I Want to be Your First Choice, Harry Potter

Chapter Forty Nine

Harry has been acting strange the whole train ride to school. He keeps looking out of our compartment as if he is looking for someone else. He hasn't told me why though, normally if something is bothering him he'll just say it. That's why I'm slightly suspicious. I have my head resting on his shoulder, trying to sleep for the rest of the ride but every time he jerks his head around it gives me a jolt. He apologizes every time though.

"Will you be ok here if I go use the restroom?" He asks. I am almost sure that he's not using the restroom but I don't feel like questioning him so I nod and look out the window. The ride is nearly over anyways so whatever he's doing it can't take long if he plans on actually getting to school this year.

After a little over ten minutes of him 'using the restroom' I start to get a little worried. Seriously, we aren't even at school yet and he's already got himself into trouble. I wait impatiently for some more time debating whether I should go looking for him until the train starts to slow down. We're here already and he's not back. I get up and grab my luggage and wait up to see if he'll come until some cocky seventh year scolds me for standing in the middle of the isle and pushes me along leaving me no choice but to leave Harry behind.

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"Where's Harry, has anybody seen him?" I ask frantically as we enter the Great Hall for dinner. Everyone keeps brushing me off but I'm really worried about him. There's a number of things the could've gone wrong from the minute he left the compartment. I shouldn't of let him go. I'm shaking uncontrollably because nobody can seem to tell me where he is and people like Voldemort himself want him dead. I don't understand how nobody can see what I'm getting at. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. I feel like I can't breathe and I won't be able to until I know where he is and that he's safe.

"Gabriella, there he is." Ginny says pulling me out of my thoughts. He looks horrible, he's holding a tissue up to his bloody nose and his hair is messed up a little bit. I stand up to go over to him but he walks faster so I don't have to. "Yeesh, what happened to you?" Ginny asks. He ignores her.

"Harry, what did you do? Here let me help you with that." I take the tissue from him and hold it up to his nose.

"Thanks mum." He says sarcastically. I tilt my head in disapproval. "It's no big deal I'll tell you later." He says.

"Clearly it is a big deal or you wouldn't be covered in blood. Now who or what did this to you, or did ty do it to yourself?" I retort. A few of the kids at the table snicker at my last comment.

"Stop it, you're overreacting." He snaps back.

"Here we go." Seamus groans. I sharply turn my head at him and give him a nasty look. Harry tries to take the tissue back but I don't let him, he would probably screw that up too.

I'm so angry but at the same time I'm trembling because I was so worried for him. As Dumbledore gives his annual speech I keep studying Harry's face and notice he's been eyeing down the same person the whole time. I follow his gaze to the Slytherin table, no surprise. I notice it's Malfoy that he's looking at, again no surprise there. Then it clicks "Malfoy did this?" I whisper. He squeezes my hand quickly. I know that means yes but I don't know why he wouldn't just say it. He isn't acting how he would when he's embarrassed. There's another reason he won't say it out loud and I'm determined to find out as soon as I possibly can.

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On any other night everyone would go into the common room before bed but since it's the first day we have to unpack.

"Has he told you yet, Gabriella. You know bloody nose, messy hair-"

"Yeah I get it Gin, and no he hasn't. However I will be having a mature conversation about it with him as soon as I can get... this... stupid... zipper... to... budge" The zipper on my suitcase full of all of my clothes is jammed again and I've been trying to get it unstuck for a good ten minutes now. Out of breath I lean my head back, Hermione has been fiddling with her jewelry box and sees me struggling. She waves her want at the suitcase and it flys open on its own. "Figures" I mutter. She and Ginny giggle a little.

"Anyways, I think it is very wise of you to try and talk hinged out with him." Hermione adds.

"Thanks but it's not really a choice. He won't open up to me about it, something just seems off and I can't stand it." I reply. We continue to talk about all different topics as we settle into our room. Hermione spots my ring and come over to me to get a closer look.

"My gosh, Gabriella. That's beautiful, where did you get it?" She gasps.

"It was a gift, from Harry for my birthday." I reply humbly. I don't want to try and brag or anything. Ginny comes to see, she grabs my wrist and studies it.

"Wow, how much do you think that was? 25 Galleons, maybe even 30!" I hit her on the arm.

"Ginny!" I scold.

"Sorry," she pats my back before saying "it's not my fault you're boyfriends loaded." I drop my jaw at her rude comment. The last person I would expect to break out into laughter is Hermione, but to my surprise she does.

"That is not funny! Both of you are appalling!" I say. But they don't care they just laugh at how I overreact. I'm not actually mad or anything I was just caught off guard by the words coming out of Ginny's mouth.

Shortly after we head to the bathroom to get ready for bed, there are what looks like some third or maybe even fourth years in there as well. "I heard that he lost a fight but that wouldn't make any sense if all he had was a bloody nose." One of their snarky little voices says.

"What about Harry?" They turn around and immediately look intimidated since one of the things that comes with dating the chosen one is that everyone also knows who you are. "Go on then, what did you hear? Because he hasn't even told me yet so if you have some information I'd love to hear you share." She shakes her head and leaves with her other friends. I shake my head "It's ridiculous, really. You think he'd catch a break at school from things like being the front page of the Prophet but it's essentially the same thing here." I say to Ginny and Hermione. I know that they agree with me, everyone does in our friend group. I just can't stand it when people talk about Harry behind his back because almost all of them don't know a portion of what he's actually been through and it just boils my blood.

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Sorry if the money is completely off I tried to convert it myself but it might be wrong lol.