Maddi's POV
I was sitting at one of the tables in the common room with Fred and George playing exploding snap when I see Liss coming down the stairs from the dorms. "How come you're so dressed up?"
She wasn't any more dressed up than usual, but I knew she was going to meet up with Eddie to work on their potions project. They wouldn't have to work on it outside of class if they hadn't of been 'getting to know each other' during class. She says they were only getting to know each other so they could work on their project, but I call bull shit. You didn't see Holly or I getting to know our partners like that.
In fact, I don't think Holly and Ashe even spoke one word to each other.
Liss looked down at what she was wearing. "I'm not."
"You're wearing a dress and is that mascara?" She only has one pair of jeans, of course she's wearing a dress.
"I don't even own any mascara and I always wear dresses."
"Sometimes you wear skirts." Said George catching on to what I was doing.
"Why am I being interrogated for what I'm wearing all of a sudden?"
"Ohh I know why she's all dressed up." I said ignoring her and speaking directly to the boys. "She's going to go meet up with Eddie her new boyfriend."
"I thought you were just friends?" Questioned Fred with a very concerned look on his face and I could feel George kick him under the table. I gave the pair of them questionable look.
"He's not my boyfriend, he's my potions partner and I'm meeting up with him to work on our project."
"Whatever you say Liss." I said sarcastically paying more attention to the card game in front of me.
"Uggh" She sighed and headed out of the common room.
"Where are they meeting?" Fred asked the second the portrait door had closed behind her.
"How am I supposed to know?" I replied.
"You're her friend, why didn't you ask her?" Asked a slightly frantic Fred and again I could feel George kick him under the table.
"What is wrong with you two? Why do you keep kicking him?"
"I'm not." Argued George.
"I can feel it." His face went bright red after that, and we went back to playing exploding snap. It took me a few minutes but It finally clicked. "Ohh my Godric, you like Liss." I said to Fred.
"No I don't." He couldn't even look at me he was lying so bad.
"Why else would you be so concerned that she's meeting up with another boy outside of class?"
"I'm not."
"Freddie boy give it up she's got you." Said George.
"Aww great brother you are." He said punching G on the arm. "Maddi please don't say anything to anyone."
"I won't, it's none of my business, but you've clearly got some competition on your hands, with Cedric at least."
"You don't need to tell me twice, I hate him."
"Wait, so last year was one of the roses from you?"
"Yea but again you can't tell anyone."
"I won't tell a single soul, but who was the third rose from?"
Lissa's POV
Eddie and I had planned to meet up in the secret storeroom on the second floor but I when I got there he was standing outside of it. Apparently there were two seventh years in there that wouldn't really want two second years crashing their fun. So Eddie suggested we just go to Ravenclaw tower and brew the potion in his dorm.
I was reluctant at first in case he thought this was more than just working on our project, but he reassured me his dorm mates would be there.
We got to the entrance of the common room and Eddie used the large knocker on the door with no handle, and the bronze eagle on the knocker came to life and asked us a riddle.
"What gets wetter the more it dries?"
"Well Melissa? Can you answer this one?"
"This is how you get into your common room?" I'm so glad we have a password.
He rolled his eyes at me and laughed. "A towel." And just like that the door opened and let us into the common room. It was beautiful, there were blue and bronze silk tapestry's lining the walls, the carpet was midnight blue and covered with stars that were being reflected off the dome window that was there instead of a ceiling. There were countless bookshelves filling the circular room along with sofas and desks, like the Gryffindor common room. As Eddie led me over to go into the dormitories I noticed there was also a large statue of, I can only assume, Rowena Ravenclaw herself.
The dorms were just like the ones in Gryffindor, the only difference it being decorated blue and not red obviously.
Lee Daly and Tyler Shannon were sitting at their desks both writing away at whatever homework we had to do that I hadn't even thought about yet. Marcus Belby was sitting on, I'm assuming his bed, stuffing his face with cauldron cakes while reading a book. The three of them were so concentrated on what they were reading and writing that I don't think they even noticed Eddie and I coming into the room.
It wasn't until at least half an hour later that Marcus realised we were there. "Where's my chair?" Eddie had taken it so we could both sit at his desk to write the essay part of the project. "Melissa Black? What are you doing here?"
"Hi." I said shyly. I get why Professor Burbage likes using muggles techniques to get to know people, because I had never spoken to anyone in this room until this week and realising that made me very nervous. I don't have a clue if they all know about my father and who I'm related to. I could hear the ticking.
Tick tick tick.
At the sound of a girls voice both Lee and Tyler also stopped concentrating on their work. "When did you two get here?" Asked Tyler.
"We've been here for about half an hour." Replied Eddie.
"Did you see them come in?" Lee asked Marcus, who just shook his head. "Why is she here anyway?" Lee then asked Eddie.
"Melissa, is here because we didn't do our potions project in class the other day." He said emphasizing my name.
