Chapter 5

The Curved Blade of Hate

During the next History of Magic class, each person and their partner were supposed to research their topic in the library that was due the following week. Ron and Hermione sat far away from the other groups which didn't really surprise Harry. Harry however, had saved a table for him and Jamie to work on, and had many books on the table. When Harry finally saw Jamie walk through the library doors, he called out her name and waved her over. Jamie walked hesitantly towards him and sat down. She was carrying her brownish green book with her.

"So," Harry began, "I found some information, and I circled everything that I think we should use." Harry waited for Jamie's response, and she took a long breath and sat back in her chair.

"Don't worry about it Harry," she said and started reading out of her book.

"What do you mean don't worry about it? This is my grade too, you know," Harry said narrowing his eyes.

"I know it is," she looked up from her book. "It's just that I already turned it in," she said in a small whisper.

"You what?"

"I turned it in already." She noticed Harry's look. "Don't worry I put your name on it."

"But, why?" he said, and he noticed his tone changing.

"Look, Henry, no offense or anything, but I really need this grade, and I seriously don't have any time for anyone keeping me back."

"So, you automatically thought that I would screw up! You didn't even give me a chance!" People started turning their heads and looking at them.

"Look, Henry-"

"Harry!" he shouted, and Jamie looked out at Harry with pleading eyes. "You know what?" Harry looked at her again and stood up and began walking towards Professor Binns. The Professor was floating at his podium reading a book.

"Professor," Harry said as the Professor looked up at him.

"Yes, Potter?"

"You know the research project Jamie turned in-"

"Yes, I thought it was very good," Professor Binns said cutting Harry off.

"Well actually-"

"Don't worry Potter, it was an A+ paper, really thought out."

"That's the problem," Harry said, "I didn't get to think it out."

"I'm sorry?"

"Jamie wrote the whole thing, and just put my name on it."

"Ms. Sullivan did what? Come with me boy." Harry followed Professor Binns towards their table where Jamie was still reading. She looked up when they were standing in front of her.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked the professor innocently.

"Yes," Professor Binns became, "as a matter of fact you can. Can you happen to tell me why you took the liberty to do this project by yourself without Mr. Potter's help?" Jamie glanced at Harry sensing his involvement.

"Look, Professor, I really needed this grade and-"

"And was so cooped up thinking about yourself that you forgot about Potter?" People began looking at them, and Jamie turned her head and looked through the window that was next to her.

"It's not that," she said quietly.

"And then you lied to your professor. I thought better of you Jamie, but perhaps, I was wrong!" Harry noticed that Ron and Hermione even heard Professor Binns. He looked at Jamie and started to feel horrible guilty. He didn't mean for Professor Binns to come and start yelling at her.

"As punishment, you two will work together starting over on the project, and another: The History of cauldron making." With that, Professor Binns floated away towards his podium.

Harry looked at Jamie and sat down, she was still looking out the window.

"Jamie, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean for him to start yell-"

"Don't apologize Harry, it was my fault," she said without looking at him. Then the bell rang, and they began to pack their things.

"So, when do you want to meet?" Harry asked.

"What?"

"For the projects, when should we work on them?"

"I'll meet you here after school," she said still not looking at him.

"Alright," Harry said quietly. As Jamie began walking out the library doors, he thought of something.

"Jamie wait!" Jamie turned and looked down. "Do you want to sit with me, Ron, and Hermione during lunch today?"

"Thanks Harry, but I'm really busy." With that, she took off into the hall. Harry watched her leave until he felt something slap his shoulder.

"Ready to go?" Ron asked. "I'm starving. Work makes me hungry," he said and Hermione snorted. When they all sat down in the Great Hall, Ron began asking Harry what happened in the library.

"Oh, that was kind of my fault," he replied.

"How?" Hermione asked. Harry was about to eat, but then suddenly lost his appetite.

"I told on Jamie for doing the research and handing it in all by herself."

"She what?" Ron and Hermione said together.

"Why did you tell on her? Did she have your name on it at least?" Ron asked and Hermione hit his arm.

"Yeah, but I don't know why it got my so mad. I mean, if it were someone else, I don't think that I would have cared as much."

"Maybe because you didn't want her to think that you weren't capable of the project, and that you wanted her to think better of you," Hermione pointed out.

"I guess," Harry replied still thinking.

"Well," Ron began. "I wish my partner were like that," he said giving Hermione a look.

"You didn't even do anything! You just sat there and every time I looked to see what you were doing, you were looking at something."

"I was not!" Ron exclaimed.

"What were you staring at anyways?" Hermione asked.

"I was staring at the...the...plant. Yeah, the plant that was on the other side of you. I thought I was it move." Ron said with a satisfied look on his face.

The rest of the day seemed to go by really slowly for Harry, and when the final bell rang, he headed straight towards the library. When he got there, he saw that Jamie was already there at the same table they were at earlier that morning. He went towards the table and sat down across from her.

"Hey."

"Hey," she replied without looking at him. "So, I was researching, and I thought we could use his as an introduction because it's really specific," then she stopped and said more quietly, "if it's ok with you."

"Yeah," Harry said without reading the paper. There was an awkward silence between them.

"Look, Jamie, about this morning-"

"I told you, forget about it, it was my fault," she said quietly looking at her paper.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that I am really sorry." She still didn't look up at him which really irritated Harry.

