A/N: My first entry to the Rare-Pair Oneshot Compendium for the Frickles & Friends Discord Server! Fun fact: there is not a single H/Demelza *tagged* pairing on FFN, and only 3 non-harem fics that have her as Harry's romantic partner. What's that about?
After five years, Demelza Robins easily recognised the signs of an impending eruption.
"Look, Weasley, I'm not asking you to spill any state secrets. I only want to know-"
Demelza's roommate and longtime friend snapped back, eyes flashing in warning. "-what really happened. So you said the last two times you asked. I already told you, bugger off!"
Zacharias Smith must have never learned what happened to the curious cat - 'Do wizards even have that saying?' - because he opened his big mouth once again. "I was in the DA, too, just because I wasn't at- aaaagggghhh!"
Ginny watched in satisfaction as her Bat-Bogey Hex lanced into the pushy Hufflepuff, sending him to the floor of the train corridor, writhing in agony.
"I must say," a new voice interjected, "That was a rather inspired bit of spell-casting."
Ginny turned, nonplussed at being interrupted, her expression still irritated even after meeting the eye of the adult in ostentatious robes, twirling his long white mustachio. "Who are you?"
"Horace Slughorn, I'll be assuming the position of Potions instructor. And your name?"
"Ginny Weasley," she responded, the slightest touch of contrition leaking into her voice. "Smith was harassing us, I only wanted him to go away."
Demelza winced, well aware Slughorn had seen the whole thing, but he didn't call her out on her lie. Instead, he chortled happily, holding out an ornate parchment card. "I'd be delighted to have you join me in the last car for some refreshments. Say, in fifteen minutes?"
"Sure," Ginny said, with the supreme confidence of a girl who knew she would face no consequences. "I'll see you there."
Demelza followed her into their compartment, stepping around Smith's still-moaning form and closing the door behind her. "That was lucky."
"I'll say," Ginny said, flouncing down onto the bench seating. "When did he show up? He came from the direction you were looking."
"Sorry," she said, with a wary eye at Ginny's expression. "I didn't recognise him, and wasn't sure-"
"It's fine. After five years, you're about as predictable as the sun rising. It all worked out, so don't sweat it, Mouse."
The casual delivery of her words didn't in any way lessen the veracity of the truth contained therein, and Demelza remained silent until Ginny slipped out a few minutes later.
September 15, 1996
'Mouse'.
It had been Lee Jordan who'd coined the unfortunate nickname, resulting from the time she'd loudly squeaked in fright when it was discovered Sirius Black attempted a break-in to the Gryffindor dormitories. Ginny punched him square in the nose for making fun of her, and to this day, glowered darkly at anyone who so much as breathed the word around them, but it didn't stop her from using it herself.
Demelza often wondered if the Sorting Hat made the right choice, assigning her to the House of the Brave. She was shy, quiet, a consummate wallflower if ever there was one. Her First Year at Hogwarts was terribly lonely, an all-encompassing anxiety keeping her isolated from her peers.
The next year, though, all that changed. Ginny Weasley, who'd been kidnapped by the Heir of Slytherin, was just as lonely as Demelza. It seemed a natural fit - Ginny, who'd undergone a terrible trauma she struggled to overcome; and Demelza, who ached for friendships she was too paralyzed to pursue. The two girls, as opposite as could be, forged a close bond that carried through the ensuing years.
But as the years passed and Ginny's ordeal in the Chamber of Secrets faded from immediacy, the stark contrasts between the two girls started to cause friction. It was the Yule Ball, their Third Year, where Demelza realised her friend wasn't the same lonely, scared girl she'd grown so close to. Ginny received several invitations to the dance, but refused all of them. She confided to Demelza she was waiting for Harry Potter to ask her, and it was only when they found out he was taking one of the Patil twins that she approached Neville to take her.
While Demelza remained fixed, trapped in the static prison of her social anxiety, Ginny blossomed into a vivacious, confident, and proud young woman. The more Ginny shined, the greater the shadow she cast.
That was going to change, Demelza promised herself, squeezing the shaft of her Cleansweep Six. It was a pre-owned broomstick, missing several twigs and had a crack running down the centre from a prior collision. It was several generations old - Cleansweep had just released the Eleven series earlier this year - but it was hers.
Demelza's parents had scrimped and saved the whole year to buy it for her. She was going to make them proud.
"Look, if you're not here to try out, get out of here!" Harry shouted, visibly frustrated. He turned to Ginny's older brother, Ron, continuing in a quieter voice. "I swear, most of them aren't even in Gryffindor!" Ron, looking rather green around the gills, shrugged helplessly.
"Right. Beaters, in the air. Katie, release the bludgers, will you?" Harry floated into the air, accompanied by a half-dozen flyers wielding beater's bats. As Demelza watched them smack the iron balls at Harry, Ginny came to stand alongside her.
"I didn't know you played quidditch."
Ginny was watching the beater candidates attempt to hit Harry, the captain darting between the whistling iron balls with practised ease. Still, there was genuine curiosity in her voice. "You know how great the team was. I didn't see much point in embarrassing myself."
"Hmm. Are you any good?"
Demelza opened her mouth to respond that of course she was, why else would she be trying out? Instead, she replied, "I don't know, it's not easy to practise over the holidays."
"Tell me about it," Ginny said with a wry grin. "My whole life my mum thought I was too 'delicate' for quidditch. I had to sneak out at night to fly, while my brothers could take a bludger to the head right in front of her!"
"You still caught the snitch in your first ever game, though," Demelza pointed out.
"Maybe so, but that doesn't have any relevance to today's try-out. Harry's the seeker."
There was a note of hesitation in her voice, something Demelza hadn't heard out of her friend in years. Confidence wasn't something Ginny Weasley lacked; at least, not since their Third Year. It reminded Demelza of better times. "I'm sure you'll do great."
Ginny laughed. "With this lot as my competition? Yea, I'll do fine."
She tried not to wince. "So, what are you nervous about? Is- is it because Harry's-"
"Shh! Shut up!"
Demelza gestured to where Harry was at least a hundred feet in the air, corkscrewing upward while three bludgers whizzed around him. "I don't think he's eavesdropping."
"Fine," Ginny huffed. "It's not me I'm worried about. It's him." She nodded her head to where her older brother stood, anxiously shifting his broom from hand to hand. "You're going for chaser, too, right?"
"Yea."
Ginny nodded, and the two watched as Harry spoke with Jimmy Peakes, a Third Year that had beaned him in the back of a head with a particularly well-placed bludger, and Ritchie Coote, a boy in Demelza and Ginny's year who, of all the candidates, had no trouble steering his broom with his legs while swinging his beater bat. Harry slapped their shoulders, motioning for them to stand off to the side, and thanked the rest for trying out.
"Chasers! You're up!"
Demelza hopped onto her broom, ensuring her hand placement was perfect for quick adjustment in flight. She floated alongside Ginny to where Harry was hovering above the pitch next to Katie Bell.
"You'll each do two laps around the pitch. I'll throw you a pass," at this, he raised a quaffle, "and you'll throw it back. I'll judge you based on speed, accuracy, and handling. Is that clear?" The nine hopefuls all nodded and voiced their understanding.
Katie went first, like lightning around the pitch, catching and passing with workman-like efficiency. There was no flash, no theatrics, just effortless catches and perfectly aimed passes. Demelza felt her confidence melt away in the face of the Seventh Year's skill.
