A/N: Well I am glad nobody hated that... I miss James too, but... this
isn't too bad, I hope! lol. Thanx to Invisible Voice (ah I'm sorry I must
have been confused when I thought I knew you...), chocoliciouz (:D), rinny,
RedRaspberry (yes, I know :( but if you don't mind Lily then I am glad...),
PriBAngel, JeWeLs, atiya (aha, wait and see!), EgyptsStar and Red-Emerald
(LOL i like ur humour - it was extremely funny, if not helpful!) So that
was a satisfying number of reviews... you ppl are so great! *Beams*. No
Eihwaz today so on with the show!
Chapter 26
"So you think Robert Diggory likes you?"
"No! I didn't say that!" My face was an equal colour to my hair now. I had brought the subject up, quietly and discreetly, with Rebecca, but her shriek had drawn over all the Gryffindor girls in sixth, seventh and fifth year.
"Yes, you did. You said a 'certain expression' crossed his face!"
"It did, yes, but did I say what sort of expression? No I didn't!"
"Well, all right," said Juliet, "you tell us what you thought it was. Given the context and everything."
Now I was trapped. Of course I had thought exactly the same as all of them. "Well..."
"See!" crowed Emma Bones. "You do agree with us."
"Well, maybe, but... I don't know."
"Nobody knows when a boy likes them... unless it's James or Sirius... you have to take a gamble on it. What are you going to do about it? Do you like him?"
"I like him... but I don't, well, you know... like him."
"But could you? I mean I don't know him but he always seems quite sweet and sort of inoffensive."
"Yes, that's him all right. He is sweet and all that, but..."
"Well, so can you be when you put your mind to it," Juliet laughed. "You just have a temper to boot."
I laughed. "True..."
"So, OK, if he was to ask you out," pressed Eleanor Diggle, a fifth year, "what would you say? And you can't deny you've turned people down before, so if you'd accept him then you obviously like him."
"Well, all right, I obviously do then! But I know we're friends... that's the main reason I'd go out with him, 'cause I know we get on."
"Yeah, but snogging him..." pressed Ellie.
"And this conversation is now over!" I screeched in anguish.
I'd never had problems keeping other people's secrets. I had more trouble with my own. It was very hard to keep talking to Robert as though I had taken no notice of his strange words, and eventually he mentioned it. It was the Hogsmeade weekend after Halloween and I was sitting on a bench alone, reading. Rebecca and Juliet had detention from Pringle, for dropping a vat of engorgement potion that they were carrying in the corridor. It had been an accident, but Pringle was never one to believe things could happen by accident. His motto was 'Accidents don't happen. They are deliberately caused.'
Robert had been joking with a group of Ravenclaw boys when he'd seen me and had come across. "May I sit here?"
I shifted my bag onto the floor. "Sure," I said, slightly shrilly. He glanced at me.
"Lils, you're acting slightly... oddly... these days."
"Oh, I'm just... tired," I said quickly. "All this hard work, you know." It was partly true - NEWT standard work was harder than any work I'd done before.
"Are you sure that's it? Only you don't talk to me so much now."
"I'm just... concentrating more."
"Not now, you're not - you're not even in a lesson and you're acting weirdly."
I smiled. "You always catch me out."
"Is it because of that thing I said the other day?"
"What thing?" I asked, but the tone of my voice had sharpened and he half grinned, half looked depressed.
"I thought that might be it." He lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, Lils, I didn't mean... well, no, OK, now we're on the subject I may as well be honest. I did mean something by it... but you needn't worry, if you don't... that is... don't want... don't think of... but then again if you... if you did ever... you know... consider... then..." He gave me a helpless look.
I couldn't help smiling. "Robert, are you by any stretch of the imagination trying to ask me out?"
He grinned hopefully. "Well, it's only... you don't seem to be doing anything much right this minute, and I'm certainly not, and so... if you wanted... we could go and have a drink or something..."
I smiled. "That'd be great, Robert."
