Hi everyone. I know that this update is a day late, and I'm sorry about that. My family and I have spent the past four days down in West Virginia, and so with being settled in the middle of the mountains, I didn't have any service or internet connection whatsoever, so it would have been impossible for me to do anything even if I wanted to. We came back yesterday, and our original plan was to be home by five so I would still have time to relax and then post this chapter. But we left later than planned, my relatives down there surprised us with a big breakfast and we stayed with them for a while before we headed out, and it was such an amazing time, I didn't want to leave at all. Anyway, we got home around eight, and I'm sorry guys but I was just so utterly exhausted that I went straight to bed and forgot all about this chapter.
But it's here now, so I hope you can all forgive me for my tardiness. I have to say that this is one of my absolute favorite chapters by far, and I'm sure you'll understand why once you read it. It was very unexpected, and I was going to have something else originally, but I'm hoping you all like this version all the same. I'm so excited to see what you guys think, and if there are any questions, comments, just let me know. You guys have been great with messaging me your support and opinions, and concerns, and they all will be addressed very soon, I promise. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter are not mine.
Chapter Fourteen: Tragic News and Mistletoe
HarryPOV
The anger Harry felt was almost indescribable. His insides seethed with rage as he glared at the pink toad that had dared to harm someone he cared for with all his heart. The very thought that Mia had suffered at her hand made his blood boil and he wanted to do something, anything, to make her pay. He spent the rest of the defense lesson glaring at Umbridge, breathing heavily through his nose and his hands gripping his book so tight he was sure his knuckles were white. If he disliked Umbridge before, that was nothing compared to how he felt now. The only thing he saw in his mind was the bloody, scarlet red words that were forever carved into Mia's skin, and he didn't want to think about the terrible pain she had to go through writing those words into her hand every night for days. The worst of it was, he was angry with himself just as much as he was with Umbridge. Yes, the wretched witch made her do it, but Mia was also in those detentions because of him. Whenever he got into trouble, Mia stood up for him and challenged Umbridge—more than likely on purpose, now that he thought about it—just so she would take the dentitions for him. Those punishments should have been for him to start with, but she hurt Mia in order to hurt him, and as much as he despised the idea, it worked. It hurt him knowing that Mia foolishly took on whatever Umbridge had in store for her and kept quiet about it.
Why couldn't she just tell him the truth? Yes, he would have been just as outraged as he is now, but at least then they might have been able to do more about it. They could have gone to Dumbledore or any other teacher, and he would have most certainly kept his mouth shut all the times he let his temper get the best of him. Whether or not it was to get some kind of reaction out of him, Harry would not have let it gone past the first night, and he would have tended to Mia's injuries properly, to make sure they didn't scar. Now, she was stuck with them, maybe even for the rest of her life. She kept her pain, Umbridge's cruelty, and the words hidden with nothing more than a Glamour Charm. Didn't she trust him enough to come to him? For weeks he had been kept in the dark, and now months later Mia was doing the exact same thing.
"She would have done it to you! I did it to protect you, I couldn't let her hurt you! I couldn't!"
Damn it all! How could she possibly think she was justified in protecting him when it caused her physical pain?! Doesn't she realize knowing she had gotten hurt on his account and lied about it hurt him even more?! Harry was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts when he felt Hermione poke him in the side and when he turned to face her, she subtly placed a small vial next to his hand on the desk. Harry gave her a look but she just narrowed her eyes at him.
"Drink it or I'll make you," she hissed under her breath. Harry stared at her for another moment before taking the vial in his hand warily. He stared at the liquid inside for a few seconds before realizing it was a Calming Draught. Harry threw a glare over at Hermione, knowing what she was trying to do, and he was about to refuse it when he got distracted by Mia coming up to their desk with the assignments in her hands. She looked at him with anxious, nervous eyes, as if she were walking on eggshells or trying to avoid a landmine.
"Your essay," she muttered softly, placing a piece of parchment in front of him and avoiding his eyes. "You got an E. Good job, Harry…I'm proud of you."
Without another word, Mia turned away and continued handing out the rest of the assignments to their classmates. Harry watched her go, and he could feel a bit of sadness leak into his hate-filled heart. She could barely look at him, and he knew that it was his own fault. For a moment, Harry reflected back to when she finally told them her secret, and the pure fear on her face when she stared at him. He couldn't be certain, but judging by his emotions, he was sure he must have looked murderous to her. The sadness increased when he realized that he actually made her scared of him, and for one horrible second, it made him think of Voldemort, and how his anger stroke fear into people's hearts. No, he couldn't be like that…he wouldn't. Harry was still mad at her, but he knew that lashing out from rage wouldn't help, at least not now. Knowing Umbridge, she would find a way to blame Mia and give her even more detentions, and there was no way in hell he was going to let that happen! Not anymore.
