Harry and I slept together nearly everyday since that night. We spent our time together by night and by day I spent time with Daphne. One weekend over two I went back home to train and I still didn't know my animagus form by mid-October. By this time the first match of Quidditch was schedule. Slytherin versus Gryffindor. My first match in Hogwards. I was totally a mess the whole week before it. The night before I was preparing to sleep early on Harry's bathroom. I was brushing my teeth in his bathroom because we always ate sweets before going to bed and I rather have my tooth cleaned. I was about to hide my toothbrush when Harry came out of the shower with is pyjama on. He was about to brush his teeth when he noticed something in the way I move while cleaning my face that made him stop.
"What is going on?" he asked calmly. He saw that something was bothering me all week. I tried to played it coy by merely shrugging. I was about to exit the bathroom but he catch up with me, taking my hand in his. His other hand took my chin to lift it up as I was looking down.
"Don't play me, you've been quiet all week. You didn't tell me a sassy comment since the one on how I drool in my sleep last saturday, now it's friday. What is going on, Ana?" He said calmly with big understanding green eyes. He had that crease between his eyebrows. Harry noticed everything as I tried my best being the same usual annoying person. He couldn't be fooled.
"I don't know..." I lied lamely. He didn't bought it either.
"Ana" he repeated sternly. He had different way of saying my name and this one wasn't one of my favourites.
"I... I'm stressed out about... Oh forget it." I said turning around going into his bed as fast as I could. I felt my cheeks burn. I hated talking about my feelings. Everything was alright. I was under the covers and by the time he arrived, other Gryffindors were in the room. We had found a spell to make his bed sound proof two weeks ago so I wasn't save by the bell. He lay next to me turned to my direction as I looked the ceiling stubbornly.
"You are not freaking out about Quiddich, are you?" he asked in a disbelieving voice. I didn't answered. I felt stupid and talentless. I wanted to hide and never come out again. Harry was really good at Quidditch. Even Draco said so. That went beyond saying he couldn't understand my feelings. He sighed and lay above me attempting poorly not to crush me.
"Black." he said his voice deep and stern.
"Yes." I replied out of breath from his weight on me. He changed his position to lift his weight but was still onto me.
"Enough, you will do a great job at being a Chaser tomorrow. I know so because you are in Slytherin and yet everyone in this school thinks you're great at it. This would not be if you aren't great. I'm glad I would get to see you play tomorrow." He asserted patiently looking in my grey eyes. They were a little watery. I tried to close them but he took me by surprise with his hand on my face gently rubbing my tears away.
"I..." I started but I was sobbing to much to talk. He took me in his arms gently putting me on his chest rubbing my hair gently.
"I know... I know... I was freaking out before my first match too. But you already played in Canada. This game is going to be fine."
I fell asleep easily in his arms as he developed a technique to help me calm down before going to sleep. I just had to lay my head on his chest than he would caress my scalp and I would calm instantly.
Today was the game. I didn't ate anything before it. Daphne made me swallow some pumpkin juice. Blaise tried to relax me with some jokes that didn't make me feel better. Theo only merely said I was going to crush it with confidence. He wasn't a great talker but he talk a bit to help me get over breakfast. I appreciate my friends support. I went to the Quidditch pitch really early after my not breakfast and met there the only person who were already there. Ron made Harry and Hermione came early too for his first match ever.
"Hi, Ana." Said Harry seeing me first. He grinned at me brightly and my spirit lifted up for a bit. "Good luck on your first game ever in Hogwards."
"Yeah, good luck" Hermione echoed with a bright smile too. Ron made a noise that sound like an agreement with what they said. He was very green and looked as freak out as I felt. Maybe that's how Harry figured out so fast why I was weird lately. His other best friend was having the same week as I did.
"Hi. Good luck, Ron" I tried saying and Ron understood the spirit and said thank you.
Harry and Hermione tried to lift our stress up but didn't get through us. Actually I couldn't believe anything could light up this day until later when the match started.
