Athena Dumbledore (A Harry Potter Love Story)

Boys are Clueless

ATHENA POV:

"Athena, stop pacing, Harry will be fine!" Ron complains, but I can't stop. I'm too worried. I've just about bitten my nails down to the nub when Hermione grabs me roughly and makes me sit down and stop pacing.  

"'Mione, let me go!" I say as she and Ron drag me to the couch.  

"HARRY. IS. FINE!" Hermione screams and I sigh, then go back to struggling to be released.  

"Just....sit down!" I finally give up after several people have stared and started whispering about us in the common room. We sit there for a while in silence when I hear the portrait swing open. I break from Ron and Hermione's grasp and whirl around to find Harry. His face is pale and his whole body's shaking, but I jump on him anyways and hug him, and he hugs me back.  

"Harry, how'd you get your name in the goblet?" Hermione asks, crossing her arms.  

"I didn't," Harry replies, pulling from my hug.  

"Of course you didn't!" Ron says sarcastically. "It's not like you wouldn't want never ending glory or anything!" He throws his hands up and gives Harry a harsh scowl.  

"I seriously didn't! I have no idea how my name was entered in the goblet!" Ron huffs off muttering something under his breath.  

"You know, Harry," Hermione says, a look of annoyance passing across her face. "It was stupid to put your name in the goblet in the first place, but know you have to lie about doing it?" She shakes her head, sighs, and heads out of the common room. Harry's expression looks both hurt and infuriated. He couldn't have done it! I was with him the entire week!  

"I believe you," I say.  

"You do?"  

"Not unless you're lying."  

"I'm not lying."  

"Okay then, I believe you," I say, giving a slight smile. He returns it.

It's been almost a week and Ron and Hermione are still a bit mad at Harry. Hermione's seemed to loosen up a little bit and will occasionally talk to Harry, but she still doesn't believe him.  

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Professor McGonagall calls for our attention. Harry nudges me in the arm to get me to stop talking to Hermione. "As you know, the Triwizard tournament is coming up," she glances in Harry's direction. "And we have prepared a very special dance in honor of it. The Yule Ball will take place in a week..." She drones on and on about how all the champions must have a date and I can't help but glance at Harry. Would he ask me? I can't be sure. I remember hearing him say he likes me, but that was last year. Maybe he doesn't like me anymore. Ron is talking and laughing with Dean Thomas when McGonagall notices him.  

"Weasley," she says and Ron turns to face her. "Care to help me with a demonstration?" Ron walks to the center of the room and Professor McGonagall forces him to put a hand on her waist and dance. Whistles are heard through the crowd and I can't help but giggle. Fred and George on the other hand make no effort to conceal their laughter and are literally wiping tears from their eyes.

Tonight at dinner, there is all sorts of commotion about who's asking who to the dance. So far, Harry has showed absolutely no interest in taking me to the Yule Ball, so I'm forced to research it further.  

"So Harry," I say, putting down my fork for a minute. "Who are you thinking of asking to the Yule Ball?" He shrugs.  

"I don't know. The whole thing sounds kind of lame."  

"It's sounds kind of fun to me," I admit and Harry shrugs again, focusing on his food. I look at Hermione and she rolls her eyes. "Forget it," I say and stalk out of the room. Boys can be so clueless.

HERMIONE POV:

I reach over and smack Harry in the side of the head.  

"What was that for?" He asks, rubbing the place where I hit him. I heave a sigh and roll my eyes.  

"Boys can be so clueless!" He raises his eyebrows. "It's obvious Athena wanted you to ask her to the Yule Ball! She was even asking about it! How can you be so blind?!" He just looks at me with a blank expression. "Look," I say, calming down a bit. "If you want to ask her, you'd better do it quick. I know at least two boys who want to ask her." I look over to see Drew, a fourth year Ravenclaw boy with blonde hair, following Athena out of the great hall. Rumors have been going around that he was going to ask her to be his date. "There goes one now. I suggest you hurry, Harry. Or it'll be too late." I can't read Harry's confused expression as I leave the hall, trying to stall Drew so that Harry can ask Athena first. She's too nice to say no to anybody.

ATHENA POV:

I'm exiting the great hall when I hear footsteps behind me.  

"Oi, Athena!" I turn around to see Drew, my Ravenclaw friend. He has dark, brown eyes, sandy blonde hair, and a perfectly white smile. We had been seated next to each other in History of Magic, and had gotten talking. Turns out he's a pretty interesting guy.  

"Hello, Drew." He hesitates to answer.  

"I was...umm..just wondering..." Oh please don't ask me to go to the dance! "Are you going with anyone to the Yule Ball?" Out of the corner of my eye I see Hermione come out of the great hall. She sees Drew and face palms immediately, then shakes her head as if to say 'don't say yes'. I have to though, I don't want to hurt Drew's feelings. "Athena?"  

"Oh, umm...no I'm not going with anyone." I so shouldn't have said that.  

"Oh, then would you like to go with me?" Don't say yes, Athena, don't say yes!  

"Yeah, I'd love to!" Bloody hell, why am I so nice?  

"Great. I'll see you there!" Drew says happily and makes his way back to the great hall. Hermione comes up to me.  

"You just couldn't say no, could you?"  

"No..." I admit, shoving my face in my hands. Hermione sighs.  

"Now I have to go tell Harry..." She says and walks back into the great hall. Taking in a deep breath, I walk back to the common room, awaiting a deep awkwardness between Harry and I.

HARRY POV:

I still can't believe Athena's going with someone else. The Yule Ball is in two days and I hadn't gotten a date yet! Neither had Ron, so now we're both in trouble.  

"Here, lets just do this," Ron says to Hermione, Ginny, and I. "I'll go with Hermione, and Harry can go with Ginny. It's all settled. Hermione and Ginny both stand up, infuriated.  

"For your information, Ronald, I already have a date!" Hermione spits out.  

"So do I!" Ginny says and leaves the room.  

"Who are you going with?" I ask Hermione and she shakes her head.  

"It's...umm... A surprise..." And with that she takes off out of the portrait hole. Just then the Patil twins walk in.  

"Hi, Harry," they say in unison and I get a brilliant idea. Pulling Ron, I follow them.  

"Girls, wait up!"