Written for .Destiny's 'Can You Write A Romance?' Challenge.

Pairing: /ColinRomilda./

A/N: Okay, so this is a twoshot, one chapter for each point of view. Just to clarify things a bit, they are BOTH in their fifth year.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter One: Liar, Liar (Colin's POV)

The first thing he noticed about her was her eyes. Large, dark, and captivating, framed by a curtain of long, dark lashes.

And then he noticed that those eyes were staring straight at Harry Potter. She was standing on tiptoe, trying to catch his gaze. And his, in turn, was directed at Ginny Weasley.

An unfamiliar emotion overcame him, propelling him to walk up to her. "What's your name?" he asked. They were nearly the same height, as she was not a tall person.

She blinked, her long lashes fluttering. He wondered absently if her eyelids were heavy, with the weight of her eyelashes.

"Romilda," she answered, "Romilda Vane."

They were in their third year, and he had fallen in love with a stranger.

"Colin! Hey, Colin!" a voice shouted. He turned around to face a panting Romilda, bent over and sweating.

"Sorry," she said in her loud, clear voice. "I needed to ask you a favour." She lowered her voice. "Could you get me a photo of Harry Potter? Please?" Her eyes were wide and pleading, and Colin pushed back the now-familiar emotion that he experienced every time he saw her; that he hadn't quite placed yet. He wasn't going to refuse her, but he didn't want her to leave yet.

"Why?" seemed like a good compromise.

"Because...because..." she shook her head in frustration. "Just because, okay? If you can't do it, just tell me. I understand."

"Of course I can." His voice sounded much too bright, and as false as a foam snow. "When do you need it?"

She smiled, and his heart skipped a beat. "Anytime, Colin," she said lightly. "Whenever your fancy." And she was off, her explosion of wild dark curls swinging. His eyes followed them, almost in a hypnotic state.

They were in their fourth year, when he first understood jealousy.

"Go out with me?" he asked. Much to his embarrassment, his voice cracked.

She smiled, almost sympathetically. "You're one of my best friends, Colin," she said kindly, "but I'm not ready for a relationship yet. You know I just broke up with Steven. Besides, isn't this kind of sudden?"

No, he wanted to yell. I've fancied you since third year, you idiot! But he bit back his words, and swallowed hard.

"Yeah, it is," he lied, "but today's Valentine's Day, and it would be cool if we visited Hogsmeade for a drink or something." He grinned. "My treat."

She laughed lightly. "A free drink? Sure." He offered her his hand playfully, and she hooked her arm through his.

"And off we go, Princess," he joked, and they both laughed. If she noticed that he was faking it, she didn't say so.

After all, he was an expert at hiding how he felt.

It was the beginning of their fifth year, and he was no stranger to heartbreak.

"No," she said firmly. "I refuse to let you go. Absolutely not." Why was she being so difficult? he thought, amused yet frustrated. It's just a fight, after all.

"Romilda -" he tried. "I said, no!" she yelled, her eyes captivating eyes filling with tears. "You're all I have, Colin," she said quietly, "you're my best friend. My family is gone, and you're off to fight the people who MURDERED THEM!" Her voice had risen to a shriek, and even Colin was taken aback.

"I have to, R'milda," he argued, "I can't let them win. I have to help." He tried to walk away, but she grabbed his arm.

"You're a fifth-year, Colin! Exactly how much can a seventeen-year-old do? What will I do if you don't come back?"

"I will," he said confidently. "Have I ever lied to you, R'milda?" He smiled at her, winked, and slipped out of the Room of Requirement. "I'll come back, Romilda. I promise," he called, before he closed the doors quietly behind him.

It was the end of their fifth year, when he first broke a promise.