Paint the Sky with Stars
--by Egon Starcollector
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I'm just borrowing it.
Author's note: Sorry this took so long. First I went on vacation, then I had problems with my ISP. And to top it off, this chapter was REALLY hard to write because of a snogging scene. Confounded teenage hormones. ;) (I'm just kidding.)
And yes, I'm adlibbing again...using a minor character is a lot of work! :)
One Saturday in mid-November, Stacy awoke in a cold sweat. All night, her sleep had been disturbed by dreams about Justin no Christian lady should admit to. "Some days I HATE being a teenager," she muttered as she stood in an icy cold shower.
Justin was officially her boyfriend and had been since the dance a month before. She liked the sound of that. To be honest, it made her kind of giggly--and she wasn't usually the giggly type. Randy had never had this effect on her. Just walking hand-in-hand with Justin made her feel as if she were driving her Harley at eighty miles per hour down a deserted back road. "I wonder what it means? Is this...this couldn't be love, could it?"
But today, her motorcycle was the last thing on her mind. She'd had such vivid dreams that she'd feared she really would wake up in Justin's bed!
After she showered, she dressed quickly. She loved being able to wear Muggle clothes on the weekends, she decided as she pulled on her jeans. She put on one of her favorite sweaters--a nubbly cardigan in fiery autumn colors--then combed her hair into a ponytail and stepped into her elasticized sneakers.
She was one of the first Gryffindors at the breakfast table. Her dreams had awakened her early, so she'd decided to get a head start on the day-- and not risk more dreams.
As she chewed her oatmeal and chatted absently with Colin Creevey, Justin walked in. He looked very good that morning, Stacy thought: he wore a wheat-colored pullover with a polo-style neck over a black t-shirt, and--oh no, did he HAVE to wear tight jeans?
He smiled at Stacy as he walked in, and she noticed that he blushed slightly. His eyes seemed a darker blue than usual, and there was a look in them that sent a tingling tightness through her.
Stacy hurried through her breakfast and scampered out of the Great Hall, nearly knocking Harry and Ron over in her haste. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry!"
"What's the matter, Stacy?" Harry sounded concerned; Hermione had found herself SUCH a good man!
"It's Saturday! Blimey, what's the rush?"
"Have to um, use the girls' room." *Yeah, and catch my breath.*
"Oh, okay!"
Stacy ran into the nearest girls' bathroom and leaned heavily on one of the sinks, gasping. What was wrong with her? She was sure Justin hadn't put her under any kind of a spell, so why did she lose her mind every time he was near her? *Maybe because you're falling in love?* came the little voice in her head.
"Oh, don't be stupid!" she snapped.
*Am I?*
"Hush. I'm not looking for love, remember?"
*I think you found it anyway.*
"Will you shut UP?"
Stacy made her way back to Gryffindor tower and set to work on her Arithmancy homework--or tried to, at any rate. She was supposed to be writing out theorems related to the decline of the British Empire, but she kept doodling out theorems to prove how compatible she and Justin were.
"This is nonsense! I can't even concentrate!" she burst out, startling Lavender. "Sorry...mind's not on my work today," she blushed.
"I noticed," Lavender chuckled. "But I know what you mean...it's SO lovely outside! I wonder if Ron would like to go for a flight this afternoon before the game?"
"Good weather for it. As for me, I think I'll take a walk around the lake and clear my head." Stacy wasn't one for flying. She shared Hermione's aversion to heights; maybe it was some weird family trait.
As she put her books away, she couldn't help but notice that she and Justin seemed to be perfectly compatible...they were both fours, after all. *Bah!*
When she stepped outside, she took a deep breath of the brisk air. It was what they called "Indian Summer" in Michigan; she wasn't sure what it was called in Scotland. She just knew she liked it. The Forbidden Forest was glowing with all the colors of a fire, the sky was a crystalline blue (a lot like Justin's eyes, she couldn't help but think), and the air was crisp and refreshing while being warm enough that she didn't need her cloak. God must like this time of year a lot, she decided, if He took so much care to make it beautiful.
She walked slowly, sniffing the spicy air and listening to the hooting of the owls. A soft breeze played with her curls and painted a rosy glow on her cheeks. It was a PERFECT day, she decided...absolutely perfect.