Therefore, with a heavy sigh, Harry checked to make sure Umbridge wasn't paying attention before he opened the vial and drank all the contents. He instantly started to feel its effects, warming him from the inside and he breathed deeply, feeling the potion take its toll and feeling his muscles relax. His angry started to fade and his enflamed mind became more clear and focused as he stared from Mia to Umbridge. He swore that she would pay. Somehow, someway, he would make her regret daring to hurt Mia.
…
The following night, Harry hosted yet another D.A meeting and he was very impressed and proud of how far everyone had come since they first started. They have learned quite a few jinxes, counter-curses, the Levicorpus charm, the disarming spell, the shrinking spell, and the shield charm. Everything was coming along rather nicely, and Harry was beginning to think they just might be ready to start practicing the Patronus Charm after the Christmas break.
It was already the beginning of the second week of December, and the term was quickly approaching it's end, which everyone was extremely thankful for. Even if it was only for three weeks, they finally had a chance to get a break from the tremendous load of work they had to endure for the first half of the school year. Instead of essays, charts, readings and quizzes, they can finally look forward to cozy, lazy days at home or, in the case of those staying at Hogwarts, enjoying a marvelous Christmas dinner within the beauty of the Great Hall and snowball fights out on the grounds. Harry himself was eager to get away from it all, seeing as Ron invited Harry to spend the holidays at the Burrow with him and his family, and he even asked the girls to come by sometime over the break. It was sure to be a wonderful time, and Harry was already counting down the days. But for now, they had other things to focus on, and setting up for their last D.A meeting of term was one of them. He and Ron managed to make it to the meeting with about ten minutes to spare, and when he looked around, he saw that Hermione was there with Neville, Ginny, Luna, Alex and his friends.
"Where were you two?" Hermione said.
"Sorry, had to dodge Filch on the way up here," Harry replied. As the minutes went by, Harry saw the other members come strolling in with excited smiles on their faces, but he soon realized there was one face missing from the group.
"Hey Hermione, where's Mia?" Jenna asked, seemingly looking around for her as well.
"She says she's not feeling well, so she's going to have to miss this meeting," Hermione answered.
"Is she all right?" Ron asked instantly. "Is it her h—"
"Her headache, yes," Hermione cut him off loudly, looking as though she wanted to smack him. "She's had it since this afternoon, I told her to take it easy tonight."
"Oh, that's too bad, tell her we hope she feels better," Alex said, looking genuinely concerned. Harry was quiet as they talked, staring at the far wall with a slight feeling of guilt entering his chest. He just saw Mia earlier, she was perfectly fine. Then again, he probably wouldn't really know, seeing as he's been keeping his distance from her for the past few days. His anger and frustration with Mia caused a bit of a rift between them, and no matter how much he was hurting, he knew his actions were hurting her too. He didn't mean to, he just needed time alone to work out his feelings for this. And, ever so kind and faithful, Mia gave him just that no matter how much it upset her. Did he really make her feel as if she wasn't wanted? He knew what Hermione said wasn't true—Mia didn't come because she thinks he doesn't want to see her. And yet, for reasons unknown to him, a part of him feels desperate to see her smiling face now more than ever.
"Harry? Harry, it's time to start," Hermione said to him. Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and brought himself back to the present matter at hand.
"Okay," he said, calling them all to order. "I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point in starting anything new right before a three-week break—"
"We're not doing anything new?" said Zacharias Smith in an annoyed tone. "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come…"
"We're all really sorry Harry didn't tell you, then" Fred retorted with a roll of his eyes.
"We can practice in pairs," Harry continued with a smile while everyone else sniggered. "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, just for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."
Everyone immediately started to divide into pairs and began practicing the jinx on one another. Harry paired up with Neville and was very proud when Neville successfully froze him three times in a row. Neville was by far the most improved, as he could now perform jinxes with no hesitation, cast a good shrinking spell, and was able to accomplish a good stunning spell, although he did miss his target once in a while and hit someone else. Harry could remember how clumsy and nervous he was at first, but after pairing with Mia for a while and having her feed him words of encouragement and advice, he soon got the hang of it. After he and Neville were finished, he left him to practice with Ron and Hermione while he walked around to see how everyone else was doing. They all were casting the jinx splendidly, but despite how proud and happy he was with them, his mind kept wandering back to the one person that was missing this.
