Chapter Eleven: Confrontation
"So let me get this straight," Dylan said, ticking off his fingers. "You snuck into the Ravenclaw Tower in the middle of the night."
"Technically early morning."
"Then, you ransacked the personal belongings of every Ravenclaw girl in sixth year."
I scratched my head. "Only four of them…"
"There are only five girls, Al," he said tiredly, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. Then you took a picture of Daniella."
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Then your camera's flash woke her up."
"Yep."
"Then she, by reflex, grabbed your camera and manage to pull you on top of her."
"Uh huh."
"Then she broke open your camera because you couldn't speak."
"It's a real problem," I admitted.
"And she found all the negatives and realized you were stalking her."
"I wouldn't call it stalking…"
"Any normal person would," Dylan said, rolling his eyes again. "Then…"
"I kissed her." I grabbed a pillow off the couch and stuffed my face into it. I'd come back from the Ravenclaw Tower, sped back to my dormitory, grabbed Dylan and practically pushed him down the stairs before telling him everything. Of course, he was half-asleep, so he had to recount everything in an excruciatingly painful manner.
"Why'd you kiss her, Al?" he asked. "I mean, I thought you didn't care about her."
I shot a glare at his growing grin. "What, do you want me to spell it out for you?"
He sat back in his armchair, arms crossed across his chest and his unbearable smirk kicking me in the nose. "I think I'd like for you to admit it."
I stayed silent.
What? He can't always get what he wants.
He sighed again, running a hand through his blond hair. "Fine. So then, she just pulled back and threw your camera at you and told you to get out."
"Yeah," I mumbled. That one kind of felt like she'd thrown my camera right into my chest and punched a hole through. I wasn't sure if I deserved it or not – after all, wasn't kissing her equivalent to admitting that I fancy her? – but I decided not to argue.
Merlin, this is why fancying someone is stupid. Makes me look like a dumbass.
Dylan yawned loudly. "You know, I think you should just talk to her and apologize. I mean, she has a boyfriend, so she probably just feels guilty right now."
Something lurched in my stomach.
Shit, she was still dating James!
"I have to go talk to him," I muttered, jumping up. James was an idiot, but he was still my brother, and even if I knew he didn't fancy her, it wouldn't stop him from feeling betrayal. In his own, messed up way. "He'll kill me if she tells him before I do."
"Probably," Dylan agreed, his eyes shutting.
"Go back to bed," I said, kicking him before running to the seventh year boy's dormitories. I grinned for the first time that night when I heard his groan.
James was the kind of person who would never use curtains, and for once, I was thankful of this fact. I also knew that he jerked violently and hit things when people woke him up, so I took his favourite teddy bear (only few knew of this) and poked him with it.
Nothing.
I think he just snored a little.
I looked to the light brown bear. It was missing an eye. "Sorry, Mr. Fuzzy," I whispered to it.
Then I whipped it at James.
"WHAT THE BLEEDING –"
"Shut up," I interrupted hastily, pushing him back onto his bed. Merlin, did he have to jump up like giant gorillas were attacking him? "I need to talk to you."
He groaned sleepily. "Al, what time is it?"
"Five-thirty."
"In the morning?" he demanded in a whisper, sitting up. I nodded. He leaned over to smack the back of my head. "Why the hell are you waking me up?"
I closed my eyes. "I have to tell you something."
"Can it wait until the sun has risen?"
"No," I whispered harshly, sitting on the edge of his bed. "James, I kissed your girlfriend."
"My girlfriend?"
"You know," I said impatiently. "Daniella. My year. You snog her all the time."
"Oh," he said shortly, expression blank. "What'd she do when you kissed her?"
"Tell me to leave," I mumbled.
"Huh." He stared at me for a moment before pulling the covers back over him. "Yeah, Al, that definitely could've waited until morning. Good night."
Wait.
What?
"Hang on," I whispered, pulling the covers back off. "Aren't you mad?"
"I'm mad you for waking me up," he said crossly.
"But I just kissed your girlfriend!" I repeated, frustrated. Shouldn't he be pummelling me by now? THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. "Why aren't you mad?"
He rolled his eyes. "I only dated her to make you realize you fancy her."
My jaw dropped. "You did?"
"Yup." I thought about it, and when he put it like that… it did make sense. Only after he managed to snog her in every single part of the castle I was in was I forced to admit that there was something about it that bothered me.
And I hated that it worked.
"I thought you just wanted a snog," I muttered.
"That too," he said, yawning. "Now leave. I need my beauty sleep."
I sniggered quietly as I stood, nodding to him. "Thanks."
"Get lost." I began to make my way out the door, but he stopped me.
"Wait a minute." I glanced back at James. He was grinning. "You haven't kissed anyone before, have you?"
My ears burned red.
"Aww, was that Ally-Poo's first kiss?" he cooed, getting up and moving toward me. I backed out quickly – his roommates were beginning to stir. Merlin, do not ever mess with seventh year Gryffindors. Half of them shave, okay?
James was still laughing openly. "It was! Ally just had his first kiss!"
I rolled my eyes. I was more concerned about beaters bats being chucked at me.
"You're a man!" he called as I ran down the stairs. "A man, do you hear me? A MAN!"
And that, my friend, is why I love coffee more than my brother.
