I kick Rose out of my dorm shortly after that. Joseph? Not a chance. He's a bit of a git. And anyway, Alice fancies him. Which means he's off limits. I frown, thinking of all this, and of my OWLs coming up. I don't have time for this, this, ugh. Just as I think that, I realize that it's morning and while Rose has a spare, I don't.
"Bollocks!" I exclaim aloud, as I check my watch to see that I've got five minutes to get to Charms. I get up, strip off my pajamas, pull on my uniform skirt, and pull my button up shirt on on top of the tank top I wore to bed. I put my tie around my neck but run down the stairs before I tie it.
"Bloody Hell," I mutter to myself, as I notice that I've neglected to put socks on, and my legs are bare. Rose really has to stop coming round in the mornings, it gives me no time to do other things that I need to do. Like put on socks or tie my tie.
I run down the hallway and clatter down a set of stairs, gaining enough momentum that in the next corridor I slide around a corner and- CRASH!- smack right into someone. To my horror, I end up flat on my back, sprawled on the marble floor. My things have come out of my bag and are scattered across the floor. There's a person, the one I must've crashed into, leaning over me.
And- predictably- it's the one person I do not want to see first thing in the morning, before I've eaten and when my legs are bare and when I'm late for class. Predictably, it's Joseph Wood.
"Are you alright?" he asks, concern evident in his voice. He seems to be peering into my eyes, to check for a concussion or something. Ugh.
"I'm fine," I say through gritted teeth. "Get. Off." At this, Joseph looks sheepish. He stands up, thankfully taking his face away from mine. He offers me a hand and I grudgingly take it, allowing him to help me to my feet.
"Thanks," I mutter, bending down to pick up my strewn things. I can feel his eyes on me. I wonder why, before remembering the lack of socks or tights. I can feel myself blushing, and curse those Weasley genes of mine. I see him about to pick up something that must've fallen out of my bag, and my heart stops.
It's the note. The note that Alice and I were passing in History of Magic yesterday. The one that discusses her crush on Joseph. The one that could mean her inevitable embarrassment and her never forgiving me.
Everything seems to happen in slow motion. He grabs the note. He flips it over. He hands it to me without reading it, along with a few renegade quills, and I can breathe again.
"Thanks." I repeat, rushing off to Charms without another word. Theoretically, Joseph should be right behind me, since he has Charms, too. But the corridor is empty except for me, and I don't hear any footsteps. I don't have time to wonder about where's he's gone, I slide into my seat next to Alice just as Professor McLaggen turns around.
"Late again, Miss Potter," he says in a strict tone. I know that a lot of the girls in my class think he's dreamy, but honestly I can't see it. That might be due to all the stories my Aunt Hermione has about him, though.
"I know. You can blame Miss Weasley, Professor."
He laughs, and repeats his usual reply. "Which one?"
He gives us a short lecture on Summoning Charms, during which I totally zone out and write notes to Alice.
I literally ran into that boy of yours earlier.
This earns me a glare from Alice, who is actually trying to take notes.
"Not interested in your boy, then? Or the fact that I'm dishonouring the Potter name by going sockless with my skirt and not properly tying my tie or buttoning my shirt? Or the fact that Rose is on one of her missions again?"
Speaking of... I look around the room for Joseph, and spot him sitting directly across the room from me. And he's got food. So that's what he must've been doing. He showed up late this morning.
With a smile, I discreetly take my wand out and point it in his direction. "Accio toast," I mutter, and sure enough, the piece of toast that Joseph was about to bite into comes toward me. I catch it, making eye contact with him and smirking before taking a bite. He just smiles back, and I wink.
For some reason, this makes Alice angry. She sighs in a seemingly exasperated fashion and slams her book shut.
"Miss Longbottom!" McLaggen exclaims sharply. "Explain yourself. I will not tolerate you disrupting this class."
Alice clears her throat, as if preparing to recite a monologue. "I think I should have permission to leave class early today. Due to the fact that my best friend," she glares at me, "has betrayed me."
My eyes widen, and I probably look like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. "What? Alice, is this about that stupid boy?" I can't help but glance at Joseph, who is looking anywhere but at me or Alice. "It's not my fault he likes me!" I've known about Joseph's crush since last year, but I was hoping it would just go away if I ignored it. I've had no such luck.
To my embarrassment, the class starts to laugh. I can feel my cheeks turning cherry red for the second time that day, and the eyes on me. I look at the rest of the students defiantly. Daring them to say something to me or to Joseph, who can't even look at me, who is blushing almost as hard as I am.
Not that I care about him. I just don't want to be dragged into the teasing.
That's what I tell myself, at any rate.
I can't wait for classes to be over, especially after Alice storms out.
Author's Note: I am so sorry this took so long, my computer crashed and I lost the chapters I'd written. So. Here's the next chapter, I'm sorry for the wait! Also, a link to my next gen cast (ie the characters featured in this story) can be found on my profile.