No matter what he did, he just couldn't stop thinking about Mia. He wished she was here, seeing her dazzling smile as she cheered Neville on, hearing her laugh as Hermione sent Ron flying backwards with a powerful stunning spell and seeing her beautiful eyes light up in awe as she watched Ginny completely destroy one of the Death Eater dummies with the Redutco spell, reducing it to dust. Just imagining her smile made his heart start to beat faster, and his hands felt very sweaty. He wanted her here, by his side, so he could take her hand, tuck her hair behind her ear, and—
Bloody hell, what am I thinking?! Harry ceased in his movements as his mind started buzzing, forcing down a lump in his throat. He was doing it again! Lately whenever his mind drifted to Mia, he began having crazy ridiculous thoughts that were just insane. More than once he imagined simply holding her in his arms, like how he always does, but yet somehow different. He wanted to hold her and…and he wanted to kiss her. He remembered that night in the Gryffindor tower when he found her sleeping by the fire on his way to get ready for dinner. She was so peaceful in her sleep, and it had been the second time he felt the urge to kiss her lips, the first time being when they had that unspoken, secret moment in the tower late at night, after detention.
But why? Why was he having such strong emotions concerning his best friend? The girl he had seen as a sister figure for so very long, the girl who took care of him all this time? He's been trying to work it out for some time now, and he even thought that maybe he had caught some kind of sickness that was causing him to lose his mind a little. He thought about his feelings overall when it came to Mia—sure, he loved her, he cared for all his friends, but this was something different somehow to what he felt towards Ron, Hermione, or even Ginny and Neville. When they were together, he felt free to be himself, and he enjoyed it most when he wrapped an arm around her casually or when he would give her piggy-back rides through the corridors, willing or not. And with this issue with Umbridge, he felt an anger that was unlike anything he ever felt before, as if the very thought of Mia being harmed crushed him. Also, when she dated that prat Noah in third year, it agitated him to no end for some reason. At that moment a conversation he had with Ron suddenly popped into his head unexpectedly.
"I know you're concerned for Mia, Harry but…well—do you think that you might be a little jealous?"
"What? Why would I be jealous?"
"I don't know. Maybe you like her?"
Ron's words from so long ago hit him with a tremendous amount of force, yet he somehow still managed to keep his feet planted on the ground. No, that can't be it…it can't be. There was no way that he could be having those kind of feelings for Mia, is there? They've been friends for so very long, moving into that kind of relationship was ridiculous! Yes, she was pretty, quite lovely as a matter of fact, as well as smart, funny, and passionate but he couldn't see himself getting together with her.
You're a liar, Harry, and you know it, his head whispered to him with an evil snicker. To stress this, Harry suddenly pictured himself taking Mia down by the lake, maybe on some sort of date, and kissing her tenderly on the cheek before moving to her lips…
"Harry? Are you all right?"
Harry was brought back to earth with a most unpleasant thump and he turned his head to see that Cho was gazing at him in concern.
"What?" he said.
"You were just standing there, staring at the wall for a few minutes," Cho told him. "Is everything okay?"
"Oh, uh, yeah, everything is fine," Harry muttered, his face quickly going red as he looked away and started to walk around again, his mind reeling. No, no, this is wrong! He didn't like Mia! He liked Cho, he's liked her since he first saw her in his third year, when they played against each other on the Quidditch field. She was very pretty as well, popular in her group of friends as well as her teachers and was quite good at flying. Although, now when he thought about Cho, he didn't feel the usual leap in his chest or the tightening of nerves in his stomach like he always did. When did that happen?
No, no I can't ruin things between us…I can't like Mia. I can't.
Sooner than he liked to admit, the hour passed by fairly quickly, with everyone basically having perfected the Stunning spell. He told them all that they did great and that maybe when they got back from their holiday they can move onto the bigger stuff. There was a wave of excited murmuring at this, and then everyone started to leave in the usual twos or threes while Harry, Ron, and Hermione straightened up, putting all the cushions away. Harry, still so very lost in his thoughts, took longer to put them away, preferring to gather them himself instead of using his wand. Soon enough, everyone had left, and Harry was left to ponder over everything. However, when he stood up and started to make his exit, he saw that he wasn't alone. Cho was still there, standing not far from him and to his shock, there were tears running down her face in little streams.
"Cho?" Harry said, completely stumped on what to do in this now awkward situation. "What's wrong?"