When she finished, she joined Harry above the centre of the pitch. Ginny went next, nearly equalling Katie, but opposite in every other way. She threw no-look passes, raced ahead of where the quaffle was thrown in order to do flashy loops to grab it, and in one case, even snagged the large ball while upside-down, her broom clutched between her thighs. It was impressive.
"Next!"
Demelza was up, the next in line, but her nerves paralyzed her. She inched her broom backwards and allowed the Sixth Year to her side, Dean Thomas, to go instead. She continued to drift out of the row of hopefuls as the others tried out, all with much less success than Ginny or Katie.
She couldn't do this. Her parents told her it was time to step out of her friends' shadows, to be her own person this year, but that wasn't who Demelza was. It was safe in the shadows, easier to be overlooked. There was no humiliation, no embarrassment there.
"Hey! Are you trying out or not?" Harry called to her, clearly out of patience and irritated at the way the tryouts had gone to this point.
"I-" Demelza looked down at the stands that were still full of students. "This was a mistake, I'm sorry."
She turned her broom to return to the ground, but didn't make it very far before Katie intercepted her, sidling up alongside her. "You're Robins, right? Fifth Year?"
"Yea."
"You came to watch every practise last year, didn't you?"
She hadn't thought anyone noticed her. "Yea."
"So you want this, don't you?" Katie pressed, reaching out to touch Demelza's elbow. "I'll level with you, Robins. Besides Weasley, the others aren't going to make it. You might be the difference between winning the Cup and losing every game."
That kind of pressure wasn't helping. "I'm not- you can't depend on me like that!"
"You were in the DA last year, weren't you?" Harry floated over, quaffle tucked under his arm. "I remember you blasting Colin across the room with a Disarming Charm."
Poor Colin. She'd felt terrible for days after that! "Yea. I don't see what that has to do with anything, though."
"No? You risked expulsion to join an illegal student duelling club, but quidditch tryouts are too much for you?"
"That wasn't- it's not the same."
"How come?" Harry's irritation from before disappeared, now he sounded genuinely curious.
That question, at least, was easy enough to answer. "Everyone was always staring at you. Now, they're staring at me."
He smiled and patted her on the back. "Don't worry. If you make the team, I'll do my best to keep everyone's attention again." Katie laughed, and Demelza couldn't hold back a giggle. He was right. Harry never faded into the background. "So what do you say? Gonna give it a go?"
"Okay. Yes."
Katie smiled and joined Harry in the centre of the pitch, and Demelza readied herself. She glanced down, seeing Ginny playing with a strand of her hair while she chatted with Dean, then back at Harry, who offered her a comforting smile. He raised the quaffle with one hand and blew his whistle.
She could do this.
"Thank Merlin, he made it. If Cormac got the slot instead of Ron, I might've shoved his keeper gloves down his throat."
"I don't know," Dean said. "I can commiserate. A lot of students were waiting for spots to open up; the team's lineup has been ironclad for years."
"I'm sorry, honey." He was obviously morose over not landing a chaser spot. "Who'd have guessed our little Demelza was such an accomplished flyer?"
"Sorry, Dean."
"Don't apologise to him! You were great. I can't wait for you to feed me passes. I'm looking to break the single-season points record!"
The three of them walked through the corridors casually, in no particular hurry to get back to the Tower. Unfortunately, though, being out and about apparently left them targets of opportunity for unpleasant individuals.
"Weasley!"
Demelza let out a frightened sound, startled at the sudden appearance of their Defence Professor. He swooped down on them like an overgrown bat, looking down his hooked nose with a disdainful expression.
Naturally, Ginny showed no hint of trepidation. "Can I help you?"
"Five points from Gryffindor for your disrespect, Weasley. Since you're always following Potter around, I assume you'll have no problem finding him to deliver this. Make sure he knows I don't care how many parties he's invited to, I need him to sort out the rotten flobberworms from the fresh ones." Snape thrust a folded piece of parchment at her before storming away as briskly as he arrived.
"What was all that about, you following Harry around?" Dean asked, wearing a scowl.
"Not this again," Ginny sighed. "I'm taking you to Slughorn's party tonight, aren't I? Give me a minute with Demelza, I'll catch up." She waited until Dean had walked out of earshot before she turned, holding out the note. "Here. I'm sure Harry's in the common room."
Demelza stared at it, uncomprehending. "You want me to deliver this? Why?"
Ginny looked behind her, evaluating the distance between them and Dean before responding. "Anything Snape has to say to Harry likely isn't good news. You know what they say about the messenger." Demelza hesitated, remembering Harry's many outbursts the year before. He could be pretty intimidating. "Go on, be a pal. Besides, I need to deal with Dean."
Demelza took the note and hurried to Gryffindor Tower. Sure enough, Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione, all three of them looking rather cross. "Harry?"
He turned around, and his annoyance softened. "Yes?"
"Professor Snape asked- he told me to give you this," she said. "He said your detention takes priority over Professor Slughorn's party."
"Bad luck, mate," Ron said.
"He also said you'll be picking out rotten flobberworms from the supplies," Demelza said, wincing as a look like thunder crossed Harry's face.
He snatched the note out of her hands, glancing it over before crumpling it up and throwing it into the fire. "Great. I guess I better go change into something I'm willing to never wear again."
Demelza awkwardly remained where she was, but Ron and Hermione went right back to arguing like she wasn't standing there. They, too, were talking about Slughorn's party - it must be quite an affair, if everyone was so excited for it. It figured Snape would try and ruin it for Harry.
He came back down, dressed in baggy and heavily worn clothing. Shooting a look at his two bickering friends, he seemed to think better of saying goodbye and turned towards the exit.
She didn't know why she followed. Maybe it was because Ginny was off with Dean, unlikely to be back until after curfew; maybe it was that she didn't feel like doing homework. Or maybe it was because Harry had encouraged her the day before at the tryouts, and she felt like she owed him for her spot on the team.
"Hey! Wait up!"
Harry slowed, but didn't stop. "Sorry, Demelza, but if I'm late, Snape'll add on another detention."
She matched his pace. "It's a rotten move, keeping you from going to that party. Everyone's angling for an invite."
"I suppose you wanted to go?" Harry asked, giving her a sidelong glance.
Demelza imagined the event Slughorn had planned; fine food and drink, important and influential people, the most popular and well-connected students dressed in their best…. "No. Definitely not." Just the thought was terrifying - there would be nowhere to hide.
"Really?"
"Really," she said definitively. "But it's not fair that you couldn't go."
Harry made a 'hmph' noise. "About the only way my evening could be worse than going to that party is spending it with Snape." He looked over as they stepped onto the Grand Staircase, seeing her disbelieving expression. "What?"
"I'm just surprised. Everyone else seems pretty excited."
"If they had to put up with Slughorn parading them around like a prized pig, they might not be so enthusiastic." He paused as they rounded the corner to the passage leading to the dungeons. Harry looked almost surprised. "You should probably head back to the Tower. Thanks... for walking with me."
Demelza ducked her head, allowing her bangs to fall over her face, an old habit when she felt embarrassed. "Sure, no problem."
"I mean it," he went on. "Snape's enough of a berk as is; going in there angry would have made it worse."
He did seem to be less irritated than before. "Right. Well, um, bye."
Harry shot a crooked grin at her, then squared his shoulders like a man marching to his execution. She watched him until he reached the door of the potions laboratory, an unexpected sigh parting her lips.
On a whim, Demelza decided to take the long way back to the Gryffindor dorms. Ginny was likely still off with Dean, after all, and it wasn't as though there was anyone else to spend time with. She wandered away, a small smile on her face.
