If you just realize what I just realized,
Then we'd be perfect for each other,
And we'll never find another.
Just realize what I just realized.
We'd never have to wonder if
We missed out on each other now
-Realize by Colbie Cailat
DAWN OF HUFFLEPUFF YES JK ROWLING YES
Chapter Eleven: Gwen, Albus, and Kristy
Gwen stared blankly as McGonagall went over what she missed during her time here. It was her first day back and she was dying to see her friends.
"You didn't miss much, Gwen," McGonagall said. "Just one Quidditch game, Slytherin lost to Hufflepuff-seems to be the dawn of Hufflepuff nowadays."
"I don't exactly care for Quidditch, so it's all fine," Gwen smiled weakly. "Can I go to the-"
"Not yet, Miss..." McGonagall's voice trailed off awkwardly. "Anyways, the teachers decided that you don't have to catch up on the school work-You are taking mostly normal classes right?"
"Yeah," Gwen nodded.
"Your career isn't going to be very studious, I'm guessing?"
"Yes," Gwen said. She wanted to be an editor for THE fashion magazine, Enchanted. If she was going to be more ambitious, she wanted to be a fashion design. But that was a far reach and probably never going to happen. "Not exactly in the Ministry."
"I see," McGonagall nodded her head. "You can leave my office and see your friends now, Gwen." A rare geniune smile was thrown the girl's way as she bolted out of the office.
Gwen hated running. She thought it was stupid, but today, she was running. She couldn't wait to see her friends(more importantly Albus). She wanted to thank Albus.
"Gwen?" Albus cocked his head as he turned to see the girl running towards him. He was surrounded by his friends, all equally confused.
"Albus!" She shrieked and gave him a huge hug. He smiled widely and twirled her in the air as she did. That was their thing. They loved doing hug and twirls. "I missed you so much." She said, her voice muffled into his shoulder.
"I missed you too?" Al curiously said. "You were only gone for a few weeks."
"I still missed you." She said as the group watched the two curiously. Scorpius, Rose, Talia, Macy, Gregory, and Kristy(angry) watched them.
"Ahem," Kristy coughed loudly as if to notify everyone that Albus and her were dating-not Gwen and Albus. The two best friends broke apart, Al's cheeks were flushed a brilliant red. Gwen was too happy to even turn pink.
"Gwen, we heard about what happened!" Kristy immediately exclaimed, and Al gave her a shocked look. All the happiness that Gwen had quickly drained.
"You..." She stumbled over her words. "You heard?"
"Yeah," Kristy rolled her eyes. "Everyone does. It's all over the castle."
"How do-"
"The Daily Prophet," Rose mumbled. "We were going to tell you a lot more...er...smoothly, but I guess Kristy decided to just tell you."
"You mean everyone knows?" Gwen asked weakly. "Everyone?"
"Er-yeah," Al placed a hand on her shoulder. "No one is judging you, they all support you-"
"That doesn't matter Al," Gwen growled. "I don't want anyone to know about it. I just-I'm-"
"Let's go for a walk," Al told her kindly, taking her by the arm gently. "Catch up, I guess."
"Fine," She let out a sigh. "Fine, sure."
"I can't believe everyone knows," Gwen muttered to Al as they took their "walk." People already were gossiping about her.
"Enough about that," Al said. "Let's talk about something more positive."
"Like what?" Gwen flatly asked.
"Like..." Al struggled to find something positive. "Like..." He shrugged. "Apples!"
"Apples?" Gwen cocked one of her manicured eyebrows. "Apples. We're going to be talking about apples. Al, you're insane."
"I'm smart. And I'm trying to be nice," Al defended himself. "Okay, don't you think apples are the coolest?"
"Al," Gwen shook her head. "Al, please, let's be serious here."
"Fine," The dark haired boy took Gwen by the shoulders, turning her to face him. "What's the matter?"
"Okay," She breathed out. "It's a lot of stuff, I hope you're ready for it..."
Albus and Gwen laid in the middle of the snowy Quidditch pitch, back to back.
