The Other Potter Book Two

Chapter Six: Mudbloods and Detentions

Over the days that followed, Harry would hide behind me whenever Lockhart would pass.

“Do you know how much that doesn’t help you?” I asked him “I’m like half a foot smaller than you.”

“Shh, he might hear you!” he complained.

I was also the one he hid behind whenever Collin Creevey walked past in the common room.

“Hey Willow, you seen Harry?” Collin asked me one night. Harry was sitting behind me - in plain view.

“Uh, no, I think he went to bed. He said he was so tired.”

“Oh, okay, well I’ll go to bed too. See ya in the morning!” he chirped and skipped up the stairs.

“I cannot believe that worked,” Harry said from behind me. “You’re amazing.”

“I know,” I said. Suddenly my chair disappeared from beneath me and I toppled backwards. I decided to just lie there on the floor because I was too lazy to get up.

“Sorry Wil!” Fred exclaimed from across the room. He ran over in a hurry to pick me up. George got there first.

“What were you trying to do?” I asked as George sat next to me. My heart skipped a beat.

Stupid heart.

“Make Harry’s chair disappear before Collin left so it would be awkward.” Fred said happily.

“Hate you,” Harry mumbled.

“What about me? I would have been caught lying!” I said dramatically.

“Well, you are queen of the bullcrap. I'm sure you would have saved yourself.” George said happily.

“Damn straight!”

“Plus, he would have just been dumbstruck ‘cause of your beauty,” George continued.

I let out a large and unattractive snort of laughter.

“I think you’ve got me confused with someone else.”

“No one I’ve met has been as beautiful as you.” he said, and his brow slightly creased in earnest.

“You can’t have met many people then.” I shrugged, and he frowned at me.

I think I made him feel awkward, but I couldn’t help it. I was anything but beautiful. I had a round-ish head and skin blotched with freckles and hair so tangled I didn’t know where to start. My father had always told me I was ugly, hideous, and I am, I will always be. It was just a fact of my life.

I was shifted from my thoughts by Hermione.

“Come on Willow, bed.” She ordered as she dragged me up the stairs, she had an odd smile on her face. I looked at the time as we entered. It was only nine thirty, why were we going to bed?  I turned to ask her when she pushed me over onto my bed.

“What the-?“

“Why didn’t you tell me you liked George?” she exclaimed.

“I-“I began.

Abort mission. Abort mission. How do I run away from this conversation?

“It’s obvious. I should have seen it before!” she went on and I groaned.

“Can we not talk about this?”

“And he likes you too-“

“He does?” I said unable to help myself. I groaned again.