October 12, 1996
It was a miserable day, with cold, driving rain falling in sheets. Demelza tightened the fastenings on her cloak despite being in the warmth of the carriage. Sugar Quills and Blood Pops weren't worth this; she should have stayed in the castle.
"-are you listening?"
"Huh?" She started, dragging her gaze away from the window and instantly wishing she hadn't. Both Ginny and Dean were staring at her. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I was wondering what you were going to do in the village," Dean said, no doubt trying to ensure she wouldn't be a third wheel on their date.
"Oh, I don't know. I figured I'd go to Honeyduke's, and maybe see if anything new came in to Tomes and Scrolls." He nodded, obviously satisfied with her response. "What about you guys? Going to the Three Broomsticks?"
"Madam Puddifoot's, actually," Dean replied casually, an attitude his girlfriend didn't share as she leaned across the carriage towards Demelza.
"You're going to spend the whole visit alone, aren't you?" Demelza shifted her eyes away from Ginny's intent stare, choosing to look back to the gloomy scenery instead. "How much longer are you going to live like this? You turn sixteen in three months! You have to grow up sometime!"
"I'm grown up," she mumbled, to no avail, as Ginny made a frustrated noise.
"Why don't you ever date? Take someone to Hogsmeade and live a little?"
Demelza shrugged helplessly. "Nobody ever asks me," she said.
"Then ask them yourself! You spend so much time trying not to be noticed, you can hardly blame boys for thinking you're not interested! Just pick someone you fancy, and march up to them and say 'wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?' It's not that hard!"
"Yea," she lied, to put an end to this uncomfortable topic. "You're right, I should."
Ginny was wrong. While it was true that she preferred not to stand out, she was well aware no boys were interested. A single look at her roommate was explanation enough; unlike her, Demelza would never be accused of making tongues wag when she walked by.
Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help but compare herself to the beautiful young woman seated across from her. Whereas Ginny's red hair was shiny and perfectly straight, Demelza's dirty-blonde locks somehow managed to be both wavy and limp all at once. Ginny, like her brothers, was tall and like her mother, shapely, while Demelza felt short and squat next to her.
Suddenly, she felt even more miserable about coming.
"All you need is more confidence. You're on the quidditch team now, things will be different this year," Ginny said, then let out a sigh. "You'll just have to hang out with us. It's okay, right, Dean?" His face showed it wasn't, but he nodded anyway.
"No! You guys have plans-, I- it's nice of you to offer, but I'll be fine."
"Don't argue with me, Mouse. I'm not going to let my best friend spend the day alone," Ginny said, then turned to her boyfriend. "And don't you make that face at me. I'm sure she won't mind getting a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks while we have some alone time at the tea shop. Get over it."
Neither of them had the will to argue, and the rest of the carriage ride went by in awkward silence. The three of them wandered the village together, but only Ginny seemed to be having a good time. Dean obviously didn't want her there, and Demelza was torn between guilt for intruding on their date and gratitude at Ginny's determined effort to keep her from being alone. The tension was enough that, when they finally parted ways, she felt a sense of relief.
Ginny had dropped her off at the entrance to the Three Broomsticks, and more than two minutes later, Demelza still stood outside. Every time someone walked in or out, she could see flashes of just how crowded the interior was. She'd never gone inside without Ginny; the thought of sitting, alone, was mortifying. Maybe she should just head back to the castle; leaving this early would guarantee she wouldn't have to share a carriage, after all…
'No!' This is exactly what she'd promised her mother she wouldn't do! Things were going to be different; she was going to be different! Demelza reached out, her hand perched inches away from the door handle. Ginny was right, she wasn't the Gryffindor Mouse any longer. She was a chaser for the reigning Quidditch Cup champions!
"Hey Robins, what're you doing?" She turned around, grateful for the excuse to step away from the entrance. Katie Bell was standing behind her, next to Leanne Livingston, another Seventh Year. "If you're waiting for your friends, I can think of better places than out in the rain."
"Oh, I'm not- I was going to go catch one of the carriages, actually."
"Nonsense! Let's head in, you look like you could use a drink," she said, cheerfully linking her arm with Demelza's and practically dragging her into the tavern. "Crowded, like usual!"
The three of them snagged a table in the centre of the room by good fortune, a group of Hufflepuff Third Years having stood up to leave seconds after they entered. A distracted Rosmerta came by to take their order, and within minutes the three girls were sipping warm mugs of butterbeer.
"I'm surprised you're not here with a handsome young man by your side," Leanne said, the teasing lilt in her voice making Demelza's face heat up. She gulped her butterbeer to hide her blush.
"Oh, leave her alone, will you? You ask me, she's got her priorities straight. Dating in OWL and NEWT years is always a recipe for disaster. Remember you and Randall in Fifth Year?"
"Why'd you have to bring that up?" Leanne asked indignantly.
Katie laughed. "Sorry, but you brought it on yourself. Anyway," she said, directing the conversation back to the younger girl, "you've been doing really great in practise. I just know we're going to flatten Slytherin!"
Demelza smiled and nodded, happy at the kind words but content to allow the conversation to move away from her. Leanne and Katie, to their credit, must have recognised this and started to chat about the differences between Slughorn and Snape. While the two older girls talked, Demelza allowed her eyes to drift, taking in the environment of rowdy and excited students.
Through the general milieu of people streaming in and out, a familiar face caught her attention. A group of Fourth Year Ravenclaw girls all stood up, offering their booth to Harry and his friends with giggles and smiles, and he awkwardly thanked them and took a seat. He was with his friends like always, and as was usual for those two, they appeared in the midst of bickering with each other.
Harry seemed to be doing his best to ignore them, propping his head up with a hand under his chin while he waited for Rosmerta to notice them. It was funny, for how popular Harry was, he never seemed to leave the company of Ron and Hermione. Sort of like her and Ginny, now that Demelza thought about it-
"Oh my, what's this now?" Katie leaned forward and interrupted her musing, sotto voce. "Has our fearless captain caught your attention?"
"What? No!" she squeaked. "I was just- just…"
Leanne and Katie exchanged sly grins. "You wouldn't be the first chaser to get distracted by the snitch. There's something romantic about a seeker, isn't there? Part of the team, but working alone, isolated, the fate of the match held in their fingertips…" she broke off, Leanne giggling all the while.
"It's not like that!" But Demelza's protests were ignored, the girls gently teasing her about her supposed crush until Katie stood up.
"Gotta run to the loo, you know how butterbeer goes right through you!" she darted off and immediately disappeared into the crowd.
"We were just funning with you," Leanne said. "I hope you don't mind."
"It's okay," Demelza said, and meant it. It had been kind of nice; for once, she'd been the center of attention and not in an uncomfortable way. "I know you don't really think I should date Harry Potter."
"And why not?" Leanne asked. "Just because he routinely does the impossible doesn't mean he isn't still a boy. And after that whole thing with Chang last year, we all know he likes quidditch players."
"Yea, but look at her," Demelza said. "Even if I did like him, I'm not his type. I'm no Cho, or Gi-" she abruptly cut herself off, slapping a hand over her mouth.
Leanne glanced over her shoulder at the boy in question for a moment, then turned back to Demelza, regarding her thoughtfully for several moments. "You know, Katie likes you a lot. She's been saying we should invite you to hang with us for a while now. I think she's going to try and mentor you or something."
"Really?" Leanne's words warmed her insides more than the butterbeer could ever hope to.
"Yea, she- Oh, hey! Must not have been a long line if you're back already!" Leanne said, but Katie walked right past her as though she hadn't spoken.
"Katie? Where are you going?" She ignored Demelza's question, moving insistently towards the exit.
