Harry watched Charity descend the stairs not understanding how he could have such powerful feelings for someone he just met. He noticed she had changed clothes right away and thought she looked beautiful in anything she wore. She had also changed her hair to wearing it up in a twist with a clip of some sort.
'I bet she only wants to be friends. I mean why would she want to be with me? No other girl wants to date me, why her?' Harry thought dejectedly.
Charity got to the bottom of the stairs and smiled radiantly at Harry. He then noticed her enormously full satchel and took it from her.
"Thanks, with Mione's and my own stuff it was quite heavy," Charity said appreciatively.
"Not at all. Let's go to dinner," Harry replied.
Charity hooked her arm with Harry's, and they walked out the portrait hole to head for dinner in the great hall.
"By the way who's Mione?" Harry inquired with scrunched brows.
"Oh," Charity giggled, "Hermione. I thought it would be easier to say," Charity answered.
Harry nodded and grinned. "That it is."
Charity caught herself watching Harry a little longer than she should have.
'How is this possible? How could I like him so much? I wonder if he feels anything for me other than friendship. I love being with him. He makes me want to smile all the time.' Charity thought while staring straight in front of her.
She was in such deep thought she missed everything Harry had been saying.
"CHARITY?" Harry shouted questioningly.
"Yeah!" Charity said startled.
"What's up?" Harry asked.
"I'm sorry I was spaced off," Charity replied as they walked into the great hall.
At dinner Harry noticed Charity was smiling but she undoubtedly wasn't hearing a thing anyone was saying. He reached out and waved his hand in front of her face.
'Great I like Harry Potter. Is everyone going to think it's because of his name? Just what I need, a new school and everyone will hate me. But it's worth it to feel butterflies in my stomach every time he looks at me and every time he touches me. I know I have a crush on Harry Potter.' Charity thought with a smile.
She blinked when she caught a glance of something flying in front of her face. Charity turned and saw Harry looking attentively at her with a troubled expression.
"Alright there Charity?" Harry questioned.
"Yes Harry I'm fine. I was just thinking about some stuff," Charity replied with smile.
"Ummm, whatever you were thinking about must be considerable because you were a long way from home. I can be just as good of a listener as you were," Harry offered.
"Thanks, but what I was thinking about would probably make you feel uncomfortable, and I would feel idiotic," implied Charity.
Harry looked at her and decided he wasn't giving up that easily. He pushed his plate forward and said, "Are you finished eating?" Charity shook her head yes.
"Come on let's go take a walk outside before we go meet Ron and Hermione," Harry suggested.
Charity got up and Harry offered his arm. She willingly took it and they walked out with a lot of onlookers, including Draco Malfoy. Harry opened the front door for Charity and rejoined her outside. They walked in silence for a while before Harry stopped and said, "Why won't you tell me what's going on with you today. I thought we were friends, or is it that you're only good at giving advice but not at accepting it?" Harry interrogated with frustration in his voice.
Charity stood staring at Harry in shock. What he just said hurt; it stung her to her very core. She took one more look at Harry before turning back to the castle.
'What was I thinking? How could I like him? He doesn't even know what I'm thinking!' Charity mentally scolded herself.
Charity stopped walking and turned to look at Harry. He was watching her walk away.
'Why am I so thick? He was only showing an interest. He opened up to me without knowing me, and I just pushed him away. What if he feels for me how I feel for him, and I've destroyed it by walking away? I may never get to hold him, I may never get to kiss him, and I may never get to look deep in his eyes.' Charity thought sadly.
She slowly walked back toward Harry.
'I'm such a git. Why do I always mess up any chance I have for happiness? Why is she coming back?' Harry thought surprised.
"Harry I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shut you out. It's just what I was thinking was about you, and I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or embarrass myself," Charity informed Harry quietly.
Harry had a playful grin on his face and asked, "Were you thinking good or bad thoughts about me?"
