A/N: I will be updating this much faster seeing that June 21 is right around the corner! Yeah!!! If you are reading my other story, that won't be updated until after this story is finished…so…be patient and look forward to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix!!!
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*** Lots of thanks today! Thank you to Sugar Blossom for being an awesome reviewer and sticking by me over the months! Thanks! Shaunna thank you for once again calling me brilliant! It's flattering and I appreciate it! Thank you! Fredngeorgegirl I'm sure you'll like these last three chapters. Thank you so much for your wonderful suggestion…Felicia thanks for beta-ing for me! I appreciate it to no end! Thank you so much! Ebony Raindrops cool name there! Thanks so much for your review! Triniroo it's good to see you again! I liked your one word review! It was nice! Thanks! Lily Michelle I hope you will be satisfactorily answered in these last chapters! Thank you for all your support and questions—I love 'em! Mina you're reviews are always so cute and they always make me smile! Thanks! Jenny thank you for such an enthusiastic review! You're right "die Harry die" was very harsh but I was slightly amused when I thought that up and so I had to add it! Thanks for staying with me! Mela I didn't take too long, did I? Hope you enjoy these chapters! Thank you! Ednyadove I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks for everything! Rosebud1217 thanks for the nice little review. I appreciate it and I hope you enjoy these chapters too! Vanilla Baby I hope that you'll be pleasantly entertained by these next chapters! Thank you for everything! HpFaNaTiCa thanks for the sweet little review! I appreciate it! And I like Malfoy too! Ron Is Mine isn't life like a soap opera? I always thought it kind of was! Thanks for reviewing and enjoying this story! It really means a lot to me! Will you are on chapter 8 as I write this but thank you for your input! AmericanAngel yes you are right: this one is closing and yes I am starting another story…or rather adding on to two that I have already started. Look for updates after I've read Order of the Phoenix! Thanks for everything! I'm excited for more of Jessica! Maddy Leigh thanks for the funny little review! Pokemon? Oh well, thanks anyway! I'm glad you've enjoyed my story! Danidancer thanks for your review! It's so awesome to see all your reviews throughout the story! Thanks so much! Lindsay I'm glad you're enjoying this story and I'm flattered you read the story so quick! Thank you so much for your review! Angelic Ashley thank you for your funny review! I appreciate your enthusiasm! Thanks! Celeste I won't say anything other than enjoy these chapters! Lycr I'm going to read your updates tonight! Thanks so much for your nice little review and I'm glad you thought that part was sweet! AmericanMonkey38 I brought you these three chapters as soon as I could! Thank you for your nice reviews! They're great to read! TheStek I'm so glad you've become addicted to my story—or whatever you want to call it. It's awesome to have such a positive review as yours! Thanks! Hermione Weasley I apologize that the chapters are taking so long for me to post, I promise to do better with the next stories I post! Thanks for all your really nice reviews! I appreciate them! Piper Charmed I'm not Eric Hoffer but I hope you enjoy this story anyway! Loz you are on chapter 19 but thank you so much for your review! I hope you enjoy this story! Thank you everyone, ya'll are awesome!!!
Chapter 49: Arguers and Peacekeepers
Carmen watched Lee's lips move as he said the words: "I choose you." She was seething with red-hot anger, watching her "best" friend kiss her crush. Had Lee chosen Katie that would have been completely different for Katie wasn't her friend. Natalie was.
She was really very angry. She hadn't known it was possible for her to get so angry. Out of pure annoyance, she looked toward Katie to see how she was handling this. Katie was watching Natalie and her crush with a look of mixed sadness but satisfaction. How could she look so in a time like this?
Katie carefully watched them kiss, noticing all the different little details and pondering why they hadn't gotten together sooner. Oh yeah, the curse is supposed to bring people together…
Well, it was a sucky curse if it wasn't supposed to tear people apart also. Katie knew Carmen felt betrayed and in a way, Katie understood Carmen but perhaps not to the fullest extent. It had probably soothed her sore heart to know that Lee would choose Natalie in the end. It didn't hurt of course that Mitch Reed was waiting on her answer.
Her eyes fluttered shut at the thought of Mitch Reed. Handsome and clever, charming and a ladies' man, he really was all she could ask for in a boy. That thought helped her to steer her feelings away from Lee, who was still kissing Natalie. Happily kissing her, too.
Padma giggled at something Lavender said, the only sound in the still recovery room. They were pointing and giggling at Lee and Natalie and Katie was sure that would annoy her more than seeing those two snog.
Katie rolled her eyes and looked at the only one not awake yet. Pansy Parkinson was still lying quietly although Malfoy had come in and gallantly expressed his feelings for her. Or rather, his lack of feelings for her. Katie had found it rather amusing to watch him helpless to do anything but tell the truth, for surely it was a truth potion and that alone that had made Malfoy say anything at all to Pansy.