"What's the matter with you?" Gwen asked Al, who didn't reply. She had told him all her problems-she was waiting for him to tell her about his.
"I don't know. It's just...Kristy has been a bit distant, but that's all I suppose." Gwen sat up, brushing the snow off her back. She stared at Al's green eyes.
"Do you want me to find out why?"
"Well...Yeah. That'd be nice of you." Al nodded his head, sitting up from the snow as well, shivering. "Thanks."
"No problem," She said. "Let's go to the common room. I'm tired."
"Okay," Albus agreed, taking her hand. "Let's go."
Gwen smiled along with Albus. She was happy for the most part. She knew that Albus would remember her for as long as they lived. Ex-boyfriends, girlfriends...they're in the past, you forget them. But best friends, she thought to herself. They're unforgettable.
He'll forget Kristy, Gwen realized.
"Are-" Gwen hesitantly asked. "Are you and Kristy on the verge of a breakup?"
"Of course not," Al gave her a confused look. "What would make you think that?"
"Nothing," Gwen shook her head disappointedly. "Nothing at all."
"Kristy," Gwen immediately said once she found the redhead. "Kristy."
"Oh, Gwen! I have so much to tell you-I haven't told anyone this, it's really secret." With that, Gwen found herself being pulled to a random empty classroom.
"What is it?" Gwen asked. "I've been meaning to ask you about Al-"
"It's about Albus. Over the break," Kristy bit her thin bottom lip. "Over the break I met a guy."
Oh no, Gwen thought. "You did what?"
"I met a boy named Samuel and he's really magnificent. He goes to Beaubaxton's. He keeps sending me owls, oh, Gwen...He's wonderful."
"But Albus..." Gwen's voice trailed off. "Albus-"
"That's the problem," Kristy exhaled. "Sammie and I did something I shouldn't have done."
"Did you two kiss?" Gwen asked, eyes bulging.
"No," Kristy shook her head. "We went much further."
Gwen's head spun. Albus. Poor Albus. She couldn't stand to see his heartbroken-
"I'm not going to tell Albus."
"What?"
"Albus is so sweet, Gwen. I think Sammie was just some guy I thought was attractive. But Al...he's the one for me."
"You-"
"It's just..." Kristy's voice was hushed and secretive. "Albus and I have only kissed on the lips a few times-It's not even that passionate."
"Kristy..."
"I'm going to have sex with him on Valentine's Day."
"That's in two days!" Gwen spluttered. "You can't possibl-"
"That's the only way for me to forget about Sammie and move Albus and I's relationship to the next level."
"Kristy, you can't be serious."
"Do you want Al to be heartbroken over me cheating on him, or do you want him to be happy?"
"Happy, I suppose..." Gwen's voice trailed off. "But he deserves to know the truth."
"It was a one time thing, Gwen," Kristy was irritated. "Please. Do not tell anyone about this, or I will be very mad at you." With that, Kristy left the classroom and all her secrets to Gwen.
Gwen racked her brain for ways not to bring up what Kristy said to Gwen to Al, but it was impossible.
He had to know the truth. It had been two days since Kristy told her-Valentine's was today, and she knew Al was going to make a mistake if he had sex with Kristy.
Gwen cared about Al. She really did. She loved him. As a friend, of course. But somedays, Gwen always wondered if they missed out on something. Sure, they were a couple once-but they didn't do much then. They were more physical, and that wasn't how both of them wanted the relationship to be.
Gwen always wondered if they tried it again...maybe it would be different.
She knew he deserved better than Kristy. She knew it. Gwen sighed as she glanced at her breakfast angrily. There was owls flying in from everywhere delivering romantic gifts to everyone.
"Aw!" Talia screeched next to Gwen. "Look what Sebastian got me!" She waved a heart shaped chocolate box in front of Gwen's face.
"That's wonderful," She said, blinking her dark lashes. Gwen ran her pink nails through her hair. She had painted and done her makeup to theme Valentine's Day, but so far-no compliments. "How cute of him." No Valentine cards either. She flipped back her braid over her shoulder.
"Gwen," Al announced suddenly as he took his seat next to her. "Do you know where Kristy is?"
