CHAPTER 7

I awoke the next morning, after succesfully avoiding Harry for the rest of the previous night, with a minor headache. I decided that I would just take it easy in the common room for a while and if it got worse I would go to the Hospital Wing later.

After I had gotten changed and as I was getting my stuff to go downstairs Lily flew in the window and over to me. Suprised to see her so fast I dropped my book and took the letter from her leg.

"I don't have anything for you, you'll have to go to the Owlery," I said simultaneously as I walked down to the common room.

I sat down in my favoritee chair and opened the letter, which appeared to be from Isabella. 'Dang, she must have had a lot to write about, and she must have had it written prior to getting my letter,' I thought as I unrolled the parchment that was her letter.

It looked like many different diary entries:

Hey Amy, 9/12/'06

I know I am writing this letter a little early, but since you haven't written to me in a while and so much has happened, I figured I could wait until Lily got here to send it, but just start writing it now. Well, I have a boyfriend now! I'm so happy. I dunno if you'll believe it (or like it), but he's Jake. I know I hadn't told you, but I've had the tiniest crush on him for a while. Ok maybe not the tiniest, more like close to how much you like Blaise. Well, he asked me out last week, Monday to be exact, and I said yes! Please don't be upset with me, I know I should have told you I liked him when I discovered that I did, but I just didn't think it would go anywhere. Well I'll write more soon, unless you send me a letter.

9/20/'06

When are you going to write to me missy? I feel like I'm writing in a diary. I'm writing, but I dunno when you're going to read it! You're so annoying!

9/25/'06

I didn't really mean that. I was just frustrated with you. You havn't written me in forever and I really want you to read this... sorta. I wanna hear what you have to say. Has anything happened with you and Harry yet? What about Blaise? I hate not knowing things. And I hate you not knowing things. Oh yeah, Jake bought me this really pretty necklace yesterday. It's sooooo beautiful Amy, you really have to see it. Well I guess I'll write more later.

9/30/'06

Oh my God! I can't believe you didn't write me when you got out of the Hospital Wing. Whby didn't you write when you were in the Hospital Wing? Harry didn't occupy all of your time, you could have done it when he wasn't there, if he's soooo much more important to you than I am. Wow, Harry and Cho... you would look better with him. But you're dating Blaise! I'm soo happy for you. I'm glad we're both dating who we want to date. Or are we? Are you sure you'd rather be dating Blaise over Harry? Oh I dunno what I'm saying. I'm sure you know whether ot not you are happy. I'm sorry that you ran into the door... I bet it was funny. Ahem cough sorry. I'm sorry about you're row with Harry. I really am. I'm sure, like Hermione said, it will blow over soon. Well reply soon with updated information.

With love from your best friend,

Isabella

I had been so busy reading the letter that I didn't notice Harry there until I looked up.

He stood there a minute, looking like he wanted to say something, but then he turned and continued on his way out of the common room. I didn't stop him. I couldn't think of anything to say and felt that he owed me an apology.

I still couldn't stop thinking about him though. Not even bad thoughts, all I could think about were his good qualities. Even when I had gone down to the Great Hall and spent the rest of the afternoon with my boyfriend I kept thinking of Harry occasionaly when I let my mind wander.

I spent eight long weeks without saying more than five words to Harry. We still sat together in Potions, but we didn't say much to each other. Most of the time when we had to partner up I chose Hermione and he chose Ron.

Most of the other classes I just sat away from him, like I used to, and watched him when he wasn't looking. Only in the classes in which Hermione wasn't in could I do this though, because Hermione always sat next to me in classes and she notices everything.

I still had a good time being Blaises' girlfriend, even though at some points I had the feeling that it wasn't right.

One day when all of us were sitting in the common room, Harry in one chair, me in another and Ron and Hermione sharing the one between us, Hermione threw her book down and decided to break the silence.

"I just can't take it anymore!" she shouted, scaring several first years in the corner.

"Calm down 'Mione, take what anymore?" her boyfriend asked.

"This, us not talking at all, them fighting," she pointed to me and Harry, "I just won't deal with it anymore. Until you guys resolve it I just won't speak to either of you," she stormed off, scaring several more first years.

Ron shared a look with Harry, stated that she wads right and followed Hermione out of the common room.

I was about to get up and walk to the dormatory when Harry stopped me.

"Wait, she is right, this is getting ridiculous," he spoke, with his hand on my arm.

"No," I corrected and watched his eyebrow rise, "it started out ridiculous," I sighed and threw myself on the couch. He sat down opposite of me.

"Before you say anything, I'm sorry, I was being rather stupid," he explained.

I sat there a moment.

"Aren't you going to disagree with me, tell me I'm not stupid, anything?"

"No," his jaw dropped, "I was deciding what to apologize for first."

After we had talked for about ten minutes we stood.

"Friends?" he asked holding out his hand.

I ignored his hand and hugged him instead, "Yes."

He hugged back without hesitation.

"Ok then, what do you want to do now?"

He grinned, making him all the hotter, and responded with two words, "Flying lesson?"

I smiled back and tolsd him I had to put my stuff away.

When we met back down in the common room I thought to ask him about a broom.

"You can use mine. I'll borrow a school one. Don't worry about it," he added, misunderstanding my look of confusion.

"How exactly do you plan on getting a broom that's locked in a room?"