"Why didn't you do any of it in class?" Asked Tyler. Eddie shrugged his shoulders as a reply.
"At least you got a Gryffindor, I got Alexander Mackarel from Hufflepuff. I've done the whole thing myself." Said Lee.
"If you three don't mind we'd like to get this finished tonight." Eddie informed them.
"I need to get this transfiguration essay finished too." Said Tyler as he went back to writing.
I turned to Eddie and frantically asked. "What transfiguration essay? Is it for tomorrow?"
He slightly laughed at me. "No it's the one for next week, Vera Verto."
"Ohh, thank Godric."
We finished our project quite late so Eddie kindly walked me back to Gryffindor tower. We were still telling each other about ourselves and I was starting to feel really comfortable around him.
"What about your family? If you don't mind me asking." Once he said it I could tell he wanted to take it back, everyone knows my family situation is a bit wild.
"I don't mind talking about it." I said with a smile.
He smiled back and asked. "You live with the Malfoy's, right?"
"Unfortunately."
"Is it bad living with them?"
"If it wasn't for Lucius I'd probably love it."
"Is that Draco's dad? Is he horrible to you?"
"Yea, he can be. It really depends on what mood he's in, and it's very rare that he's in a good one."
I continued on answering his questions about my childhood with the Malfoy's and I was going to ask him about his family but before I knew it we were already standing beside the Fat Lady.
I turned to look at him to say goodbye and as I did he lent in and kissed me. It was just a quick peck on the lips nothing spicy, but I didn't know how to react to it. My face felt like it was on fire, I could only imagine the colour it had turned. I could feel butterflies in my tummy.
"Night Melissa." He said with a smile as he walked away leaving me standing there speechless.
I got back into the dorm and lent against the back of the door once I had closed it. I was smiling. Do I like Eddie? I've never fancied anyone before. Is this what it feels like?
"What are you doing?" Asked Maddi from her bed in the darkness.
"Nothing." I said going over to get my pyjamas to go change in the bathroom.
"Liar. You're happier than usual." She said getting up and following me. I tried closing the bathroom door on her but she was too strong and barged in. "You kissed him didn't you?"
"No..he kissed me." I said trying to brush my teeth.
"I knew it! You like him too, I can see it on your face."
"I think I do, I've never fancied anyone before. Is this what it feels like? The butterflies in your tummy?"
"Ohh yea, you defiantly fancy him."
"I still don't think I want it go any further though."
"Would you give over with that. You can still have a boyfriend and get all your school work done. We're only in second year, it's not like you're marrying him."
"I guess so. Still, I'm going to take it slow."
"Just make sure he knows that." She said as she left the bathroom and went back to bed.
*
A week later and it was my 13th birthday. I was sitting in charms class listening to Flitwick go on about the freezing charm, however I wasn't able to concentrate very well. Eddie had moved seats in nearly every class and was now sitting beside me. If it wasn't bad enough that I got butterflies every time I was near him, I was constantly being distracted by him whether it be him holding my hand, whispering something funny about the professor's or him staring at me while I was trying to work.
"What are you doing tonight?" He asked. We hadn't been able to hang out with each other yet since the night we finished our potions project, which we got an outstanding in.
"Fred and George have something planned to do tonight for my birthday."
"I want to spend time with you on your birthday."
"I'll find out what they've got planned and see if I can meet up with you after wards."
"Okay, find out at lunch and let me know in history of magic."
"Why? What do you have planned?"
"I'm not telling you. You have to find out."
Just then the bell for lunch rang and Maddi, Holly, Katie and I headed down to the great hall. Katie went off to sit with her cousin and the three of us went to sit with the boys.
"So what do you have planned for my birthday this year then?"
"We got Charlie to.." Fred tried to explain.
"Noo, no no. She has to wait and find out." George shouted at him.
"Okay fine, I'll change my question. Will I have time after to go and meet up with Eddie?"
"No." Fred said immediately, earning strange looks from both George and Maddi. "This could take a long time, is what I mean."
"Could I meet up with him before our plans?"
"Yea Liss, do that then meet us in the common room at eight o'clock."
"Okay perfect."
As we walked to history of magic I asked the girls. "Fred's acting very strange don't you think?"
"I haven't really noticed. In what way?" Asked Holly.
"I don't know, he doesn't really seem his usual self. Normally he's always cracking jokes and just generally happy, but not recently. At least in the past week."
"I guess so, what do you think Maddi?"
"Me? How would I know?" She replied rather quickly that it all sounded like one word instead of a sentence.
"Well you've been hanging out with him as much as us." Holly pointed out.
"He's fine."
"He's clearly not." I said
"What do you know?"
"Nothing, I just don't think there's anything wrong with him."
"She knows something, she's just not telling us." Holly said to me.