"No," Gwen shook her head quickly, averting her eyes to the ground. "No, I don't."
"Is everything alright? You've been avoiding me," Gwen looked through her fringe to see Al's hurt expression on his face.
"Everything's fine. I'm just busy, that's all," She lied. She had been avoiding Al due to the fact that if she did talk to him, the truth about Kristy might spill out. "It's nothing personal-schoolwork, job offers and such?" That was only a half lie.
"Oh," Al shrugged. "Well, I'll see you later, yeah?"
"Yeah, sure." Gwen replied as he left the table to the Ravenclaw table where Kristy was sitting. "See you..." She muttered.
"Oh, look, Gwen!" Talia shrieked with happiness. "Ryan got me flowers!"
"That's great, Talia," She said.
"What did you get?" Gwen poked at her food and looked at Talia briefly.
"Nothing," She mumbled. "It's not like I care, though. Just Valentine's Day."
"Oh," Talia looked almost sad for her for a moment. "Oh. Yeah. Valentine's Day is overrated anyways."
Willow rolled her eyes, briefly disgusted by the entire Puddlemere United team. Actually, more like two people in general. Marie Hart(no relation to her best friend, Taylor Hart) and James Sirius Potter. It was Valentine's Day, and apparently, Marie and James decided that the Quidditch Pitch will be their stupid snogging session grounds.
"That is utterly petrifying," She muttered irritably to Jamie, one of the beaters. He shrugged.
"I think it's sort of cute," He replied. Willow made an annoyed noise in her throat.
"Whatever," She shrugged it off. "Unlike the rest of you losers," Willow paused to stare around the entire pitch to see if her dad was coming out anytime soon. "I have places to be."
"We're not done with practice!" Jamie cried out to her. She simply just gave him a look.
"Aw, how horrible." Willow said. "We're not doing anything anyways, unless you count Marie and James getting to second base on the field. So, I'm leaving. I can probably find a decent looking bloke at a bar having a horrible Valentine's Day."
"Wait, what's happening?" Marie asked, finally broken apart from James.
"Nothing," Willow replied.
"Willow's going to leave practice-"
"My dad's not even here," Willow said angrily. "He's absent." She shook her head, inaudibly whispering the last part. "Like he has been for my entire life."
"We can still practice," James argued. "We don't need him-"
"Maybe we do," Willow countered back. "He didn't even tell us why he's not here."
"Maybe he didn't know that he wouldn't show up," He said. "Maybe it was a mistake."
"Maybe it was a mistake, but he's still leaving us alone. And that's not cool."
"Are we even talking about your dad?" Jamie mumbled. "It sounds like-"
"Nothing!" James and Willow cried out at the same time. "Nothing."
"Anyways," Willow said, letting down her honey blonde hair. "I'm leaving."
"Willow," James warned, grasping her arm. "You can't-"
"I actually can," She said, staring straight into his eyes. "I have two choices. Stay here, or leave and actually find a decent looking bloke-and as fun as watching James and Marie make out in front of us all, I'm choosing the second option." Willow glared at everyone.
"That's not going to help your reputation on the team," Jamie muttered.
"Please," She scoffed. "You guys love me, I keep it one hundred percent."
"Actually," Marie pointed out. "You're just a bitch."
"Oh shit," Jamie said with a shocked look on his face.
"Truth," Gary, another Beater said. "Yesterday, you told me that you would have sex with me if I had a cuter face!"
"And," Marie attacked. "You're letting down the team with your behavior," The brunette shook her head. "If you continue to act like a slag, then we'll never win any games." The entire team took a breath. James stood frozen in his spot as Willow opened her mouth and then closed it.
"A slag?" She asked quietly, repeating it. "A slag. What a lovely..." They all watched as she trembled, repeating the words. "Lovely term."
"I-" Marie started to apologize but James cut her off.
"Willow, don't think abou-" It was too late, Willow stormed off the field silently, clutching her broom with great force.
"Why did you have to use that word?" James whisper shouted to Marie.
"What word?" James rolled his eyes, and sighed.
