3rd Year
"Ooh, let's play truth or dare." Fred suggested.
We were in the common room. Fred, Roxanne, Hugo and me.
This year is Hugo and Rose's first year. They are cousins with the Weasleys and Potters. Hugo is a Gryffindor and Rose is a Hufflepuff. They are both so cute and friendly. It's been only three weeks but I guess I can say I basically adopted the two.
Hugo is always happy and funny, and Rose is always kind and cute.
They didn't make a lot of friends yet so I hang out with them, instead. The first few days they were supper shy, but we got use to each other. We have breakfast and dinner together, and always hang out in the common room.
Just like today. We are bored and there is still an hour before dinner, so we decided to play truth or dare.
Hugo sat next to me and Roxanne was in front of me. We made a circle and found a bottle to spin.
Fred spinned the bottle and we waited. It stopped and showed Roxanne.
"My dear friend Roxanne, truth or dare?" Fred asked.
Roxanne giggled, "Truth."
"Lets see... Hugo, my not so dear friend, can you help me please?" Fred asked, putting his arm around Hugo's shoulders.
"You can ask her crush? I don't know, man, I don't get girls."
"All right then. Roxanne, do you still have a crush on that Ravenclaw boy, or did you find someone else?"
I knew the answer, and I also knew they probably wouldn't like the answer. Roxanne looked nervous and shy. She looked at me, her eyes asking for help.
"How about..." I realized I probably should of think, before talking. "How about... tacos.
Roxanne do you like tacos? I love tacos. Let's get some tacos from the kitchen." I got up from the floor, but Hugo made me sit down again.
"No, no, no. We want to know. Tell us Roxanne."
Roxanne sighed and nodded her head. "I do like tacos. Now, next question."
We wouldn't be able to get away with it if James didn't show up in the common room.
"Whacca guys doin?"
I rolled my eyes and tried to block his voice in my ears. Since last year, our fights started happening more often, and I don't really want to be around him at the moment.
"Truth or dare. What about you? We didn't see you all day." Fred asked.
"Oh, you know," James sat right next to me, "detention." He smiled at me slyly, which made me want to punch him. "Can I join?"
I looked at Roxanne, giving her the death glare, but she just smiled and nodded at James.
"So, who's next?" He asked.
"Roxanne is going to spin the bottle now." Fred told him. I'm glad that Roxanne's crush conversation was finally over.
Roxanne spinned the bottle and we watched as it slowed down. It did one last turn before stopping, and pointing at James.
"Truth or dare?" Roxanne asked.
"Simple, dare."
Roxanne nodded her head and started thinking. After a few seconds, a big grin appeared on her face as she got up from her seat.
"I dare you to," she whispered something to James, so we couldn't hear.
James smiled and got up, "I'll be right back." He ran upstairs to the boys dormitories.
We all looked at each other, trying to figure out what Roxanne told him. A few minutes later, James came back and sat down next to me.
"What did you do?" Hugo asked.
"Nothing you need to worry about." He had a grin on his face. "But I don't think I can say the same thing about Fred." He spinned the bottle as Fred's eyes got wider.
The bottle turned, and turned, and turned. It slowed down and...
To my luck,
It was showing me.
"Ooh, Miss Wood, how lovely." He still had his ugly grin on his ugly face. "Now, truth or dare."
I'm not dumb. I'm not gonna say dare and end up kissing him like in those stupid romance books.
Nah-uh, not today, not to me, and not with him.
"Truth." I had a fake smile on my face as he started thinking of a question.
"Miss Wood, what is your biggest fear?"
And I'm also not that dumb to tell him the truth.
"Height." I answered.
"Did you really think I was that dumb?" James asked.
"Actually, I did. No, wait. I still do."
"I need a real answer."
"It is a real answer. I'm scared of height."
"Is that so? Then why do you practice with your broom every day?"
"How do you even know that?"
"I don't see why it matters."
I just stared at him for a while. "Okay then, my turn now."
He took the bottle away from me, "You still didn't answer my question. And don't try to lie again. It's so obvious when you lie."
I sighed and looked at Roxanne, asking for help. But she didn't even try to help.
I sighed and closed my eyes, "enclosed places."
"That's it? That's what you're scared of? A small room?" James asked, a little disappointed.
"Yes, Potter, that's it. Now, it's my turn."
******
Rose and I were leaving the library, after I helped her with her homework.
It was a Wednesday evening, and everyone was outside, enjoying the beautiful sunset. And Rose had a lot of homework to do, I helped her to finish, so she can go and enjoy it with her friends too.
"Thank you so much, again." Rose was blushing.
"Of course, I wouldn't want you to miss having fun with your friends." I patted her head like a dog and made her laugh.
I felt a pair of warm hands on my eyes, covering them, so I couldn't see.
"Guess who I am." I sighed and tried to move his hands away. "Ooh, let me help you out, your favourite person in the world."
"Teddy?" I asked. Of course I know it was James freakin Potter, but I like to annoy him, since he is annoying me.
"Nope."
"Roxanne?"
"Nah-uh."
"Rose?"
"No?"
"Ooh, Hugo?"
"No! One last try, come on!"
"Oh, right. How stupid am I..."
"Finally."
"Fred."
I felt the hands leave my face and turning me around from my shoulders. I met James' annoyed face, which made my day.
"Me." He pointed to his chest. "I'm your favourite person."
"Even Sarah Blossom comes before you, Potter." Sarah Blossom is a Slytherin girl who I argue with nearly everyday. She hates me because James and I keep pranking each other and she is just jealous. Which is so stupid, if you ask me.