"I—I'm sorry," she said, wiping at her eyes. "I suppose it's just…learning all this stuff…it just makes me wonder whether—if he'd known it all, he'd still be alive."
A small part of Harry sank right down into the floor and probably all the way down into the dungeons. Of course, Cho wanted to talk about Cedric, and Harry dreaded it. Cedric's death was still a very sensitive subject for him—he barely even talked about it with his closest friends—and he wanted to avoid it as much as he could. He didn't want to remember that night, when he saw Cedric's confused and scared face when they saw what was waiting for them in the graveyard.
"He did know this stuff," Harry said, trying to figure out what to say to make her feel better. "He was really good at it, or he never could have got to the middle of that maze. But if Voldemort really wants to kill you, you don't stand a chance."
"You survived when you were just a baby," she pointed out quietly.
"Yeah, well, I don't know how, or why," Harry said. "No one does, so it's not really something to be proud of."
Cho nodded at this and then let out a hiccup.
"I really am sorry to be get so upset like this, mentioning Cedric," she said, taking a few steps closer to him. "I suppose you just want to forget it. You know Harry, you're a really good teacher. I've never been able to stun anything before."
"Thanks," Harry muttered. He was beginning to feel more and more awkward as Cho walked even closer to him, smiling at him sadly yet kindly. Even though her eyes were red, she was still pretty, her dark eyes gleaming because of her tears and her hair framing her face nicely. Harry suddenly felt the greatest urge to run for it, to get away, but he felt too frozen to move an inch, and his heart was pumping painfully in his chest, while his head was screaming at him to get a move on.
"Mistletoe," Cho said softly, pointing to the ceiling over Harry's head.
"Yeah," Harry said. "Probably full of Nargles though."
"What are Nargles?"
"No idea…you'd have to ask Loony. Luna, I mean."
Cho managed a weak laugh at that, and Harry saw that she was much too close now, their faces barely inches apart.
"I really like you, Harry…"
She was close now, so very close, and Harry found himself wishing for some distance between them. At that very moment, just as he was sure she was about to close the gap, Harry heard a loud creaking noise, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw the door to the Room of Requirement being opened and in the next second he heard a quiet gasp. He and Cho turned their heads, and he was surprised and –pleasantly—stunned to see that someone had entered the room. And not just anyone, but the very person he had been missing the entire night.
Mia was standing in the doorway, one hand resting on the handle and her usual bright eyes dulled as she stared blankly at him, her lips pressed together and clutching a book to her chest. There was a look of utter gut wrenching sadness on her face and Harry wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor. He wanted to go to her, tell her it wasn't what she thought, and that he was happy to see her. But her expression was enough to hold him in place and have him fumble over what to say.
"I—I'm sorry," Mia said, her voice low and hollow. "I didn't mean to interrupt…"
"Oh, hello Mia," Cho said as she wiped away at her eyes and took a couple steps back away from Harry, seeming just as surprised as he was at what had just happened, or rather, almost happened. "We heard that you were sick. Are you feeling better?"
"Not really," Mia said. "I just came to speak with Harry."
"Oh, well, I don't want to get in the way. I should probably go," said Cho, her face a little pink as she walked away from Harry and past Mia on her way out the door. "Thanks for listening, Harry."
With that being said, Cho was gone, leaving Harry and Mia alone in the room and lapsing into an extremely awkward silence.
"It seems I missed more than I thought tonight," Mia muttered. In any other situation, she would have said it jokingly, smirking at him with that playful glint in her eyes, forever teasing him as always. Yet now, she said it with disdain and something sounding too much like hopelessness, or defeat, something that made Harry confused.
"What?" said Harry.
"Harry, I think it's quite obvious that you were about to kiss her," Mia said with a frown. "And I'm pretty sure I just ruined it."
"No, no, I wasn't—I mean, I—she was—"
"Just forget it, Harry, it's none of my business to pry into anyone's love life," Mia cut in, her voice taking on an irritated tone as she came inside and shut the door, her eyes firm as she marched up to him. "And that's not what I came here for, anyway—we need to talk."
"About what?" Harry asked, although he already knew all too well.
"About Umbridge and my hand," Mia answered bluntly.
"We already talked about that," Harry said, his own voice getting an edge and a frown appearing on his face as well.
"No, you talked and berated me while I tried to explain," Mia corrected angrily. "The last time I checked, a conversation goes both ways, evenly. You know I never meant to hurt you or make you feel like I betrayed you, but I only wanted to keep you safe from whatever Umbridge had in store for you."
