The Other Potter

CXXXVIII. EMOTIONAL RANGE OF A TEASPOON

Mia felt herself positively swelling with pride as she watched them all. True, Neville did Stun Padma Patil rather than Dean, at whom he had been aiming, but it was much closer. At the end of an hour, Mia called a halt. 

"You're getting really good," she said, beaming around at them. "When we get back from the. holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff, maybe even Patronuses." There was a murmur of excitement.

"Before we leave," Mia said smiling, "there is one person who has improved insanely well. Um, Neville?" The taller boy looked at him, looking shocked.

"Me?" he asked.

"Yeah," Mia said nodding, "you're doing so well. Well done Nev," Neville grinned as Mia smiled. 

The room began to clear in the usual twos and threes;most people wished Mia a 'Happy Christmas' as they went. Feeling cheerful, he collected the cushions with Ron and Hermione and stacked them neatly away. 

"Um, Mia?" Neville asked once the room was just them, Ron and Hermione.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Thank you," Neville said, "for not giving up on me. And for teaching me. It's all thanks to you."

"You don't need to thank me," she said smiling, "you did this all on your own. You just needed a little encouragement."

"Well thank you," he said as she smiled, "have a good Christmas."

"You too," she said smiling and waving as the taller boy left. 

Harry hung back a little because Cho was still there and he was hoping to receive a 'Merry Christmas' from her. Mia looked at her brother and grinned.

"Harry?" the ginger girl called.

"Yeah?" the older twin said. 

"Are you alright to finish up here?" she asked as Harry nodded.

"Yeah, no problem," he said as Mia smiled.

"Thanks," she said, "see you in the common room."

"See you then," he said as Mia grabbed Hermione and Ron's arms and dragged them out of the room, grinning. 

✴ ✴ ✴ ✴

He returned to the common room half an hour later to find Mia, Hermione and Ron in the best seats by the fire; nearly everybody else had gone to bed. Hermione was writing a very long letter; she had already filled half a roll of parchment, which was dangling from the edge of the table. Ron was lying on the hearthrug, trying to finish his Transfiguration homework while Mia was sitting next to him, munching on Sugar Quills as she and Ron kept distracting each other. 

"What kept you?" Mia asked as Harry sank into the armchair next to Hermione's. Harry didn't answer. 

"Are you all right, Harry?"  Hermione asked, peering at him over the tip of her quill. Harry gave a half-hearted shrug. 

"What's up?" said Ron, hoisting himself up on his elbow to get a clearer view of Harry. "What happened?"

Just as he had decided not to say anything, Hermione took matters out of his hands.

"'Is it Cho?" she asked in a businesslike way. "Did she corner you after the meeting?" Numbly surprised, Harry nodded. Mia and Ron sniggered, breaking off when Hermione caught his eye.

"So, er, what did she want?" he asked in a mock casual voice. "

She," Harry began, rather hoarsely. He cleared his throat and tried again. "She, er. . . ." 

"Did you kiss?" asked Hermione briskly. 

Mia and Ron sat up so fast they sent his ink bottle flying all over the rug. Disregarding this completely, he stared avidly at Harry. 

"Well?" they demanded. 

Harry looked from Mia and Ron's expression of mingled curiosity and hilarity to Hermione's slight frown and nodded. 

"HA!" Ron made a triumphant gesture with his fist and the two gingers went into a raucous peal of laughter that several timid-looking second-years over beside the window jumped. A reluctant grin spread over Harry's face as he watched his sister and Ron rolling around on the hearthrug. Hermione gave Mia and Ron a look of deep disgust and returned to her letter. 

"Well?" Ron said finally, looking up at Harry. "How was it?" Harry considered for a moment.

"Wet," he said truthfully. Ron made a noise that might have indicated jubilation or disgust, it was hard to tell. Mia looked at her brother and furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at him.

"What?" she asked. 

"Because she was crying," Harry continued heavily. 

"Oh," said Ron, his smile fading slightly. "Are you that bad at kissing?" 

"I'm sure Harry's kissing was more than satisfactory," Hermione said as both Mia and Ron sent her a sharp look. "Cho spends half her time crying these days."

"You'd think a bit of snogging would cheer her up," Mia joked as Ron nodded. 

"Don't you understand how she must be feeling?" Hermione asked as the other three shook their heads. "Well, obviously she's feeling sad about Cedric, confused about liking Harry and guilty about kissing him. Conflicted because Umbridge might sack her mum from the Ministry and frightened of failing her OWLs because she's worrying about everything."

"One person couldn't feel all that," Ron said as Mia looked at him. "They'd explode."

"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon," Hermione said. The four of them exchanged looks before all bursting into laughter.