It was in fact the first 'official' date I'd ever been on. Both at home in the muggle world and here in the wizarding world, most boys had thought me unattractive until I'd had my hair cut shorter and started wearing eyeliner. After that, I had been asked out by several - Peter Pettigrew, actually, had asked me out before, but he asked me again afterwards. Even Potter had asked me out again and again, although I remain convinced that he was joking. A couple of Hufflepuffs, a Ravenclaw in the year above and a few muggles had asked me out - I had declined with varying degrees of gentleness. Robert was a friend, already, however, and I had to start dating sometime. So why not with him?
Several eyes were on us as we sat laughing together at one of the tables in the Three Broomsticks. I noticed Professor McGonagall pointing us out to Professor Flitwick, who had always had a soft spot for me. Suddenly Robert smiled.
"I had no idea Potter liked you," he said, watching a place somewhere over my shoulder.
I scowled. "He doesn't. He just likes to tease and embarrass people."
"Then why is he glowering at me as though he wants to kill me?"
"Oh, he's not in here, is he?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact. And not too happy either."
"Well then I guess it's because I rejected him last year. He was intending to humiliate me, but I swung it round and embarrassed him instead. So I'm sure he doesn't like to see that I don't just turn everyone down."
Robert grinned but said nothing further. He was still grinning when Sirius Black 'accidentally' kicked his chair on his way out, and Potter 'accidentally' elbowed him in the back of the head. I rolled my eyes, though - their bullying was irrational. It meant nothing.
Juliet and Rebecca were amused when they heard about my date. "Finally given up on your boycott of the opposite sex?"
I blushed slightly. "It was never a boycott!"
"No, well, OK... just a boycott of the wet prats that asked you out."
I smiled but remained silent.
"So, did he kiss you?"
"No," I said calmly. "And now tell me about detention."
"You have to be joking! Lils!"
"Look, I've told you everything."
"Every detail?"
"No, not every detail but the main things! God, honestly. It's not so interesting!" But it was. Even I was bubbling with childish excitement, and it was so absurd...
"OK, OK, just one more question? Please?"
"Fine..."
"So is he your boyfriend now?"
I stared at them. "When I said one question, I thought it would be small! Not something that even I haven't considered yet!"
"Well?"
"We'll see," I said finally.
For the next few weeks, we chatted as usual when we met, and we went into Hogsmeade a couple more times, but there was nothing serious. I half wondered whether this was as far as it would get - it certainly wasn't very satisfying if that was the case.
"So, Lils, do you want to... meet up tonight? We could go... somewhere..." Robert said one afternoon in December as we left Arithmancy.
I smiled. "You know," I mock-gushed, "I just adore your spontaneity!"
He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I know, I'm not very good at this, am I? But we could go for a walk... I assume you're not interested in the tower balconies?"
I gave him a sharp look. "You assume correctly. I am not a -"
He held up a hand. "Woah, woah, Lils, I said you wouldn't be, didn't I?"
I giggled. "Sorry."
"No worries. So, a walk? A kind of, er, cold one?"
"We could stay indoors."
"Sure. So... meet me... somewhere..."
I laughed again. "Do you know where the portrait of the fat lady is?"
"Yeah, kind of."
"Near McGonagall's office."
"Yeah... shall I meet you there, then?"
"Is that all right?" I checked. I had no idea how far away the Ravenclaws lived.
"Of course. What time?"
"Ten o' clock?"
"OK. See you there, then."
I nodded and waved as he headed off to Potions and I went to Astronomy.
A voice behind me said anxiously, "You won't go outside, will you?"
I spun round. "Lupin! Were you listening?"
He looked sheepish. "Sorry."
"It's all right... but no, we won't go outside. Far too cold. Why?"
"Nothing, it's just... someone... was outside last night and nearly got attacked by a vicious creature. And you never know, what with Voldemort..."
"Potter? Black?" I guessed.
"Yeah..."
"And where were they? In the Forbidden Forest?"
"No. Just outside. Don't go," he said.
