Chapter 55

You Can Do This

You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

Everything seemed to be slowing down around Remus. Samantha's black hair swung slightly as she turned at the sound of her name. Her deep brown eyes, accented with black eyeliner, flashed with recognition at his face. Her perfect glossy lips curved in a slight smile at him.

You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

"H—hey, Samantha." Remus winced at the stutter in his voice.

"Hey, Remus," she smiled back at him prettily.

You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

"So… I was wondering if…" Remus felt choked on his own words.

"If maybe you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?" he asked, so quietly that Samantha tilted her head and asked, "Sorry—what?"

You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

Remus breathed deeply, then said, more forcefully, "I was wondering, if maybe you would go to Hogsmeade with me next trip?"

Samantha hesitated. Remus' heart jumped in his throat. "Well… The truth is…" she hesitated again.

She started once more. "The truth is, Davey Chang already asked me… and I'm really sorry, Remus… but I've said I'll go with him already…"

Samantha looked devastated. Remus felt his heart break slightly at her expression.

"No, no, don't worry about it…" Remus said, his cheeks pink. "Forget it…"

"I'm really sorry, Remus."

"It's okay… Well, see you in Potions tomorrow…" Remus hurried off, feeling like the stupidest guy in the world.

Of course she wouldn't want to go with him. Not when Davey Chang had invited her. Davey Chang was smart, a Ravenclaw, and a Seventh Year. Of course she wouldn't choose him over someone like Davey Chang. He was so stupid! And the worst part was Davey bloody Chang was just too bloody nice to even dislike!

All of a sudden, a voice from behind him stopped him in his tracks. "Remus…"

It was Samantha.

"I'm really, really sorry."

And she sounded sorry. But Remus was already crushed, and this was making it worse. "Really, Samantha, don't worry about it."

"No, no… Here, I know! How about the next one? Would you take me to Hogsmeade then?" she asked him, her devastatingly beautiful expression full of hope.

Remus felt his heart catch in his throat. "S—sure, I guess… yeah, of course." He smiled hesitantly at her.

She smiled back, looking relieved. "Great!" she said, stepping forward and giving him a hug. For a second, Remus was frozen, and then he gradually hugged her back. Her hair smelled like strawberry-scented conditioner.

Her thick black eyelashes bobbed up and down as she blinked, then leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Thanks, Remus! To tell you the truth, I'd much rather go with you," she whispered. As she bounced off, she left him with only the faintest trace of strawberries in the air, and the memory of a hug and a would-be kiss.

His cheek burned where her lips had touched it. When Remus felt it, he was sure it would be hot to the touch, and was surprised when it wasn't. A trace of lip-gloss was imprinted there. "Merlin…" he breathed, completely twitter pated.

He walked back to the Common Room in a daze. He had a date with Samantha, a kiss on the cheek, and a hug, all in only a few quick minutes. And best of all, she had said she would rather go with him than Davey Chang (really, Davey Chang!) to Hogsmeade!

Remus stumbled up the stairs to the dormitories in a daze of happiness. As he flopped back onto his four-poster the only thought running through his mind was, This is the best bloody brilliant day ever.