Following a weird weekend of Harry Potter marathons this happened, enjoy.
The corridors were exploding with students running to their first lessons of the school year, pushing past the throng of anxious first years stumbling over one another. I was holding onto my last nerve as I clenched my jaw tightly in frustration. I would usually be laughing, trying to trip the flustered first years, but I was loosing it on the inside.
Being late to first period Transfiguration was most definitely not how I wanted my sixth year to start out. Cursing Puck under my breath, the walking STD had taken fifteen extra minutes to get ready this morning, almost making me miss out on the last of the bacon at breakfast. Only for him to forget his textbooks down in the dormitories with the rest of his supplies. He'd tried to get me to wait for him, but I didn't want to stand around waiting in the Great Hall by myself while he inevitably got sidetracked and tried to hit on some unsuspecting fourth years for the second time that day.
Up until third year all my classes had been with the Gryffindor's. Stupid self righteous losers, all of them were on the same level of lame and tiring. I'm pretty sure it was the Headmistress' way of trying to bridge the gap between our houses, fat chance of that. I swear, if I had to watch Hummel swoon after Anderson in Potions for the billionth time, then I might actually throw up in my cauldron.
Then things slowly things started changing, the difference in third year was split classes, cause they were giving us elective subjects and therefore, a new classroom setup. That meant the ridiculously high chance of being stuck with a Ravenclaw, or even worse, a Hufflepuff in Professor Sprout's assigned seating Herbology lessons.
That was a hard year, between starting Quidditch and putting the fear of Merlin into the first years I had to deal with the wizard boys starting to notice that I existed, not that they could really ignore me before, but entering puberty gave me a new source of power, my body. Not that I was interested in any of the wizardng boys, especially the likes of guys like Puck and Hunter who hit on anything with a chest. They knew better than to come onto me now, especially after Hunter spent a night alone in the trophy room in a full body bind curse and Puck was left alone in the courtyard during dinner with a jelly legs jinx.
It didn't stop the boys from trying though, at least for a few more months until that all came to an abrupt halt in fourth year. The news that I preferred the company of girls circulated around the castle before I had even woken up after an eventful night. Sugar had managed to sneak several bottles of Firewhiskey in after a massive win from the Slytherin Quidditch team, and I had hooked up with our team Keeper Dani, a fifth year, in the back of the common room. There had been a lot of mixed reactions from my house, most of which I ignored, the rest turned out to be a surprising number of girls who suddenly developed a new interest in me.
That's not the point though.
It's not that I was worried about getting in trouble for being late, the warnings got a little less effective after the first threat of being transformed into a pocket watch. No, I was more worried about the fact that I was 98% sure she was going to be in my class. For the first time in my five years at Hogwarts I would finally be sharing a class with Brittany Pierce, the most amazing and beautiful witch that had ever graced these grounds. Following our O.W.L.S not many students had met the required grade for the subject, meaning that the chances of being grouped together had skyrocketed.
The only problem is that she won't look twice at me. Of course we've been up close and personal on the Quidditch pitch, she's been aquatinted with many of my perfectly aimed bludgers since we'd both started for our houses in third year. Except, I have never been able to land a hit on her, it was a sore spot for me. Hunter and Sebastian had mercilessly taunted me because of the Ravenclaw, I couldn't explain it though. When she flew it was effortless, like she was dancing in the sky and could see things before they actually happened. It wasn't for my lack of trying either, I had been the first girl in nine years to land a Beater's position on the Slytherin team, beating all my competition in tryouts without breaking a sweat. Brittany Pierce is just a mystery that I can't solve.
I hate the fact that the closest I've ever been to her was when we were a hundred feet in the air, separated by our house colours and out for the each others blood. If that isn't a good enough reason for my crippling depression then I don't know what would be. Of course, Puck knew about my infatuation with the golden haired goddess, he has a theory that she's part Veela. I can't disagree with his logic; nobody could be as beautiful as she was without being related to enchanting european creatures. He even tries to push me into her whenever she passes us in the corridor, but somehow his aim is so shitty off the pitch that I always somehow ended up crashing into her best friend, who is also the bane of my existence.
Quinn Fabray isn't oblivious to my very being like her best friend, I'm convinced that she thinks I'm the reincarnation of Voldemort. Every time Puck has shoved me into her, she pushes back five times as hard, glaring at me every time she catches me looking in her, well, Brittany's direction - but she doesn't need to know that. Fabray is a notorious perfectionist, the most outstanding pupil with the most perfect grades, walking around like she's Merlin's gift to magic. It's majority of the reason why I always put a little weight into my falls, the rest being that she's so goddamn annoying.
