Disclaimer: 'Jolene' and its lyrics are the property of Dolly Parton and RCA Nashville
Harry Potter belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can
I heard him before I saw him. My mind seemed to be on constant alert, listening out for him when he was anywhere near. I could hear his laugh, echoing through the room as he made his way downstairs.
The Gryffindor common room fire crackled quietly as I stared into its depths waiting for the spell to break. Waiting for the moment when my dreams would be rudely awakened and I could no longer fantasise that he wanted me.
"Evans!"
And there it was. The moment every day when my heart shattered, he called her name. Her name, not mine. I sighed, it was the same every day, I would listen for his calls, fight back the tears and then get on with my day, promising myself that I would stop pining.
But each time she brushed him off, telling him to go drown himself or to shut the hell up, then I would convince myself that her rejection would finally finish him and he would turn his attention to other girls. Such as me. But he never did, he simply shook her retorts off and bounced back with a witty remark.
Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene
I could see why he wanted her. Her beauty was astounding. She had long red hair that gleamed in any light, her sparkling green eyes made boys just melt at a look, and her smile was dazzling. Yet somehow this perfect girl still stayed modest and was so kind and generous that I could not hate her, not matter how much I longed to.
I was nothing like her, with my dark brown hair and blue eyes. There was nothing stunning about my hair, nothing entrancing about my eyes. He never noticed me. No one ever did.
He couldn't hate her either, no matter how many times she crushed him, rejected him, humiliated him. Every insult and hex that came his way, he just brushed off, like water from a dog's back. Everyone told him he didn't have a chance, but he ignored them. Something made him believe that she would one day change her mind.
And I loved him for it. I loved him for his conviction, his defiance. I loved him. She hated him. But for some reason it was she that he wanted. Not me.
He talks about you in his sleep
There's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene
I was sitting in the corner of the common room, in one of the cosy armchairs. He was just across from me, nose in a book, studying hard. He had changed this year and everyone had noticed. Even… even her.
"Oi Prongs!"
His friends had noticed too. The pranks, joking and laziness that he was so renowned for had decreased to the point of non-existence and even the hexing of Slytherins had stopped.
I wasn't sure what to think. I had been so sure at the start of the year that this was another one of his 'grand plans' and that he would lose interest within a week, yet here we were - months later.
He was deadly serious about changing. And it wasn't just because of the gleaming Head Boy badge on his chest.
And I can easily understand
How you could easily take my man
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene
She could so easily have him. All it would take was one word from her and they would be Hogwarts' 'Golden Couple'. It had always been that way, really. He had been smitten since the very beginning. Except now...
Except now, it was obvious she was softening towards him, and everyone could see it but him. He still went through life thinking she hated him. But even I knew it was only a matter of time before they became friends.
Or more. Oh Merlin, I dreaded the thought.
I couldn't actually remember the last time she had told him to go feed himself to the Giant Squid.
And I had even heard a group of sixth years taking bets on how long before they were a couple.
But each time I thought she actually liked him, she would throw herself down on the bed, complaining about the latest thing he had done to annoy her.
And I would convince myself there was still hope.
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can
I didn't hate her. I had shared a dorm with her for nearly seven years. She was one of my closest friends. We had done everything together since first year.
Even if sometimes in a fit of rage and private humiliation, I blamed her for my pain, I always knew it wasn't her fault. She had done nothing to warrant his affections. It was his own selfless and idiotic devotion that made him unable to give up. And it was my own pathetic and pitiful adoration of him that prevented me from giving up.
We were both fools in love. But the difference was that he had no idea how I felt, while the whole world knew who he wanted.
You could have your choice of men
But I could never love again
He's the only one for me, Jolene
I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene
I was going to ask her. Once and for all.
This constant 'Does she, doesn't she?' that had been going around my head, had to stop.
I needed to know. Did she still hate him?
I knew where she would be. It was her turn to do rounds tonight. I figured that she would send whichever Prefect who was with her back to their dorms early - she had once told me that wandering around the castle on her own at night helped her to clear her mind.
She never did rounds with him.
But as I was walking down the fourth floor corridor, I heard her voice. She was talking to someone. Odd.
I was prepared for having to ask some Prefect to leave.
I was prepared to give her a hand if it was some younger students running around after hours.
I was even prepared to wait, in case she was talking to a teacher. I really needed to talk to her.
I was not prepared for who she was with.
He was there. With her. Laughing.
And then, even as my heart was still frozen with shock, he spun her around, still laughing. And she let him.
I somehow remembered how to move my legs, but I wasn't fast enough to miss the way she leaned in towards him.
Even a blind man couldn't have missed the way she whispered softly into his ear, or the way he smiled softly at her. It was such a wonderful smile, not his usual cocky grin. He reserved that look for people he loved. I had seen it on him when he met his parents at the station, or when his best friends did something brilliant.
But now he was smiling at her. At her. And my heart was breaking into a million tiny pieces.
They hadn't noticed me, engrossed as they were in each other, so I turned and I ran, and I kept running. All the way back up to my dorm and into my bed.
So when she came in later on, humming happily to herself, I could pretend to be fast asleep. I didn't want to face her, blissful as she was. I didn't want to have to be happy for her.
That would be tomorrow, or the day after, or whenever they decided to announce their relationship. But for now, I hid my face in the pillow, imaging my tears could make a river.
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him even though you can