I Can't Make You Love Me

by Zadia Grey

Competition

"Trelawney has predicted my death so many times I'm starting to believe I won't make it to graduation," sighed Harry as they left the tower.

Ron laughed. "Don't start digging your grave just yet. You have to get rid of You-Know-Who before you die, otherwise our lives will be a living hell forever more. I mean, if you can't do it, who can?"

Harry smiled at his best friend, but before he could make a retort, another voice called to Ron.

"Ron? Can we talk for a moment?"

Ron looked around to see Seamus coming up the hall toward him. "Err. . . Okay?" he turned back to his friends, "I'll meet you in Potions," and he went to follow the young Irishman.

Seamus turned around a few times to make sure they were far enough away from Harry and Hermione so they wouldn't hear whatever he wanted to say. Once out of earshot, the Irishman began his explanation.

"Listen, I know about your feelings for Harry."

Ron's eyes widened in shock. "How?"

"I'm a light sleeper. I suggest you start putting up a silencing charm or something, by the way, but. . . That isn't really my point. I just figured you should know something about your little infatuation or whatever it is. You aren't the only one. I caught another boy not a few years ago having the same dreams as you."

Ron's eyes darkened at the thought of having competition for Harry's heart. Harry was his and his alone. There was no way he would let another Gryffindor take him away. . . Well, he hadn't become his yet but this would mean it was impossible. He would never have Harry as his own. . .

"Is he a threat to me?"

". . . No clue really. Harry has been awfully nice to him since they met. . . "

"Can I have a name?"

"Sorry. I've been sworn to secrecy."

"Gee. . . You look thrilled," Hermione said in a sarcastic tone as Ron entered the Potions chamber.

"What did Seamus have to say to you, Ron?" asked Harry as he pulled out his book and began flipping through the pages.

"Nothing, Harry," lied Ron as he began pulling out supplies. I just found out I haven't got you all to myself. Nothing special.

He couldn't pay attention in class properly that day. Well, Ron rarely paid attention in class, but it was worse than usual. He began making a mental list of all the boys in their chamber and analyzing each one as they sat around him in Slughorn's class.

Dean Thomas was a good looking guy and had a good mind to boot. However, Ron could tell he had a liking for Seamus though, even though the object of his affection was straight. Ron knew Seamus was straight because he asked him during their meeting in the hall mere minuets before.

He gave a slight snort as his eyes reached Neville Longbottom. Not that he wasn't a good guy or anything, he just didn't find him as a threat in the romance section. Sure, he had slimmed up since they had first met, but there was still the matter of his klutzy and dimwitted nature.

Seamus was straight. Case closed. Why would he tell him about the other person if it was him anyway?

At dinner, Ron was still baffled as to who else could possibly love Harry as much as he did. His musings were interrupted when a finger tapped softly on his shoulder. The owner of the hand was a girl about his own age with shoulder-length wavy brown hair and gentle lavender eyes. A small, lavender braid that matched her eyes rested at her left temple and some more lavender streaks were in her bangs. Perched on top of her head were two lavender cat ears. Ron had a bad feeling this was going to be another Luna Lovegood. . .

"Sorry, but can I sit here with you?" The moment she spoke it was evident that she was not English, she was American.

"Er. . . Sure." He moved over an inch or two for her to squeeze in.

"I'm Zadia Grey, by the way," the purple girl said while holding out a hand. "I'm a metamorphmagus in case you were wondering about the ears."

"One of our friends is a metamophmagus," said Harry from across the table.

"Hi! What are your names? I'm a foreign exchange student, so I don't really know anyone . . ."

"I'm Harry Potter, that's Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger."

Hermione looked up briefly from her book to say a quick 'hi' and immediately retreated back into the pages.

"Hi. Is that Hogwarts: A History?"

"Yes."

"I read that before I came, just so I'd know more about the place. Did you know that muggle mechanical object won't work here? Good thing I didn't bring my CD player."

Hermione's eyes lit up.

"Seams she's found a friend," hissed Ron across to Harry.

AN: Yeah, Zadia Grey is named after an alter-ego of mine. The name just sounded like a witch to me . . . But don't think this is a "self-insert" of any kind. My real name is not Zadia Grey, it's Kristin. In fact, this character has nothing to do with my alter ego. . . The real Zadia is a pirate captain from another world with short brown hair and one eye. . . Okay, enough of this rambling! See you in chapter 5!