"C'mon, let's see what's up," Leanne said with a tinge of worry.
The two girls hurried after her, catching up with her on the cobblestone street. "Hey, what's wrong?" Katie didn't reply, so Leanne moved to block her path. "Where'd you get that?"
The expression on her older teammate's face was frighteningly vacant, Katie's eyes empty and unfocused. "Got to go back to the castle," she mumbled.
"Let me see that," Leanne said, reaching for the wrapped paper bundle.
"Get away from me!" Katie shouted, shoving her away with one hand.
"No! Not until I figure out what's wrong with you!"
Their struggle continued in the middle of the street, the unrelenting rain ceaselessly continuing to fall. Demelza's anxiety spiked, and she twisted her hands together, unsure of what to do.
"Katie?" A new voice asked, just as Leanne was knocked to the ground as her outstretched hand tore away the paper lining the mysterious package. "What's going on?"
A silver necklace lined with opal gemstones fell out, tumbling away from the fighting girls and sliding over the wet cobblestones near Demelza's feet. Without thinking, she reached down to pick it up.
"Leave it alone, you little bitch!"
Her outstretched arm froze. Wasn't- didn't Leanne say Katie liked her? Why was she so angry?
That moment of inaction was all the time Katie needed to dive to the ground, her gloved hand extended for the fallen jewelry. The moment her fingers closed around the necklace, though, a rush of magic exploded outward.
It didn't take an expert to feel the sheer malevolence radiating from the suddenly active enchantment on the necklace. Katie slowly rose into the air, floating as if under a levitation charm, releasing the most bloodcurdling scream Demelza had ever heard.
"KATIE!" Leanne cried, rushing over along with Harry - to whom the new voice belonged, Demelza belatedly realised - trying to tug her back to the ground.
He got one look at the necklace she held and pushed Leanne away. "It's cursed, don't touch it! Ron, help me out here; Demelza, Hermione, get help, NOW!"
She spared one last look at Katie's agonized expression, at her writhing, convulsing body, and took off running back towards the tavern.
"One more time, everybody! You've got this, Ron, I can tell you're finding your groove."
Demelza sighed, rotating her throwing arm in an attempt to ease some of her soreness. Ginny floated on her own broom over to her, keeping her voice low while Harry spoke to Ron in an overly cheerful manner. "Yea, right. I'm not sure if it's more tiring running these drills, or having to go fetch the quaffle every time after Ron blows the save."
"It's not like the extra practise doesn't help the rest of us," Demelza offered, trying to find a positive after three practises in a row ran late. "Dean's a good flyer, but his aim…"
"I know," Ginny sighed. "If he were shooting on anyone other than my brother, he'd be shut out. Losing Katie hurts a lot."
It hurt a lot more than just their Cup chances. It had been two weeks since Katie had been cursed in Hogsmeade and Madam Pomfrey told Demelza that, while she'd survived the curse, she was still gravely injured and it would require months of treatment at St. Mungo's before she recovered fully.
If she recovered fully.
"Chasers, on me!" Harry called out, and the three of them flew over to where Harry waited, on the opposite side of the pitch from Ron. "We're going to do one more run, and for Merlin's sake, go easy on him."
"I have been going easy on him," Ginny muttered.
"I'm serious, his confidence is shot. Let's end this practise on a high note, okay?"
While they prepared for their last run, her thoughts returned to their missing teammate. Demelza felt horrible, consumed with guilt. She didn't know whether to feel furious or frightened that Katie was only able to pick up the unwrapped necklace thanks to her inaction. If she'd only- if only she were someone else, maybe Katie wouldn't be unresponsive in a hospital bed.
Or maybe Demelza herself would be lying there instead.
The three of them flew in a standard wedge formation, breaking apart well short of where they normally would to give Ron a clear indication of where the quaffle was going. Demelza threw a slow, wobbly pass to Ginny and split off, pulling up and planning to coast past the left-most goal while Ginny threw a weak shot to the right.
It should have been an easy block with how much they telegraphed it, but Ron lurched toward Demelza like a firstie on day one of flying lessons. She was slow to react, surprised that he missed such an obvious pass. That meant when he flailed his arms out to stop the quaffle that wasn't there, one of his gloved hands smashed into her face.
It was such a surprise; the blow stunned Demelza, and she lost her grip on her broomstick, tumbling off the shaft with a surprised cry. Her stomach dropped as she started to fall, but the sensation only lasted seconds before she crashed into something else.
It was Harry, his broom rocking back and forth in mid-air as he tried to adjust for the additional weight and stabilize his broom. She grabbed onto him, wrapping both her arms around his neck. He brought them both to the ground, while Ginny put all of Dean's skill on his broom to the test, doing his best to keep her from attacking her brother.
"You absolute idiot! What's the matter with you, a garden gnome on a broom could have stopped that shot!"
"Are you okay? I need to get up there before she hexes him," Harry said, helping her off his broom. "Oh Merlin, she might just hex Dean to get at him." He slipped out from beneath her arms, taking off and flying up to try and negotiate a truce between the furious Weasley siblings.
Demelza didn't hear their argument, didn't hear Harry yelling for them to hit the showers, or his last attempt at trying to shore up his keeper's self-esteem. Her daze was only broken when Ginny gently took hold of her chin, angling her face upwards to get a good look at her injury.
"Definitely a split lip, probably going to leave a bruise. Here, let me clean off the blood." The stinging of a scourgify ran across her face, and Ginny took a closer look. "You seem a little out of it."
"I'm alright. He didn't hit me that hard."
"He shouldn't have hit you at all, the bloody plonker!" Ginny's fists clenched and her eyes narrowed, obviously still furious.
Harry landed beside them, smoothly dismounting to a standing position like he was born on a broom. "How is she?"
Demelza felt all the blood in her body rush into her cheeks, positive her face must be glowing red. "It doesn't- I mean, I- um, it's okay. Err, it doesn't r-really hurt."
Harry's eyebrows rose in response to her stuttering mess of a sentence, and Ginny slipped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm taking her to Madam Pomfrey, I think she might have a concussion."
He sighed. "Right. I'll sort everything out here and get the equipment put away. Make sure she's alright."
Ginny and Dean guided her through the corridors to the Hospital Wing, continuing a running commentary on Ron's keeping ability. That left Demelza to her own thoughts, which suited her just fine.
She replayed the moment after she fell over and over in her mind, imagining how it must have happened from an outsider's perspective. Harry darting forward, crossing half the pitch in seconds, arms outstretched to break her fall. Her fingers twitched, recalling how it felt to hold him tightly, bodies pressed together on his broom.
They entered the infirmary, and Madam Pomfrey wasted no time in healing her swollen face, nodding along as Ginny relayed her worries about a possible concussion. A few diagnostic spells later, the healer lowered her wand.
"You're sure nothing's wrong?"
Demelza's lips stretched upwards in an uncontrollable smile. "Yes."
For once, for the first time in five years at Hogwarts, everything was right.
"WEASLEY! WEASLEY! WEASLEY!"
The common room erupted into cheers as the team, sans Harry, entered. Ron's face, though red at the chant, shone with pride, and a crowd of well-wishers and congratulators surrounded him. The beaters, Jimmy and Ritchie, split off from the rest of the team to grab refreshments and mingle with friends from their own years. The chasers stuck together, opening bottles of butterbeer and watching the scene play out before them.
"I have to admit, I never thought he'd actually pull it off," Ginny said, watching as Ron mimed one of his more spectacular saves. "I mean, I knew he had the talent, but by the gods he was awful in practise."