"Ha ha, very funny." He took his wand out and pointed it at the empty corridor. "So, I was thinking the other day,-"
"I didn't know you are able to think." I cut him off and smile.
"As I was saying, since our prank war is continuing, I think the best way to end this war is..." he did something with his wand and a room appeared in front of us. "By doing this."
Before I knew it, he pushed me inside and closed the door. I got up and looked around, the room was dark and a little cold. I heard the door locking behind me.
"Potter?" He didn't answer.
I tried opening the door with magic but it didn't work.
I looked around the room, trying to find a way out.
It wasn't even a room, it was more like a shoe box. It didn't have any windows, or light.
I took a step forward and realized the room was getting smaller and smaller.
How is that even possible? It looked exactly the same but felt smaller.
I started breathing faster and walking around, touching every wall until I find a way out. It got hotter and hotter, so I took my robe out.
"Potter! Let me out!" I tried to scream but I felt scared. Like if I screamed, the darkness was going to swallow me. My breath was unsteady. I was sweating, too.
"Let me out!" I thought I was screaming but I couldn't even hear myself. I banged on the door and walls. The room got even smaller, leaving me no space to breathe.
I know it looked exactly the same, and my brain was playing games with me. Making me think I wasn't able to breathe, or move.
I felt a tear coming down my cheek. Maybe I'm having a panic attack.
I managed to speak again, even tho it wasn't enough for someone to hear me. "Let me out!"
I felt dizzy, and tried to take my wand from my pocket, but I wasn't strong enough. The room got warmer everytime, I felt it get even smaller. My head was spinning and my legs were weak, I started crying with out even realizing.
The door suddenly opened and James entered the room. The room looked bigger now.
"Potter!" I tried to catch my breath and look calm, but I failed.
"It's okay, come on." He helped me up and we got out of the room. My heartbeat was like crazy. I couldn't think straight.
I only managed to say "I can't..."
James was laughing, like nothing happened. "You can't what?"
I tried to act like it was nothing, I didn't want him to think I was weak. "I can't breathe. I can't do it." I held my chest and closed my eyes.
"Yes you can. Look, you're doing it right now." He chuckled.
"James. I think I'm having a panic attack." I never call him by his first name. So I hope he understands that I'm serious.
"Oh, uhm, I ugh-" he is not helpful at all. "Maybe, I mean-What do you-, what do I do?"
I got up and leaned on the wall. "Nothing. Just, just leave me alone." My eyes were still closed and I tried to think about happy things, things that could calm me down.
"I can help you-" he tried touching my shoulder but I pushed him.
"No, James. Just leave me alone!" I didn't look at him but I heard foot steps going away.
*****
It's been three weeks since I had panic attack. Since I didn't talk to Potter.
We had only a few classes together, so it wasn't that hard to ignore him.
After what happened, I started keeping the doors wide open. And I also started having trouble sleeping.
Our friends probably realized something was wrong. Neither me or Potter stayed in the same room. One of us always left. It wasn't awkward or anything, it was something else...
Today is Saturday, so we don't have any classes. Roxanne, Rose and I decided to have a small picnic in the garden. When we were there, we also finished our homework.
Roxanne sighed. "Finally." She closed her book and put it in her bag. "All done."
"Lucky." Rose muttered as she kept doing her homework.
I finished my homework yesterday, so I was just helping them with theirs.
"Don't worry. You only have one more to go, then you're free." I layed on the grass, the sun was so bright that I had to close my eyes.
The whole garden smelled like flowers, all kind. I could hear students talking and laughing together.
Suddenly the sun wasn't there anymore, I was laying in the dark. I opened my eyes and saw someone blocking my sun with their back. The last person I wanted to see. James Potter.
"Can we talk?"
I sat back up, "No."
"Please?"
I rolled my eyes. "No."
"What do you mean no?" He was annoyed and I didn't care.
"I mean no. You wanna hear it in another language? Or do you understand in English?"
He grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me away from Rose and Roxanne. They didn't even try to help me and just watched.
We stopped next to a tree and Potter let go of me. "I wanted to apologize."
"And I don't want to hear it." I crossed my arms around my chest.
"I didn't know you were going to have panic attack."
I just rolled my eyes to his stupid explanation.
"It doesn't matter anymore, anyways. You can just pull a huge prank on me for revenge. And I will prank you back, and we will go back to normal."
I looked at him right in the eye, he must got scared because he backed up a little. "Do you really think I will play this stupid prank war with you anymore?"
He took a step back and I took a step forward.
"This prank war is over, Potter. Just like you said, you win. I don't care if you prank me anymore. I'm done." I turned around, ready to leave when James pulled me back.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," I took a deep breath. "I'm not annoyed at you anymore. I don't think you're annoying, or stupid, or dumb, or rude, or anything else. I don't see you as an enemy anymore."
I looked at him in the eye.
"You're just a nothing for me."
I left and went back to the Gryffindor common room.
I don't like being dramatic, but what just happened made me sound like a drama queen.
I had to do it.
James and I were not even friends, we were like enemies who had respect for each other. He never liked me and I never liked him.
Why were we even having this war, I don't even remember. It started with him pranking me and me pranking him back. And now we're here.
Thinking about the pranks he did to me made me even more angry.
Telling people I was a stalker, cutting my hair when I was trying to do my homework, hiding my uniforms, ruining my homework, throwing the snitch to my eye, telling the boy I liked that we were dating, putting truth serum in my water and making me tell all my secrets to Professor Longbottom...
And all of this happened only in one month.
I think it was the best think to do.
Right?