As soon as I got up, my stress got away. I knew how to do this. I was born an awesome Quidditch player. I saw Moony into the audience with Padfoot and I felt happy seeing my dad here. I kept the ball almost all the match long. I didn't score as much as I thought I would because Ron was a good Keeper. That's what the comments were about how Ron and I, the new Quidditch player for our teams were so good that the game was all about us.
"The show Black and Weasley provide is so good to assist to. Black flies so well it's almost as if she was born to do it. Weasley catches a lot of her magnificent attempts to scores. I wish Black was in our house though..." said the commentator, a friend of the Weasley twins.
I blushed a bit when I listen to the comment. Harry was right, the whole school liked me which was rare to be for a Slytherin. I was rarely focused on the comments either way I was trying to score as much as I could. When Harry catches the golden snitch, I was so close to make my team win I felt flustered. I went down to the ground near my Dad and Moony.
"What a player!" Moony said. "I can't believe it, you were everywhere. It reminded me of how your dad played. You were really good Thea!"
He hugged me and I grinned proudly. I felt my dad next to me and when Moony let me go I knelt next to him. He was smiling in his animagus form. I could tell because of all my animagus training. I petted him and he barked loudly looking like a happy dog. Then, we heard a battle going on somewhere. We looked down and saw Harry and Fred hitting Malfoy and Goyle. We saw Umbridge smile triumphantly.
I had another week of detention because of Harry. Eventhough I felt like crying when Professor Snape came to tell me about it, that wasn't the worst news of the day.
"Potter and the Weasley twins are also banned to play Quidditch forever." Professor Snape informed me gently.
I simply stared back at Snape in disbelief than I begged him.
"Please professor, how would people know we are the best if Potter doesn't play anymore? You can't let her do that!"
Snape was agreeing with me but still looked a little pleased with the fact that Harry was banned.
Later that night I went back to Harry's dormitory knowing he would be pissed. I was waiting for his fury but instead he was sad and remorseful.
"Ana!" He exclaimed as soon as I arrived in his empty dormitory. He removed his own invisibility cloak from my back and looked at me closely. Than he took me in his arms. One of his hand was on my long hair stroking smoothly. His other arm was snuggling my waist entirely, bringing me closer than ever.
"I'm so sorry, Ana." he said quietly in my hear. His breath was tingling me. His cheek snuggled against mine. Harry's voice sounded hoarse like he could cry at some point.
"What?" I exclaimed. I was enjoying the moment when I heard this. I reacted a second later that I would have if he wasn't that close. "Why are you? I am sorry, you can't play Quidditch, ever again!"
"I know that it sucks but I would give anything to erase what I did. I can't believe you're gonna be hurt because of me."
I took a step back to look into his green eyes. They were as shiny as I thought. He seemed to struggle to contain his tears but I knew him too well and saw right through his act.
"I don't care about that, Potter. If we win the cup this year everyone would say it's because you didn't play! That's the real issue here!" I said loudly. I was trying to make him smile but I only got a faint one that didn't reach his eyes completely. I was moving toward his bed and I sat on it, he followed me and sat too.
"Yeah, that's bad too, I guess." he replied, unconvinced.
"Well yah. Now everyone is going to doubt my Quidditch skills. Thanks a lot, Potter." His smile was a bit more genuine. His freckles were now visible and his emerald green eyes were brighter.
"Nobody is going to doubt your Chaser skills. Did you see yourself play? Didn't you hear the comments from a guy who aren't in your house but still sound totally impressed? I mean, come on, you almost score enough for us to loose the game. I wish you would be in Gryffindor. Then we would be unbeatable. Imagine us as a team, Black. We would be the ultimate champions on this school." he praised my talents with passion. I felt my cheeks burnings. My grey eyes avoided his for a bit. I felt awkward again for a reason and I was actively aware of my lips. It didn't matter how much time we spent together, I would always feel this way at a point of the discussion.
