Choice's Curse {d.m.}

Even Monsters Bleed

The weekend had finally arrived, and I could not have been happier. Classes were beginning to truly feel like they were drowning me with coursework, and I couldn't remember the last time I hadn't gone to the library right after class until I was so tired I could barely make my way back to the Ravenclaw common room.

Not only was it the weekend, but it was Hogsmeade weekend, which meant Harry's and I's first date. I was nervous, though I was entirely confused as to why, because Harry and I had been close for years. Our kiss in the library had been on my mind since Wednesday, and I had fallen asleep that night to the memory of his lips on mine.

Defense Against the Dark Arts had come and gone with Malfoy still missing, though Luna, when she caught me staring at his empty seat, said in a dreamy voice, "I heard his father called him home. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." I had protested, saying I wasn't worried, just curious, and she simply nodded absent-mindedly and went back to her essay that Snape had assigned over three different kinds of jinxes, comparing their similarities and differences. Snape's nasally voice droned that it had to be 14" long, which elicited a groan from the entire class. I tried to begin working on it during class, but my mind would not stop wandering in a myriad of directions, some of which I had absolutely no control over.

Like the fact that even though the thought of Malfoy made my chest constrict with rage, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about him anyways. I hadn't seen him since the beginning of the week, and I was so curious about where he was that I thought I might explode, though I obviously could not mention it to anyone without sounding deranged. My... fascination with someone that I considered my enemy confused even me, as I could not make sense of why my brain was fixating on someone who hated my very existence. There was just something about the way he carried himself, something about the way his cologne always lingered around in my memory even after he'd left, that always left me anticipating our next encounter.

And when he ran that pale finger down my scar, the day I slapped him. I shuddered.

"Ms. Adler," Snape's voice made me jump as I glanced down at my paper. "Perhaps next time, you can keep your ink in the... upright position."

I groaned internally, not having noticed my hand had knocked over the pot of liquid, and the black ink was splattered over not only my parchment, but my socks as well. As the ink soaked into the wool, I audibly groaned this time, realizing it meant that I had to begin all over on the ridiculous essay Snape had given out.

As soon as Snape stalked back up to the front of the class, Luna leaned over and waved her wand, reciting a soft spell that instantly vanished the stain from my paper. I looked at her with a grateful glance, knowing she just saved me at least two hours of work. Luna just hummed gently in response, turning back to her own work.

Finally, the class was over, the room bustling with students packing up and rushing to get on with their weekend. Luna, as always was taking her time, her head in an entirely different world as she gently put her quill and parchment away. I, on the other hand, was rushing just as fast as the rest of the students to leave, because I wanted ample time to get ready for my date with Harry; the very thought of which had left my stomach in nervous knots the entirety of the day. Shooting a quick goodbye to Luna, though my words fell on deaf ears, I briskly made my way out of the class. I rushed to get ready, though I spent far too long agonizing over the dark kohl around my eyes and the right shade of stupid lipgloss, because somehow, my nerves and excitement collided, creating a wild, unthinking mess.

Because all I felt were nerves and excitement. No dread, not here.

Selecting a soft, charcoal sweater that seemed to fall just right over the black jeans I wore, I decided on my boots, swept my hair up in a claw clip and pulling out tendrils to frame my face that bore eyeliner, blush, and the faintest shade of lip color, I rushed out of the dormitory and down the stairs to wait for Hermione, Harry, and Ron outside the Gryffindor common room. Students were milling about, the older ones making their slow way to Hogsmeade, which meant the normal sea of black robes was transformed into a multicolored swirl of different clothing. My boots thunked on the stone steps as I made my way down the stairs of the tower and across the first level of the castle until I reached the staircase that led to the Gryffindor common room, the Fat Lady sitting gracefully atop a wooden stool in the portrait that guarded the door. I leaned against the railing of the staircase just outside the common room, hoping that the three of them were rather quick, because I was incredibly eager to go to Hogsmeade and see and smell all the wonderful autumn themed atmosphere.