Honestly, she has this serious prejudice against Slytherins, it's ridiculous. I mean, I mightn't get along with the Gryffindor's in class but Wheezy and Trouty aren't too bad and I sometimes make an effort. Unlike Fabray, I've never seen her even smile at one of us. She turned down Puck so hard when he'd tried to ask her to Hogsmeade that one time in fourth year. Which only made me dislike her even more. Given his reputation I wouldn't blame her for not going out with him, but knowing that he did actually have a ridiculous crush on the girl made me want to jinx her when she was asleep.
I'm pretty sure he's still hung up on that thing. I don't even know if I should be glad that he's gotten over his brief thing for Jewberry, forever obsessed with her muggle heritage- even though she's adopted she still considers herself of non-magic decent. The evidence is ridiculous, considering she's in the most Pureblood centric house, and is in no way biologically related to the two dudes that mistakenly picked her up from the reject pile. That troll lives in the land of denial.
I wish Puckerman was with me right now, I can see the door way to the classroom and it looks like I'm just in time. Chang and his girlfriend are making their way in holding hands and smiling to each other - it's gross, and I just lost ten Sickles to Sugar. I was sure Asian persuasion would've broken up during the Summer. Gripping my books closer to my side I glide through the door, keeping my head high and looking to the back of the classroom, refusing to make eye contact with anybody in the class. Until my path is blocked, that it.
"Santana, it is lovely to see you. I don't know how we could've missed each other last night at the feast, surely it is baffling-" Honestly, just what I need is Rachel Berry trying to make nice first thing in the morning. I've been successfully avoiding her since I got on the train yesterday, her voice is probably the most annoying and most useful thing about her. Doubling as a warning call to her being within a twenty foot radius at any time, always giving me time to get away.
"Berry, stop talking before I make you." I glare at her, watching as she pauses for a moment, actually considering to keep talking. She huffs slightly before shifting her attention to something behind me and letting out a high pitched shriek. Curiosity gets the best of me, turning my head I catch the one and only Lady Hummel and his sister wife, Anderson running towards Berry.
It's probably the most twisted relationship in this whole school - They'd been best friends since third year when Berry had been compelled to start singing some ridiculous muggle song in the great hall, and as abruptly as she had started Hummel and Anderson had rushed over to sing with her. They then went on to start rattling on and on about something about a witch who I'd never heard of before and how much they worshipped her.
Rolling my eyes at them I turned back to the empty desk right in the back row of the class and moved to throw my books to the desk, taking a seat in the old chair and lifting my legs to lay across the corner of the desk. Nobody would dare take the seat next to me- except Puck, so I wasn't worried about any new guests as I took a moment to scan the classroom.
There were a few people I recognised already seated, I knew I wouldn't be seeing Hunter or Sebastian in this class, thankfully they were down in the Greenhouses for Herbology. Something they had both vehemently complained about this morning as they left the Great Hall in the five seconds I had seen them. Mercedes was sitting up near the front with Mike and Tina talking about their Summer break probably, there were a few random Hufflepuff's and Gryffindors that I didn't recognise over towards the edge of the classroom.
My attention is stolen though when I feel her presence suddenly in the room. It's something I'd developed over the past year, I'd been able to spot her out across the Great Hall without being caught acting like a stalker. I can't really explain it except that it's like I have a tether that tugs whenever she's close by. Carefully I look out of the corner of my eye keeping my head trained at the front of the room as I watch her and Quinn move to make their way to an empty desk. Then I hear a loud bang and I can't contain the wince I let out as Puck comes barreling into the classroom with his ratty books clutched in his hand, shoving his way straight though Brittany and Quinn.
"Sorry babe." He calls over his should to the shorter blonde with a smirk, who lets out a noise of disgust at my best friend before bringing her hand up to fix her un-maimed hair. Chancing a quick glance at Brittany I see she has her brow furrowed at Puck as he continues to push past Berry and her toys. I forget for a second that I'm not supposed to be watching her as she shrugs to herself before pulling on Quinn's sleeve to direct her to a spot in the centre of the room. Turning my attention back to Puck as he takes the empty seat to my right before mimicking my position, obnoxiously kicking his legs up onto the table.
"You had to go and piss off the princess before class has even started, didn't you?" I say, rolling my eyes at the idiotic look on his face.
"Of course, babe. Besides don't act like you're not loving it."
"Don't call me that again, Noah- or I'll hurt you, and what the hell do I get out of that?" I ask, feeling a frown come across my face as I wait for his demented logic.
"Well, I run into your girl-"
"She's not my girl." I cut in quickly, gritting my teeth together as I look around to make sure no one heard.
"Yeah you just wish- fuck!" He whines as I punch him in the ribs.
