I bent forward to smell the pages a third time. The pages rippled, words swirled around me, and I fell through onto solid ground.
I was in the middle of the maze again, surrounded by hedges. This time, though, I knew where I was, and I knew what I had to do.
I quickly hid myself behind a hedge just as Harry came around the corner and passed me. I heard him bump into Cedric and they talked, then their voices melted away. I came out from my hiding spot and went back the way Harry had come, trying to figure out how to get out of the maze. I walked with my right hand on the hedge beside me, remembering that this was how people lost in buildings eventually found their way out. I walked for a long time, unable to hear anything, and then finally, finally, I saw a light at the end of the passage I had just turned down. My heart leapt and I started running towards it. It was an exit, I knew it.
Suddenly, I was pulled to the side of the passage, against the hedge. Something was wrapping itself around me, pulling me farther into the hedge and squeezing my bones as it went. I struggled, trying to pull the tendrils off me, but that just made it squeeze tighter. I looked down and discovered they were vines wrapping around me, and I suddenly realized what kind of plant this was. It was Devil's Snare. And, of course, I knew exactly how to escape it.
I quickly let myself become limp and relaxed. The vines immediately loosened and I clawed my way out of the hedge and back into the passageway. I was surprised that had been the only obstacle I had encountered, but I didn't question it.
I passed through the exit and stood, facing the Forbidden Forest. I could hear the band playing to my left, so I went to the right, looking for the gates out of the grounds. The music faded just as I caught sight of the gates. I took one last look around the grounds, letting myself wish for just a moment, then I passed through the gates and headed towards the road, where I would hopefully be able to catch the Knight Bus.
I reached the road, the ground cold and hard, and I stuck out my right arm. Immediately, there was a bang, making me jump, and a purple triple-decker bus appeared in front of me. Stan Shunpike hopped off and started reading from his card, but I interrupted him.
"Yes, yes, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard, can I get on now?"
"Alri', don' needa be rude." Stan waved me in and I headed to the back, muttering a "sorry" and paying as I passed him.
"'Ey!" Stan called as I sat down. "Where're you goin'?"
I told Stan my address and settled into my seat.
We made a few stops, one of them taking a few minutes underwater, then hurtled to a stop in front of my house. I got out of the bus and thanked Stan and Ernie.
"No' a problem." Stan said to me as the bus shot away again.
It was now fully dark outside, and I shivered as I walked up to my front door. I rang the doorbell, and the old lady answered again. I quickly used the same story as last time, then rushed past her. I just wanted to get home and snuggle up and read the Harry Potter books I was used to.
I tiptoed up to my door, opened the door a crack and peeked in. The boy was asleep with half his body hanging off the bed. I entered the room and picked up the fourth book in the May Green series. I opened it and leaned over to smell the pages, the tip of my nose brushing the soft paper. I felt like I was falling through water, then I landed on solid ground and lifted my head. I was back in my own world.
It was still light outside. I sighed happily and flipped through the fourth Harry Potter book. Everything was back to normal.
My phone buzzed right as I was about to go to sleep that night. It was Ella.
inejghcfas: SO?
magicalwinqs: I fixed it, so you CANNOT try to go in
magicalwinqs: Ella, I'm serious
inejghcfas: ...fine :(
inejghcfas: what happened though? like, what did you do in there?
magicalwinqs: I got sorted (Hufflepuff), went to some classes, met some new friends, and HARRY AND I KISSED
inejghcfas: WHAT OMG HOW ARE YOU NOT GOING BACK
magicalwinqs: um yeah how would I tell my parents and how would I live in there and out here and it's too complicated
inejghcfas: YEAH BUT MAY
inejghcfas: YOU KISSED A FICTIONAL CHARACTER
inejghcfas: YOU GOTTA GO BACK
inejghcfas: AND WHEN YOU DO, TAKE ME WITH YOU
magicalwinqs: trust me, I really want to
injeghcfas: THEN GO! IF IT'S MEANT TO BE, IT WILL SORT ITSELF OUT
inejghcfas: and don't forget the taking me with you part ;)
magicalwinqs: can't take you with me if we've never even met in person
magicalwinqs: which I really want to do, btw!
inejghcfas: I would gladly spend millions of dollars on a plane ticket to get to go inside an hp book!
inejghcfas: oh yeah and to meet you
inejghcfas: jk ily 3
magicalwinqs: haha, ily too 3
magicalwinqs: ok I have to go, good night!
inejghcfas: good night!
inejghcfas: and pleaseeeee think about what I said :)
I woke up the next morning with the memory of Harry's lips on mine. I couldn't get him out of my head. I shook my head, mad at myself, and reached over for my book. I started reading, but put it down after only a chapter because every time I read Harry's name, my stomach jolted.
May, forget about it. I told myself. It can't happen.
There was, however, a tiny Ella voice in my head that refused to be put out.
I tried to think of my crush before last night (had it only been last night?), but he didn't send the butterflies flying anymore, like he had before.
I went downstairs and ate some breakfast. The day passed slowly, and so did the week. I went to school, read books, ate, slept, and watched TV. I tried not to think about Harry. I really did. But I couldn't stop.
It was Friday night, exactly 11:11 pm, and I had just read the part in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Harry and Cho kiss, wishing it had been me.
Suddenly, it hit me. Ella was right. I couldn't just sit here, not living, and trying, but failing, to not think about Harry. I had to go back. I had to figure out a way for this to work. I mean, how would I know if I didn't even try?
Stop it. You can't go back.
But my legs started moving without my permission, and I picked up the Goblet of Fire from my shelf, and I smelled the pages, and I was once again in the maze.
It felt like I was suddenly awake when I landed in the maze. I knew this was wrong, but at the same time, I felt like it was so very, very right. There was this tiny, tiny seed in my head that said, you can do it. You can make this work.
And so I followed it.
Harry came around the corner, and we had the same conversation we'd had the first time. Then we bumped into Cedric, and we again had the same conversation. We traveled through the maze, I made sure Harry and Cedric didn't go with the Cup, we went to Dumbledore's office, and Harry slowly started to blush around me like I was blushing around him. Dumbledore smiled at me knowingly, and I sort of grinned back.