Hermione, Mina, and I walked into the Great Hall for lunch and spotted Ron,
and Harry was with him! We all rushed over to see what had happened.
"It's about time you showed up! He wouldn't tell me what happened until you lot got here," Ron said.
"Well, spill it out, Harry," Hermione said.
"Lemme eat. Sit down," he said through a mouth full of mashed potatoes.
"That reminds me of someone," said Hermione, shoving me over a spot so I would have to sit next to Ron.
"Who?" Mina asked.
"Aletta. She sure knows how to make 'see food'," said Hermione.
Mina smiled, she was the one that told me about that, and Ron snorted into his soup. Harry seemed to have gotten a huge appetite, all he did was eat. O.k. I know it was lunch, but he didn't talk or anything! Just looked and picked at his food!
"Why aren't you talking, Harry?" I asked.
"Why do I want to talk to you?" he shot back. He obviously hadn't forgiven me.
"Well, we ARE in the same house, and besides, who else would have told Malfoy off after you left?" He looked a little puzzled after I said that, so we all took turns telling what happened.
"You did that? For me?" he asked.
"No, I did it for my own amusement," I said sarcastically.
He smiled at me. I guess all was forgiven. Then he sat up and said, "Now, the moment you've all been waiting for."
We all looked eagerly at him. He just stared at us smiling. I kicked him under the table and he said, "I'm the Gryffindor Seeker."
Everyone, except Hermione and I, looked extremely happy. Ron was patting him on the back, Mina was squealing congratulations, and Hermione was lecturing him about getting good things out of getting in trouble.
"Come again?" was all I said.
"I-am-the-Gryffindor-Seeker," he said.
I looked blankly at him, with tears welling in my eyes. There went my chance, my chance at playing a wizard game that I loved just as much as I loved the muggle game, soccer. You see, becoming a witch was the best thing in the world for me. Before then it was always Spencer's piano recitals and Spencer's football games and "Spencer the strait A student." No matter what, Spencer was always better than me. When I became a witch, it took some of those things away from Spencer. He had to miss a party because of the flight to London, he couldn't make his baseball play-offs because we had to go to get my things for school, and to top it off, he wasn't a wizard! This was my chance to be the best at something, better than Spencer at a sport, for once in my life. He looked back at me, most likely expecting praise.
"Congratulations," I said in a flat tone. He stopped smiling and looked at me in a very nasty way. I then got up, and walked out of the Great Hall at a slow pace, in a great amount of shock. I had just let a tear out when I heard someone.
"What was that all about?" It was Ron. I would know his voice anywhere. Only this time it was angry.
"You all just made up and now you've gone and gave Harry something else to be mad at you about!" he roared.
I didn't turn around because the last thing I wanted Ron to think was that he made me cry. He pulled on my shoulder and turned me around. His face was full of anger, but then I guess he saw my tears because his face suddenly softened.
"What's the matter?" he asked in a soft tone.
"Nothing," I whispered. "You go eat, I'm not hungry."
"How bout we walk up to the common rooms instead," he said.
I smiled and wiped the tears out of my eyes, "That would be nice."
As we walked, I explained to him about Spencer, and him always being perfect and me being the afterthought. That I was thinking about home at dinner and it just got to me.
"That's how I feel." he said. "I've got five older brothers and most of them are over-achievers. Bill was head boy, Charlie was awesome at Quidditch, Percy, well that's self explanatory, and Fred and George, there's no one that doesn't like them. I, well I'm Harry Potter's best friend and I don't think that counts."
"I had no idea," I said. Ron had more of a reason to cry than I did, but still, I was so close!
We walked up to the Gryffindor commons in silence after that. When we got there, we both headed up to our dorms to change out of our robes. I still wasn't over the whole Seeker thing yet, so I cried a bit upstairs. Ron was already in the commons by the time I got down again.
"No one's here yet, huh?" I asked.
He jumped a little, "Oh you scared me. Well, it doesn't look like it. Come sit here, it's warm."
I sat in a chair across from Ron. We were in the best seats, they were usually taken when other people where here.
"Does it ever upset you," I asked, "that you're brother's are so talented?"
"Sometimes, especially when I'm judged against them. I mean, most of the time I feel like a nobody," he said looking down.
"For what it's worth," I said, pausing until he looked up, "I think that you're something special."
He smiled and blushed slightly. I noticed that he had the softest, kindest eyes, especially when they were looking into mine.
Just then the portrait hole swung open and the Gryffindors who stayed at dinner rushed into the commons. That broke Ron and my eye contact and we both looked at the fire.
"Aletta!" someone screeched. Just then Mina rushed between my chair and Ron's. She looked at me and the happy look on her face turned serious because she just knew I had been crying. Since we're really close cousins we just know these things. "What's wrong, Letti?"