"I won't. But thanks." It was mystifying, but all the same I noticed that he had said Voldemort rather than 'You-know-who'. I had thought I was the only one besides Dumbledore to do that, and I had assumed it was because I didn't fear personal loss. But if Remus Lupin said his real name... maybe it was a 'brave' Gryffindor trait.
Chapter 26
"So you think Robert Diggory likes you?"
"No! I didn't say that!" My face was an equal colour to my hair now. I had brought the subject up, quietly and discreetly, with Rebecca, but her shriek had drawn over all the Gryffindor girls in sixth, seventh and fifth year.
"Yes, you did. You said a 'certain expression' crossed his face!"
"It did, yes, but did I say what sort of expression? No I didn't!"
"Well, all right," said Juliet, "you tell us what you thought it was. Given the context and everything."
Now I was trapped. Of course I had thought exactly the same as all of them. "Well..."
"See!" crowed Emma Bones. "You do agree with us."
"Well, maybe, but... I don't know."
"Nobody knows when a boy likes them... unless it's James or Sirius... you have to take a gamble on it. What are you going to do about it? Do you like him?"
"I like him... but I don't, well, you know... like him."
"But could you? I mean I don't know him but he always seems quite sweet and sort of inoffensive."
"Yes, that's him all right. He is sweet and all that, but..."
"Well, so can you be when you put your mind to it," Juliet laughed. "You just have a temper to boot."
I laughed. "True..."
"So, OK, if he was to ask you out," pressed Eleanor Diggle, a fifth year, "what would you say? And you can't deny you've turned people down before, so if you'd accept him then you obviously like him."
"Well, all right, I obviously do then! But I know we're friends... that's the main reason I'd go out with him, 'cause I know we get on."
"Yeah, but snogging him..." pressed Ellie.
"And this conversation is now over!" I screeched in anguish.
I'd never had problems keeping other people's secrets. I had more trouble with my own. It was very hard to keep talking to Robert as though I had taken no notice of his strange words, and eventually he mentioned it. It was the Hogsmeade weekend after Halloween and I was sitting on a bench alone, reading. Rebecca and Juliet had detention from Pringle, for dropping a vat of engorgement potion that they were carrying in the corridor. It had been an accident, but Pringle was never one to believe things could happen by accident. His motto was 'Accidents don't happen. They are deliberately caused.'
Robert had been joking with a group of Ravenclaw boys when he'd seen me and had come across. "May I sit here?"
I shifted my bag onto the floor. "Sure," I said, slightly shrilly. He glanced at me.
"Lils, you're acting slightly... oddly... these days."
"Oh, I'm just... tired," I said quickly. "All this hard work, you know." It was partly true - NEWT standard work was harder than any work I'd done before.
"Are you sure that's it? Only you don't talk to me so much now."
"I'm just... concentrating more."
"Not now, you're not - you're not even in a lesson and you're acting weirdly."
I smiled. "You always catch me out."
"Is it because of that thing I said the other day?"
"What thing?" I asked, but the tone of my voice had sharpened and he half grinned, half looked depressed.
"I thought that might be it." He lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, Lils, I didn't mean... well, no, OK, now we're on the subject I may as well be honest. I did mean something by it... but you needn't worry, if you don't... that is... don't want... don't think of... but then again if you... if you did ever... you know... consider... then..." He gave me a helpless look.
I couldn't help smiling. "Robert, are you by any stretch of the imagination trying to ask me out?"
He grinned hopefully. "Well, it's only... you don't seem to be doing anything much right this minute, and I'm certainly not, and so... if you wanted... we could go and have a drink or something..."
I smiled. "That'd be great, Robert."
It was in fact the first 'official' date I'd ever been on. Both at home in the muggle world and here in the wizarding world, most boys had thought me unattractive until I'd had my hair cut shorter and started wearing eyeliner. After that, I had been asked out by several - Peter Pettigrew, actually, had asked me out before, but he asked me again afterwards. Even Potter had asked me out again and again, although I remain convinced that he was joking. A couple of Hufflepuffs, a Ravenclaw in the year above and a few muggles had asked me out - I had declined with varying degrees of gentleness. Robert was a friend, already, however, and I had to start dating sometime. So why not with him?