Dean nodded his head towards the curly-haired blonde staring raptly at their keeper. "Looks like he's found the first member of his fan club."
"Ugh, don't remind me. Brown's been fawning over him for weeks, the daft cow. Demelza knows what I mean."
She did. Lavender was constantly talking about Ron in the girls' lavatories. "You did good out there, Dean," she said, trying to shift the topic.
His chest puffed out. "I did, didn't I?"
"Gross! I can't watch this!" Ginny pretended to retch as Lavender took hold of Ron's cheeks and laid a wet one on him. "How classless do you have to be to do that in front of everyone?"
There was laughter among the crowd at first, but it slowly died down as Ron latched onto Lavender's waist and the kiss deepened. The two of them stumbled over to the couch, sprawling out on it, their faces never losing contact. It was like they were attached with a sticking charm at the mouth.
Still, today was a huge victory over their biggest rival, so the party continued. Dean was pulled away to describe some of the action by the Creevey brothers, and now the beaters had a wider audience as well.
Ginny smiled politely when people came to congratulate her but stuck by Demelza's side, continuing to snipe at her brother's conduct. "I mean, honestly, can you imagine doing something like that? He's pathetic!"
The entrance swung open, and Harry walked in with Hermione, his hair still wet and wild from his shower, the top two buttons on his school uniform undone and his tie loose. He stood on tip-toe, looking over the crowd for his team, eyes finding her and Ginny and giving them a wave and a smile.
'Yes,' came the silent response to Ginny's rhetorical question. 'I could imagine doing something like that.'
He approached them and was immediately subjected to a tirade of irritated comments about Ron from Ginny, frowning at the spectacle himself. "Wait, where did Hermione go?"
"Harry!" Romilda Vane, a popular Fourth Year, suddenly appeared as if out of nowhere, latching onto Harry's arm. "What an amazing victory! You've got to tell me all about it!"
He answered her questions in a distracted way while still peering around the crowded common room. Demelza's grip around her drink tightened when Romilda innocently inquired about his Christmas plans, noting how the girl managed to 'casually' drop that she heard Slughorn was expecting him at the holiday party with a 'plus one'.
Apparently, she wasn't the only one who had a problem with the way Romilda was draped all over their captain, as Ginny started towards them. "I better go rescue him before she ties him up and drags him into a broom closet," she said, running her fingers through her hair in a manner suggesting altruism wasn't her sole motivation.
A sour feeling rose up in Demelza. "Uh, I think Dean's looking for you," she said, emphasizing his name in a louder-than-usual tone. Sure enough, the Sixth Year perked up from where he was chatting a ways away with the Creeveys and Longbottom, shooting Ginny a charming smile that she weakly returned.
"Right," she muttered, speaking quietly so no one else would overhear the annoyance lacing her words. "I suppose Harry can manage Vane himself. I'll see you, Mouse."
Demelza watched Ginny reluctantly join her boyfriend, leaning her head on his shoulder, then she squared her own. If Harry needed a rescue from the pushy Fourth Year, Demelza would be the one to do it! It's like Leanne had said, 'He's still a boy'. She would… she'd be like Ginny. Harry was her friend - sort of - and he wouldn't mind spending some time with her, would he?
She took a single step towards him and stopped, the excitement and anticipation she felt morphing to despair. Her eyes weren't the only ones that had followed Ginny's path to her boyfriend's side. Harry was looking at the lovely redhead with an expression she'd never seen on his face. An expression of wanting.
November 26, 1996
She was quieter than usual in the ensuing days after their match against Slytherin. It wasn't fair to blame Ginny, but she couldn't stop herself from doing so anyway. She really should have seen this coming.
Meanwhile, Ginny certainly didn't have the patience to deal with Demelza's abrupt moodiness. They'd had a row several weeks back, after the third time Demelza had declined to join her for dinner, citing homework as an excuse.
"What's your problem? I know you don't have homework, we're in the same classes!" she'd shouted at her.
"I want to do well on my OWLs, no one's forcing you to wait to eat on my account," Demelza had snapped back, instantly regretting the words after they left her mouth.
Ginny's eyes had widened; she'd never, in five years, spoken to her like that. But where Demelza would retreat from a hurtful confrontation, Ginny Weasley didn't back down for anyone. "You know what? Fine. You've been pissy with me all week, and I don't need this. I'm tired of begging you to spend time with the one person in this fucking castle that actually wants you around. Enjoy the quiet, Robins."
She'd slammed their dorm room's door and stormed away, and that was the last time they'd spoken outside of quidditch practise in the last three weeks.
Demelza knew she was being unfair. She knew it wasn't Ginny's fault for being beautiful and charming and, most of all, confident. But the quiet injustice at her own inability to match those traits gave way to resentment, and she didn't know how to fix it.
She stood from the table where she was doing homework, walking through the stacks to return the book she'd referenced for her Charms assignment, noting Harry was with Hermione in her usual spot tonight. It seemed like the two Gryffindor girls were in the library at their separate tables every night these days. On occasion Harry joined Hermione, but Demelza never bothered attempting anything more forward with him than occasional stares.
When she got back to her table, though, it wasn't empty like she'd left it. Leanne, Katie's friend, sat in the seat next to hers, spinning Demelza's quill between her fingers with a practised ease. "Hey, how's it going?"
"I'm okay," Demelza said, taking a seat. "How have you been?"
"I'm fine, I guess," she replied, setting Demelza's quill back on her parchment scroll. "It's lonely without Katie."
Demelza didn't respond, not knowing what to say, some of the old guilt from before rising inside her. Leanne turned in her seat to face her. "You've really been hitting the books lately. I don't think anyone's ever stressed over exams this early in the year."
"Hermione is," she said, turning her head to nod towards the bushy-haired girl two tables down. Like magnetism, her eyes latched onto Harry, and it took considerable will to drag her attention back to Leanne.
"Oh please, Granger's here because she can't handle Brown and Weasley's exhibitionism," Leanne scoffed. "That whole drama is totally embarrassing."
"What drama?"
"Granger wants Weasley, for some unfathomable reason. Don't tell me you haven't noticed, they can't come within ten feet of the other without fighting. Everyone's beyond tired of it."
"Oh."
"I didn't come here to talk about them, though. Are you really alright?"
"Yea, sure," she replied right away. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, for one, Sir Nicholas spends more time in Gryffindor Tower than you do. And," here she paused for a moment, "you and Ginny are obviously on the outs."
"Did she tell you that?" Momentary panic seized Demelza, worried over what Ginny might have told other people.
"I asked her, and all she said was she'd hit a rough patch with her boyfriend, and they needed extra time together. She recommended I come check on you."
"Yea, that's right, that's what happened," she agreed, immediately latching onto Ginny's excuse.
Leanne cocked her head at an angle. "That so? Because I made that whole story up just now."
"You- you didn't actually talk to Ginny?"
"Oh, I did. Girl's got quite a temper, which is why I knew she wouldn't have any answers for me. What did she do?"
Demelza could well imagine what Ginny might have told Leanne. "How do you know she did something?"
"She would have said what you did wrong if it was about you, which means it must be about her. So?"
"It's nothing, I've just been busy," Demelza answered evasively, casting an unconscious glance to where Harry was sitting, looking unhappy next to Hermione.
Leanne followed her gaze, her own eyes widening. "Oh. Oh!"
"It's not-"
"Demelza…"
"You don't understand-"
Leanne put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Of course I do. You think this is the first time a boy has come between two friends?"
It seemed so silly, to hear it spoken out loud, and Demelza ducked her head, hiding behind her bangs. "I- I just want him to look at me like that."
