circles; h.potter

35- Mince Pie Wrappers

Liana sighed. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting from Harry, but it was certainly more of a reaction than this.

She placed the small wrapped gift she had got him at the foot of his bed and made to leave, feeling rather miserable that Harry didn't seem to want to make amends at all. But to her surprise she was pulled back gently by her wrist and she felt a small box with a bow on top of it being thrust into the palm of her hand as she turned towards the door again.

Liana turned around and looked up into Harry's eyes, her mouth opening slightly, wordlessly. A quick glance around the room assured her that Ron wasn't there so with mild hesitation she stood on her tippy toes and pressed her forehead against Harry's. The boy who lived closed his eyes, her familiar smell of cherries and wood smoke filling his nose.

"Harry I'm so sorry for all our fights- I wish I'd-" but Harry cut her off by wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her in for a hug.

"Let's not think about it anymore? Let's jus move on," Harry offered, his heart beating abnormally fast. Liana smiled against Harry's chest.

"Thank you, Merry Christmas Harry," She told him, and carefully detached her arm from his grip as she slipped away down the stairs and back to where  Hermione was waiting, her heart feeling strangely light in her chest. She paused in the common room to open the small box Harry had dropped into her hand and smiled when she opened it up. There was a small necklace inside with a red stone set in the centre, and underneath that there was a jelly slug. Liana giggled to herself and walked back up to her dorm.

✰

JANUARY came and went without many incidents, the only difference being that now Liana could hang out with her friends again. But none of the famous four could forget the unavoidable problem of the upcoming second task. In fact Harry, Ron and Hermione were shocked to find Liana was just as determined to figure out the golden egg as Harry was.

She would spend hours flicking the books in the library about aquatics and how to hold your breath for as long as needed. She would return to the common room with hooded eyes and messy hair and would consequently often fall asleep in Harry's shoulder as they both searched for answers into the night.

Not that Harry was complaining about this recent development, although he certainly felt a slight pit of guilt in his stomach. Even though Will and Liana weren't a item, he couldn't help but feel like he was taking Liana away from Will.

"This is impossible, you're literally just going to have to drown Harry," Liana exclaimed on the final evening before the task in utter despair.

"Come on there has to be some sort of enchantment or spell we can use?" Hermione tried to encourage but Liana growled under her breath in frustration and ripped the useless book Hermione was holding out of her hands and lobbed it across the library.

"I don't know why you're so worked up, I'm the one who's about to die here," Harry pointed out, not unreasonably.

"I know, I know,  I'm sorry," Liana sighed with resignation as she climbed onto the desk Harry was working at and picked up a few unopened books. But before anyone else could say a word, a voice interrupted the four.

"Erm- Liana?" It was Neville, in his hands he was holding the book that the red head had just launched across the room. Liana smiled tiredly at Neville.