She hadn't gotten very far when she heard a familiar voice call her name. "Stacy!" She turned to see Justin running across the lawn towards her. "Um, hi," he said as he reached her. "Out for a walk too?"
"Oh yeah...just ah...trying to clear my head." She prayed she wasn't blushing.
"Uh, me too," he stammered, turning the color of cranberry sauce. "All right if I walk with you?"
"S-sure," she managed. What was wrong with her? Why was she feeling shy around him again?
They walked in silence for a while, drinking in the beautiful day. Justin finally spoke. "Looking forward to the match this afternoon?"
"Always! I love Quidditch. Slytherin against Ravenclaw, isn't it?"
"Yes. I...I wish we could sit together."
"So do I, but I suppose they'll make us stay with our houses."
They walked on a bit more before he spoke again. "So...tell me some more about yourself."
"Ah well...I grew up on my grandparents' farm outside a small town in Upper Michigan. I was always the 'odd girl out,' so to speak, at my Muggle school--especially after Marcy Kohn, the prettiest girl in school, teased me because I was plain and suddenly grew a giant wart on her nose. My father, Frank, was a foreman in a faucet factory, but he died in a car accident when I was thirteen. My mother, Rebecca, is a photographer...she and I don't have the best relationship. I was a daddy's girl. I love to cook...I like hunting, fishing, hiking, and rollerblading...I crochet a little, but I'm really not 'crafty.' I took up guitar when I was six and used to sing lead in a Christian rock band. On a day like today, my favorite thing to do is hop on my motorcycle and head for the backroads. Anything else?"
"You have a motorcycle?"
"Well, yes and no. It was Pop's. A vintage Harley-Davidson. He taught me how to ride it, and I inherited it when he died. But because of something in his will, I can't actually claim it until I'm eighteen. So, it's at the farm for now. Your turn," she smiled.
"Well first of all, you are anything but plain." That odd look was in his eyes again.... "I grew up in London. My father's an electrician, my mother's a dance teacher. I was on the list for Eton before I received my letter from Hogwarts. I'm quite the outdoorsman myself...I'm an excellent shot, but I'll only kill for food. I love to cook, as I've mentioned, and I also love to read. I took up the violin when I was eight, I studied voice for a couple of years--and thanks to my mother, I've had more dance lessons than I should admit!" he laughed. "But all my life, I've been fascinated by the stars. God's most beautiful creation...well, one of them," he said, looking rather pointedly at Stacy.
"Eton, huh? Say...isn't Finch-Fletchley an aristocratic name?"
He groaned. "Oooh...I admit it, my uncle's a baronet. Spends most of his time wrapped around a bottle. I pity my cousin Jason...HE'S the one who has to worry about the seat in the House of Lords, not I!"
"Okay...so I'm dating a blueblood."
He sighed. "Lord Justin Finch-Fletchley at your service." He sounded utterly miserable.
"Why so glum? I think it sounds distinguished!"
"I think it sounds pretentious. I almost never use it...you're the only one here I've told."
"I'm honored. As for me, I can't claim anything fancy like that. I'm just plain old Stacy Theodora McIvers."
"Theodora? A very old name."
"I was named after my uncle Theodore, Hermione's dad."
"Ah. Better than Johanan."
"Is that your middle name?"
"Unfortunately. My parents had trouble conceiving...it means something like 'God's gift.' I hate it, utterly hate it."
"I think it's cute! Maybe I'll start calling you JoJo."
His face twisted into an impish smirk. "All right...Dory."
"Dory...I think I like that."
They were clear to the other side of the lake now. Abruptly, Justin stopped walking and pulled her into a hug. She slid her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder, breathing in his scent. He rubbed her back gently as they held each other. She thought she could almost hear his heart beating. He pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes. A hundred emotions seemed to flicker across his face all at once. He seemed to want to say something...but instead, he bent his head and pressed his lips gently to hers. She responded, tipping her face to kiss him back. His tongue flicked lightly against her lips, making her gasp...and when she did, he slid his tongue slowly into her mouth.
She had to admit, she loved how he tasted. She brought her hands forward and slid them up his chest--finding, to her surprise, that his robes and baggy sweaters hid a lot of muscle. She would have to ask him about that-- later.
He shivered and whimpered slightly at her touch, pulling her closer. She slid her hands all the way up to tangle her fingers in his curls; with her arms out of the way, he crushed her against his chest. One of his hands slid down to her backside, pressing her closer; the other slid under her sweater and stroked the smooth skin of her back.