"Can you at least look at me?" Still no change. After ten minutes had past, Harry thought of striking up a conversation.

"Did you know what happened to Ron during Divination class?" Jamie shook her head. "He was sleeping and then when Professor Trelawney was at her table, she started poking him, and when he woke up her face was the first thing he saw, and he got so scared he fell out of his seat." Jamie smiled a little.

"Is that why he was screaming?"

"Yeah, and Professor Trelawney thought he had a vision, so she started asking him all these questions." Jamie laughed a little, and Harry looked at her. "Jamie, we're friends right?"

At this question, Jamie finally looked into his green eyes.

"Only if you promise one thing," she said with a smile.

"What?"

"You have to promise that you won't fall in love with me." Harry laughed a little but stopped when he saw that her face was serious.

"That's not a problem." After that, they began talking about Ron and Hermione. It felt good to Harry that he had someone else to talk to besides the people who knew him best.

"You can totally tell that they have a crush on each other," Jamie said smiling. "Today, all Ron did in the library was stare at her." Harry smiled.

"He told her he was staring at a plant," and they both laughed. "You should have seen him during the Yule Ball when she was with Viktor Krum."

"What did he say?"

"He told her that she was fraternizing with the the enemy," and they both were laughing again, until they heard someone clear their throat. Harry and Jamie looked over and saw Cho Chang walking towards them.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

"Well actually-" Jamie began.

"Harry can I have a word with you?" she said looking at Harry.

"Uh...sure," Harry said and began to stand up.

"Could you give us a moment," Cho asked Jamie. Jamie looked over at both of them and said to Harry, "Sure, I had to get another book anyways." She walked over to a bookcase and Harry watched her leave.

"Are you two, you know, together?" Cho asked Harry.

"What? Me and Jamie. No, we're friends.

"Then why are you two here? Laughing?"

"We were assigned to a project together. Anyways why does it matter?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Because," Cho began, looking to see if Jamie was nearby. "I think she's evil Harry."

"What?"

"I mean nobody knows anything about her, do you?"

"No," answered Harry.

"Well anywaysI heard rumorsof how her parents were drunk and how she does drugs all the time."

"Who said this?" Harry asked. He looked over at the bookshelves and saw a pair of hazel eyes looking at them.

"Never mind. Anyways, the other thing I wanted to tell you Harry is that I've been thinking a lot about us."

"About...us?" Harry asked.

"Harry, I know in the past, I wasn't a very nice person to you, but I was so upset about Cedric, and I'm over it now. I think we should give it another shot." Harry didn't know what to say.

"Well...err.."

"Think about it," she said and rose out of her chair and kissed Harry on the cheek and left. Harry sat there daze, thinking about what had happened. He didn't even notice Jamie sit down and looking at him.

"So," Jamie said opening her book. Harry looked at her, then looked at her necklace for the first time. It was a small black cross, and Harry didn't know what it meant.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Harry asked.

"No, of course not. But I overheard," she said smiling. Harry looked at her. "I'm serious, I'm not on drugs or anything," and Harry smiled too.

"She seems to like you," Harry said.

"So, are you going to get back together with her?"

"Not that it's any of your business but I don't know. Do you like her?"

"Who? Ms. Prissy?" Jamie asked and started laughing. "I mean, she's not a really nice person."

"Why? What did she do to you?"

"She didn't do anything to me," Jamie said and Harry thought he heard her say 'yet'. "But she didn't believe Dumbledore when he said Voldemort was back."

"A lot of people didn't," Harry remarked.

"I know," Jamie said.

"Are you close to Dumbledore?"

"Yeah, we're really close," Jamie said smiling. "He helped me out when no one else did."

"I know what you mean." Harry replied.

"Anyways, Cho also dated my ex boyfriend. Or should I say cheated on me with Cho."

"So you hate her because she cheated with your ex?" Jamie shook her head.

"Hate is a curved blade Harry, and the harm that we do to others is also the harm we do to ourselves. Besides, I don't hate her. I dislike her."

"Wait a minute," Harry said trying to sink in her words, "Michael Corner was your ex boyfriend?"

"Yeah, why do you sound so surprised?"

"Because...because he's a really stupid guy." Harry said.

"Oh yeah? Whys that?"

"Because he gave up you," Harry said quietly and turned red. Jamie didn't smile.

"I think we're about done here. All you need to do for the second one is write the conclusion," she said not looking at Harry again.

"Yeah, sure. It got dark pretty fast."

"Alright, ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah," and together they walked towards the common room. "So, I was wondering if you want to have lunch with me, Ron, and Hermione tomorrow. That is if you're not too busy."

Jamie smiled at him and smacked his arm.

"Are you sure your posse won't mind?"

"I'm pretty sure," Harry said. Once they got into the Gryffindor common room, Jamie stopped Harry from walking, and nudged her head towards the sofa. Harry craned over and saw Ron and Hermione fast asleep with Hermione's head on Ron's shoulder, and Ron's head on hers. Jamie and Harry both smiled at each other.

"I'll see you tomorrow Harry, at lunch," Jamie said parting to go in her room. Harry walked into his dormitory put on his sweats, and fell fast asleep, and then realized that what Hermione had said about him was right.

A/N: Hope you all like this chapter! I got the hate is a curved blade quote from the book The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. Please Read and Review !