He just smiled at me and handed me the broom he had over his shoulders.

I put is over my shoulders, mimicing perfectly the way I had seen his carry it so many times.

When we had made it to the grounds, after he had goten a broom for himself, very much against the rules, we found Ron and Hermione snogging underneath a tree and decided against interrupting them.

When we passed Cho and they avoided each others gaze I realized that something must have happened to them.

"What happened to you and Cho?"

"What? Oh yeah, that," he seemed startled by the question, as if he had forgotton that he had dated her.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I added hurridly.

"Oh, no it's fine. We just decided we didn't fit together and she decided she liked someone else," he mumbled the last part under his breath.

"Who?" I asked, intrigued.

He took a deep breath, "Malfoy."

I laughed. He misunderstood the reason and got offended.

"No I wasn't laughing at you," I said, stopping as my laughter stopped.

He stopped along side me. His eyebrow was raised in question.

"I'm laughing at Cho," when his eyebrow didn't lower I continued, "Anyone who would leave you to be with a Slytherin, especially Malfoy has to be very dumb," I said with resolve, finally realizing what Isabella had said in her letters ever since the second one I sent her this year had been true. I did not belong with Blaise, or anyone else for that matter, I belonged with Harry.

"Amy, I can't hold out any lnger, I have to tell you something. I wasn't going to tell you, but now I just can't not tell you," he said in obvious distress

Now my eyebrow was raised in question. I didn't answer him, just looked around waiting for whatever it was he was going to tell me.

"Amy, Blaise is cheating on you," he blurted.

I didn't reply and he took my silence as not believing him.

"I saw him," he persisted, but I still couldn't find my voice.

'No, this can't be happening. Why did he go through writing the letter if he as just going to cheat on me? This can't be true. I must be dreaming. I have to wake up,' I thought as I paced.

"Amy," Harry's voice and his arm on my wrist, stopped me from pacing and brought my attention back to him.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and finally found my voice.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" many questions entered my mind but that one came out of my mouth.

"We weren't talking and..." he trailed off.

I dropped his broomstick and ran into the castle. The rest of the questions didn't matter anymore. I just wanted to get away from people altogether. I was walking by a classroom with an open door when I saw someone I just didn't want to see right now and I just had to stop.

I stood for a moment watching Blaise make out with Pansy Parkinson. Neither of them acknowledged the fact that I was there.

Next time you plan on cheating on somebody I sugest closng the door," I said loud enough for them to hear me through my tears and I slammed the door and ran down the corridor. I didn't stop until I rounded the corner and found the portrait hole. Even then I only stopped for a second, long enough to mutter the password and for it to swing forward. After that I didn't stop until I was on my bed.

I wasn't sure how long I was crying, but my stomach was growling when I finally sat up.

I decided I'd venture down to the common room. When I did I found Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron and Hermione seemed to be locked at the mouth and Harry seemed to be dozing.

I watched him for a moment, his mouth was slightly open and his glasses falling off while his head tipped back. There was nothing I wanted more than to tell him my feelings for him, but I couldn't, I wasn't sure I would ever be able to. The minutes passed by, with me still watching him. It went unnoticed that Hermione's eyes were open as she kissed Ron, watching me watch Harry.

Finally I tapped his shoulder lightly and woke him up.

He awoke with a start and rubbed his eyes. I put a finger to his lips, and motioned to the door exiting the common room, then at Hermione and Ron indicating that I didn't want to disturb the people who were sucking each others faces. He nodded and I was forced to move the finger that wanted to linger on his lips.

He got up and silently followed me out the door of the common room.

"I'm sorry about earlier," I apologized.

"You don't need to apologize. It was understandable. You must be hungry, wanna go nick some food from the kitchens?"

"Sure," I replied as we turned a corner, I saw Blaise at the end and looked at Harry, about to turn around.

Blaise saw me though and called my name.

"I think we can outrun him," I said to Harry.

He laughed as Blaise came running up.

"Amy, I need to speak to you," he said breathlessly.

"Ok," I didn't object, knowing it had to happen sometime.

"Alone," he looked at Harry.

"Well, I'm sorry, Harry's not leaving. You can say whatever it is you want with him here. Or you can just get out of my way."

"Amy, I'm sorry," he looked like he meant it, but that just wasn't enough for me.

"Ok," I said moving to go around him.

"Wait that's it? That's all you're going to say?" he looked like I had slapped him.

"Well what do you expect me to do Blaise? You go through all that work to date me, date me for two months and then cheat on me and break my heart. What do you really expect me to do? I mean did you really expect sorry to cover it? Honestly Blaise, did you?" I looked at him in disgust, "You said you really wanted us to be friends, you just blew it."

I walked past him with Harry following me, but he grabbed my arm, painfully.

"No, you can't just walk away," he had such desperation in his voice, but he was really hurting my arm.

"Blaise let go of me," I sturggled, which only made it worse as his grip tightened.

"Amy, you can't just go."

"You're hurting me now," I couldn't shake his grip.

"Let her go," Harry said calmly, his hand on his wand.

"This isn't any of your business Potter," Blaise spat, his grip tightening all the more.

Against my will a wimper escaped my throat.

"I'll say it one more time Zabini, let her go," Harry said with more force.

"What are you going to do Potter?" Blaise sneered back.

Harry startled me when he punched Blaise.