Chapter Twelve
The next two weeks proved difficult for Heather to be able to see Justin. The quidditch season was about to commence on the second weekend of November, and a fervor had gripped the castle. Daily, Heather was fighting with the Slytherin team captain, a rather large boy named Urquhart, for times to practice. Almost every other time she booked the pitch for Gryffindor, it would seem some sort of emergency would come up for the Slytherins and Snape would override her.
As the match came closer, Heather had to start worrying for the safety of herself and her team. Constantly reports reached her ears of attempts by the Slytherins to put her players out of commission. This, coupled with their predictable taunts and jeers, did much to undermine Ron's courage. While Heather was fairly confident that she could handle anything that would be thrown at her, Ron's face went pale almost anytime he saw anyone from Slytherin.
Gone was the skill he had shown not even a week ago during practices, seemingly overnight. To Heather's dismay Ron had turned surly and was quick to call out other members of the team for minor mistakes. It also didn't help that Ginny's mood towards him had soured as well, and Heather was sure that had to do with more than just his behavior during practices.
On their way back from the last practice before the match, Heather and Ron were walking together, the rest of the team having left them behind. She was doing her best to try and bring him around, for the team's sake as much as his own, but wasn't having much success. As Heather pulled open a tapestry that hid one of her secret passages, both she and Ron came to a sudden stop. There in the hidden passageway were Ginny and Dean, locked together and deeply invested in each other's mouths.
"OY!" cried Ron, going bright red in the face. His words rebounded off the stone walls creating an echo.
With the sound of a drain plug being pulled, the two of them pulled apart. Dean looked almost embarrassedly at Heather, but Ginny looked defiantly at Ron.
"What?" she asked with the same tone of voice that made her mother feared by her children.
"I don't want to find you snogging like that in public!" yelled Ron, clearly not as intimidated as he probably should be.
"Hark who's talking?" answered Ginny, voice dripped with derision. Dean tried to interject here and pull her away, but she brushed him off. "Listen here, you prat, I am free to kiss anyone I'd like, wherever I like, and it's none of your business."
"Oh yes, it is! You think I want people saying my sister is a slut?"
"A what! You dare to call me that after how you've been behaving? You and Lavender right there in front of everyone, looking for all the world like you're attached at the mouth. And don't think I don't know how that started" she finished, her voice going frosty again.
Ron seemed to deflate slightly, but his face remained a brilliant shade of red. "What I do with Lavender is no one's business but mine." He growled.
"Exactly, just what I do with Dean is none of yours. So, good night." After a quick look at Heather, she shoved Ron backwards into the corridor and attempted to slam the tapestry closed. It didn't quite come off with the effect she intended, but before Ron could rip it back and resume the argument, Heather put a restraining hand on his arm. He whipped around, fire blazing in his eyes at her.
"What?"
"Don't, Ron. Just don't." Heather responded simply before moving off. Her mind was filled with Ginny's expression during that last look at her. For the briefest moment her face wasn't showing rage or anger, but almost… regret? That didn't make any sense, what did she have to be regretful about? It wasn't like Heather was getting kissed. Ron walked beside her fuming all the way up to the common room.
That night Heather lay awake, thinking about the match. In two days time her team would play their first match, and everyone would judge her on the outcome of the games. She had already heard the muttering when she had recruited Dean about picking two boys from her own year. Thankfully she had heard worse before and knew that if they won nobody would remember having said anything.
If we win fluttered through her head repeatedly, and with Ron's current performance that was hardly likely. In their match against Slytherin last year, Heather had been able to pull out a quick victory and save him too much embarrassment. She didn't think however that she would be able to pull of a similar feat this year. Maybe I can just get lucky- she thought then sat up with a start, and idea forming in her mind.
Her plan worked brilliantly. During breakfast the next morning, while trying to coax Ron into drinking something, she slipped the still sealed bottle from her pocket and made a small show of dosing Ron's goblet, hoping someone would notice. As she had been counting on, Hermione's sharp eyes missed nothing. Despite her feelings towards Ron, her adherence to rules came first.
"Don't drink that, Ron!" she gasped, just as Heather tucked the little bottle out of sight.
"Why?" Ron said grumpily, it was the first time they had spoken to each other in over a week.
Hermione turned to Heather, "You-you just put something in there."
"I'm sorry?" replied Heather, doing her best to look perplexed.
To Heather's relief and Hermione's horror, Ron picked up his goblet and before he could be stopped downed the entire thing in one gulp. Hermione looked disgustedly at both of them and stormed away from the table, muttering something about expulsion. Heather let her go, planning on explaining after the match. As smart as Hermione was, she had never quite understood just how important quidditch was to her.
Out on the grounds the sun was beaming down with brilliant rays of light, almost warming the air. Ron's mood had improved dramatically, and he greeted the stony-faced team with his renewed cheer. Heather was just congratulating herself when Demelza brought her quickly back to earth.
"Hey, Harry. Did you hear? The Slytherin seeker Malfoy isn't playing today."
"Pulling her head through her collar, Heather gaped "What?"
"Yeah, said he feels too ill to play." Replied Demelza cheerily. "One of their Chaser's is out too."