"I know we would be the best team ever!" I said but my tone seemed weird. I dared to look at him but he wore the same smile as before. He hadn't seemed to notice my internal issues. I smiled back at him and he got up to prepare himself to sleep.
Today was the Day. Hermione had is gathered at a shabby bar. Daphne and I, we were the last persons to enter into it. As the foolish girl that I was, I thought we would be a tiny bunch of students. I was excepting the golden trio, Neville, the weasley's and maybe Luna. But the gathering here was huge. I was the last person to entered so I felt judged by all of them with my Slytherin uniform. I even had the scarf around my neck. Daphne and I we sat next to two girls from Ravenclaw who seemed like no gum at all. We said "hi" but only the friends that I had answered. The judgy gis next to us only looked down at us.
"Right" Hermione started. "Now that everyone is here, we can start at last". She gave me a nasty look because I was late. The truth was I was exhausted with all the detentions I had all week. Plus, I had a tons of Quidditch practise. I didn't sleep at Harry's dorms of all week, I hadn't at the time. So when Saturday had finally arrived, I slept in and arrived late at this meeting.
"Well, you all know why we are here..." she continued only to be cut by a Hufflepuff student who looked rather rude.
"No we do not. You didn't tell us anything."
Harry seemed uneasy about it all, I didn't catch his stare until know. He looked panicked and ready to leave and forget about this study group.
"Yes, you're right, Smith. But we couldn't quite well spread rumours about it under Umbridge's nose." responded Ron in a pissed tone. He looked ready to defend Harry and Hermione from this bunch of rude folks and my respect for him grew even more.
Hermione started to explain the point of this meeting and was interrupted again when she said Harry would be the teacher.
"Why would we follow him?" said the rude Hufflepuff guy again.
Ginny, Neville and Luna started to gives reasons. Eventhough I hated to speak to a crowd, I jumped in too.
"And last year he escape from him again."
Harry gave me a grateful look than basically said that we were wrong that he wasn't prepared. Great idea of his to ruin all the hype we created around him. It almost worked out but than that awful Smith guy speaked up again.
"Why would we practice with the enemy?" he said and a lot of people send him puzzled looks so he explained himself right away. "I mean, we wouldn't added two Slytherin scums on our study groups right?" he said looking at me and Daphne.
"Yeah, I'm not sure I would like to hang out with snakes" The ravenclaw girl with curly hair said. The one with straight black hair laughed a bit at that and send me a nasty look. She was the one Harry was crushing on. I couldn't help but be a little disgusted by his bad taste in girls.
"Why would we exclude them? They want to learn as we do. I don't care what house they are in." Luna said backing us up.
"Yeah" Ron added, "They seems nicer they you anyway, Smith."
But eventually it worked out alright and we all signed under the Dumbledore's army. As we were going to Honeydukes Hermione said at least one good stuff happened today. That Cho didn't stop staring at Harry and I felt livid. The girl that Harry like was an awful person. But when he smiled dreamingly at that comment, I couldn't help but go back to castle by myself and ditch he golden trio's. Daphne had gone to the three broomsticks with Theo and Blaise. I felt tired and sad and I didn't even know why. It flustered me even more. I went back to my bed and slept throught the whole day.
When I woke up it was late on the evening and I wanted to walk for a it so I sent outside the castle near the Black lake. I jumped when someone said hi behind me. It was Harry and he looked worried though he smiled at me.
"Hi Potter". I told him back. I felt so sad that he would choose a girl like Cho. I got that she was pretty for a girl but she was mean. She would hut Harry at some point and I couldn't bear it. The life of The-Boy-Who-Lived was already way too sad to added a mean girl on the top off it.
"Can I walk next to you?" He asked and he looked hopefull. His eyes were big and full of worries.
"You don't have anything better to do?" I asked coldly. I didn't know why my voice sound so cold. I hadn't meant to let my feelings show. His smile turned upside down. Harry was sad because of my stupid behaviour and Cho hadn't even hurted him yet. Right now the only one who were hurting him was me and a huge guilt took place down my throat. I felt so bad I wanted to go hide and leave him alone, I missed his smile already.
