CHAPTER THREE

SMILE THOUGH YOUR HEART IS BREAKING

Katie and Pipsqueak arrived in the common room after an eventful day of chucking water balloons at Slytherins and tripping a few over. They collapsed on the floor laughing, almost crying in the process. Katie and Pipsqueak had been best friends ever since they could remember and weren't planning to break friends any time soon. Pipsqueak wiped a tear from his eye and caught his breath.

"That was funny!" He breathed and hit Katie lightly on the back. She looked at him and laugh again as he pulled a funny face at her.

"Yeah-" Katie began but stopped abruptly when Cormac Mclaggen entered and chucked his school bag on the floor. He flashed his good looking smile in their direction, Katie looked down at the floor and stood up.

"Where've you been Maccy?" Pipsqueak asked and attempted to hug him, only to be pushed away by his father figure.

"Nowhere, just showing Astoria my skills!" Cormac high fived Pipsqueak and laughed. Katie forced a weak smile but ran up into the girls dormitory. Cormac raised his eyebrows at Pipsqueak, who just shrugged.

"Dont ask, Maccy." Pipsqueak stated.

"Woman," said Cormac, "they're an odd species." Pipsqueak stared at the stairs.

"Yep. Cant live with them, cant live without them." Said Pipsqueak and shook his head at Cormac. Katie entered the girls dormitory and saw her best friend Ginny Weasley, lying in bed frowning up at the ceiling.

"Katie!" Ginny exclaimed and immediatley shot up.

"Hey Ginny." She smiled weakly and scrunched her hair up in a scruffy ponytail. She lay in bed and rested her head on the fluffy pillow. Ginny looked at her, a little confused. Katie was usually the most cheery person she knew, always knowing how to cheer her up but not recently, Katie had been quiet and a little bit upset. Ginny shrugged and lay back down.

Morning arrived as quickly as the night before and breakfast was being served in the Great Hall. Most students in Hogwarts had arrived at the Great Hall and were already scoffing down their big English breakfasts, all except from Draco Malfoy who knew it was about time he tended to this task he had been set. The task he was so reluctant to do but he obviously had no choice, since it was set by the Dark Lord himself. He sat crossed legs on the floor in the Room of Requirement, which he had been in so many times since the beginning of the year. Draco hated going in there but it was the only way this could be done. After a while of thinking about what to do, he decided to take a break from this depressing thought and tried to turn his concerns onto something small like; homework, or ways to annoy his arrogant mother.

But no. None of those things came into his head. Instead the only thing he could really concentrate on was his annoying, but admittedly, best friend Pansy Parkinson. He tried to push her to the back of his mind, he had to focus on the Vanishing cabinet. She was refusing to leave. He frowned to himself and sighed. Go away, Parkinson, he thought to himself. He was a tad bit irritated at her, although he knew it was his fault. He was supposed to think of her as his annoying follwer, not as anything else. Even if he did have any slight feelings for her, which he hoped he didn't, then he wouldn't have to worry about it since she couldn't make it more obvious that she felt the same. Shaking his head, he stood up. He had to get this done without any distractions.

Harry sat in his Transfiguration seat, his head in his hands. He hadn't gotten any sleep or any breakfast, so he wasn't in any state for a long day of learnin. He sat next to Pansy Parkinson, who he had become friends with near the end of fifth year and they had grown very close. She was the one he went to if he had any romance problems. Half way through the boring lesson, he turned to Pansy, who looked very sleepy also.

"Pansy," said Harry sleepily, she looked at him and smiled weakly, "I need some help." Pansy's smile spread a little further and she looked in full attention.

"Yeah? Whats up?" She asked, happy to help.

"Well... Uhhh," Harry stuttered awkwardly, "as you know, I, uhh, love Ginny and I kind of need some help with it." Pansy nodded and thought for a moment, she glanced around the room and briefly caught Draco's eye. He was sitting next to Pipsqueak on the desk next to them. She immediatley looked away and back at Harry.

"Okay, well I think she already likes you... Its pretty obvious," Pansy admitted, "all you need to do now is wait until she breaks up with Dean, and I know that will happen soon." Harry nodded and placed his head on her shoulder.

"Yeah, then shall I make my move?"

"Oh definatley," said Pansy, "talk to her, understand her, make her laugh ecetera." Hary nodded and contined to write on his blank parchment. He looked at the door, hoping for a second that Ginny would walk in although he knew she wouldn't. After class he rushed to the common room, where he saw Ginny sitting on the sofa, looking slightly depressed. Now was his chance. He sat down next to her and smiled at her. Ginny put on a small smile.

"Whats up, Gin?" Asked Harry. He wanted to slip his arm around her but he had to stop himself from doing so.

"I umm, broke up with Dean. Its like he thinks im a baby!" She laughed at the end of this explanation, she looked a little fustrated. He felt his stomach jump for joy, as though his intestines were doing the konga.

"Oh, I-Im sorry." Harry stuttered, No you're not, he thought to himself. He gave her a reassuring smile and she hugged him. Ginny all of a sudden felt happier, as though all her problems had left her and now it was just her and the guy she was hopelessley and uncondiotnally in love with. No one else. Hesitantly, she kissed him on the cheek. Harry felt himself blush a little and he looked away.

"It doesn't matter, he was a dick anyway." Ginny said, making Harry smirk a little, Dean had never been very nice to her he was always just a little bit selfish and controlling.

"Yeah he wasn't that great. You deserve someone better." Said Harry, he was of course talking about himself but there was no way he was going to admit it.

"Harry, you're such a great friend, you know that?" Harry blushed again when Ginny said this, he looked at her and smiled slightly. She leant forward and kissed him on the lips. Just for a few seconds, but still. It was prefect.

The Great Hall was packed by 6:00pm as dinner was served up with steak sandwhich, which was many of the students favourite dish. Hermione Granger was sitting inbetween Katie Bell and Ron Weasley, they were the first ot of their friends to get there so they decided to save them their seats. Hermione had been violently ctting up her steak since the beginning on dinner, she jabbed the fork in and sawed the knife through it viciously. Ron was staring at her, a little confused by her behavouir, but shrugged and continued to eat his chips. Katie was also a bit lost as she watched Hermione but eventually guessed when Lavender Brown walked over, grinning widely at Ron, who rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance.

"Lavender, what do you want?" Ron wondered. She giggled, as usual.

"Nothing, how is my Won Won?" She asked, Ron looked at Katie and she knew what she had to do. Katie stood up and dragged Lavender away.

"Listen here honey, if you wanna keep that pretty little head of yours then you just stick to your own little group," She beamed at her and laughed when Lavender looked frightened, "Im only joking! Dont worry! Calm yourself, just that if you do like someone then you know, you've gotta dial it down a notch. Give him some space." Lavender nodded nervously and ran off after a giggling group of girls. Katie sat back down next to Ron and high fived him.

"Thanks Katie." Said Ron.

"Thats what Im here for." Katie winked and contined eating her food. Hermione watched Lavender stare over at Ron, she stood up and collected her books.

"Im going to head to the library." Stated Hermione. She left in a hurry.