"The way he looks at her? Isn't she still dating the Thomas kid?"
"Yea." She thought so, at least. They weren't acting any differently than usual at practise, anyway.
"So… what did Ginny do, exactly?" Demelza was silent. "You're not being very kind to her, it's not like she can control it if Harry fancies her."
"I know."
"C'mon, let's go." Leanne waved her wand, and Demelza's school things began packing themselves into her bag.
"Go where?"
"We're going to find Ginny, so you can apologize and get your friend back."
Absolute terror froze her insides. "What? No- I can't!"
Leanne picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, waiting expectantly with one hand on her hip. "Yes, you can. Trust me, this has already gone on way too long, and if you don't fix it, it may be broken forever. Let's go."
Demelza stood on rubbery legs, her knees feeling weak. She tried one last time to get her things back, but Leanne was steadfast. Together, they walked towards Gryffindor Tower, her anxiety growing with every step.
"It's going to be okay, really. You should try and calm down."
Demelza was practically gasping, her breathing short as her fear at confronting Ginny manifested physically. "You- you don't understand. She's going to hate me!"
"Why? Everybody gets in tiffs now and again. You've never fought with one of your friends before?"
"Ginny's my only… I don't have…" 'Oh Merlin, what have I done?' She'd only ever had one friend, and she'd let her jealousy ruin the only good thing she had!
Leanne paused their march back to the dorms, regarding Demelza with a pitying look. "Weasley's been around the block. She'll understand, what makes you think she'll be so unforgiving?"
She brushed away her bangs, feeling her slick palms leave a sheen of sweat over her forehead. "You can't tell anyone about this. I mean it, Leanne. Nobody."
"It'll stay between us, I promise. What is it?"
"Ginny, she has feelings for Harry."
Leanne stared at Demelza, an expectant look on her face, as though waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, the Seventh Year gave a low chuckle. "That's it?"
"You promised not to say anything!"
"Do you really think it's a secret? C'mon, she had a dwarf recite a love poem to him in the Great Hall!"
"That was our first year. It was a long time ago."
"But you're saying Ginny's still holding a torch for him?" Leanne sounded sceptical. "Like you said, it was a long time ago. She seems genuinely happy with Thomas."
Demelza didn't argue, and for a few moments she clung to the idea that Ginny's interest in Harry was nothing more than adolescent crush, a byproduct of him rescuing her when she was a little girl. But that comfort was short-lived; Demelza knew Ginny better than anyone at Hogwarts. She'd stuck by her side for four very formative years, listened to hours of observations and fantasies, of retellings of minor interactions and passing looks.
Ginny had approached Hermione for advice about Harry at the end of their Third Year. Harry passing her over for the Patils had really upset her, enough that she was willing to take the risk of enlisting his best friend's assistance. Hermione told Ginny she should see other people, to step back and grow as a person and find herself. That if it was meant to be, it would eventually happen.
Less than a month later she was dating Michael Corner.
Leanne said, "Manticore," and the Fat Lady's portrait swung to the side, granting them access to Gryffindor Tower.
"I don't want to do this."
"Demelza," Leanne said, "You can't spend the rest of your time at Hogwarts hiding in the library. Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, but… maybe we could talk again? Later?" Her last remark about hiding in the library had hit home, dredging up memories of her awful, isolated First Year.
The older girl gave her a kind smile. "Sure. I'd like that. Good luck!"
Demelza climbed the stairs one at a time, slowly making her way up to the girls' dormitories. Leanne's information was accurate, at least - Ginny was sitting cross-legged in bed, the morning's Prophet spread out in front of her. She glanced up at Demelza's entrance, but her expression remained entirely neutral, not acknowledging her in any fashion.
Taking a seat in her own bed, Demelza cleared her throat. "Hey, got a minute?"
She could tell, from the way her pupils were stuck in a fixed position, that Ginny wasn't reading any longer, but she didn't look away from the paper. Instead, in a bland tone of voice, she replied, "Shouldn't you be asking yourself that? Since you're so busy and all, studying for your OWLs."
It felt like her heart was beating a mile a minute, her pulse pounding a rapid drumbeat in her ears. "I'm sorry. I haven't been a very good friend."
"No, you haven't. I don't get it, what happened? Did I do something wrong?" Ginny finally looked up, and Demelza was surprised to see tears pooling in her brown eyes.
She really was a terrible friend. Weeks of agonizing jealousy, of self-pity, of bitter resentment and it had never occurred to her how much her abrupt cold shoulder would hurt Ginny. Somewhere along the way, Demelza had laid to rest the old Ginny - the one who woke up screaming for half of their Second Year, who spent weeks and weeks mending the second-hand dress her mother sent for the Yule Ball, who sat by Hermione's bedside until curfew every night after their battle in the Department of Mysteries.
It was so easy to overlook that girl, especially when Demelza spent every day with the other Ginny - the one who hexed first and asked questions later, who had half the boys in their year hanging on her every word, who feared no one and nothing. The girl that was nothing like Demelza. The girl that Harry wanted.
"You- you didn't do anything wrong. The thing is, I…" She could still back out. All she needed was a believable excuse, something good enough that Ginny would believe her and then they could be friends again. Ginny would be happy, and Demelza wouldn't need to admit to her spiteful envy. Wouldn't need to tell Ginny about how she longed for the boy Ginny had dreamed of since she was practically in nappies.
No! Even if she couldn't be normal like everyone else, she wasn't going to betray her best friend like that. "I like Harry."
"So?" Ginny's eyebrows raised, and she leaned back against her headboard. "Everybody likes Harry. He's 'The Chosen One', after all." She made air quotes with her fingers while reciting the Prophet's latest moniker for the boy in question.
"No, I mean," she felt her face heat up. "I like-like him."
Her eyes widened. "Oh."
"I'm sorry, I never meant-"
"Is that all?" Ginny interrupted, the bored tone from before making a comeback. "I think ninety percent of the single girls in this school fancy him. This is why we've been fighting for the last month?"
"I knew- I mean, I thought you would be upset, so…" she trailed off.
"Uh, newsflash, Mouse, I have a boyfriend! What were you picturing, me pulling your hair and dragging you into a fistfight in the common room? Be serious. I don't have some claim on him."
Demelza was quiet for a few moments, glancing through her bangs to evaluate Ginny's mood. "You're right. I was being stupid."
"Too bloody right, you were! If you like him, go ask him out. I'll even put in a good word for you. In fact, let's go do it now. Hermione told me Vane's getting serious about using a love potion on him, and I don't need the detentions that'll come from kicking her arse from here to Hogsmeade."
"There's no point. He's not interested in me."
"Well, of course he isn't," Ginny said carelessly. "You spend all your time and effort not being noticed! Hate to be the one to tell you this, but being with Harry means attention. Every eye on you, everywhere you go. You can never just be 'part of the crowd' when you're with Harry Potter. Anyone dating him instantly becomes not only the focus of this school, but the whole country. Remember how many articles Hermione had written about her during the Tournament?"
Ginny shook her copy of the Prophet for emphasis, and Demelza felt a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck. Gods, she hadn't thought of that! Much the same way Ginny projected an aura of invincibility, Harry seemed so… normal. It was easy to forget, when he wore a crooked grin with his hair wild from quidditch practise, that this was the young man that fought a dozen of You-Know-Who's best followers to a standstill, who'd slain a sixty-foot basilisk with a sword.
"It doesn't matter, anyway," she eventually said. "He wants someone else."