He broke their kiss, trailing soft kisses down her throat and making her gasp more. He made a low growling sound, and it made his lips vibrate against her skin. "Oh...my!" The tingling tightness was back, nearly driving her wild. The fingers stroking her back undid the band of her bra and started to slide forward.
His lips were down to her collar now...he somehow undid her top button with his tongue and kissed her skin gently. He murmered something...something that sounded strangely like, "I want you...marry me."
She gently stroked his head, his face, the skin of his neck, anywhere she could reach at that angle. His skin was smooth and touchable...and he was WAY too cute. She kissed the top of his head as he slowly licked his way up her neck to her lips...then he claimed her mouth like a starving man.
The hand under her sweater reached its goal. Stacy nearly fainted as she felt his thumb teasing her. He ground his hips against hers....
"Waitaminute! This isn't right!" She jumped away from him, trying to put herself back together.
"Oh Lord...no...you're right...it isn't...I'm sorry Stacy, I...I don't know what came over me."
"I'm as much to blame as you are...it's not like I was pushing you away." She took a deep breath. "Come on...we'd better go back inside...I think it's almost lunchtime."
"Absolutely not."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Stacy, if we go back inside right now, all of Hogwarts will know exactly how I feel about you!"
Stacy gaped at him for a minute, bewildered...then she glanced down and blushed bright red as the bulge in his pants registered. "You...oh...MEN!" she snapped, spinning on her heel and stomping towards the school. Did they EVER think with anything else?
"Stacy! Stacy, wait!" But she ignored him.
By Monday, Stacy was still not speaking to Justin. She was hurt and horrified to think she'd fallen for yet another guy who only wanted one thing. What she overheard in the girls' bathroom before lunch did not help matters any.
"Did you see Justin Finch-Fletchley, that sixth-year from Hufflepuff, snogging with that transfer student Saturday?"
"No, I didn't!"
"It looked like things were getting pretty intense. You know she's Hermione Granger's cousin, right?"
"I heard."
"Poor girl...I heard he really fancies Hermione, but of course SHE'S with Harry Potter. I bet he's just dating this girl because she looks like Hermione."
"That's kind of mean. I've seen them together...I thought they made a cute couple. They looked like they really liked each other."
"Well, I know she likes him--who wouldn't? He's SO cute! But I don't know if he really likes her...."
Stacy had virtually no appetite at lunch. When Justin tried to speak to her, she brushed past him, fighting back tears.
Even Draco Malfoy noticed her mood when she tutored him that afternoon. "Are you all right?"
"Hm? Why wouldn't I be?"
"Your eyes are red as though you've been crying, your breathing is agitated, and you're fidgeting--something you only seem to do when you're upset. I don't suppose this has anything to do with the rumors that you and a certain Hufflepuff had an argument?"
"Wha--?"
"Miss McIvers, you show all the physical signs of emotional stress. Combine that with the rumors I've heard and the very public brush-off you gave him at lunch, and well...I would say you're angry with him."
"Mmm...maybe a little."
As he packed up his backpack at the end of their session, he made one more comment. "I wouldn't be too concerned if you've heard those rumors about Mr. Finch-Fletchley fancying your cousin. His reaction is completely different. When he sees her, he gives the same absent, preoccupied smile he gives everyone else. When he sees you, his eyes light up and he focuses all of his attention on you as if you were the only person in the room-- even when you're angry with him. The boy loves you; I'd put galleons on it, and I'm not a gambling man."
"You sound like a doctor who just made a diagnosis."
To her surprise, the faintest hint of a twinkle appeared in his eyes. "Maybe I did."
Stacy was still mulling over that one when she sat in the Gryffindor common room that night working on her Charms homework. Neville came through the portrait-hole, nearly tripping as he did so. "Ah, there you are. I've a message for you."
"Hm?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "Justin said to give this to you. He didn't want to wait for the owl post."
"Um, thanks."
"Stacy...what's wrong?"
"Nothing...."
"You're a terrible liar, Stacy."
"I know," she sighed. She looked around; the common room was empty except for some third-years playing exploding snap. "Can you keep a secret?"
"I keep them very well."