Still, Malfoy had only been in an hour or so ago and Katie supposed it took longer than that gain consciousness, she heard she had been out for awhile after Mitch had said anything to her. Mitch.
She didn't want to think about him. Not right now. Rubbing her eyes wearily she decided she had a headache. And a bad one, at that. Thinking about Mitch gave her a headache.
"Are you alright?" Carmen's voice cut through her disjointed thoughts.
Katie nodded.
"Looks like you can pick Mitch now, eh?" Carmen continued. "I mean, now that Lee's taken, you're up for the winning, aren't you?"
Katie's heart started to pound. She didn't want to talk about this in front of the rest of the students. Carmen really didn't mean to make her feel so uncomfortable, did she? Katie opened her eyes haltingly. She was almost afraid she would see that Carmen really meant to make her feel so uncomfortable.
Carmen's gaze wasn't focused on Katie, however, it was focused on Natalie and Lee. At least they had stopped kissing. They were talking quietly by themselves now. Katie had a feeling things were going to get bad about—
"What did you say Carmen?"
Now.
"I think you heard what I said Natalie. I happen to know you don't mind eavesdropping on people," Carmen replied scathingly.
"Um, if it's all the same to you I really don't mind that Lee chose Natalie," Katie interjected in a futile attempt to avoid an argument.
Carmen rolled her eyes but didn't reply to Katie's words, choosing instead to plunge ahead into wherever this argument was taking her. "But the backstabber part? That was something I didn't know you had in you."
Natalie's eyes rounded out. "Excuse me?" she asked, and she seemed genuinely offended.
"I think you heard me just then too," Carmen replied bitingly.
Natalie's large eyes were filling with tears and Katie could see that she was definitely hurting. She felt bad for the girl. She hadn't meant for anything to happen between her and Lee and even if she had, she had the right to. Or so Katie felt.
Natalie stood and blinked a couple of times. "Well, I think I'll be off now. I have class anyway," she said in a shaky voice. No one dared commenting that it was Friday evening.
No one said a word as she left and all stared at the white walls.
Katie's mind once again returned to Mitch. Oy, it would be a long night if he was all she was going to think about.
***
Parvati's giggle filled the Gryffindor Fifth-Years' room. "Here, you can have your cloak back," she said with a gleam in her eye as she handed the shimmering material back to Harry.
Harry however didn't take it right away as he continued to just look at Parvati. Her dark hair was down today, falling in black waves past her nicely rounded shoulders. Her eyes were large and luminous.
"You're beautiful," he told her quietly.
Parvati's smile widened and a light blush pinked her cheeks. "Thank you," she replied softly. "You're pretty beautiful yourself," she returned. She said it jokingly but she meant every word of it. Harry really was a beautiful person. She wondered if he knew that.
Harry's eyes widened to the rim of his glasses.
She reached a soft hand up to touch his cheek. Her smile dampened but she was still happy looking. "You really are, Harry," she said firmly, resolutely. "You're beautiful and I'm a lucky witch to have you in my life."
Harry couldn't stop from kissing her fully on the lips. She, though, was the first to part her lips, giving him an open invitation to her vulnerability.
Harry was most happy to reply to that invitation too.
***
Back in the Common Room Hermione had taken one of Ron's hands in both of her own and she was grinning like a maniac but making Ron laugh.
"We did it, Ron!" she announced happily. "Can you believe it? It's done!" she jumped up and threw her arms around her boyfriend's neck. Ron stumbled back a few steps but managed to keep his balance.
Ron leaned down and kissed her as passionately as his fifteen year old self knew how. Hermione giggled through the kiss. "I love you Ron," she admitted before she could stop herself.
Immediately, Ron's hands dropped from her waist and one of Hermione's hands flew up to cover her mouth, a look of shock pasted across her face.
Did I just say that?
Did she just say that?
Ron's heart was beating fast. He hadn't expected her to say the words first. He had always thought he would, considering that he usually let his mouth run. Ron knew he wore his emotions on his sleeve.
Hermione's look of shock became a look of pure worry. She had always expected to wait until he had said the words. He was supposed to say the words first, considering that he was the one who usually wore his emotions on his sleeve.
What if he doesn't feel the same way?
His blue eyes continued staring at her thoughtfully and it wasn't his gaze that made her squirm but rather his lack of response.
Suddenly he smiled brightly and leaned down to her level so they were nose to nose. "I love you too."
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! You all are so awesome! Thank you for everything!
What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You—you want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey, that's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary.
~ Jimmy Stuart, from It's a Wonderful Life