"Your argument's kind of one-sided, isn't it?" Harry said. "What makes you think I can't sit back and take it but you can? You say you didn't want to hurt me but you did anyway by lying."
"And you know how sorry I am about it, and how awful I feel!" Mia said in frustration, taking a step closer to him. "It killed me keeping something like that from you."
"Then why did you?" Harry retorted in anger, stepping closer as well, his eyes narrowed and he could feel his cheeks becoming warm. "You're insane if you think that taking on my punishments was going to make it any better."
"Well tell me this, Harry, what would you have done if you had received the detention?" Mia snapped. "I know you too well, you would have taken it just to prove to Umbridge that you wouldn't crack, that she wouldn't get to you! You would have kept it to yourself and you know it! So don't stand there and be a hypocrite!"
"This isn't about me!" Harry said.
"You sure could have fooled me, with the way you barely even look at me," Mia countered, and Harry could see that her eyes were suddenly glossy-looking. "I know I hurt you by lying to you all this time, and I know that it was a mistake, but you cannot imagine how sorry I am for all of it. I am sorry for lying, not confiding in you, but you listen to me loud and clear Harry Potter—I am not sorry I took those detention for you, and I would do it again if I had to!"
At this point Mia was breathing more heavily, her face flushed red in her anger and glaring at him with extreme heat.
"How long do you intend to shun me for this?" she continued, a bit of hurt mixing in with the anger. "You have a right to be angry but I have a right to care for you and try my best to make sure no one hurts you, just like you would have done for me! You are being so ignorant and selfish, thinking you're the only one upset—"
Harry couldn't take it anymore! Their voices were raised so loud they were bouncing off the walls, his hands were stiff at his sides, and his emotions were currently on a wild roller coaster ride, reaching to a point where they were about to burst out. Before Mia could say another word or before he could think about it, he stepped forward to close the gap in between them, took hold of her face firmly yet gently in his hands, and brought her face to his as he pressed his lips against hers.
Harry was positive that nothing in the world could feel as amazing as this. The second their lips connected, his heart went still for a good few seconds before rapidly picking up speed to a point where it hummed like the engine of a race car. A blissful, warm feeling spread through him, making him feel as light as a feather, and he was sure there was a ringing in his ears. Mia's lips were soft, warm, and inviting, something he never before would have imagined himself thinking. Joy and serenity such as he never knew washed over him and he found himself reveling in it. No matter how many times he had fantasized, or wondered what this could feel like, it was nothing compared to the real thing. Mia had squeaked in shock and surprise when he kissed her, and he could feel the muscles in her body tense. For a moment it seemed as though she had frozen over completely, becoming as still as a statue and unable to do anything.
Then, to his astonishment, he began to feel her relax and respond to his kiss. Her muscles became more loose, and he could have sworn he heard her hum quietly. He felt her place her hands at his sides and moved even closer to him, pressing back against his lips. His insides leaping and doing backflips in his stomach, Harry moved his hands so they were gently cupping her face, the tips of his fingers finding themselves within her soft hair and suddenly surrounded by the scent of the perfume on her skin. How long they were embraced like this, Harry honestly couldn't tell, nor did he care, but all too soon they broke apart and slowly drew away from each other, the two of them breathing heavily, but quietly. When she opened her eyes, Harry found himself lost in her beautiful blue orbs and they were shining with something he had never seen before. However, after a few more seconds passed, their eyes widened unanimously, and he felt as though a wrecking ball just came crashing into him. The two of them looked like deer caught in headlights and the happy feeling that consumed him only a minute ago was being replaced by panic.
Oh no, what have I done?! Harry pulled his hands back from her face as Mia wordlessly moved back, staring at him as though she had never seen him before, but with her fingers going to her lips, as though she wasn't sure what she just did. Her cheeks were still flushed, but for a completely different reason this time, and Harry knew he was no better. Before he could blink, Mia spun around on her hell and then dashed out of the room, without so much as a glance back in his direction. He silently watched her go, wishing more than anything that a bolt of lightning would strike him where he stood. He was at war with himself, with one part still floating from the intimate moment they just had, and the other mentally beating the life out of him for the little stunt he just pulled. Despite how he felt, something in his stubborn brain clicked and he could actually see for the first time why he was feeling like this. His loyalty to her, his need to protect and comfort her, his happiness that surrounds her and his rage for her injustice was more than what he believed it to be and it scared him as well as elated him.
He liked Mia. Not just as a friend, but as something more…way more. And the subconscious part of his mind told him he might have just ruined it all.