"Justin and I...well, we got into what I think you call here a 'snogging' session the other day...he got a little excited and went a little too far. I lost my temper...my stupid Scottish temper. You see...my last boyfriend cheated on me because I wouldn't sleep with him. Cheated on me with my best friend, in fact. I got angry because I figured that was all Justin wanted, too."
"Does he know any of this?"
"No. I mean, I've kind of mentioned it, but...I wanted to forget the whole thing."
"But you obviously didn't."
"Far from it. I'm still angry, but it's not even Justin I'm really angry with!"
"Then why are you taking it out on him?"
Stacy froze. She didn't really have an answer for that one.
"Take a little advice, Stacy. Don't judge Justin by what someone else did. If you let the memories of some git make you blind, you could lose someone who really cares about you. Think about it." With that, he was gone.
*He's so good at being right,* Stacy finally admitted. She opened the note.
Dear Stacy, I want to apologize for my behaviour the other day. I realize there was really no excuse for it, and I should have controlled myself.
You have hinted to me that you were badly hurt by someone in America, so I am guessing this is what prompted your reaction. I assure you, my intentions are entirely honorable. While I confess that I would love a physical relationship with you, this is hardly the time or place for it.
I don't believe in sexual relations outside of marriage. I believe the act of lovemaking is meant to bond a husband and wife, not merely to get one's jollies. If we ever reach that point, well then....
I guess what I'm trying to say, Stacy, is that I'm in love with YOU, not your body.
All my love,
Justin
She read the note at least three times before his words sank in. Her heart pounded, her hands shook, and her head spun. The l word. He'd said the l word. The word she just wasn't ready to hear. The word she'd told herself never to believe again...so why did she? And why was that voice in her head chanting "He loves me! He loves me! He loves me!" so giddily? And what about what she thought he'd said...something about "marry me?" She couldn't have heard that properly. This was WAY too soon...she was too young even to HEAR the word! And she'd known Justin what, two-and-a-half months? Way too soon. She wasn't ready to get married, and how was she to know if Justin was the right one? So why did the sound of the words put that stupid, sappy smile on her face? How did she even know for sure that that was what he'd said? She hoped Professor Jupiter wasn't in Double Astronomy tomorrow night, because she definitely needed to have a little talk with a certain curly-haired Hufflepuff....
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I'm just borrowing it.
Author's note: Sorry this took so long. First I went on vacation, then I had problems with my ISP. And to top it off, this chapter was REALLY hard to write because of a snogging scene. Confounded teenage hormones. ;) (I'm just kidding.)
And yes, I'm adlibbing again...using a minor character is a lot of work! :)
One Saturday in mid-November, Stacy awoke in a cold sweat. All night, her sleep had been disturbed by dreams about Justin no Christian lady should admit to. "Some days I HATE being a teenager," she muttered as she stood in an icy cold shower.
Justin was officially her boyfriend and had been since the dance a month before. She liked the sound of that. To be honest, it made her kind of giggly--and she wasn't usually the giggly type. Randy had never had this effect on her. Just walking hand-in-hand with Justin made her feel as if she were driving her Harley at eighty miles per hour down a deserted back road. "I wonder what it means? Is this...this couldn't be love, could it?"
But today, her motorcycle was the last thing on her mind. She'd had such vivid dreams that she'd feared she really would wake up in Justin's bed!
After she showered, she dressed quickly. She loved being able to wear Muggle clothes on the weekends, she decided as she pulled on her jeans. She put on one of her favorite sweaters--a nubbly cardigan in fiery autumn colors--then combed her hair into a ponytail and stepped into her elasticized sneakers.
She was one of the first Gryffindors at the breakfast table. Her dreams had awakened her early, so she'd decided to get a head start on the day-- and not risk more dreams.
As she chewed her oatmeal and chatted absently with Colin Creevey, Justin walked in. He looked very good that morning, Stacy thought: he wore a wheat-colored pullover with a polo-style neck over a black t-shirt, and--oh no, did he HAVE to wear tight jeans?
He smiled at Stacy as he walked in, and she noticed that he blushed slightly. His eyes seemed a darker blue than usual, and there was a look in them that sent a tingling tightness through her.
Stacy hurried through her breakfast and scampered out of the Great Hall, nearly knocking Harry and Ron over in her haste. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry!"
"What's the matter, Stacy?" Harry sounded concerned; Hermione had found herself SUCH a good man!
