~*Chapter Two*~
Aren't I Your Angel?
"Greenhouse four! Greenhouse four!" Fred chanted in a singsong voice as he stood outside the greenhouse. George stood glumly next to him.
"With the Hufflepuffs!" he reminded his brother. The smile was dashed off Fred's face as the other House came down the hill, clumped in groups. Angelina searched the crowd for Cedric. There he was! She pushed in between the twins towards the Hufflepuffs. Cedric was talking to a girl. Angelina felt a pang in her heart- jealousy. Don't be stupid, she told herself. Cedric likes me.
"Hi Cedric," Angelina said quietly, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. He turned away from the girl and greeted Angelina with a flash of his white smile.
"Hi Angelina," he said. She noticed a worried look in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked concernedly.
"Nothing," he said quickly. "I have to talk to you. Later. After class. It's important."
"Are you sure that nothing is wrong?" she asked.
"Mm," he said. Then he turned back to his friend. Angelina stalked back into the greenhouse and plopped into a stool in between Katie and Alicia.
"Have you ever felt the urge to eat these?" Alicia asked, holding up a shiny looking bean.
"No," Katie said promptly.
"What about you, Gelina?"
"Don't call me Gelina."
"Sorry Gelina."
"Who's Gelina?" Fred asked, leaning across the table. Angelina spewed out an exasperated sound.
"Gelina." Offered Alicia.
"STOP IT!" Angelina yelled.
"Gelina. That's a good one!" George said, slipping a few of the shiny bean pods into his pocket. Fred slit one of the beans open with his wand and they were immediately drenched in a foul liquid.
"WEASLEY!" called Professor Sprout angrily.
"Yes?" whimpered Fred, trying to get the stuff out of his eyes.
"What have I told you about cutting things open?" she said threateningly.
"Don't do it," offered the Other Weasley.
"That is correct," the short professor thundered. "Now, escort yourselves down to the hospital wing, pronto! You'll lose your toenails if that isn't washed off immediately!"
"Well, this is just great," said Oliver as Madam Pomfrey was sponging him off behind a curtain. "Thanks a lot, Fred." Fred looked sheepish as he pulled on his spare robes. The wet ones were being carted off by Filch, who had been ordered to disinfect them.
"Do you ever listen? To anyone?" asked Katie as she reapplied her lip-gloss.
"No," answered George.
"I didn't
think so," she said with venom. "Let's see, over the years you have turned me
into a canary, almost blew me up on several occasions, turned my hair purple
and orange, put fire-breathing salamanders in my bed, put a bat in my underwear
drawer, sent me three Howlers, and now," Katie paused for breath, "you've
gotten me drenched in mystery-bean juice and almost caused me to lose my toenails!"
The twins sat in silence.
"Okay, which one of you likes her?" asked Alicia. George reached into his
pocket and pulled out the bean pods.
"I won't be needing these," he said sadly.
"You're pathetic," said Katie.
"I know," answered Fred. Katie sighed.
"Shoo. Go back to class, you'll have you're robes back directly," said Madam Pomfrey. They filed out the door grumbling against the twins.
"Everyone thinks we're the bad guys," said Fred.
"You are," reminded Alicia.
"They're so stereotypical," insisted George.
"Just because we look evil doesn't mean that we are!" said Fred. Angelina ignored them, as she had spotted Cedric standing outside the door of the hospital wing.
"Hi Cedric," she said quietly, a worried undertone in her voice.
"Hi," he replied. He was clearly uncomfortable. "We have to talk."
"I know," she said.
"The thing is, I don't know if we should"-
"What?" Angelina interrupted.
"I don't know if we should see each other anymore, Angelina," Cedric said desperately.
"Why?" Angelina asked.
"Because," Cedric said sadly. "Because there's someone else."
"Who?" Angelina pressed.
"Does it really matter?" Cedric asked.
"No. I guess it doesn't," Angelina said. Then she turned on her heel and walked down the hall. A part of her mind didn't believe it was true. A part of her mind knew it was all too true. Another part was resigned to moving on, and the last part was attached to staying behind, to dwelling on the past, to loving Cedric no matter what.
"It's only the second day of school," Angelina whispered to herself, as if it mattered. When she reached the end of the hall she turned back. Cedric was still standing there, but he wasn't alone.
He was with Cho Chang.
~*~
Angelina fled around the corner, almost bowling over Mrs. Norris during her sprint to the common room. She even managed to step on a stray Dungbomb that was lying on the floor, much to the protests of a group of first years. She took the stairs two at a time up to the girls dormitory. Thankfully, it was empty.
She collapsed on her bed, sobbing. The truth had registered. She had given her heart away and look what had become of it all.
There, in the silence of the dormitory, she swore to herself that it would never happen again.