"I mean, of course you can walk with me." I said in a tiny voice feeling ashamed of myself.
"Okay" he said now fully worried. His brows were furrowed and his eyes had a mysterious glint in the dark. We walk for a bit together in a tensed silence than I started to talk.
"How did you found me?" I asked.
" I was worried about you, Ana. You disappeared before and I hadn't seen you all week. So I use the Marauder map to track you. I know it's not okay to do it but I didn't have a choice."
He look at me and try to fake despair on his tone and face to make me smile and I laughed. I felt a bit better already.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about this past week. I've been way too tired to come to your dorms." I said not thinking at all.
Obviously he looked guilty. I didn't thought before I talk. I was so stupid. He already told me he was sad I got hurt because of him but I didn't think he would get that from my sentence. He took my left hand and looked at it but didn't see anything.
"You healed yourself? You're such a genius..." but he stopped in mid sentence when he saw me frown when he touch it were my scar was before. "Did you just glamoured it?" he asked looking sad again.
"Yes, I did." I answered trying to look cheerfull and not like I was about to cry from the pain. "I found this great charm for hiding scars. I didn't think I could cast it, I mean, I'm way behind in every classes. That's why I said I was tired, I have to practice all the time. I wasn't supposed to be in fifth year now."
"I forgot! We were supposed to help you! But you're doing so well in every class I forgot to ask you about it." he said. My hand was still in his and we were walking slowly.
"I know but you will help me in defense against the dark arts. Did you found a place to teach? I had an idea to contact everyone. We could charms a coin to say the date and hour of the practice to everyone. What do you think?" I asked. I was wondering how we would get the message since we were sneaky snakes and nobody wants us here.
"That's a great idea, Black." He said interrupting my dark thoughts. He stared at me, his grin was so big I forgot what was my idea. He was so thrilled that I started to grin too and soon we were two stupid person who were stopped near a lake looking at each other. I felt my cheeks heat up but I didn't stop looking at him. He didn't either.
"I want to come to your dorms, Ana." he confessed as he took a step towards me. His smile was softer now. His voice was a bit rougher than before.
"You can't" I said. His face dropped and his eyes became bigger.
"What?" he responded. Harry's eyebrows were shooting up.
"No boy can enter the girls dorms that's the rule in Hogwards. You didn't know?" I said cheerfully. I was feeling smug because of his big reaction to my answer. I didn't know why but it made my whole day. I forgot why I was so sad to begin with.
"Of course I didn't, Black. You think I spent my time trying to go in girls bed. You're the only one who I want to sleep next too." he said with a fake charmer act. I laughed at his stupidity and he started to laugh too. We started to talk while walking around the lake and when I said I was tired, Harry turned to me.
"I just really missed you, Ana. Could you please come back to my dormitory more often?" he said seriously. His eyes were pleading and my heart stopped. He was honest and I couldn't help but feel as if I was flying.
"Of course I will" I answered feeling happier than ever. He grinned back at me than awkwardly moved his arms in what I thought was an invitation for a hug. So naturally I moved forward until I was in his arms. It wasn't one of our usual hugs. Normally it would feel nice and comforting. But right now I felt something more. I didn't wanted to move at all my cheeks were heating.
Harry's arms weren't wrapped around me in a way that seemed friendly around my shoulders. His arms were around my waist bringing me even closer. His head rested on my head and I heard him smelling my brown hair. One of his hand was caressing my lower back. Than after our too long for a friendly hug, I took a step back. I saw his green eyes searching my grey eyes immediately. His smile was still there but he seemed fonder. His head came closer to mine and there were butterflies in my stomach. His eyes look briefly at my lips than he kissed me on th cheek.
"Goodnight, Ana" He murmured on my ear after his kiss. His tone was so soft, his hand took mine and led me back to the castle. I couldn't focus on anything. I was stunned on what just happened. I was commanding my brain to remember it all.
