Jupiter | Harry James Potter

xxii ; major tosser

"You fumbled, mate." Ron whispered, shaking his head at me. Jupiter had just stormed away from me, and I thought back to what Hermione said when she had done this before.

'She wouldn't tell you where she was going if she didn't want you to follow her.'

Jupiter didn't tell me where she was headed. That's how I knew she was going to Diggory.

"I know." I grumbled, covering my face with my hands. I felt myself squeezing the top of my hair, practically ripping it out. "I'm a git."

"Yup." Ron shrugged, absentmindedly doodling in his notebook.

"You fumbled Hermione, Ron." I scoffed, peeking out at him. He suddenly turned red with the mention of her. "I'm not the only git here."

"I didn't- Hermione- No- She- Ow." Ron stuttered until Snape hit him on the head with his book. "There wasn't anything to fumble."

"Yeah, whatever." I snickered weakly, looking down at my unfinished star-chart. Jupiter had already done half of it for me.

"Hey, let's make a pact." Ron whispered. "By the time we get back to the common room tonight, we'll both have dates."

"Deal." I agreed, and I felt a cold hand on my neck push me down aggressively.

-

I handed the letter to one of the schools owls, trying not to wince as Hedwig snapped her beak at me angrily. I needed to tell someone about my stupidness with Jupiter (not Ron), and the only person who came to mind was Sirius. Maybe he would write to her and inform her that I do in fact know I'm a major tosser.

I walked back down to the common room, my head racing with the image of seeing Jupiter dance with Diggory. Even though I wanted Sirius to be as far away as possible, a small part of me wished Sirius would get it tonight, just so I could get some sort of advice from him before tomorrow.

"Fairy lights." I said dully to the Fat Lady as I stood at the portrait hole. Ron and I split up, but throughout the whole day, I hadn't found anyone that could even slightly compare to Jupiter as a date. Sure, I had been asked by several girls, but I said no almost instinctively. My brain was too occupied with the thought of Diggory, who was a pretty useless boy without enough brains to fill an egg cup.

"Yes, indeed, dear!" The Fat Lady trilled, straightening her new tinsel hair band as she swung forward to admit me.

Entering the common room, I looked around, and to my surprise, I saw Ron sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner. Ginny was sitting with him, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice.

"What's up, Ron?" I asked, joining them.
Ron looked up at me, a sort of blind horror in his face.

"Why did I do it?" He grumbled wildly. "I don't know what made me do it!"

"What?"

"He — er — just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him," Ginny sighed. She looked as though she was fighting back a smile, but she kept patting Ron's arm sympathetically.

"You what?" I asked, trying not to snicker as well.

"I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped again. "What was I playing at? There were people all around! I've gone mad! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall, she was standing there talking to Diggory and it sort of came over me and I asked her!"

Ron moaned and put his face in his hands. He kept talking, though the words were barely distinguishable.

"She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then, I dunno, I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it."