MiaPOV
Mia flew down the corridor, running past windows, sits of armor and the many paintings that adorned the walls, her heart beating to wildly in her chest she was worried she would faint from the intensity of it. Disbelief was swelling inside of her like a giant hot air balloon, threatening to lift her up into the sky and she moved even fast until she finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Good gracious child, what happened?" the Fat Lady asked, startled at Mia's sudden appearance.
"Lunas Lotus!" Mia gasped out, not finding it in herself to say anything else at the moment. The Fat Lady stared at her in curiosity for a second before swinging open to allow her entrance. Mia rushed forward and kept her head down, not wanting anyone to take notice of her.
"Mia, darling!" Fred called cheerfully the moment she stepped inside. "Come join us, we think we finally figured out that blueberry experiment!"
"No thanks, Fred," Mia said as she moved over to the girl's staircase, and cursing how high her voice sounded. "Maybe later."
"Mia?" Ginny said from where she was sitting with Hermione and Ron. Mia didn't answer her, only picking up the pace as she opened the door to the stairs and disappeared behind it. She practically ran up the steps, taking two at a time until she made it all the way up to the girl's dormitories, hurrying inside where she clamored up onto her bed, and then slumped onto her mattress. It was then that she buried her face into her pillow and groaned loudly.
"Merlin's beard, what have I done?!" she yelled into her pillow. "How could I do that?!"
"Do what?"
Mia looked up to see that both Hermione and Ginny had followed her up to the dormitories, the two of them entering with confused and concern looks on their faces. They came over to Mia's bed where Hermione sat down next to her head and Ginny sat by her feet.
"Mia, are you okay?" Hermione asked in worry. "What happened?"
Mia just groaned and shut her eyes, burying her face into her pillow once again.
"What's wrong? Did something happen with Harry?" said Ginny.
"Harry?" said Hermione.
"Yeah, Mia went to go talk to him while we were coming back from the meeting," Ginny explained. Mia simply groaned again at this, gripping her pillow tightly in her hands. She looked up into her friends' faces, rising her head ever so slightly from its hiding spot, knowing that she more than likely resembled a bright tomato. Hermione still looked worried, but Ginny on the other hand went wide eyed at Mia's expression and after a moment a wicked smile came across her face.
"My, my, Mia you do look rather flustered," Ginny remarked, and Mia felt dread enter her stomach as a knowing spark flashed through the red-head's eyes. "It's all very familiar, wouldn't you say Hermione?"
"What do you mean?" Hermione said, looking back and forth between the girls, utterly lost.
"Mia's face is very red from embarrassment, she's acting more shy than usual, and from what she was shouting, I'd say she's done something rather unexpected," Ginny said. "It's sort of like how you were when you came back from your private chat with Viktor after the second task last year, isn't it?"
Mia was horrified—last year after Viktor had pulled Hermione from the Black Lake in the second task, he had taken her off to the side to speak with her in private, and when Hermione came back, she was so red she could have been mistaken for having sunburn, a bit timid yet all smiles. Mia and Ginny immediately knew what must have happened, although they never brought it up, at least not in public. Now, at Ginny's words Hermione's own eyes widened as realization hit her head on and Mia hid her face away again, wanting to disappear right then and there.
"Mia," Hermione muttered slowly while Ginny looked positively gleeful. "Did—did something happen between you and Harry?"
Lifting her head once more, all Mia had to do was give them a guilt-filled look and that was it. Ginny let out a loud, almost triumphant laugh, throwing her head back.
"I knew it! Neville owes me five galleons!"
"Ginny!"
"Come on Hermione, this is brilliant! We knew this was coming! Mia and Harry kissed—"
"Why don't you just yell for the whole tower to hear, why don't ya?!" Mia hissed, glaring daggers at the youngest Weasley child before her face fell. "Wait—what do you mean you knew this was coming?"
Ginny and Hermione both went quiet at this, glancing at each other before send Mia sheepish smiles, with Hermione fiddling with her hands. Mia slowly sat up until she was seated in between the two girls, unwilling to believe what she was seeing, what they were implying. She was sure some of the color drained from her face and she felt like cold water had been dumped over her head.
"You…you two know, don't you?" she whispered. "
"That you like Harry? Of course we know," Ginny said. "We've known for years."
"But, I…I never told anyone…"
"You never had to," Ginny said with another smirk. "It's kind of obvious."