"Nothing, don't worry yourself. Now what were you going to say, I need a bit of cheer," I said, putting a little accent on the last part, non- intentionaly of course.
"Aletta Lee, you get more of an accent every time I hear you!," said Hermione who had been standing behind me.
"What's the news then?" asked Ron, he had obviously been eaves dropping.
"Come over here too, Ron. You'll want to know," said Mina
Ron made a face and got up. As soon as he did some fourth years grabbed it. "There goes my chair so this better be good."
"Well," she began, "because this year we are all doing so well so fast," she smiled at Hermione and continued, "Dumbledore is giving us a surprise! So, at the end of lunch he kept us a little longer than usual and explained that we're going to have a ball! It will be for first, second, and third years only."
"Don't we need dress robes?" asked Ron.
"And when is it?" I croaked.
"He said the date is being confirmed and it won't be any time soon. Yes, we need robes, that's why. we get to go to Hogsmead to get some robes!" she practically yelled.
Ron's face lit up. "Are we allowed to go anywhere else besides the robe shop?"
"Dumbledore said we could. " Mina started, but Ron was running to the owlery.
"I think he's sending to his mum for some gold," said Harry.
I sort of ignored him, I mean, I was still really upset and looking at him made tears again, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings. Him and Mina looked at each other and Mina left. Harry kneeled next to the chair I was sitting in.
"What's the matter Aletta?" he asked gently. Hermione obviously hadn't told him about me trying out for Seeker, I'd have to thank her later.
"Who said anything was wrong? And aren't you mad at me?" I asked, trying to block out the strain in my voice.
"Not mad, just shocked. I know girls can act rather odd." He paused, thinking he had said to much. "And, you just acted so, odd at dinner, and it looks like you were crying," he finished, offering me his sleeve to dry my eyes.
I took it and said, "Thank you," and nothing more.
He got up and started to walk away, then he turned around and said, "If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me."
I smiled at him as he walked away. "What a sweetie." I thought. "No wonder Mina likes him." Again I couldn't believe my last words. I thought I was going nuts until Mina confirmed my suspicion.
"Do you know where Harry went?" she asked, walking over to where I was sitting.
"He just walked up to his dorm, why?"
"I wanted to talk to him about something."
"What?"
Mina blushed a little, "Oh, nothing."
I gave her a your-weirding-me-out look, then turned to look at the fire. We had no more classes that day, so I stayed there, thinking, skipping dinner even, until late. I never bothered to make it up to the dorm, so I slept in the commons, right in front of the fire.
"It's about time you showed up! He wouldn't tell me what happened until you lot got here," Ron said.
"Well, spill it out, Harry," Hermione said.
"Lemme eat. Sit down," he said through a mouth full of mashed potatoes.
"That reminds me of someone," said Hermione, shoving me over a spot so I would have to sit next to Ron.
"Who?" Mina asked.
"Aletta. She sure knows how to make 'see food'," said Hermione.
Mina smiled, she was the one that told me about that, and Ron snorted into his soup. Harry seemed to have gotten a huge appetite, all he did was eat. O.k. I know it was lunch, but he didn't talk or anything! Just looked and picked at his food!
"Why aren't you talking, Harry?" I asked.
"Why do I want to talk to you?" he shot back. He obviously hadn't forgiven me.
"Well, we ARE in the same house, and besides, who else would have told Malfoy off after you left?" He looked a little puzzled after I said that, so we all took turns telling what happened.
"You did that? For me?" he asked.
"No, I did it for my own amusement," I said sarcastically.
He smiled at me. I guess all was forgiven. Then he sat up and said, "Now, the moment you've all been waiting for."
We all looked eagerly at him. He just stared at us smiling. I kicked him under the table and he said, "I'm the Gryffindor Seeker."
Everyone, except Hermione and I, looked extremely happy. Ron was patting him on the back, Mina was squealing congratulations, and Hermione was lecturing him about getting good things out of getting in trouble.
"Come again?" was all I said.
"I-am-the-Gryffindor-Seeker," he said.
I looked blankly at him, with tears welling in my eyes. There went my chance, my chance at playing a wizard game that I loved just as much as I loved the muggle game, soccer. You see, becoming a witch was the best thing in the world for me. Before then it was always Spencer's piano recitals and Spencer's football games and "Spencer the strait A student." No matter what, Spencer was always better than me. When I became a witch, it took some of those things away from Spencer. He had to miss a party because of the flight to London, he couldn't make his baseball play-offs because we had to go to get my things for school, and to top it off, he wasn't a wizard! This was my chance to be the best at something, better than Spencer at a sport, for once in my life. He looked back at me, most likely expecting praise.
"Congratulations," I said in a flat tone. He stopped smiling and looked at me in a very nasty way. I then got up, and walked out of the Great Hall at a slow pace, in a great amount of shock. I had just let a tear out when I heard someone.