"Okay fine, whatever. Anyway, I run into her and Fabray, then Pierce will get all curious about what I said and Fabray then tells her all about our relationship-"
"She turned you down, that's not a relationship."
"Whatever, Fabray tells Pierce about me, and you by association and boom, you're no longer invisible." He finishes with a smile, flourishing his hands out in front of him as though he just presented the most intricate and thoughtful plan in history.
"Wow. That is probably the dumbest thing I have ever heard." His reaction is great, like a kicked puppy scoffing at me as he opens his mouth to call me out.
"Lopez! Puckerman! Feet off the furniture- five points from Slytherin!" The professor's voice shouts out from the front of the room, earning a couple of please smiles from the front of the class.
"Ugh." I groan, as I slowly pull my feet off the desk. Ignoring the heated glare Berry throws at us, and directing my attention to the class at hand. The lesson drags by, with us all getting a lecture on the seriousness of N.E.W.T.S since we all somehow successfully made it through our O.W.L.S, a feat, I tell myself, that was actually not as hard as they had made it out to be.
I catch myself staring at the back of Brittany's head throughout the lesson, thinking about how she's probably diligently taking notes and listening to this snooze fest like the genius she is, in between nudges from Puck for our game of noughts and crosses. I feel my head clouding over with the threat of sleep, I've never really been the student that pays attention in class- I get good grades, sure, but I've never been the greatest at paying attention to figures of authority.
"Dude, we're done. Let's go, free period!" His voice pulls me out of my daze, he's already standing and waiting for me. Looking at the table I realise I didn't open any of my things, swiping them up quickly I push out of my chair and follow Puck to the front of the room. Moving quickly I fail to notice Fabray moving in front of me as I crash into her back and fall to the side.
"Fuck!" I shout out, I feel my books spill from my grip as I slam my eyes shut, clenching my muscles just as tightly waiting to crash into one of the tables or chairs, but it doesn't come. Instead I feel my back fall back into something hard but soft as something comes up around my waist. I'm pushed back up carefully- opening my eyes as I shake my head slightly to focus on the room. The first thing I can notice is my heart hammering against my chest from shock and then Puck standing a few feet in front of me trying to reach past something to help me. The next thing I notice is the thing he's reaching past is Quinn and that something is still holding onto my body.
I know I look like an idiot, but I feel my feet step forward as I turn sharply to see who's behind me, knowing who but hoping I'm wrong.
I'm not.
There standing less than an arms length in front of me is Brittany, her eyes wide and watching me cautiously. Her arms are outstretched towards me and I think she's trying to touch me until I remember that I'm the idiot that just fell on top of her and she's probably just making sure I don't do it again.
I want to speak, to say something cool and not sound like a troll but nothing's working and she's staring right at me. Like, right into my eyes, and I've never seen her eyes up this close before and they're so freaking blue that I feel myself thinking that I could fly in those crystal clear skies forever. Except now her lips are moving, she's speaking to me and I don't know what she said and now she probably thinks I'm crazy.
She takes another minuscule step closer to me, her hand landing on my arm just below my shoulder, I desperately focus my brain into making my ears work instead of losing myself in the burning pulses of electricity that are coming from where her fingers lightly grip my arm.
"Are you alright?" Her voice is angelic, caught between concern and I think curiosity as she studies my face, her mouth opening to speak again as I realise I still haven't said anything yet.
"Yeah, everything's fine," my voice is sharp and controlled as I speak, something I didn't think I would be capable of, "um, sorry if I got you. Um, yeah- I've got to go." I quickly get out trying to keep what's left of my dignity. Breaking away from the trance of her eyes I look down for my books only to see them gone, followed by a deep cough and I look up and see Puck holding them along with his own. I've never been more thankful for him in my life.
Then I'm faced with what I can only assume to be the greatest struggle of my life. Pulling myself away from Brittany's touch is like being released from a fishing hook, the lingering ghost of her touch aches on my arm. I can feel a great disappointment well up in my chest as I step away, pointedly staring at Puck to move as I grab my things out of his hand. Ignoring the look Quinn is sending my way and the feel of Brittany's eyes burning into the back of my head as I mumble out a pathetically rushed 'bye'. I force myself to walk out of the classroom and start pumping my legs faster down the corridor, Puck's voice calling out for me to wait in the distance.
I manage to make it to my usual spot. A stoop off one of the outdoor corridors of the castle, looking over the grounds I can see students milling about between classes and other sixth years lounging on the grass in the still warm Autumn sun.
"Idiot." I mumble to myself. Every single second of what just happened coming back to me in great detail.
I must have looked like the biggest jackass in the world. I didn't even look at her, they probably think I'm the biggest freak- I couldn't have gotten out of that room fast enough.