Harry's POV

I wasn't all there that evening with Annie. I was hoping for some event to have us start talking to each other again, and all of a sudden, she asks me for help with spells. When we were talking, my heart kept skipping beats, and my muscles were tense. We both acted as if nothing ever happened between us; like we were ok again.

I made sure to accidentally get closer to her tonight. I gently rested my hand on hers a few times, and I might've even played a small game of footsies with her.

"Thank you for teaching me this. I don't really know how I would've learned any of this without you." She took her book back from me and put a smile on her face. I acted as if I was stretching my arms up high, and then moved an arm behind her shoulders.

She didn't resist it.

I woke up from a peaceful night's sleep. I stood up, walked to the bathroom, washed my hair and brushed my teeth. I was feeling odd recently. I was extremely impulsive, I've noticed. I would be manipulative for things I didn't even really need. I was either very happy while feeling powerful, or I was angry and depressed. And it was like I didn't have a say on how I was going to be feeling. I'd just spontaneously lash out at people or I'd want to demonstrate power over someone. Or otherwise, I'd just feel lustful.

I guess those must be my hormones, of course.

After lessons today, Dumbledore's Army met. We continued duels. Annabelle dueled a Hufflepuff today, and neither of their spells disappeared the way they did when she dueled Cho.

After Dumbledore's army today, Annabelle and I met again for our private lessons in the Common Room.

Her and I would meet there in the common room for about a week. Each time went smoothly until this one time, where it didn't go smoothly at all.

We were almost finished learning all the spells I even knew. She was very diligent with her memorization. She remembered almost every spell I'd mentioned and she was able to use it the same way any other experienced wizard or witch could. I didn't think we'd be finished this quick, I estimated another week or two until we would have gotten this far.

My arm was behind her shoulders as it always was. Then today, I decided to make a bit of a bolder move. Why did I decide this? I couldn't answer that.

I took her hand in mine. I watched her face blush and smile a little as I played with her index finger. "I think we've learned everything there is to learn, Annabelle. You know just about as much as I do. If you ever have any questions-" She closed her book and set it on her lap. She scooted toward me, our thighs pressed close together. I was still fiddling with her hand. If she wasn't in a relationship, there's no doubt in my mind that I would have kissed her.

Stopping me from my impulsive self, Finnigan himself walked in.

"Hey Annie, have you seen my-" I quickly let go of her hand when he looked over. "..my Potions notebook?"

He definitely saw my arm around her shoulder; he probably even saw me holding her hand.

"Could you come here a second, Annabelle?" the tone of his voice got thicker and much more urgent. She stood up and walked toward him. He put an arm around her waist and walked outside with her.

And then I waited. I sat on the couch, looking through Annie's book of magical spells.

About five minutes later, she walked in the common room without a word to me, and went upstairs.

Behind her came an angry Seamus, holding a pretty nice look of disdain for someone.

I predicted that someone to be me.

"All because you're the chosen one doesn't mean you can get everything you want, Potter," he spat through gritted teeth. His face was turning a vibrant shade of red.

"I was trying to make her happy. It's not my fault you don't know how to." I stood up from the couch and looked him right in the eye.

"Don't you dare tell me I can't make her happy!" He stepped closer to me, his voice raised pretty loud.

" It's the truth!"

Then he threw his fist at me. I fell to the ground, unable to defend myself. After he hit me about 4 blows to my face, I threw a punch at him and stood back up. We kept hitting each other for a few minutes, till the two of us gave up and stood a few feet from each other.

"Just don't make her sad, Finnegan. Let her be the happy Annie she naturally is." I went upstairs, running a few fingers through my hair. I was bleeding on my right cheek and on my nose. I washed my face off, ignoring the bitter sting that came with it.

Annabelle's POV:

"What're you doing?" Seamus had a horrendously angry expression plastered on his face.

"Hanging out with Harry."

"'Hanging out' eh?" He paced back and forth in front of me. "You told me you were studying with Hermione today! You told me you couldn't go to dinner with me because you were studying with Hermione!"

"Well I was planning on it!" I lied. "But then I decided to study with Harry."

"Why were you holding hands? I didn't think you'd be one to cheat, Annabelle."

"To symbolize the fact that we were friends again! What's wrong with you, Seamus?" I shook my head in a frustrated manner, trying to not be loud enough for anyone to hear.

"You two were getting a little more than friendly in there, Annie. I'm not stupid, you know!"

"Just give me a little bit of freedom, Seamus! Me and him aren't anything more than friends, and you know that!" I argued. What I did was wrong, but I would never admit it.

Then something hard and rough hit me right across the cheek. The power of it made me fall directly to the ground. I looked back up, trying to get it. Seamus just hit me?