"Who?" Ginny asked, trying and failing to mask a note of urgency. "He hasn't seemed any different."
"You."
Several emotions flashed across Ginny's features in an instant, then she rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh please. If this is some joke-"
"It's not. You don't have to believe me, but-" she took a deep breath. "I've been watching him, and he's always watching you."
The room was so silent that distant sounds from the common room filtered up the stairs. Eventually, Ginny seemed to shake herself. "Well, I can't say I'm not flattered, but like I said, I'm with someone else now. You don't think I'd dump Dean just because Harry might fancy me, do you?"
'Yes' she thought. Aloud, she said, "No."
"Good, because that'd make me about the worst person in Hogwarts, not counting the Slytherins of course," Ginny laughed, but her eyes were guarded. "So can we be friends again?"
Demelza nodded, and Ginny hopped off her bed and came over to embrace her. "I'm sorry, I really am."
"It's okay, Merlin knows, boys make us do crazy things. Look at how Hermione's been acting."
Then, in a more teasing voice, she went on. "It's a shame you developed this crush now, instead of before. All those times we could've compared notes on how dreamy he looked!"
She laughed, but all Demelza could muster was a weak chuckle and a half-hearted "Yea."
"You should think about what I said before, too. I know you, you get stuck running circles inside your head. Go talk with him, hang out with him and his friends. It'll be good for you."
"Maybe you're right."
"Okay. I've got to go, but just to be sure, we're friends again, right?"
Demelza nodded. "Definitely. We always will be."
With one last squeeze, Ginny slipped on her shoes and left their room. That… hadn't gone how she'd thought it would. Demelza knew, with absolute certainty, that Ginny hadn't given up her feelings for Harry. Judging by her reactions to Parvati Patil, Cho Chang, and Romilda Vane, she was far from reluctant to express territoriality over those feelings. And yet, she'd plastered a smile on her face and encouraged Demelza to follow her heart. Why?
'It's because she knows you're not any sort of a threat' her insecurity whispered in her mind. Why would she worry about Demelza Robins, the Gryffindor Mouse? Pansy Parkinson had better odds of winning Harry; at least she had a nice figure to balance her poisonous personality. Ginny probably wanted to let her down easy, spare her the humiliation of being the one to tell Demelza that she had no shot, looking out for her like a good friend would.
Drawing the curtains around her bed, Demelza curled up into a ball, feeling the hot tears spill over. This was all so stupid. She was so stupid.
Demelza sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, kindly asking two second year Hufflepuffs to go and change their clothes following a tussle that left them both sticky with tree sap. She was one of three upperclassmen that volunteered to help Hagrid with the Christmas trees. He'd hauled in a full dozen of them over the weekend, and it was a tradition for the younger years to decorate them.
"They're quite a handful, aren't they?" Leanne had praised her for offering to help, apparently happy to see her 'finally embrace the holiday spirit', and promptly signed up alongside her. "I guess we all probably were when we were their age, though."
"Speak for yourself," Demelza muttered, pulling a nest of pine needles out of her hair. "I never caused any trouble when I was their age."
"You still don't," Leanne replied with a laugh. "You do look exhausted though. Why don't you leave this to me and Cadwallader and head back to the Tower?"
"You sure?" Leanne shoo-ed her away, and Demelza didn't argue, grateful for the opportunity for some quiet after hours spent shepherding the wild and crazy kids.
Things had gone back to an odd sort of normal. Leanne became a regular presence in Demelza's life, the older girl happily assuming the role she'd once said Katie intended, as a confidant and adviser, while her and Ginny's relationship appeared to be as strong as it was before. The aftershocks of coming clean to Ginny still reverberated in her mind, but everything was back the way it should be.
"Demelza! Hey! I'm not too late, am I?" Harry hurried down the Grand Staircase just as she began her ascent, huffing and puffing.
Well, almost everything.
"No, Leanne and that Hufflepuff are still supervising if you want to join. I'm calling it a day, though. What kept you?"
He ran a hand through his hair, giving an abashed look. "I was- I had something to take care of. Sorry, I didn't mean to ditch you."
"It's okay. I sort of figured you only volunteered to get out of Slughorn's party planning."
Instead of continuing on toward the Great Hall, Harry made an about face and started up the stairs by her side. "Yea, but still. I was actually looking forward to hanging out with you."
Demelza wasn't very surprised to hear that, given how obviously unhappy he'd been as of late. She may have given up on being with Harry, but that didn't mean she'd stopped watching him. "Ron and Hermione still not speaking?"
"I guess it's not exactly a secret," he said.
It really wasn't. But while the gossip and laughter stayed focused on his best friends, their feuding's effect on Harry went largely unnoticed. She often saw him with Hermione in the library, or tagging along with Ron and Lavender, looking forlorn all the while.
Demelza must be a glutton for punishment, because without thinking she offered, "If it helps any, I know how you feel."
He gave her a sharp look. "Ginny and Dean have been fighting?" he asked, feigning a casual tone.
"Yea. It makes hanging out with her a little uncomfortable." Not least because of the timing. "I'm lucky I have Leanne."
"And me," he said, shooting her a grin. "You can always rely on your captain in moments of need!"
She laughed, and it was mostly genuine. "So what are you going to do for the rest of the-"
Harry grabbed her arm, pulling her to a halt. Demelza looked up at him, seeing his expression unusually serious, and her heart skipped a beat. What was this? "Are- are you okay?"
"Yea, sorry," he let go of her and pointed to a corridor on the right. "Let's go this way."
"Err, sure, all right."
There was a dusting of pink on his cheeks, and he rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her eyes. "I've had to memorize where all the mistletoe in the castle is hanging, to avoid any awkward situations." Then, as if realizing how that came out, hurriedly added, "Not that I think you were- Merlin, I sound like such a self-centred prick, don't I?"
"It's okay. I can imagine what it's like." She couldn't, but it seemed like the sort of thing a friend would say. "The Christmas party really has everyone riled up, doesn't it? At least you get to go home the next day."
"Yea," he said with a wistful lilt to that singular word. Harry's eyes unfocused like he was staring off into the distance. "You've never told me about your family."
"What's to tell? Mum works at Sugarplum's Sweet Shop, and Dad's an aide with the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
"He works for the Ministry? I never knew," Harry said. "What about brothers and sisters?"
"Nope, just me."
Harry pondered this for a moment. "Where's your house at?"
"We live in a flat outside of London. My dad's a muggleborn, he wanted to keep some connection to that world. They're really great people." Harry still had that far-away look, but a small simple crept across his lips, and Demelza felt a lightness in her chest. "I know they'd really like you."
"There you are!" Ginny approached them at a light jog. She came to a halt in front of them, glancing at first at Demelza and then Harry, as though evaluating the distance between them. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"For me?" Harry sounded faintly out of breath with that query.
"Yea, I've got something for you," she said, offering him a scrap of parchment. "From the Headmaster. He asked me to tell you he's taken quite a fancy to Hocus Pocus Pops lately."
"At his age?" Demelza asked. Those things were unbearably sweet.
Harry laughed, leaving both girls slightly confused. "Thanks. And that's good to know. I should get going. It was nice getting to know you a little better, Demelza."
Ginny watched him go, then turned back to her. "I see you took my advice," she said.
"We were only walking back to the Tower after supervising the tree decorations," Demelza replied.
"Oh, right. I didn't realize he volunteered for that."
Demelza was ashamed at how defensive she felt. Ginny hadn't shown the slightest hint of jealousy since she'd admitted to having feelings for Harry, after all. Still, standing there in the corridor, she was uncomfortable. "I forgot! I'm supposed to help Leanne clean up the Great Hall. I better run. See you!"