I only saw him two days later on a class and at the end of it a hand grab me and took me behind a secret wall. Harry was smirking at me.
"We found a place, Black." He announced me cheekily.
"Oh that's great" I answered really glad for him.
"Come on I'll show you" He declared and started to walk with my hand on his. I stopped his rapid steps by taking my hand of his.
"No; I can't. I have one more course now." I said sadly. He turned to me in a rapid motion. He was still grinning at me smugly and I didn't had a good feeling about this smile.
"Come on, Black." He pleaded me coming closer his big green eyes looking straight at mine. "I bet you never skipped a class."
"You right I never have and I never will." I decided and I turned around ready to go to my math class. That's how I called this complicated number course I took which was very fun. He grabbed my forearm from behind before I could start to rip the fake wall. He took both of my arms bringing me closer.
"Please, Ana, I have to show you." He murmured gently to me ear.
He had to stop doing that. I felt mushy and started to loose my resolve.
"Bu.. but I have to go, Harry." I said in a voice I didn't recognize. His eyes were darker than before. He started to look at my lips again. I was losing and I knew it. He took me in his arms the same way he did by the lake. One of his hand really low on my back and the other one playing with my hair.
"We have to go now, Black. Because I want you to be the first person I bring there. Than I would have to take Ron and Hermione. Than I would spent all the afternoon trying to contact everyone else to tell them the first meeting is tonight. I checked at nobody has got Quidditch practice today." He explained while continuing to play with my hair. Hi other hand was now on my cheek. I didn't know if he was noticing than when we talked he always has at least one hand touching me.
"Alright" I said, feeling guilty already. "But you will have to convince Hermione to give me her notes." I added.
"Yes!" he exclaimed brightly. Then he took my hand and started speed walking again.
We went up to the seventh floor. Suddenly he stopped in the middle of an hallway and started pacing. He smiled at me so I didn't made any comment and waited until a door appeared from nowhere into the wall.
"Whoa" I made. I was speechless. Harry took my hand and opened the door and pulled me inside. Then he closed the door.
"This is the Requirement Room" Harry announced cheerfully. The room looked amazing. It was suited to fight as the room huge blank spaces. In addition there were bookshelves and seats in a corner. Those books were all defense against the dark arts theories. On an opposite corner there were tables with weird objects on it just like in Dumbledore's office. Finally in a wall there was a huge sign saying "Dumbledore's Army".
"This is perfect, Harry." I declared after seeing the whole room.
"I know, Ana!" he exclaimed brightly. "You don't even know the best part." He said mysteriously with his eyebrow shooting up.
"What's the best part?" I asked playing his game. I took a step closer to him without even noticing how really close we were again.
"This room can be anything anyone wants. This is why it is so suited for our need to learn. You just have to pace three times in front of it. Plus, Umbridgecould never find it because the door disappears as soon as it closes!" He revealed proudly. Harry was smirking something that I learned was rare. But with me he always smirked more than he smile. He took a step closer to me also while talking.
"That is so great!" I replied excitedly. We were so close I could see every detail of his face. I never noticed before but there were a little dimple on only one side of his face. It was showing only when he smile broadly. His green eyes were glinting and never leaving my gray ones. Harry's hair were messier than usual surely because he ran all the way dow to show me this room. I couldn't help but think of how we will never be interrupted in this room. I was strangely pleased with that thought.
Harry and I stayed quiet too long and simply stared at each other for a second too long to be appropriate for a friendly talk. I felt self conscious and I couldn't help but notice that a second before I talk, Harry was starting to lean closer to me as if he would have kissed me.
"How did you found it?" I blurted out
louder than I should have. We were both surprised by my outburst. Harry stopped his leaning movement and started to get back a little away from me. I felt like an idiot for some reason. If Harry were displeased with how our conversation continued he didn't look like it but his smiles were a little less broad. They were tight enough that I didn't see the dimple anymore.