"I'm not quite sure how to answer that. The naughty look on your face tells me that your good and bad might not have the same meaning as my good and bad," Charity answered.
Harry smiled. He never knew he could be like this. With Cho he was always shy and never knew what to say, but when he was around Charity it's like something was alive in him. He was sharp and unruffled. He took her hand and guided her to a bench that sat about ten feet ahead of them. No words were spoken until they reached the bench.
"Okay, let's make things easier on you. What is it that you say? Oh Yeah! I've found in past incidents it's best to just say whatever you need to say. So our easier way is for you to just tell me," Harry said laughing.
"Thanks, this will be sooo much easier now," Charity suggested. "Harry I know I should tell you how I feel, and I don't want you to think you will hurt my feelings if you don't share what I'm about to say."
Harry raised his brows at her questioningly.
"I like you and not just as a friend. I want to be more than just your friend, but I'm so nervous that you don't want to be more than just friends with me, and that other people will think that I only like you because you're 'The Famous Harry Potter'. It's very important to me to make a good impression on everyone here, especially Ron, Hermione, and you.
"I want you to know that it's not your name that I like, in fact I don't care what your name is, it's you that I find myself not wanting to be away from for longer than a minute. I can't quite explain how or why I have developed feelings for you so quickly, but I must say I'm crushing on you Harry Potter," Charity explained.
Harry found it hard to control his emotions while she talked. The smile that appeared when she first said she liked him as more than a friend had spread across his whole face. He had never been so excited for the words 'I like you' before.
'Did I hear her right, she fancies me? I know how she feels though, I don't understand how there's an attraction so quickly.'
'Huh, I hope that smile means he feels the same way as me and not that he thinks I'm joking.'
"Charity, I'm going to give you a bit of advice, one: Fuck what other people might think. I'm so sick of caring about others' opinions. All that matters to me is our feelings. Two: you've already made an excellent impression on Ron, Hermione, and myself, and three: how could I not share your feelings. I know it's not because of my name that you fancy me, and trust me when I say a minute is too long.
Charity was taken aback at first, but relaxed once she learned why Harry cursed. The shock wasn't from her not ever cursing, but to hear it from Harry was a bit of a surprise. She smiled and reached up and hugged Harry with everything that she had. Harry returned her hug by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her as close to him as she could get.
Charity pulled her face back to look into those stunning green eyes. "Does this mean you want to be my boyfriend Mr. Potter?" she asked with a frisky grin playing across her face.
Harry laughed and said, "Only if you can handle being Harry Potter's girlfriend Ms. Appleby."
"I think I can handle it." Charity giggled and gave Harry the sweetest kiss on the cheek.
"Good now what do you say we go get you ready for your O.W.L. exams?" Harry asked
As they walked back up the path and into the castle, Harry kept looking at Charity thinking how on earth was he lucky enough to land such a breathtaking girlfriend.
'I wonder if Sirius would be proud? Of course he would. I can't wait to announce to the whole world that I have the most superb girlfriend.'
Charity held Harry's hand feeling complete. Ten minutes ago she was so confused, and now she and Harry were dating. She couldn't wait to introduce him to her family.
'Oh my I'm dating Harry Potter. What is the rest of the week going to be like? Oh well I just hope I don't have to jinx too many girls.'
All the sudden they were at the infirmary door. They had been so lost in their own thoughts that they hadn't uttered a word to each other.
"Charity maybe we should talk about what we're going to tell people."
"What do you mean what we're going to tell them? How about the truth? Unless you don't want to tell people! If that's the case then maybe what we should be talking about is what we are to each other!" Charity said with growing bitterness.
"No, that's not what I meant. I just didn't know how you felt about telling people, as for me I want to shout it from the rooftops. I'm so sorry; I should've bettered explained myself. But in any case at least I know what you want to say to people." Harry said apologetically.
Harry bent down, kissed Charity on the forehead and pulled her into an embrace he didn't want to break anytime in the near future. Charity giggled and pulled Harry into the hospital wing.