"What Ginny means is, it's something you never had to express with words," Hermione elaborated, looking at Mia. "Mia, I myself have noticed something for quite some time now. You and Harry have something incredibly special, a bond that is not the same as the relationship you have with me or Ron. You can see it in your face whenever you're near him—you're happy. I mean truly happy, in a way I've never seen you with anyone else. Every time he touches you, you get so shy."
"Whenever he talks to you, you focus in as if he were the only one there," Ginny added.
"And last year, at the Yule Ball, you guys looked like you were made to dance together—"
"Please, stop!" Mia begged, covering her burning face with her hands. "I never wanted anyone to know, much less you guys!"
"Please Mia, I love you, but you make doe eyes almost every time you're near him," Ginny giggled. "I practically had to spell it out when Neville started noticing."
"You what?!"
"Not helping, Ginny!" Hermione said.
"Okay, but seriously Mia, along with seeing how you feel about Harry, we've also seen the fact that you're trying to hide it or ignore it. Why?"
"Because it just wouldn't work," Mia replied, her voice now laced with sadness as she dropped her hands from her face and hung her head a little. "Harry and I have been best friends since we were kids, we're practically siblings! I don't really know where down the line my feelings for him started to change, but they did. I realized it last year, at the ball, and to be honest it makes me scared. You guys don't understand…Harry is The Boy Who Lived, an extremely talented, famous and amazing person who's known by everyone and is like a shining star. But he also happened to be my very best friend, someone incredibly important and special in my life, in ways I just couldn't describe. I don't know what provoked that—that kiss we had, but I'm sure it must be some misunderstanding. Harry would never want someone like me, and I just can't risk damaging our friendship over these one-sided feelings."
It was silent for a moment after Mia spoke and she could feel her eyes becoming a little moist but refused to let any tears fall because she knows what she said is true. Harry is true, brave, powerful and noble, and she's just…Mia. What could she possibly have to offer? Mia was suddenly brought out of her musings by a sharp and painful pinch on her arm. She yelped in surprise and pain and then turned to face an annoyed-looking Ginny Weasley, who had her brown eyes narrowed at her.
"I swear you two are some of the biggest idiots I've ever seen!" she exclaimed.
"I actually might have to agree with her on this, Mia," Hermione stated.
"What?"
"Mia, who initiated the kiss?" Hermione asked, very business-like.
"Well, um," Mia stuttered, her face blushing red. "We were kind of yelling at each other and then—well—Harry, he, um…"
"He kissed you?" Ginny said. "And you still don't—"
"Mia, do you really think it's impossible for Harry not to return your feelings?" Hermione cut in, throwing Ginny a look.
"Yes—no—maybe, I don't know!" Mia said. "I have nothing to offer, what good could possibly come out of being with me?"
"Mia, you are one of the kindest, smartest and bravest girls I've ever known!" Ginny told her fiercely. "You are so compassionate and you don't take anything from anyone. You stand up for your friends as well as your beliefs, and it's like Hermione said, you have a special bond with Harry no one else could understand."
"You bring out the best in him," Hermione added. "I've seen the way he looks at you sometimes."
"How?" said Mia.
"Like all he sees is you," Hermione replied with a sweet smile. "Don't be so quick to assume, you may be surprised. How did it feel to kiss him?"
"It…it felt perfect, and real," Mia answered, a small smile coming back to her face as she thought about the kiss she and Harry shared. "Like nothing the world offered me could be better than kissing him. I was more happy than I ever thought I could be, but also so scared I couldn't think straight. I could barely breathe, but my heart was pounding. It was like I was melting but floating at the same time, and even though it was so sudden, I could have stayed like that with him. When it was over, it took me a second to let it all sink in, and before we could say anything, I ran. Gin, Mione, I don't know what to do. I don't want to like it, but I can't help it."
"Sometimes it can't be helped," Ginny said with a shrug.
"But what if you're wrong?" Mia asked the two of them. "What is he doesn't feel the same? I don't want to lose him."
"Mia, considering how close you two are and everything you've been through together, you will never lose him," Hermione said. "I can only imagine how difficult this may seem, but try not to let it bother you so much. Take things slow, try to work out your feelings and if you want to try being with Harry, than you need to pluck up some of that Gryffindor courage and go for it. Whether he responds negatively or not, at least you'll know."
"I suppose you're right," Mia mumbled.
"Is Hermione ever not right?" Ginny chuckled.
"But guys please, please don't tell anyone about this," Mia begged. "I don't want everyone to know, you four is bad enough."
"Where do you get four from?" asked Hermione.
"Come on, do you really think Harry is not going to talk to my brother about this?" Ginny said. "And don't worry Mia, you know Neville won't say anything. Speaking of which, it's time for me to collect. Mia, don't ever see yourself as unworthy…Harry would be a fool not to take a chance with you."