"That's actually a great question. You know how Hermione is obsessed with house-elfs lately?" he asked almost rhetorically. Hermione was only talking of that and eventhough Harry and I didn't spent as much time together as before, it was bad enough that he complained about it regularly. Actually, it was bad enough I heard Ron complained about it throughout the great hall from the Slytherin table. So I merely nodded in agreement.
"Well she went down to the kitchen and I met Dobby there. I don't know if you remember him. He was..."
"The elf that almost killed you like four times while desperately trying to safe tour live in second year. The elf you gave freedom to by tricking Malfoy." I interrupted him quickly so he knew I was following.
"Yeah right. You know all my life already. How could I forgot about it?" He said sarcasticly with a teasing smile.
"Well you forget everything unlike me, so..." I teased back but couldn't finish my idea.
"How dare you, Black?" he exclaimed falsely indignant. "I can't bare to hear you say nonsense like this to my face!" He was smirking again.
"Well you should because you say more nonsense than nobody else, Potter!"
"Well you..." He didn't had anything left to say so instead he started to tickle me.
I started laughing loudly and not my pretty laugh. I let out my out off control laughter. I was feeling ashamed of it but I couldn't stop it. Harry was laughing too probably because of my laughter.
"What was that?" he asked after we both calm down.
"It's my real laugh" I said casually trying to not make a big deal of it.
"Why did I never heard it before? It's the best thing I have ever heard."
"Because, Harry it's awful and I control my usual laughter so that no one would think I'm a freak or something." I replied feeling ashamed.
"Well you are a freak but not because of that". I rolled my eyes at his comment.
"Well it doesn't matter. What matters is I know about Dobby and you don't know that I had a fake control laugh. So I win I know you best. Now you tell the story because you said you were in a hurry or something?" I said bringing us back to the point.
"Yes well I am. And we should probably walk while I tell you." Harry said and we started walking out of the room and we arrived at the second floor. He had to go back up to his common room and I followed only to hear the story. "Well Dobby is the only elf left cleaning the common room because Hermione is now making and hiding clothes all around it. She saw that Dobby was happier than ever in the kitchen and now she wants to free everyone of them and they don't want to."
"Neat" I comment sarcasticly.
"Yeah. Then one day I was waiting for you on the common room because well I thought... Maybe since... Well you know..." He seemed to have blurted out something he absolutely hadn't meant to. He was struggling and embarrassed and it made me smug and I smirked.
"I can do as if I hadn't heard anything?" I offered kindly.
"Yes please." he replied giving me a nice smile. "Well it was late and Dobby woke me up. I started talking to him and he suggested the room and brought me there."
He rushed the end of the story.
"Well good that Hermione is such a pain in the elfs ass I guess." I suggested in a playfull way.
"Yeah" He answered looking at something with aong glance and he stooped. I was puzzled and looked at what he looked. It was a door. He took my hand and pulled me into an empty classroom. "Well thank you for coming with me, Ana." He said looking at me intensely.
"It was worth it, Harry." I replied.
"I wanted to ask you something all week long." he said softly. "I want you to come back to my dorms tonight after the DA's meeting." Harry took my hand gently. His face was serious and I was asking myself why he told me this here and not in his perfect room.
"Of course I would." I answered immediately. "I told you so already two days ago."
"I know. I know." He murmured. "But then you didn't came and I thought you weren't going to come anymore. I thought maybe you said yes only... I don't know. I sleep better when you are next to me and I missed you." he admitted quietly.
"I do too." I whispered back caressing his knuckles gently with my thumb. "I was only really busy those past nights I had Quidditch practice and I couldn't help but falling asleep as soon as I took my shower I'm sorry that I made you worried."
"I wasn't worried." Harry said looking proud again. He was smirking again and took his hand back. "I was merely asking you that's all. But now that it is settled. I really have to go." He declared and he kissed me on the cheek like the time we were by the lake than hurried out of the room.