As the rest of the team arrived and got changed, Heather's mind strayed far from the match. So whatever Malfoy was up to was more important than Quidditch? That all but confirmed her suspicions to Heather. Malfoy had never missed a match, that was about the only thing they had in common. With the realization that her team was waiting for a pre-match speech of some sort, Heather dragged her attention back to the changing tent and set to work.
Missing two players, Slytherin stood no chance. Heather's team flew better than it ever had, their spirits bolstered by the sudden return of Ron's confidence. Not once did Slytherin manage to score on him, and in between attempts he took to leading the Gryffindor supporters in the old favorite, Weasley is Our King, conducting them from the air. The only damper on the mood was the new commentator. Zacharias Smith, a blonde haired Hufflepuff who had been a member of the D.A. last year had replaced Lee Jordan and seemed intent on degrading the Gryffindor Team at every turn. He apparently hadn't forgiven Ginny for using her Bat-Bogey Hex on him aboard the Hogwarts Express, as most of his derogatory comments were aimed at her. Thankfully their performance proved most of his comments false, and it seemed like they could do no wrong. When Heather beat Harper, the fill in Slytherin Seeker, three fourths of the stadium broke out in cheers and applause.
In the changing room plans for a victory party were in the works. After the rest of the team had left, leaving only Heather and Ron, Hermione stormed in and confronted them.
"I want a word. What you did was illegal, both of you." She started
"What did I do?" asked an incredulous Ron.
"Drinking that juice when you knew it was spiked with lucky potion!"
Silently, Heather pulled the still sealed bottle out of her pocket and held it up. Hermione's eyes goggled, and Ron's face went red.
"Y-you didn't put it in" Hermione said, her voice quiet.
"Nope" said Heather simply
"You mean?" asked Ron.
"Everything you did today you did on your own." Answered Heather.
Ron turned on Hermione, "See, I can play without needing any extra help Hermione!"
"I never said you couldn't" Hermione replied quietly.
"Yeah, well you sure don't make it seem like I can ever do anything without help." With that he brushed past her and exited the tent.
Both Hermione and Heather stood there silent for several moments. Heather could see Hermione's shoulders shaking slightly and was fairly certain she was crying. Without speaking to each other, they both followed behind Ron back up to Gryffindor Tower.
During the traditional Gryffindor victory party, as she was downing her fifth bottle of Butterbeer, Heather felt her pocket warm. Momentarily confused, she reached in and found her charmed galleon requesting a date in fifteen minutes. Doing her best to leave unnoticed, Heather nearly sprinted down the stairs to the kitchens, passing several groups of people who she knew stared at her running past.
Justin was already waiting for her in front of the painting and she threw herself into his arms. This was the only thing that had been missing from the celebration, was getting to be with him. In that moment everything felt right. When they finally came up for air, Justin held her tightly.
"Congratulations, Harry. I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks, Justin" she replied into his chest.
"How's the party? I know you all much be having a good one."
"Fun, as always."
"I wish I could be there." He said, with the slightest note of sadness in his voice.
"So do I." Heather whispered.
"Do you really mean that?" Justin asked, loosening his grip and looking down at her.
"Yeah, I do." She answered, realizing it was true. As much as she was enjoying dating him in secret, a small part of her wanted to be able to be like the other couples in the school. Perhaps not to the degree of Ron and Lavender, but at least able to hold hands and walk down the corridor. She knew though that that wasn't possible, especially because that was the last thing that Justin wanted.
His next words shocked her, "Do you think you would ever want to come out in the open about us?"
"W-what?" she stammered, her heart pounding.
"I mean, you know, be a couple and not just in secret."
"But…" Heather said then trailed off.
"But what?"
Deciding that this had become a conversation not to be held in the open, Heather led him into the kitchens. At the sight of them Dobby came bounding over, congratulating Heather on Gryffindor's victory and asking if they were wanting any food. Heather said no and led Justin over to their table. Seeing the concerned look on his face as they sat, she told him all about the conversation she and Hannah had had back in October.
"Well, that explains a few things" he said when she was finished, looking thoughtful.
"What do you mean?" Heather asked.
"The day Hannah was pulled out of school; she came to say goodbye to me and Ernie in the common room. She told me point blank that I was being stupid hiding who I was and that if I liked you, I had better do something about it."
"So that's why you asked me out?"
"Yeah. I decided she was right. And turns out, she was." Justin said, smiling at Heather.
"And now you're ready for everyone to know?" Heather asked.
"Harry, I like you and I really enjoy our time together. I know I used to be afraid of what everyone would say but I'm not anymore. I want to be with you, and I want people to know." He took her hand across the table, holding it earnestly.
Heather didn't answer for a minute. She looked into his eyes, which were locked on hers, and felt horrible. Here was this boy who she liked so much, and she was still lying to him. It had been a month and she still hadn't told him the truth about her. And now he wanted the entire school to know they were dating. How could she do that when she almost knew that he would end things with her when he found out the truth? Maybe it was time, for better or worse, to come clean. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could he cut her off.
"Look, we don't need to decide this right now. Go enjoy your party, and we can talk about this later, alright?"
Heather nodded and hugged him tightly, trying to convey her feelings for him without words. She hoped he understood.