"Slag," He repeated, visibly uncomfortable. "I'm going after her."
"James, wait!" Marie called out, but it was too late-he stormed off the field.
Albus Severus Potter was having the best day of his life. Kristy Evans, his girlfriend, was not only smart, beautiful, funny-she was kind.
"Look, Albus," She purred. "I just wanted to thank you for being such a good boyfriend." Kristy leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Let's go somewhere more private." Albus swallowed, having a feeling what was going next.
"Hey! Wait up!" Gwen called out from the end of the hallway. Kristy seemed to be giving Gwen a dirty look. "Al, I need to talk to you, really quick."
"What?" Albus gave her a strange look. "Can it wait-"
"No," Gwen shook her head furiously. "It'll just take a second. Please?"
"Yeah," Al sighed. "Sure." Gwen took him by the hand and practically shoved him into the spare broom closet.
"Gwen, did you have to-"
"You're about to have sex with Kristy right now, right?" She asked him.
"What? How did you-"
"Look, is it worth it, Al?"
"Gwen, it's really cramped in here-"
"Just listen to me!" She said exhaustedly. "Is it worth it? Al, you're about to lose your virginity."
"I'm," Al's cheeks flushed. "I'm fine, Gwen."
"Al, this is important. Is Kristy really the right person?" Gwen bit her lip. "I don't think so."
"Who is then?" Al challenged. Her cheeks flushed a bright red.
"Someone that truly loves you Al. You deserve someone who really loves you, someone who thinks about you always, worries about you, cares about you, treats you with respect," Gwen quickly and rapidly said. "I'm just not sure if Kristy does all those things."
"Gwen," Al's eyebrows furrowed. "Kristy's great. Okay? You don't have to worry about me all the time."
"Look, I'm just saying, Albus," Gwen carefully said. "When you look back in your life, there's always so many things you want to change, go back and time and do things different. I don't want this to be like that."
"Gwen, I won't regret this. Swear." With that, Al opened the broom closet door and left to go find Kristy. Gwen leaned on the wall, knowing that Al just made a mistake.
"Willow?" James called out. "Willow, where are you?"
"Leave me alone, James," Willow called back to him, her voice a lot less confident than it was a few minutes ago. James walked forth to see the disheveled blonde hugging her knees on the ground with mascara tear tracks.
"You can't let that word get to you," James said, putting a hand on her back. She moved away. James winced. "I deserved that." He said calmly.
"Leave me alone," Willow said quietly.
"Willow, what's going to happen when the press starts to call you that?" He shook his head. "You can't let that word do this to you. It's not even that word that hurts you the most, it's-"
"Slut. Whore. Slag." Willow spit out. "I hate those words. I hate them."
"Willow, they all said about you in Hogwarts, but it wasn't that ba-"
"They put up posters that proclaimed me as a slag," Willow's voice trembled as she spoke. "They told me to my face and behind my back. All the girls hated me and the guys only saw me as an object."
"But in sixth year, people started to-"
"Slightly." Willow corrected. "It improved slightly. People still called me names."
"Look," James used a thumb to wipe her smudged makeup away. "You can either let it get to you, or you can own up to it. There's nothing wrong with any of those words."
Willow sniffed. "James, please stop."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you need to leave me alone. Or at least stop leading me on."
"I'm not-"
"James, I mean it, okay? I'm not mad, I'm just...trying to get over you, and seeing you everyday doesn't help me. Please just leave me alone, and I'll finally move on." James stayed silent for a few minutes before answering.
"Yeah," He nodded his head weakly. "Yeah, yeah. Of course."
Gwen shut her eyes and wondered what Al and Kristy were doing right now.
Were they done with sex? Did Al decide to have sex with Kristy? Or did he not? Did Albus love her? Did Kristy love him? Did Gwen love Albus?
Maybe I do, Gwen thought. Not as a friend either. She shook her head furiously. She was losing her mind.
Al was her best friend-nothing more.
A/N: Sorry, this chapter was a little lacking. I haven't been extremely inspired lately. Hopefully, I will be soon.