Day 3: Write about a character that keeps making things worse.
3
Harry/Hermione
"Hogsmeade"
Harry pulled his cloak tighter around his body, hurrying towards the castle. Having just visited Hagrid, and politely sampled his rock cakes, he had an urgent need to put some real food in his stomach. After lunch, there might be time to shop for Christmas presents in Hogsmeade - if all the stores weren't sold out by then. Hagrid hadn't yet discovered brevity.
Dozens of students passed by as he walked along the bridge, gazing out at the grounds, deep in thought. Harry heard giggling, and caught Parvarti's eye before quickly glancing away. Playfully pushing away Dean's roaming hands, she choked out a "Hi, Harry!" before breaking out into laughter again.
Harry didn't mind; he hadn't really liked her since the Yule Ball of fourth year, but he still felt a pang in his chest. Everyone in his year seemed to be pairing up for the winter - and there was him, all alone.
Finally, he reached Gryffindor tower.
"You staying over for Christmas, Harry?" Neville asked, looking up at him from a chair by the fire.
"Yeah," he said. "But I've got to go. See you later, I guess?"
"Oh, I can't go to the village, actually. Gran sent me a letter and-"
"Yeah, sorry, I can't talk now," Harry lied, closing the portrait hole behind him. It wasn't rude; he was starved.
He left the common room, walking purposefully down the corridor. Still somehow winded from breathing the cold outside-air, he slowed down, mind elsewhere. I wonder if Hagrid will grow giant Christmas trees for decoration this year...
"Harry!"
Hermione's voice appeared behind him, and he turned around. "Oh, hey, Hermione."
She glanced at his cloak, then peered at his face. "Your nose is red."
"Oh, I was out-"
She blushed. "Yeah, of course. I don't know why I said that; it was obvious."
Vaguely wondering why she was acting so strange, he shrugged. "So what did you want to say?"
Harry turned his body towards the end of the corridor, intending to walk-and-talk, but Hermione grabbed his shoulder, keeping him in place.
"I wanted to ask you something, actually."
He stared. "How can you have a homework question? Term's nearly over!" It was meant to be a joke, but she just smiled nervously, showing her teeth.
"I was wondering... well..."
He waited.
"Harry, do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"
He blinked. "Sure, I'll find Ron, get something to eat, and then we can go."
Hermione's face fell, and she looked away. "I'm not talking about asking Ron."
"What?" He pushed up his glasses. "So you don't want to go, then?"
Suddenly, Hermione's eyes were red, and she was hurrying away from him. "You're so stupid."
Harry stood there like a deer in the headlights, wondering what he had possibly done wrong. Then it occurred to him: had she been trying to ask him to Hogsmeade alone?
Like a date?
Harry ran after her. "Hermione, wait!"
She shook her head. "I get it, Harry."
"No, it wasn't- I didn't get what you were-"
She sighed, then turned around to face him. "Don't make excuses. I heard what I heard, and I understand, so can we forget it ever happened? Please?"
Harry just stared at her, noticing for the first time that her hair was unusually sleek and straight, that her always-full bag of books had been replaced with a small lavender-colored one, that her lips were pink and soft-looking.
"I- Hermione..."
With a sad smile, she returned his gaze, but it was like she was looking through him. "What?"
"D'you- d'you want to go to Hogsmeade? With me?"
There was a moment of silence when nobody spoke, and then Hermione, with the most pained expression he'd ever seen, said:
"Is that supposed to be a joke?"
Harry saw her, saw her shrink away in disappointment, and he thought for a second that he'd made the worst mistake of his life. "No, really," he pushed. "I really mean it."
A hint of a smile appeared on her lips. "Really?"
"Yeah."
Harry saw her look over his shoulders, and almost turned around, but then refocused. Her eyes were bright again, and the tears that had dotted her cheeks were gone.
Hermione stood on her toes, put a hand around his shoulder - Harry started to say, "What-?" - but then she pressed her lips to his, pulling away after a second or two (he couldn't tell how much time had passed) - and before he knew it, she was gone. A lingering voice in his head whispered, I'll be right back...
Harry turned around, dazed, and he could have sworn he saw Ginny and Luna giggling as they turned a corner and ran out of sight.
He stood there, alone, for a minute or two, then unfroze himself and hurried back to the dormitories, ignoring the hunger pangs that had turned into quivers of nervous excitement.
He had a date to get ready for.