Exchange to Hogwarts. (On Hold)

Seamus' Advice and Keira's Warning

"No promises," Keira answered as she quickly walked down the corridor towards Snape's classroom. Lightly knocking on the door she greeted her professor with an apology for her poor timing and took her next Seamus at their desk.
  "Well, Mr Finnigan. Now that your partner has decided to grace us with her presence...you may begin making your potion...And do try you best...not...to blow up my classroom." Snape snickered as he exited the potions room.

The two began reading the instructions and brewing their potion as carefully as possible, having a small conversation along the way. Knowing that Seamus was a good friend of Neville's, Keira could only hope that the topic of her feelings for Neville wouldn't come up during their conversation. The Slytherin girl was triple checking she had read the third step correctly when Seamus spoke up again. "Haven't seen Neville aroun' lately have ya, Carlyle?"
  "Nah." She lied. She had, in fact, seen Neville many times that weekend but chose immediately, on each occasion, to walk in the other direction. "Why?" She questioned.
  "Bit sad is all. Thinks your avoiding 'im. ya wouldn't happen to be, would ya?" The boy sounded as though he was reading lines off a well-rehearsed script.
  "Um...Well, course not." Keira stated in a higher pitch then intended as she stirred the potion. "You didn' believe tha' at all did ya?" The girl asked.
  "Not for a second," Seamus chuckled.

Keira sighed as she got up to get the next ingredient. She hadn't spoken to Neville because she wouldn't know what to say if he asked about the truth or truth question, she had never meant for him to be upset.
  "It's jus'...if he asks me to answer Lavender's question...or ask me how I feel...I-I-I dunno what' I'd say," Keira admitted, feeling a little ashamed.
  "Well, how do you feel?" Seamus paused to check the instruction paper. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, a yes or no, on whether you like him, will do?"
Keira thought of how to form her feelings into words to answer.
  "'m not completely sure of what' to call it," Keira spoke. "I-I know it's not full-blown, head over heals love o-or a silly crush, but...I also know that I'm different around Neville." She took a deep breath, put down her quill and sighed. "I feel different. M-My chest and stomach feel lighter...and he makes me smile like genuinely smile..."

Seamus didn't say anything, he was thinking of something to say that would be good advice, then it hit him.
  "Well, there you go." He said patting Keira on the shoulder.
  "Wot?" Keira frowned her eyebrows looking rather confused as she got the vial for the potion.
  "When you see Nev' if he brings it up, just tell him what you just told me."  Seamus grinned.
  "But wha-" Keira tried to protest her potion partners solution while raising her hand to give him the vial, but she was cut off.
  "It's better than completely avoiding him," Seamus stated with a raised brow, taking the vial from her.
Keira lowered her hand and looked at the desk not providing a response, knowing full well Seamus had a good point.

A few minutes later Snape walked through the stone doorway.
  "Have you two manage to finish your work...or are you incapable of completing the year's first task?" He taunted.
  "No professor, we 'ave finished the potion. Here you ar'." Keira told Snape handing him the vial of the potion.
  "Yes, well..." The potion master began as he took the vile. "I shall inform you of your results. You are dismissed."

Both students let out a sigh of relief as they left the classroom. Seamus was doing his best to convince Keira to come to Gryffindor Tower and speak to Neville but the girl wasn't having it. She told Seamus she would see about speaking to Neville tomorrow. The two said their goodbyes before Keira entered the cool Slytherin common room as Seamus continued to down the hallway.
As she looked around she saw that Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle still occupied the couches by the fire.
  "Oh look, Carlyle's back, "
Blaise announced.
  "G'day mate!" Goyle loudly spoke in a terrible attempted of an Australian accent, making the Aussie sigh in annoyance.
   "Ah, good to see the stereotypes don' change in this part of the Wizarding World." Keira chuckled as she sat down on the couch next to Goyle, putting her feet on the coffee table. "So, where's Connie and Malfoy gone?"
   "Kennedy said she was leaving and Malfoy offered to walk with her to Gryffindor Tower," Blaise informed.
   "Um...okay then," Keira said, finding it strange that Malfoy had done something so nice.

The group of Slytherins continued for a while, talking about a number of things. Quidditch, Hogsmead, fun things that had happened a Hogwarts, etc. After a while Draco appeared through the doorway of the common room, sporting a rather confused and worried expression that he hoped would go unnoticed.
Malfoy sat down on one of the sofas as the rest of the group continued their chat after greeting the blonde boy. Keira, however, did in fact notice Malfoy's strange behaviour and wanted to know what was wrong.
   "oi Malfoy," Keira whispered so only the intended boy could hear, catching Draco's attention. "Wot's with the face?" Keira inquired gesturing to wizards mixed expression.
Draco looked around at the number of his housemates in the room.
"Not here," he thought "Too many people could hear."
   "Carlyle," Draco said loudly. "Could you come with me to the library? I need a book for our Arithmany class."
   "Um, okay." Keira shrugged as they both left the dungeons.
Once they had reached the library Keira headed to the Arithmany section.
   "Right, so wot bo-"
   "I already have the book. I just needed to talk to you." Malfoy said quickly.
   "About wot?" questioned Keira.
Draco proceeds to tell the story of what had happened between Connie and himself only an hour ago and for the next couple of hours, he asked Keira many questions of how to win Connie over. Just as they had come back to the common room around 7 p.m. before they could each go their separate ways, up the dormitory staircases, Keira spoke.
   "Oh and Malfoy."
   "Yes?"
   "If you hurt her at all, I'll hang by your underwear from the astronomy tower, got it." Keira threatened.
Draco gulped. "Yes mam'"
   "Good, have a nice nigh'." Keira said as she walked away.

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WORD COUNT:  1105