"It's Saturday! Blimey, what's the rush?"
"Have to um, use the girls' room." *Yeah, and catch my breath.*
"Oh, okay!"
Stacy ran into the nearest girls' bathroom and leaned heavily on one of the sinks, gasping. What was wrong with her? She was sure Justin hadn't put her under any kind of a spell, so why did she lose her mind every time he was near her? *Maybe because you're falling in love?* came the little voice in her head.
"Oh, don't be stupid!" she snapped.
*Am I?*
"Hush. I'm not looking for love, remember?"
*I think you found it anyway.*
"Will you shut UP?"
Stacy made her way back to Gryffindor tower and set to work on her Arithmancy homework--or tried to, at any rate. She was supposed to be writing out theorems related to the decline of the British Empire, but she kept doodling out theorems to prove how compatible she and Justin were.
"This is nonsense! I can't even concentrate!" she burst out, startling Lavender. "Sorry...mind's not on my work today," she blushed.
"I noticed," Lavender chuckled. "But I know what you mean...it's SO lovely outside! I wonder if Ron would like to go for a flight this afternoon before the game?"
"Good weather for it. As for me, I think I'll take a walk around the lake and clear my head." Stacy wasn't one for flying. She shared Hermione's aversion to heights; maybe it was some weird family trait.
As she put her books away, she couldn't help but notice that she and Justin seemed to be perfectly compatible...they were both fours, after all. *Bah!*
When she stepped outside, she took a deep breath of the brisk air. It was what they called "Indian Summer" in Michigan; she wasn't sure what it was called in Scotland. She just knew she liked it. The Forbidden Forest was glowing with all the colors of a fire, the sky was a crystalline blue (a lot like Justin's eyes, she couldn't help but think), and the air was crisp and refreshing while being warm enough that she didn't need her cloak. God must like this time of year a lot, she decided, if He took so much care to make it beautiful.
She walked slowly, sniffing the spicy air and listening to the hooting of the owls. A soft breeze played with her curls and painted a rosy glow on her cheeks. It was a PERFECT day, she decided...absolutely perfect.
She hadn't gotten very far when she heard a familiar voice call her name. "Stacy!" She turned to see Justin running across the lawn towards her. "Um, hi," he said as he reached her. "Out for a walk too?"
"Oh yeah...just ah...trying to clear my head." She prayed she wasn't blushing.
"Uh, me too," he stammered, turning the color of cranberry sauce. "All right if I walk with you?"
"S-sure," she managed. What was wrong with her? Why was she feeling shy around him again?
They walked in silence for a while, drinking in the beautiful day. Justin finally spoke. "Looking forward to the match this afternoon?"
"Always! I love Quidditch. Slytherin against Ravenclaw, isn't it?"
"Yes. I...I wish we could sit together."
"So do I, but I suppose they'll make us stay with our houses."
They walked on a bit more before he spoke again. "So...tell me some more about yourself."
"Ah well...I grew up on my grandparents' farm outside a small town in Upper Michigan. I was always the 'odd girl out,' so to speak, at my Muggle school--especially after Marcy Kohn, the prettiest girl in school, teased me because I was plain and suddenly grew a giant wart on her nose. My father, Frank, was a foreman in a faucet factory, but he died in a car accident when I was thirteen. My mother, Rebecca, is a photographer...she and I don't have the best relationship. I was a daddy's girl. I love to cook...I like hunting, fishing, hiking, and rollerblading...I crochet a little, but I'm really not 'crafty.' I took up guitar when I was six and used to sing lead in a Christian rock band. On a day like today, my favorite thing to do is hop on my motorcycle and head for the backroads. Anything else?"
"You have a motorcycle?"
"Well, yes and no. It was Pop's. A vintage Harley-Davidson. He taught me how to ride it, and I inherited it when he died. But because of something in his will, I can't actually claim it until I'm eighteen. So, it's at the farm for now. Your turn," she smiled.
"Well first of all, you are anything but plain." That odd look was in his eyes again.... "I grew up in London. My father's an electrician, my mother's a dance teacher. I was on the list for Eton before I received my letter from Hogwarts. I'm quite the outdoorsman myself...I'm an excellent shot, but I'll only kill for food. I love to cook, as I've mentioned, and I also love to read. I took up the violin when I was eight, I studied voice for a couple of years--and thanks to my mother, I've had more dance lessons than I should admit!" he laughed. "But all my life, I've been fascinated by the stars. God's most beautiful creation...well, one of them," he said, looking rather pointedly at Stacy.