"Don't lie to me, Annabelle! You want freedom? You can have it, you bitch. I don't want to be with you. It's over, Annabelle. Now you can go flirt and kiss and do whatever the hell else with that stupid Potter."

I stood there for a few seconds, stunned at what happened. I looked around, hoping nobody saw that. I didn't want Seamus getting into trouble. There was nobody in sight.

"We weren't even- Hey!- Seamus!" He walked away toward the common room. I struggled to keep the tears in. They were half from the sting of that hit, and half from the sting of my heart.

I speed walked into the common room knowing that if I didn't I'd soon be bawling in front of the whole student body of Hogwarts. I walked into my room and put my bag down. I wanted to go back to Seamus and talk things out.

We were too close for us to just break apart like that...

I heard an argument taking place in the common room just before I walked in. Harry and Seamus were yelling at each other.

I stood behind a wall, eavesdropping on what they were saying. Their voices were a bit muffled, but I could still understand them.

"I was trying to make her happy. It's not my fault you don't know how to!"

That one was Harry.

Harry was looking in pretty poor shape. Seamus was gonna hit him for that one. Hell. He'd practically hit anything for everything anyone could ever say back to him.

"Don't you dare tell me I can't make her happy!" I took a deep breath, knowing a punch was approaching Harry pretty soon.

Then I heard someone hit the ground.

As much as I wanted to go in there, I knew I couldn't. I wouldn't be able to know if they started using spells, and if they were using spells and I just strolled right in there, one could easily rebound on me.

It was too dangerous.

I waited behind that wall for what seemed like an hour.

They both eventually calmed down and I assume walked to their rooms.

I walked to the couch to get my book. Hermione walked down with that trademark smile on her lips.

"Hello, sweetie." I turned to face her, making sure I hid any sign of sadness or any other negative emotion that could show on my face.

"Hey," I replied.

"Look what Fred got me!" I looked at her hand. It held a rose of red. "Touch it!" I did as she said, pointing a finger toward it. When they made contact, the rose opened up to a small ring with what looked like a ruby in the middle. "It's my favorite stone." She took the ring out of the flower and put it on her finger. That would be the second ring Fred gave her so far.

"Any occasion for this?" I ask, hoping that thing wasn't an engagement ring.

"It's our three month anniversary," she said, still staring at it.

"Well congratulations, girly. I'm happy for you." She smiled, her face glowing with happiness. "Did you two do anything special?" I asked.

"Well kind of…" she flushed. I expected more of an explanation, but when she halted her words, I knew what she meant.

"You did not. You did?" She nodded her head and another pretty smile appeared on her face.

Of all the people Hermione would lose her virginity with, it'd be Fred. Why am I so confused…

"It wasn't like it was bad or anything. I mean, I liked it, personally," she went on, interrupting my train of thought.

"Didn't even hurt?" I asked.

"Well it hurts now. He was gentle." As much as I hated it, I smiled, not from being proud that she and him did that, but that I still thought this entire thing was hysterical. "Didn't you and Harry have sex last year?" She asked, a curious look arising on her face. "I thought you've already done this."

"No, we didn't. We got close, but we didn't."

"Why?" She asked with a frown.

"Because we didn't feel it necessary. Neither of us seemed to care about it." I said.

"Every guy 'cares about it' Annie. Whether they tell you or not, every guy out there wants to do it," she mentioned.

"Not Harry, Hermione. I think he was looking for love, not sex," I say, "He never really had much of it in his childhood…"

"Much of what, sex?" she asked.

"No, love." I rolled my eyes. I knew she probably didn't care and couldn't relate to my ranting, but I rambled on anyways. "He went through almost 15 whole years with nothing but selfish relatives to neglect him... He needs and wants love, not sex."

She nodded a little bit. I rested my head back against the couch, relaxing my back.

"What happened to your cheek?" she asks.

"Nothing," I lied, knowing very well what happened.

"Yes huh. Look at it! It's a crimson red. It doesn't hurt?" She stared at it, making me feel venerable. A migraine began to pound. Great. That's just what I needed.

"No- I mean- Not at all. I gotta go to sleep. Er, I gotta go upstairs. I forgot something I think." I stumbled my way upstairs. I didn't want to tell her about Seamus. I didn't really want people to know Seamus and I broke up. It would make me seem like a whore, and at this point, I couldn't afford any more shit like that.

I gathered together a few of my books, realizing class was beginning soon. Before I walked downstairs, I looked in the mirror. There was a red oval on my right cheek. I quickly took a rag and poured warm water on it. Then I placed it on my face. That should do the trick.

I then dried my face off and pasted tons of makeup on to hide it even more. After I was sure I looked like a nice frosted cake, I grabbed my books and walked to class.

Everything hurt.

My cheek, my head, even my heart.