another love; harry potter

forty-two

\ wherein she makes a deal /

DINNER IN THE GREAT HALL that night was not exactly pleasant. The news about Harry's and my outbursts in Defense Against the Dark Arts had spread through Hogwarts like wildfire, but luckily (but also not luckily) Blaise decided to sit beside me and tell me all about the 'potential candidates' for me to date 'and consider marriage with', which I thought was ridiculous, but it was a good distraction from the real world.

"Hey, tiny," said Blaise, sitting beside me. "Ooh, the Gryffindor table is...the exact same as the Slytherin one."

"Hey, Blaise," I rolled my eyes as I looked up from my mashed potatoes, before realizing Hermione, Ron, and Harry were raising their eyebrows, looking between me and him. "Oh, this is Blaise. Draco's friend."

"Gasp," Blaise said dramatically. "Am I not your friend?"

"I'll have to think about it and get back to you," I scoffed. He shoved me playfully, before grabbing a plate and saying,

"Okay, so I spent almost all my classes looking at people who I think your type would be, and I found, like...three potential candidates for you."

"I'm sorry," Harry cleared his throat, "what?"

"Potential homework buddies," Blaise lied fluently. "We both need someone who can help us with our Potions homework."

"Hey there," Ron waved, frowning. "What are we, chopped liver?"

"We need someone who can help us both," Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Anyways...okay, tiny, the three people."

"Right. Go on," I motioned with my fork, not sure if I was ready to hear what he had to say.

"Okay. Guy number one: Hufflepuff, name's Rolf Scamander, I'm pretty sure he has the hots for you already, which is a total win-"

"Homework buddies, yeah?" Harry interrupted.

"Yeah, of course," said Blaise, before dropping his voice and saying, "Jesus, Pheobe, even without talking to other guys he's already jealous."

"I'm aware. Who's the next person?"

"Ravenclaw guy, James McCoy-"

"He is my best friend and nothing more," I cut in. Blaise cocked an eyebrow.

"Best friends to lovers? I can fuck with that. Okay, fine, the last guy's also in Ravenclaw, his name's Andrew Lestrange. The year above us."

"Hang on," I frowned. "A Lestrange?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure his parents disowned him or something the second he didn't get Slytherin."

"Huh," I said in mild surprise. "Bellatrix had a kid? Wow, who would've thought she'd be capable of love?" Blaise rolled his eyes.

"Who d'you think sounds the best? I'll go tomorrow and be the best wingman who's ever existed." he paused, before adding, "you could pick two, you know-"

"This doesn't feel right, me choosing." I admitted, pursing my lips.

"It's a fling. It's not marriage, or love, or lifetime. A fling. And once you've flung, you move on. Simple as that." Blaise shrugged, as if he'd done it a thousand times before.