"Eton, huh? Say...isn't Finch-Fletchley an aristocratic name?"
He groaned. "Oooh...I admit it, my uncle's a baronet. Spends most of his time wrapped around a bottle. I pity my cousin Jason...HE'S the one who has to worry about the seat in the House of Lords, not I!"
"Okay...so I'm dating a blueblood."
He sighed. "Lord Justin Finch-Fletchley at your service." He sounded utterly miserable.
"Why so glum? I think it sounds distinguished!"
"I think it sounds pretentious. I almost never use it...you're the only one here I've told."
"I'm honored. As for me, I can't claim anything fancy like that. I'm just plain old Stacy Theodora McIvers."
"Theodora? A very old name."
"I was named after my uncle Theodore, Hermione's dad."
"Ah. Better than Johanan."
"Is that your middle name?"
"Unfortunately. My parents had trouble conceiving...it means something like 'God's gift.' I hate it, utterly hate it."
"I think it's cute! Maybe I'll start calling you JoJo."
His face twisted into an impish smirk. "All right...Dory."
"Dory...I think I like that."
They were clear to the other side of the lake now. Abruptly, Justin stopped walking and pulled her into a hug. She slid her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder, breathing in his scent. He rubbed her back gently as they held each other. She thought she could almost hear his heart beating. He pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes. A hundred emotions seemed to flicker across his face all at once. He seemed to want to say something...but instead, he bent his head and pressed his lips gently to hers. She responded, tipping her face to kiss him back. His tongue flicked lightly against her lips, making her gasp...and when she did, he slid his tongue slowly into her mouth.
She had to admit, she loved how he tasted. She brought her hands forward and slid them up his chest--finding, to her surprise, that his robes and baggy sweaters hid a lot of muscle. She would have to ask him about that-- later.
He shivered and whimpered slightly at her touch, pulling her closer. She slid her hands all the way up to tangle her fingers in his curls; with her arms out of the way, he crushed her against his chest. One of his hands slid down to her backside, pressing her closer; the other slid under her sweater and stroked the smooth skin of her back.
He broke their kiss, trailing soft kisses down her throat and making her gasp more. He made a low growling sound, and it made his lips vibrate against her skin. "Oh...my!" The tingling tightness was back, nearly driving her wild. The fingers stroking her back undid the band of her bra and started to slide forward.
His lips were down to her collar now...he somehow undid her top button with his tongue and kissed her skin gently. He murmered something...something that sounded strangely like, "I want you...marry me."
She gently stroked his head, his face, the skin of his neck, anywhere she could reach at that angle. His skin was smooth and touchable...and he was WAY too cute. She kissed the top of his head as he slowly licked his way up her neck to her lips...then he claimed her mouth like a starving man.
The hand under her sweater reached its goal. Stacy nearly fainted as she felt his thumb teasing her. He ground his hips against hers....
"Waitaminute! This isn't right!" She jumped away from him, trying to put herself back together.
"Oh Lord...no...you're right...it isn't...I'm sorry Stacy, I...I don't know what came over me."
"I'm as much to blame as you are...it's not like I was pushing you away." She took a deep breath. "Come on...we'd better go back inside...I think it's almost lunchtime."
"Absolutely not."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Stacy, if we go back inside right now, all of Hogwarts will know exactly how I feel about you!"
Stacy gaped at him for a minute, bewildered...then she glanced down and blushed bright red as the bulge in his pants registered. "You...oh...MEN!" she snapped, spinning on her heel and stomping towards the school. Did they EVER think with anything else?
"Stacy! Stacy, wait!" But she ignored him.
By Monday, Stacy was still not speaking to Justin. She was hurt and horrified to think she'd fallen for yet another guy who only wanted one thing. What she overheard in the girls' bathroom before lunch did not help matters any.
"Did you see Justin Finch-Fletchley, that sixth-year from Hufflepuff, snogging with that transfer student Saturday?"
"No, I didn't!"
"It looked like things were getting pretty intense. You know she's Hermione Granger's cousin, right?"
"I heard."
"Poor girl...I heard he really fancies Hermione, but of course SHE'S with Harry Potter. I bet he's just dating this girl because she looks like Hermione."