…
That night, Mia lay wide awake in her bed, staring up at the ceiling as the other girls slept peacefully, lost in their own world of dreams. So many things were still running through her mind, it was hard to sort them all out. She felt so very confused, nervous, elated and cheerful, it was enough to make anyone's head spin. Her hand trailed lazily across Sapphire's back as the cat slept against her side, curled up into a ball and purring softly. Mia sighed to herself and once more thought about what had happened only hours ago.
Harry kissed her. Harry actually kissed her, and she kissed him right back. The feeling she had was indescribable, and all she knew was that she wanted to vanish inside the kiss and stay in his embrace for as long as she could. The mere thought of it made her heart leap inside her chest and the fluttering feeling inside her stomach increase ten-fold. It was as if they were concealing in their own little bubble, unaffected by the outside world, although the bubble was instantly popped the second they broke away from each other. Only then did Mia realize what she had done and the first thing that registered in her mind was that she had to get out of there, fast. Since then, she hasn't come down from the girl's dormitories, preferring to stay with Hermione as her friend gave her some more advice on how to handle her feelings for Harry. She was too scared to face him right now, that much she knew, and considering they had been fighting right before kissing, it made the situation more awkward than she wanted it to be. She had gone in wanting to resolve one issue, but ended up creating another.
Considering how close you two are and everything you've been through together, you will never lose him.
Hermione's words ran through Mia's mind, and she sincerely hoped that Hermione was right. As much as she didn't want to, she had to face this sooner or later. There was absolutely no avoiding it now. But how would she approach this? She was still puzzled over why Harry kissed her in the first place. Maybe it was a heat of the moment thing? She doubted it, but what other reason could there be other than he possibly liked her as well? Her heart didn't dare hope too much—there were still things left unsaid and questions unanswered, and she planned on doing exactly as Hermione suggested: taking it slow and seeing where it will lead. There is still that sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, Harry likes her just as much as she likes him. Maybe. Knowing she wasn't going to be getting any sleep anytime soon, Mia sighed again before slowly getting up from her bed, grabbing a book from her bedside table and creeping across the room to the door, thinking that she could sit in front of the fireplace and read for a while until she felt sleepy. She carefully opened the door and slipped out, making sure to close it softly so she wouldn't wake up any of her other dorm mates, even though she would have no problem jerking Lavender out of her slumber. As she started making her way down the spiral staircase, she suddenly heard an unexpected sound. There were two voices further down the stairs and Mia was startled to hear that they belonged to Ginny and Professor McGonagall.
"Come Miss Weasley, there's no time to waste. Your brothers are waiting."
"Professor, I don't understand, what's going on?" Ginny said.
"Come, we must hurry!"
"Professor—"
"Miss Weasley, all I can tell you right now is that your father has been severely injured, and has been taken to get his wounds treated," Professor McGonagall explained in a hushed whisper.
"What? My dad—how—"
"Mr. Potter had a nightmare, and saw it," Professor McGonagall said. "No more questions, we must go…"
Mia froze on her way down the stairs, shock and dread filling her as she listened in on the conversation, and her mouth dropping open slightly. Professor McGonagall sounded very worried and that was something Mia was not used to hearing. If there was any hope of Mia getting any sort of sleep tonight, it was definitely out the window now because the only thing that went through her mind was that Mr. Weasley was badly hurt and somehow, someway, Harry was involved.
Sooooo...Harry and Mia kissed. :) Bet some of you didn't see that coming huh? Well, I hope not, I honestly had their first kiss planned out very differently, but as I went along with this story, I realized that I have been absolutely TERRIBLE with dragging out their potential relationship, and it was driving you all crazy. I've come to realize that despite what I originally had planned, you guys have been patiently and impatiently waiting for something to happen between those to, and I've decided it's finally time to give it. I know that their kissed was very random and sudden, but then again, I kinda felt it suited them-they've both been dodging their feelings for some time, some sort of action needed to be taken since their both incredibly hard-headed.
Now, I can't promise that there is any more scenes like this in the next chapter, as they will be trying to figure stuff out, but they only thing I', going to say is you don't know what could happen before this story ends. Again, I apologize for the late update, and I'm sorry it took this long for you guys to have a special HarryxMia moment like this, I really hope you guys liked how I played it out. It's amazing how you can think of a specific moment over and over in your head but it comes out completely different when the time comes. Love you guys, and I'll see you in the next chapter!