Susan and I met Cedric in our usual compartment, and we both told him about the meeting with Amelia Bones. He listened patiently and when we were done, he said, "Good. I'm glad that you won't have to be alone with him anymore."
I nodded and said with false innocence and curiosity, "Has anyone noticed that Professor Quirrell has been acting weird since Halloween?"
They looked at me with shock, and then Cedric said, "Now that you mention it... he has been even more twitchy than usual. Especially after that troll incident."
Susan shrugged and said, "Yeah. But he's always been twitchy. What do you mean Harri?"
I put on a more concerned face, time to put my plans into actions, and said, "Well. He is always looking at me in class, like Dumbledore. And when I answer questions, he seems... I don't know, almost like he's angry?"
Susan thought a moment and said, "Well. I have noticed that the teachers all pay a bit more attention to you. But now that you've mentioned it...He does seem a bit upset when you know answers. I don't see why that would make him angry though."
I shrugged and said, "I'm not too sure myself. All I know is that he makes me uncomfortable. You ever notice his stutter leaves when he talks to me?"
Susan gasped and said, "You're right! I've never noticed because he actively tries to not call on you."
Cedric sighed, "It seems that everyone has an agenda this year."
I laughed and when I put my hair behind my ear, I saw that Cedric looked at his bracelet he gave me and blushed but looked happy. I smiled and said, "Thank you for your Christmas present Cedric. I haven't taken it off since!"
I smiled wide and said, "Of course Harri." He then looked down shyly and said, "I wanted to thank you for the broom and the cleaning kit. I'll have an easier time on the quidditch team now."
I smiled and said, "Of course! You've been such a good friend to me, I thought I would let you know how much!"
Susan just looked between us back and forth grinning like a mad woman. Eventually we got to the school and back into our dorms. Once we put our stuff away Susan said, "Do you fancy Diggory?"
I stopped what I was doing and thought about it. Did I? I remember my small crush my last life, but he had Cho, so I never pursued. And then he died. He was a good boy, a hard worker, and very easy on the eyes.
I looked at Susan and said, "Well. He's been a wonderful friend, and let's be honest, he's very easy on the eyes." We both laugh and then I said, "And I think that... yes. I do fancy him, just a bit."
Susan had stars in her eyes and said, "Oh! You should see the way he looks at you when you are not looking! He's adorable!"
I snickered and said, "Well. We're both still a bit young, but I think... if my feelings don't change, I might go for it at some point. Only if I think he likes me back though."
Susan just nodded and said, "I don't think even he knows how bad he has it for you."
I snorted and said, "Suse, I don't think it's to that point yet."
Susan just shook her head and said, "I don't think you get it. The way he's been looking at you since the start of the year... Look. He obviously had a slight crush on you since the beginning, almost all the boys close to our age did, but since you have gotten closer, he looks at you different. Like you hung the moon. I think he genuinely cares for you."
I was honestly surprised, and a little skeptical. Everyone who I ever thought about pretended to care, and it was hard to get used to someone liking me for me. Not my status, not my fortune, not my heirships. It was a little dizzying.
I looked down and whispered, "It's hard... no one has genuinely cared before."
Susan got up and hugged me and said, "Well, you have us now. We won't leave you for anything."
And so, the months passed, and now we were in our testing period. I felt good and was not too worried. I had already taken them before, but I did feel I did remarkably better this time around, and I think that a lot in our study group did too.
I finished my test before Susan and was on my way to the common room when I was hit from behind. Honestly, I wasn't surprised to wake up in the dungeons.
I looked up to see Quirrell in front of the mirror and sighed. Hearing me he sneered and said, "It's interesting, us being here together Potter."