did you figure that out so fast?" Willow spluttered. "It took me two years to know that Paige and George had an eye on me!"

"I'm very intuitive. Common sense is a thing, too, that you lack."

Willow rolled her eyes. "I know, I know, it's a typical Gryffindor thing. What are you going to do about Lisa, anyway? Do you fancy her as well?"

It was Miranda's turn to go scarlet. For a moment, he lost the ability to speak, then he cleared his throat and smiled evenly at Willow. "Okay. I was not expecting that. Have you always been this straightforward?"

"Forward, not straight."

"God, you're even getting better at bisexual puns."

Willow folded her hands and leaned over her desk. "Well? Do you or do you not fancy her?"

"I've never actually considered it, but...I don't know, maybe?"

"The amount of blood rushing into your cheeks screams otherwise." When Miranda deadpanned at her, Willow laughed. "You do fancy her! I knew it!"

"How does me looking at you constitute an answer?"

"It's all in your face."

"I thought you had zero emotional intelligence?"

"Well, I just got some." The bell rang, and Willow grabbed her books. She gave Miranda a giddy grin. "I'm convening with the Gryffindor Sisters later on the best way for you to ask Lisa out. There's no backing out of it now."

"I hate you."

"I love you, Miranda!"

Willow practically skipped to her next class. The prospect of making a pair of her friends over-the-moon happy vaulted her mood above the clouds. Not even an extremely challenging Potions hour could put a damper on her spirits. Draco forced his way to her side and made a point of not speaking to her for the entire class. Willow and he worked in tandem: her preparing all the ingredients, him brewing the potion, and each finishing their tasks right in time for the other. It was rather pleasing to Willow that Draco worked so well with her; it evidently ticked him off, as he couldn't find anything to berate her on for an entire class period. His spending the majority of his Potions classes with her in an effort to create chaos had now backfired in his face.

They finished the potion early, per usual, and Willow meandered her way over to Cypress's workstation. The Slytherin was so zeroed in on slicing a lump of what looked like fish guts that he nearly jumped when Willow said hello.