'Excellent game Cedric. Maybe next time you won't have to cheat!' Alistar called up the changing stairs to Cedric.
'And maybe next time you won't have to be such a sore loser!' Cedric called back down.
'A person would swear you two were worst enemies!' Tiffany said and slapped Cedric on the back.
Amber still hadn't said anything since the Quidditch game, and she was thinking particularly about how Harry was acting. It wasn't as much as what he said, but how he portrayed it. Amber thought again, another jealous boyfriend, just what she needed. She left Cedric and Tiffany after a while, and went up to Gryffindor tower alone. In a way, she was sort of dreading seeing Harry, hoping he wouldn't say anything about her having so many guy friends. She couldn't help it really, and she never fancied any of them in that way, they were more like really close cousins than anything else. She'd just come back, and Harry was already being so jealous.
'Mona flora' Amber muttered to the portrait of the fat lady.
She obliged and the painting swung open to the common room. Surprisingly, there was almost no one there, excepting Harry, Hermione and Ron. She almost turned to go out the portrait again when it slammed shut in her face. She knew they heard that, so she walked down into the common room and tried to make it all the way across the common room without being noticed, but failed.
'Amber?' Hermione called to her.
Amber turned around, with a look of surprise on her face.
'I didn't see you three there!' said Amber, trying not to look too surprised.
'How can you miss us? Sitting here chattering like three hags!' Hermione said as earnest as she could, without laughing.
'Guess I'm going crazy then…' Amber said with a wonky smile.
Amber sat as far from Harry as she possibly could, without sitting too far away to make it obvious.
'Where were you? You look like you've been through a storm…' Ron said playfully pointing at the hair coming out of Amber's clips.
'I was just playing some team seeker down at the pitch.' Amber forced a smile to look genuine.
'Had fun then did you?' Harry said snappishly.
'Harry…can I please talk to you?' Amber said, standing up and going towards the portrait hole.
Harry followed, reluctantly. They went through the portrait hole, and went down the opposite corridor. They walked for a long while in silence when Amber stopped in the middle of the corridor.
'Harry. Why are you so jealous?'
Harry stopped and saw Amber was about five feet behind him. He turned around, and went back to her.
'Sorry?'
'You heard me. Why are you so jealous?'
Harry was near boiling point, and almost burst out, but kept his voice fairly calm.
'I'm not jealous. I…just…'
'You're jealous Harry. I can see it, and so can Hermione and Ron. Please just…'
'Well it's easy for you to say isn't it? You're not the one who has to see their girlfriend running around with two of the school's most wanted guys!'
Harry was surprised he just said that, and was amazed that it was so easy.
'But I'm not with them all the time Harry! They're my friends, and I haven't spoken to them in ages. Yes, each one of them has asked me out, but I've said no! Why? Cause they're my friends and you're my boyfriend!'
Harry opened his mouth to retort, back kept quiet. Amber didn't look angry or sad, more understanding than Harry thought she would be.
'I'm sorry.' Harry said softly.
'You're forgiven.' Amber smiled.
Harry walked over to Amber, took her hand and kissed her on the cheek. Amber smiled again and they walked back down the corridor. They barely walked ten metres when they heard a way too familiar voice.
'Who's was shouting there, my sweet?'
Amber slapped her forehead, mouthed some obscenity and pulled Harry sideways. They appeared in a very dark space, which was barely wide enough for them both. Harry thought he recognised this, because there was a small amount of light coming through the eyeholes.
'Is this where we…' whispered Harry, but Amber quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, but smiled with a nod.
Amber strained to listen to the footsteps coming past, but she paid no attention to Harry. She stood on tiptoes to see through the eyeholes, then stood back down. Harry couldn't ignore how close they were, her stomach was flat up against his and he could feel her warm breath on his face. Harry's hands slid around Amber's waist and ran his hands down her sides. Amber was smiling, Harry could see in the little light there was.
'You know something…there's something about you when you know you're in trouble.' Harry smiled.
Amber suppressed a giggle, and looked out the statue again.
'The first time we were here is when knew I liked you.' Harry said again.
'Oh…well then is kind of awkward…' Amber laughed one last time and tapped the statue with her wand.
They stumbled out the statue, but before Amber straightened out, Harry pulled her close and kissed her, like the first time he wanted to do when they were here.
'Harry! You got to stop doing that!'
'Doing what?'
'Taking my damn breath away!' Amber smiled and took his hand, and they went back to the common room.
The months were wearing on, and the third task was only a few days away. The champions had just found out what the task was and they were all brushing up on their spells, as for Harry, he was trying to learn more complicated spells. Again, it was Hermione and Amber helping him read through an immense amount of textbooks looking for helpful spells.
'Here's one that might help…if you get lost.'
'Might get lost? Harry won't get lost Hermione.' Amber clicked her tongue and carried on looking through her book.
Hermione shrugged and carried on; flipping the pages of the thick book she was holding. Harry could hardly keep his eyes open; each time they closed he could imagine the maze that was being grown in the Quidditch pitch.
'Harry, have you thought about this carefully, I mean, you can pull out if you want…' Amber said, gazing through her lashes at Harry in front of her, sitting at a desk.
'I know I can, I just don't see the point at this stage. I might as well finish.' Harry said, trying to stop a yawn escaping.
Amber tried to stare at him to get her message across, but Harry wasn't even aware. Amber looked back to her book. Hermione and Amber paced past each other in between the two shelves.
'Hermione, I really don't see how this is helping. This is going to be a maze. If anything the things inside will be more cryptic than anything else.' Amber said.
Hermione looked up from her book and stared at Amber.
'Well, it's better to be prepared than go in there with nothing.'
Amber frowned at Hermione and carried on reading her book, and slid against a bookshelf to the ground. She had a piece of parchment ready, writing down any useful spells she could find. She noted some spell for flares and stunning spells for more resilient creatures.
Hermione eventually put the book back in its shelf and grabbed another. She slid a piece of parchment to Harry on the table.
'Here are some useful ones. We can practice them tomorrow.'
Harry nodded sleepily. Hermione ruffled his hair and yawned.
'I'm going to bed; I'll read this first thing in the morning.' She said, referring to her book.
'Yeah, I think I'll get my next one and do that too, seen as though it is ten.' Amber sighed.
Hermione smiled and went to madam Pince, asking for a pass note for Filch.
'Harry, we should get going. You need your rest for tomorrow, so we can practice these spells…'
Harry perked up his head suddenly and looked around him, his eyes alive suddenly.
'Is Hermione gone?' He asked, but he already knew the answer.
Amber still looked around, but Harry jumped up quietly and grabbed her around the waist pulling her down onto his desk.
'Harry, what are you…?'
But Harry clasped his mouth over hers, stopping her from talking. She could feel her heart beating in her throat from exhilaration. He had his hand on the small of her back and the other on her thigh. She pulled back quickly and gasped.
'Madam Pince…'
'Won't come here unless we make a noise…' he smiled.
He pulled her forward again, pulling her legs around him and kissing her again. She followed his lead, locking her ankles behind his back and tangling her fingers in his hair.
'Library closing shortly!' They heard madam Pince shout from her desk.
Amber broke the kiss again and smiled at Harry.
'Come on, we have to go!' She said, grabbing a reasonably thick, black book from the shelf and racing down the aisle. Harry also grabbed a thick-ish book and followed after her.