"So you basically promised her you won't ever do anything with Harry?"
"Will you let it go?"
"Don't you realize you just made everything even worse?"
"I'm not making the same mistake twice, Hermione," I snapped as I got into bed and turned my back on her.
"Fine! If you're so scared, then do what you want."
"I'm not scared!"
I turned back to look at her. She gave me a look and got into bed herself, turning off the light on the nightstand next to her.
"I'm not scared," I repeated stubbornly. I received no response and grumbling, I turned over to try and get some sleep myself. My eyelids grew heavy and soon I was drifting off into sweet sleep...
I was at the Burrow, in our backyard. It was a beautiful summer day, bright and warm with a light breeze ruffling my hair. I was thinking of going for a swim in the small lake when I caught sight of the big apple tree in the middle of the yard. Or rather, the people underneath it. Harry was sitting underneath, laughing along with a red-headed girl. Me.
We looked happier than we had in ages. We looked like we were just normal teenagers in our own normal world. No demented, evil witches and wizards chasing after us and our friends and family. I edged closer, tempted by the image. Harry was ruffling my hair playfully as we joked around. But...why was my hair not as red as usual? And since when was it pulled up into a ponytail?
I watched, frozen in horror. My hair was slowly turning into a wavy, golden blonde. My freckles were disappearing, giving way to soft white skin. My eyes were turning a crystal blue and my cheeks acquired a soft rosey tint.
Susan was looking directly at me, a perfect creepy smile on her perfect face. Harry didn't even notice, still laughing joyously. I then felt something trail down my cheek. Touching my face, I realized tears were streaming quickly down my face. I tried wiping them away, but only more came out. Suddenly, the breeze became a rough wind which became a whirlwind in which I was the center. My vision blurred and my hair constantly whipping my face, I could barely see Harry and Susan anymore. I began having trouble breathing as the scene swirled around me.
Then I woke up, breathing heavily. I shuddered, cold sweat surrounding me.
What in Merlin's name was that? It was creepy as hell, no doubt of that.
I got up and opened the window, feeling the cold breeze hit my face. It was barely dawn. I closed my eyes, longing for more sleep even though I knew I'd be staying up the rest of the night. Hermione's words echoed in my head.
"If you're so scared…"
What is there to be scared of? Rejection? Loss of friendship? Fighting?
Shaking my head in frustration, I tip-toed out of the room and out of the commons towards the Astronomy Tower, to sing as always. I found myself running across the same stupid corridor I yelled at Harry last year. I thought I had made it without being seen when I bumped into an all too familiar figure.
Dark and daunting as always, Professor Snape stood in front of me, his dark robes billowing around him. He raised a single, terrifying eyebrow. I gulped and felt myself shrink into a pile of nerves.
"May I ask," he began. "What you are doing out here long after curfew, Miss Weasley?"
"I couldn't sleep, sir," I answered quietly, never looking away from his strong gaze even though I was completely anxious.
Don't punish me, don't punish me, don't punish me...
"Are you sure? Or are you perhaps out here to meet a fellow...classmate?" He uttered the word with a sort of disgust that made me nervous. Did he mean something by that? He couldn't mean that he thought Harry and I...no. Professor Snape had better things to do than keep up with the juvenile romances of his teenage students.
"No sir, of course not."
He scrutinized me silently as I refused to squirm under his judgemental stare.
"Fifteen points from Gryffindor," he drawled finally. "I shall ask Professor McGonagall to set an adequate punishment for you. Go back to your dormitory, Miss Weasley."
I muttered some thanks and made my way out of that blasted corridor, hating myself for being caught and hoping McGonagall wouldn't be too harsh on me.
Little did I know, somebody had been watching the whole time from the dark corners of the corridor.