"What was that all about?" It was Ron. I would know his voice anywhere. Only this time it was angry.
"You all just made up and now you've gone and gave Harry something else to be mad at you about!" he roared.
I didn't turn around because the last thing I wanted Ron to think was that he made me cry. He pulled on my shoulder and turned me around. His face was full of anger, but then I guess he saw my tears because his face suddenly softened.
"What's the matter?" he asked in a soft tone.
"Nothing," I whispered. "You go eat, I'm not hungry."
"How bout we walk up to the common rooms instead," he said.
I smiled and wiped the tears out of my eyes, "That would be nice."
As we walked, I explained to him about Spencer, and him always being perfect and me being the afterthought. That I was thinking about home at dinner and it just got to me.
"That's how I feel." he said. "I've got five older brothers and most of them are over-achievers. Bill was head boy, Charlie was awesome at Quidditch, Percy, well that's self explanatory, and Fred and George, there's no one that doesn't like them. I, well I'm Harry Potter's best friend and I don't think that counts."
"I had no idea," I said. Ron had more of a reason to cry than I did, but still, I was so close!
We walked up to the Gryffindor commons in silence after that. When we got there, we both headed up to our dorms to change out of our robes. I still wasn't over the whole Seeker thing yet, so I cried a bit upstairs. Ron was already in the commons by the time I got down again.
"No one's here yet, huh?" I asked.
He jumped a little, "Oh you scared me. Well, it doesn't look like it. Come sit here, it's warm."
I sat in a chair across from Ron. We were in the best seats, they were usually taken when other people where here.
"Does it ever upset you," I asked, "that you're brother's are so talented?"
"Sometimes, especially when I'm judged against them. I mean, most of the time I feel like a nobody," he said looking down.
"For what it's worth," I said, pausing until he looked up, "I think that you're something special."
He smiled and blushed slightly. I noticed that he had the softest, kindest eyes, especially when they were looking into mine.
Just then the portrait hole swung open and the Gryffindors who stayed at dinner rushed into the commons. That broke Ron and my eye contact and we both looked at the fire.
"Aletta!" someone screeched. Just then Mina rushed between my chair and Ron's. She looked at me and the happy look on her face turned serious because she just knew I had been crying. Since we're really close cousins we just know these things. "What's wrong, Letti?"
"Nothing, don't worry yourself. Now what were you going to say, I need a bit of cheer," I said, putting a little accent on the last part, non- intentionaly of course.
"Aletta Lee, you get more of an accent every time I hear you!," said Hermione who had been standing behind me.
"What's the news then?" asked Ron, he had obviously been eaves dropping.
"Come over here too, Ron. You'll want to know," said Mina
Ron made a face and got up. As soon as he did some fourth years grabbed it. "There goes my chair so this better be good."
"Well," she began, "because this year we are all doing so well so fast," she smiled at Hermione and continued, "Dumbledore is giving us a surprise! So, at the end of lunch he kept us a little longer than usual and explained that we're going to have a ball! It will be for first, second, and third years only."
"Don't we need dress robes?" asked Ron.
"And when is it?" I croaked.
"He said the date is being confirmed and it won't be any time soon. Yes, we need robes, that's why. we get to go to Hogsmead to get some robes!" she practically yelled.
Ron's face lit up. "Are we allowed to go anywhere else besides the robe shop?"
"Dumbledore said we could. " Mina started, but Ron was running to the owlery.
"I think he's sending to his mum for some gold," said Harry.
I sort of ignored him, I mean, I was still really upset and looking at him made tears again, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings. Him and Mina looked at each other and Mina left. Harry kneeled next to the chair I was sitting in.
"What's the matter Aletta?" he asked gently. Hermione obviously hadn't told him about me trying out for Seeker, I'd have to thank her later.
"Who said anything was wrong? And aren't you mad at me?" I asked, trying to block out the strain in my voice.
"Not mad, just shocked. I know girls can act rather odd." He paused, thinking he had said to much. "And, you just acted so, odd at dinner, and it looks like you were crying," he finished, offering me his sleeve to dry my eyes.
I took it and said, "Thank you," and nothing more.
He got up and started to walk away, then he turned around and said, "If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me."
I smiled at him as he walked away. "What a sweetie." I thought. "No wonder Mina likes him." Again I couldn't believe my last words. I thought I was going nuts until Mina confirmed my suspicion.
"Do you know where Harry went?" she asked, walking over to where I was sitting.
"He just walked up to his dorm, why?"
"I wanted to talk to him about something."
"What?"
Mina blushed a little, "Oh, nothing."
I gave her a your-weirding-me-out look, then turned to look at the fire. We had no more classes that day, so I stayed there, thinking, skipping dinner even, until late. I never bothered to make it up to the dorm, so I slept in the commons, right in front of the fire.
