The Next Great Potter? (HP Next Generation)

4 - "So you like me? "

Free period came around, and I couldn't have needed it more. Seventh year wasn't going to as easy as I had originally thought. Herbology with Professor Longbottom will be the easiest, I thought. Cal was in Potions, and I didn't have any whereabouts about Ogden, so I decided to talk a walk around the Hogwarts grounds to my favorite place.

The boathouse was an underground harbor next to the lake that housed the boats used to take the first years to the castle at their arrival. There was a shortcut through it to the Grand Staircase that I had discovered around my third year. As I walked through the damp tunnel and got closer to the boathouse entrance, a light humming voice came through the tunnel. I pinned the tune as Freré Jacques before I got the the trap door that opened up in the boathouse floor.

The trapdoor was square and very heavy; it was solid wood and about six inches thick. I slowly opened the door a crack so I could peer through and see who was there.

The dirty blonde hair and bum (to say the least), gave her away at once. With her back turned, I quietly climbed out the trap door and onto the damp wood flooring of the boathouse. I silently tried to covering the opening with the door, but squeaky hinges caught me off guard and I ended up dropping it with a large thud.

She turned around frightened with a scream and her wand pointed right in between my eyes. I raised my hands in defense, "Woah there! Sorry! So sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

"How did you get here?" she asked. "When did you get here actually?"

I stood up slowly, her wand still in my face, "Hogwarts is full of secret passages, and this is my favorite place to go in free period. I didn't think anyone would be here. No one ever is."

She sighed, "I'm sorry..." She put her wand away. What I wasn't expecting was a punch to my shoulder that actually hurt.

"Ow!"

"Don't eva' do zat again!" she said through clenched teeth. It was kind of cute.

I chuckled, "Okay, I promise."

"What are you laughing at?" she said, her accent gone again.

"Nothing," I smiled.

She looked skeptical, "Sure it was."

She turned and took off her shoes and socks and sat on the indoor deck. I decided it couldn't hurt to sit next to her.

"So why the boathouse?" I asked.

"Huh?" she asked, preoccupied with drawing swirls in the water with her dainty toes.

I smirked, "Why are you spending your free period in the boathouse?"

She sighed, "I wanted to get away from all the hullabaloo."

"Huh?"

"Hullabaloo," she laughed. "It means a big commotion, or fuss. I don't like all the attention. I don't like any attention really..."

My smile widened, she was still looking down at the water, "So you're not just French and cute, but smart as well?"

She looked up at me puzzled and saw my smile, then looked down again, "Yeah, I guess," she said solemnly.

My expression changed, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Sure it is," I said.

Cecilia looked up again at me, "James, right?" I nodded. "Well, James, you don't really know me, and I bet if you did you wouldn't be so nice to me."

"You're right," I replied. "I don't know you, but I'd like to."

She laughed that magical laugh that reminded me of a tiny bell ringing and shook her head, "You silly English boys and your pick-up lines."

"I was being serious, Cecilia," I replied, holding her gaze.

Her dark blue eyes searched mine, looking for something. A lie? The truth?

"Well, then you should know that only people I don't like call me Cecilia. Everyone I like calls me Cece."

I smiled, "So you like me?" I teased.

"Oh hush," she laughed, hitting me in the arm again, only playfully.

My smile widened again, I loved that I could make her laugh. The laugh that made me melt inside and made me feel warm, like a butterbeer.

"You smile a lot," Cecilia noted.

"Only because I find you interesting."

Her brow furrowed, "Why's that?"

I looked into her eyes, flecks of yellow popped out from the blue. "I'm not quite sure yet," I admitted, "just something about you, I guess."

She smiled and my day was made.

~

"JAMIE!" Cal yelled across the Great Hall. I pretended not to acknowledge him.

"JAMIE!" he yelled, and I decided to make my way towards him to spare any more embarrassment.

"Cal, you are something else," I said.

He smiled, "It's why you love me."

I rolled my eyes at his stupidity. "So why did you have to use that name to get my attention?"

"Hera," he sighed dreamily.

I teased, "Hera? What about her?"

He sat back and looked at the ceiling, "She's even more amazing than we thought."

"We? You mean you."

"Same thing," Cal replied. "But she is just so smart, and funny, and just... Wow."

"Smitten much?"

"Shut up! You feel the same way about -"

I stuffed his face with a cookie before he could say her name. "Shhhh! I don't want everyone to know!" I whispered hurriedly.

"UUH KEH UUH KEH!" he yelled through the cookie. Chewing and swallowing I saw his eye's get big as he looked at the entrance to the Great Hall.

I looked too, curious. Cecilia and Hera were walking together and laughing at something the other had said.

Cal laughed, "Looks like we're all gonna be friends here."