She waved goodbye, and Demelza scurried away. No matter what Ginny said, she couldn't stop the memory of Ginny's face as she came upon her walking next to Harry from repeating over and over. In her mind's eye, she imagined how it must have looked, what Ginny must have thought. How close was she standing to him?
It was terrible, having to worry like this!
Not able to face Leanne in the Great Hall, Demelza slipped into the second floor lavatory to try and calm down. Myrtle's bathroom didn't get much traffic, and for good reason. All she needed was some time to catch her breath, to force down some of this panic-
"-probably won't work, either. It's not like your cauldron cakes got you anywhere."
Romilda Vane stood with two other Fourth Years, pouring a potion into a glass bottle of Gillywater. "I'll wait for him after his quidditch practise, get him to drink it in front of me. This'll make sure it's a very happy Christmas!"
The one who had doubts giggled, but the other - Demelza recognized her as Paige Gordon, one of Romilda's roommates - caught sight of her in the doorway and nodded at the others, alerting them to her presence.
"What are you doing?" Demelza asked, even though it was obvious.
"None of your business, get out of here!"
Demelza walked forward and stepped fully into the lavatory. "That's a love potion, isn't it? You're going to potion Harry? What, all for an invitation to that stupid Christmas party?"
"Not just that. I want Harry, and I'm going to get him." Romilda slipped the bottle of Gillywater into her robes, then approached Demelza. Even being a year younger, she was two inches taller. The other girls moved in on her from either side. "Now turn around and forget you were ever here."
"Give me that potion, and I- I won't tell McGonagall what you were doing here."
Romilda snorted. "You think she'd do anything? It's not like I'm slipping him Amortentia. This sort of thing happens all the time, she won't care."
"Then I'll tell Hermione! She'll confiscate it!"
She stumbled backwards, the shove from Romilda catching her off guard. "By the time you go and get her, she won't find anything."
"She- she'll take points, she'll make you give her the potion!"
Romilda laughed. "Oh please! Like the House Cup means anything compared to landing Harry Potter!" Her expression turned serious. "You'd better keep your mouth shut, if you know what's good for you!"
"He doesn't like you, you can't just drug him into doing what you want!" Demelza's eyes shot from side to side, realizing her vulnerable position. Just like herself, Romilda and her cronies had picked Myrtle's bathroom for a reason: no one came here if they could help it.
"What are you going to do about it, huh?"
The girls were crowding her now, trying to intimidate her. It was working. "It's not right," she mumbled, dropping her gaze to the slick floor. "You shouldn't force someone into doing something they don't want to…"
"Turn around, walk out of here, and forget what you saw or things will get very difficult for you. We clear?"
Demelza tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She felt a trickle of sweat drip down her neck. The only sound in the lavatory, besides her heavy breathing, was the drip of a leaky faucet. She had to get help, she needed to find someone and, and-
And what? Romilda was right, there'd be no evidence beyond her word by the time she brought back a prefect or a professor. The purebloods treated love potions like a laugh, they'd probably roll their eyes and say Demelza should lighten up. Or, she thought, maybe they'd wonder why she was so upset, snickering behind her back at how the homely chaser must be mooning over her captain, whispering about yet another girl with a hopeless crush on someone way out of her league.
Demelza took a step backwards, then another, then another. She slowly turned around, her shoulders hunched, head hung in shame and embarrassment. Maybe Leanne would be able to help, or Ginny - yes! Ginny would make them too afraid to so much as look at Harry! All she had to do was hurry back to the Tower and tell her what's going on, what they were planning to do-
"Think she'll keep her mouth shut?" Paige asked.
"They don't call her Mouse for no reason," Romilda said dismissively. "I've got nothing to worry about." They all laughed.
Mouse.
Demelza stopped, standing just inside the entrance of the bathroom. She hated that name, but never more than in this moment. Harry didn't deserve this. He didn't even want to go to Slughorn's party, much less as a drooling wreck, hanging on this vapid little slag's every word. It wasn't right. They couldn't get away with this.
Where was her bravery? Her courage?
It wasn't enough to tell a teacher, or a prefect. Even if they were punished, it wouldn't stop Vane from trying again. Demelza squeezed her wand, knuckles tightening. Someone had to stop them.
She had to stop them.
"Stupefy." The third girl, the one Demelza didn't recognize, collapsed immediately, falling face down on the wet lavatory floor. Her next spell, a Knockback Jinx, came out so overpowered that when it struck Gordon, the impact was so vicious her heels lifted over her head when she fell flat on her back.
"Stay back!" Romilda held her wand, shaking so badly it was waving back and forth. "Wait, we can talk about this! I'll give you the Gillywater, and all the potions I have! I promise!"
Demelza bared her teeth in a feral smile. She wasn't a Mouse, she was a Gryffindor. A Lion. And Vane was going to hear her roar.
"ROBINS!"
The adrenaline was still pumping when she got back to Gryffindor Tower. She'd walked back to Gryffindor Tower at a leisurely pace, trying to let her body calm down from the confrontation in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Apparently that delay was enough for Gordon to have recovered and returned to the dorms in the interim, judging by her presence next to Hermione in the common room.
"Yes?" she asked, much more calmly than she felt.
"Did you attack Paige and her friends in the second floor lavatory?"
It seemed like the entire Tower went still at Hermione's question, every eye suddenly locked onto her. "...Yes," she eventually replied.
"Twenty- no, fifty points from Gryffindor! You broke her nose, and she said you were still jinxing Romilda when she snuck out!"
There was a stifled burst of laughter from behind her, and Demelza glanced over her shoulder, seeing Ron not trying very hard to hide his amusement. Next to him, with his head cocked at an angle and looking very curious, was Harry.
"Okay," she said without turning back to face Hermione.
"And…" Hermione sounded both confused and angry at her lack of reaction. "I'm going to report you to Professor McGonagall! You can't go hexing and jinxing other students every time you get into a tiff!"
Hermione's lecture faded into the background, Demelza not able to pretend like she was paying attention. Advice from months back bounced around in her head, repeating over and over, a steady mantra consuming the entirety of her focus. 'Just pick someone you fancy and march right up to them and say "hey, wanna go to Hogsmeade?"'
"Are you even listen- come back here!"
'Just pick someone you fancy'
"Hey."
'Hey, wanna go to Hogsmeade?"
"Are you alright, Demelza?"
'Just pick someone you fancy'
"Whaddya think, Harry? Think Hermione might'a broken her?"
"I want you to take me to Slughorn's Christmas party."
Ron's jaw dropped, and she heard someone run up the stairs to the girls' dorms behind her, but all Demelza could see was Harry, his head still cocked, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Sure, that'd be great."
There was a fluttering feeling in her chest, like a thousand butterflies had just taken flight. "Okay. Cool."
She only had time to shoot him a beaming smile and wave goodbye as Hermione grabbed her arm in an iron grip and dragged her towards McGonagall's office.
A/N Part Deux: So I said it was a oneshot, but I realized when I hit 15,000 words in my draft, I was going to have to split it up. No one wants to read a 20k oneshot. I'll do another chapter (sigh). If this is going to be the length of my oneshots, though, I'll never get through all the rare-pairs I have planned.
I like Demelza. It would be really cool if the "anxious!Demelza" became the fanon trope for her character, like how "icequeen!Daphne" did for that one. Oh, and since I imagine *no one* is out there searching for Harry/Demelza fics to read, be a pal and promote this, won't you?
Stay safe, healthy, and happy! ~Frickles