Accidents Happen ∙ Garreth Weasley

18 - Jumper

Flecks of silver littered the deep navy sky, winking at Lina as she sat, huddled with Poppy, under her telescope at the top of the astronomy tower, catching the brunette up on detention. The ice-cold November winds slapped Lina across the face, her cheeks stinging, yet Professor Shah's stern voice never once faltered.

"Ladies, I expect your observations to be finished by the end of the lesson. I strongly suggest you crack on," she said firmly, her watchful eye passing over them.

"Yes, Professor," the two girls answered in unison, their chatter stopping until Shah had moved on to the next group. 

"But what did he say?"

Poppy's warm brown eyes stared up at Lina like a mooncalf, begging her for more details.

"I don't know! Not much, really. Except he wanted to ask me something, but I had to rush off here - I still can't believe Shah set astronomy for a Friday night! Might as well be criminal." Lina sighed. "But what he was going to ask can't have been too important. It was probably just for the potions homework or something."

She sighed again, pulling her robes around her tighter, the woollen fibres scratching beneath her fingertips. There was one question she hoped he would ask, but no luck. Hopefully Natty was giving him a talking-to in the Gryffindor common room.

~

"You utter knob!" Leander shouted at him.

Garreth grimaced, rubbing his forehead with the tips of his fingers.

"Why didn't you just say something! You had your moment, and you mucked it up, you tool!"

"I don't know!" Garreth groaned. "You've been going off about it for an hour - bit late for anything now, mate."

"Yeah, lay off it, Leander," Natty piped in. "I think we all get that Garreth here messed up big time. As he said, it's too late now."

"Ugh, fine."

Maybe it was the fire, or maybe it was the sheer embarrassment of the situation that had made Garreth flush, but his cheeks were almost as red as his hair as he leaned back into the armchair. How did he manage to screw up so badly? And even if he did manage to 'ask her out' as Natty keeps telling him, where would they go? What would he do?

As he pondered this, he heard some loud voices walking towards the fire, and a rustling of papers.

"Get your tickets for the Yule Ball here! The most highly anticipated event of the year coming up this December! Get your Yule Ball tickets now!"

Of course!

"I've got it!" He shouted, jumping up with excitement.

"Sorry?" Natty said, confused.

He could ask Lina to the Yule Ball! Why didn't he think of this before? 'It would be perfect! Just the right amount of romantic-ness!' He thought. 'I could get her flowers and chcolates - or would that be overkill?- and ask her whe....'

"Hello? Earth to Garreth?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I know how to ask her out!" He said ecstatically.

Natty caught on to where he was going, but Leander looked as dumbfounded as ever. "Good plan. Just do it sooner rather than later, so no one asks her before you."

Leander knitted his brows together. "What are you lot on about?" Natty just sighed.

"The posters, Prewett, the posters."

He looked around the common room, squinted, and made a resounding 'ohh' sound.

"Ohh, the next quidditch match."