Disclaimer: Hard as I wish, still doesn't belong to me.

Chapter Three: Snagging

I was surprised. I was actually able to contain myself and not skip all the way back to the common room. I did, however, have a silly grin on my face, and hoped that anyone who saw me would think that I had been practicing Cheering Charms. I was still smiling when I opened the door to the common room and saw Sam and Eddie not quite in the same places. In fact, they were both on one armchair, wrapped around each other and kissing wildly.

"Um, Sam? Eddie? Hello?" I said, as the others in the room giggled. They broke apart, red-faced, and Sam said to me, "Blake, back so soon?"

I laughed nervously and said, "Well, it's nearly nine now."

Eddie looked at Sam and then back at me. "You know what they say…time flies." Sam giggled in a most un-Sam like way and pecked his cheek.

Embarrassed slightly by their personal displays of affection, I muttered, "I'm heading up…care to join, Sam?"

"Alright then." Her face fell slightly and hugged Eddie one last time. When we reached our dormitory, she flopped on her four-poster bed. I sat at the edge of mine.

"So, when did this happen?" I asked in a breezy, casual way.

"You mean Eddie and me?" (No Sam, I mean you and the giant squid…) "Oh, we were writing to each other over the summer…and it just happened. I really like him, Blake."

"I'm happy for you, Sam," I said heartily, but I'm not sure she believed me. She is a normal teenage girl, dating a nice, cute boy our age. And I'm lusting after a teacher? Lusting?! I don't lust! It's a school girl crush…that's it.

Sam sat up. "Now that I have a boyfriend, we should find one for you. How about Oliver Wood, from Gryffindor? He's rather cute, once you get over the crazy competitiveness."

"Sam," I said loudly, "I don't want a boyfriend."

"Come on," she insisted, "There must be somebody you fancy."

"Well…."

"I knew it! Who is he?" She bounced on the bed to her knees, ready for the secret.

I blushed (again) and mumbled, "I'd rather not say. We, er, just met. And he could never like me, anyway."

"How could he not like you?" Sam questioned.

I smiled and simply said, "It's complicated."

"Here's the thing," Sam said, walking over and sitting on my bed, "Do you want to get this guy? Then you have to not be like yourself, Blake. Flirt with him. Laugh at his jokes. When the time is right, pounce. That's how I snagged Eddie." Sam shrugged.

Perhaps these techniques work on sixteen-year-old boys full of hormones, but I highly doubted that they would work on a full-grown man with…experience. I shuddered slightly, trying to chase thoughts out of my head. Maybe Sam was right. I need an actual relationship to keep my mind away from a fantasy one. I never had a steady boyfriend, some on-and-off crushes and dates, but never cared much for a true romance, but this must be my time. And I already had someone in mind.

I wonder if Sam's strategy will work on the school's golden boy.

My first class the next morning was potions with all houses – perfect. At 8:45, I walked down to the dungeons and peeked inside. Snape wasn't inside yet, so I took my seat. Just as I was taking out my potions supply and book, Cedric walked in. Right on cue. I looked up, smiled, and said, "Good morning, Cedric!"

"Well, aren't we bright and cheery this morning?" Cedric grinned back and sat down next to me. Wow, this might be easier than I thought – We never sat at the same table before. "How was your first day back?"

"Good," I said, "That was a great Defense Against the Dark Arts class, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," he grinned, "Professor Lupin is a good teacher."

There it was. Professor Lupin. How can I be sitting here, trying to flirt with some teenage boy, when he was always there in my mind? Because he's your teacher, stupid. He doesn't care. He won't care if I have a boyfriend. Why would he? I'm a student, he's a teacher, we met yesterday…the list could go on. So, I just have to live in the moment. And this moment is Cedric.

"Mmm, he is," I muttered, hoping to change the subject. 'So what NEWTs are you taking?" Wow, riveting conversation there, Blake.

"Well, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, Arithmancy, and Muggle Studies," he answered, ticking them off on his fingers.

"We have the same schedule," I exclaimed, "Except for Muggle Studies – I take Ancient Runes instead."

He smiled and said, "That's great. Do you think anyone else in our year is taking as many classes as we are?"

I giggled – hmm, giggling is good, if I remember correctly – and said, "I don't know. I hope it's not too much."

We rattled on like this for the next ten minutes. It was easier than I expected. Cedric was nice, cute, funny, and smart. We had a lot to talk about. But that spark wasn't there – no shivers from his voice, no shock from when he touched my hand while we were talking.

"Well, well, well…isn't this charming," a deep voice said, as Professor Snape's billowing figure walked in, "My apologies for break up this little moment, but I have a class to teach, and I am being nauseated by you two acting so sickeningly sweet."

"Sorry, Professor Snape," we both mumbled, and shot each other a glance, Cedric smirking. The rest of the class came into the dungeon and took their seats. Professor Snape announced that we were to make the Draught of Living Death, a nastily difficult potion which Snape had mentioned in previous years. Despite the amount of attention required to complete the potion, it was a surprisingly fun class. Who knew potions could be flirty? We could just see each other through the colored vapor, and we hissed to each other above the noises of the bubbling brew. I just hope it didn't distract me too much and I got a poor mark.

It all happened so quickly. My mid-week Cedric was draping his arm across the back of my chair in Potions class, as if alerting everyone that I was taken. He walked me to my classes, and we were always to be found in the library together. Before I knew it, we were an "item." I had never been an "item" before, and this was only the first week of the new year. I thought it might be easy, but never this easy. Then again, Cedric did admit that he had fancied me last year, but that I had ignored him. Cedric was handsome, charming, and kind – the perfect boyfriend.

But there he was – always at the back of my mind. I saw him in classes and I saw him at meals. I even passed by him in the hallway a couple of times. I admit, I had looked for him…but I have also caught him looking back, more than a couple of times. How could I forget the way he said my name? How could I forget that his touch made me feel a way that I had never felt before? How could I forget that mischievous glint in his eye?

And how could I forget that I had to see him, alone, on Friday night? Tonight.

Author's note: So…I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. I was eager to start the whole BlakexRemus shebang, but thought it would be totally out of character for the both of them just to dive into the relationship. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! Please continue with it! Hope you enjoyed it, and the next one will be out soon!