Several eyes were on us as we sat laughing together at one of the tables in the Three Broomsticks. I noticed Professor McGonagall pointing us out to Professor Flitwick, who had always had a soft spot for me. Suddenly Robert smiled.
"I had no idea Potter liked you," he said, watching a place somewhere over my shoulder.
I scowled. "He doesn't. He just likes to tease and embarrass people."
"Then why is he glowering at me as though he wants to kill me?"
"Oh, he's not in here, is he?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact. And not too happy either."
"Well then I guess it's because I rejected him last year. He was intending to humiliate me, but I swung it round and embarrassed him instead. So I'm sure he doesn't like to see that I don't just turn everyone down."
Robert grinned but said nothing further. He was still grinning when Sirius Black 'accidentally' kicked his chair on his way out, and Potter 'accidentally' elbowed him in the back of the head. I rolled my eyes, though - their bullying was irrational. It meant nothing.
Juliet and Rebecca were amused when they heard about my date. "Finally given up on your boycott of the opposite sex?"
I blushed slightly. "It was never a boycott!"
"No, well, OK... just a boycott of the wet prats that asked you out."
I smiled but remained silent.
"So, did he kiss you?"
"No," I said calmly. "And now tell me about detention."
"You have to be joking! Lils!"
"Look, I've told you everything."
"Every detail?"
"No, not every detail but the main things! God, honestly. It's not so interesting!" But it was. Even I was bubbling with childish excitement, and it was so absurd...
"OK, OK, just one more question? Please?"
"Fine..."
"So is he your boyfriend now?"
I stared at them. "When I said one question, I thought it would be small! Not something that even I haven't considered yet!"
"Well?"
"We'll see," I said finally.
For the next few weeks, we chatted as usual when we met, and we went into Hogsmeade a couple more times, but there was nothing serious. I half wondered whether this was as far as it would get - it certainly wasn't very satisfying if that was the case.
"So, Lils, do you want to... meet up tonight? We could go... somewhere..." Robert said one afternoon in December as we left Arithmancy.
I smiled. "You know," I mock-gushed, "I just adore your spontaneity!"
He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I know, I'm not very good at this, am I? But we could go for a walk... I assume you're not interested in the tower balconies?"
I gave him a sharp look. "You assume correctly. I am not a -"
He held up a hand. "Woah, woah, Lils, I said you wouldn't be, didn't I?"
I giggled. "Sorry."
"No worries. So, a walk? A kind of, er, cold one?"
"We could stay indoors."
"Sure. So... meet me... somewhere..."
I laughed again. "Do you know where the portrait of the fat lady is?"
"Yeah, kind of."
"Near McGonagall's office."
"Yeah... shall I meet you there, then?"
"Is that all right?" I checked. I had no idea how far away the Ravenclaws lived.
"Of course. What time?"
"Ten o' clock?"
"OK. See you there, then."
I nodded and waved as he headed off to Potions and I went to Astronomy.
A voice behind me said anxiously, "You won't go outside, will you?"
I spun round. "Lupin! Were you listening?"
He looked sheepish. "Sorry."
"It's all right... but no, we won't go outside. Far too cold. Why?"
"Nothing, it's just... someone... was outside last night and nearly got attacked by a vicious creature. And you never know, what with Voldemort..."
"Potter? Black?" I guessed.
"Yeah..."
"And where were they? In the Forbidden Forest?"
"No. Just outside. Don't go," he said.
"I won't. But thanks." It was mystifying, but all the same I noticed that he had said Voldemort rather than 'You-know-who'. I had thought I was the only one besides Dumbledore to do that, and I had assumed it was because I didn't fear personal loss. But if Remus Lupin said his real name... maybe it was a 'brave' Gryffindor trait.