"That's kind of mean. I've seen them together...I thought they made a cute couple. They looked like they really liked each other."
"Well, I know she likes him--who wouldn't? He's SO cute! But I don't know if he really likes her...."
Stacy had virtually no appetite at lunch. When Justin tried to speak to her, she brushed past him, fighting back tears.
Even Draco Malfoy noticed her mood when she tutored him that afternoon. "Are you all right?"
"Hm? Why wouldn't I be?"
"Your eyes are red as though you've been crying, your breathing is agitated, and you're fidgeting--something you only seem to do when you're upset. I don't suppose this has anything to do with the rumors that you and a certain Hufflepuff had an argument?"
"Wha--?"
"Miss McIvers, you show all the physical signs of emotional stress. Combine that with the rumors I've heard and the very public brush-off you gave him at lunch, and well...I would say you're angry with him."
"Mmm...maybe a little."
As he packed up his backpack at the end of their session, he made one more comment. "I wouldn't be too concerned if you've heard those rumors about Mr. Finch-Fletchley fancying your cousin. His reaction is completely different. When he sees her, he gives the same absent, preoccupied smile he gives everyone else. When he sees you, his eyes light up and he focuses all of his attention on you as if you were the only person in the room-- even when you're angry with him. The boy loves you; I'd put galleons on it, and I'm not a gambling man."
"You sound like a doctor who just made a diagnosis."
To her surprise, the faintest hint of a twinkle appeared in his eyes. "Maybe I did."
Stacy was still mulling over that one when she sat in the Gryffindor common room that night working on her Charms homework. Neville came through the portrait-hole, nearly tripping as he did so. "Ah, there you are. I've a message for you."
"Hm?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "Justin said to give this to you. He didn't want to wait for the owl post."
"Um, thanks."
"Stacy...what's wrong?"
"Nothing...."
"You're a terrible liar, Stacy."
"I know," she sighed. She looked around; the common room was empty except for some third-years playing exploding snap. "Can you keep a secret?"
"I keep them very well."
"Justin and I...well, we got into what I think you call here a 'snogging' session the other day...he got a little excited and went a little too far. I lost my temper...my stupid Scottish temper. You see...my last boyfriend cheated on me because I wouldn't sleep with him. Cheated on me with my best friend, in fact. I got angry because I figured that was all Justin wanted, too."
"Does he know any of this?"
"No. I mean, I've kind of mentioned it, but...I wanted to forget the whole thing."
"But you obviously didn't."
"Far from it. I'm still angry, but it's not even Justin I'm really angry with!"
"Then why are you taking it out on him?"
Stacy froze. She didn't really have an answer for that one.
"Take a little advice, Stacy. Don't judge Justin by what someone else did. If you let the memories of some git make you blind, you could lose someone who really cares about you. Think about it." With that, he was gone.
*He's so good at being right,* Stacy finally admitted. She opened the note.
Dear Stacy, I want to apologize for my behaviour the other day. I realize there was really no excuse for it, and I should have controlled myself.
You have hinted to me that you were badly hurt by someone in America, so I am guessing this is what prompted your reaction. I assure you, my intentions are entirely honorable. While I confess that I would love a physical relationship with you, this is hardly the time or place for it.
I don't believe in sexual relations outside of marriage. I believe the act of lovemaking is meant to bond a husband and wife, not merely to get one's jollies. If we ever reach that point, well then....
I guess what I'm trying to say, Stacy, is that I'm in love with YOU, not your body.
All my love,
Justin
She read the note at least three times before his words sank in. Her heart pounded, her hands shook, and her head spun. The l word. He'd said the l word. The word she just wasn't ready to hear. The word she'd told herself never to believe again...so why did she? And why was that voice in her head chanting "He loves me! He loves me! He loves me!" so giddily? And what about what she thought he'd said...something about "marry me?" She couldn't have heard that properly. This was WAY too soon...she was too young even to HEAR the word! And she'd known Justin what, two-and-a-half months? Way too soon. She wasn't ready to get married, and how was she to know if Justin was the right one? So why did the sound of the words put that stupid, sappy smile on her face? How did she even know for sure that that was what he'd said? She hoped Professor Jupiter wasn't in Double Astronomy tomorrow night, because she definitely needed to have a little talk with a certain curly-haired Hufflepuff....