I told Eddie I could meet up with him before doing whatever the boys had planned for me. So he told me to go straight up and get changed after classes as quickly as I could and to meet him in the clock tower courtyard.
I changed into my long sleeve lacey black dress and put on a pair of opaque tights and heeled boots.
"You got ready very quickly." Said Holly entering the room with Maddi following.
"I do feel kind of light headed, now you mention it."
"Okay this time you do look kinda dressed up Liss." Said Maddi complimenting me. "Have fun on your date."
I was about to leave. "Date?" Then it hit me. "Oh Godric this is a date isn't it?"
"What did you think it was?" Asked Holly
"I didn't, I didn't really have time to think about it at all." I said sitting down on the end of Maddi's bed.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"No. I don't think I'm ready for a date."
"For Godric's sake Liss, pull yourself together."
"Maddi curl her hair instead of insulting her, while I find my mascara and blush." Said Holly.
The girls got me ready while I sat there getting more and more nervous. It took them about ten minutes to fully curl my hair and do my make up. I still wasn't mentally ready for this.
"Perfect, doesn't she look perfect Maddi?"
"Yeah, just radiant." She replied sarcastically.
"Can you not just be helpful? Liss, you're ready. Get up."
"Do I have to?"
"It's not like you don't know him. You've been inseparable for a week." Said Maddi.
"Not outside of class though." Holly pointed out.
"Liss."
"Yea?"
"GOOO." They both shouted at me.
It felt like I left the Common room and in seconds I was in the hallway leading out to the courtyard. I had to sit down for a moment and gather myself. I was feeling light headed again. I looked at my watch as I sat down on the window sill. 4:14pm. I left my dorm at 4:13pm, that's not possible. Is it? I didn't go down any secret passageways. Actually, I don't remember what route I took. Did I run? Is that why I'm light headed? But I'm not out of breath.
"Lissa? Are you okay?"
I knew that voice. It was someone who was able to calm me down no matter what. Someone who knew me. "Freddie! I'm just feeling a bit light headed. I'll be okay."
"Why are you on your own? Do you need help to get up to the common room to lie down?"
"No, I'm actually supposed to be meeting Eddie now. He'll be waiting for me, out in the courtyard."
"Ohh, yea. I forgot about that. I'll see you later then." His tone of voice changed, he sounded sad again, and he hung his head as he started to walk off.
"Freddie, are you okay?" I called after him.
"I'm fine, I'll see you later Lissa." He walked off and around the corner before I could say bye.
I got up and fixed myself before I walked out into the courtyard. As I walked outside I could see Eddie sitting on the other side of the fountain facing away from the castle. I could feel the butterflies again, but I was also smiling.
"There you are." He said as I sat down beside him.
"So, what have you got planned then?"
"Well, firstly do you have anything shiny on you?"
Shiny? What's he up to? "Just my necklace, why?"
"You'll just want to hide it." The confidence this boy has scares me. "Come on then." He said standing up and holding his hand out for me to take.
We walked hand in hand talking and laughing until we reached the edge of the forbidden forest. "Eddie we can't go in there, there's all types of dangerous animals. Plus we'll get in trouble."
"I thought Melissa Black wasn't afraid of anything."
"I mean...."
"Come on we'll not get caught, and we're not going very far. It's only about a two-minute walk."
"Please tell me what we going in there for." I pleaded with him. I couldn't bring myself to go in without a good reason.
"Fine, baby nifflers. Now come on."
"No need to be so bossy." I said following him in.
"Sorry, I just want to make your birthday a good day."
"Thank you." I said catching up with him and holding his hand again.
He was right. Just two minutes from the edge of the forest there was a nest of baby nifflers who looked very happy to see us. We spent about an hour just cuddling and playing with them until my stomach started to grumble.
"Maybe we should go get dinner." Suggested Eddie.
"Diner will have started, why don't we sit at the end of your table away from everyone."
"Good idea."
We sat beside each other at the end of the Ravenclaw table. My friends walked past us on their way out of dinner. Holly was trying her best not to look at us, Maddi didn't notice or probably care, George and Lee both winked at me but when Fred seen me he hung his head and walked out of the hall faster.
I must have made a face at that because Eddie asked. "Everything okay?"
"Yea, just Freddie doesn't seem himself lately. I hope he's okay."
"Do you have to leave me to go off with them?"
"Yes, they've planned something nice for me for my birthday. I can't let them down." He didn't reply he just rolled his eyes and finished his dessert.
We walked down to the lake and sat and talked until it was time for me to go back up to my common room to meet my friends. He walked me back up and when we said goodbye he kissed me again, but this time it was a proper kiss. It lasted for about 10 seconds before he pulled away and walked off, turning around to look at me as he did.
I walked through the entrance to the common room, and as I did I was brought out of my daze by my friends yelling happy birthday. If I wasn't already happy before I was certainly ecstatic now. They had balloons set up around the sofa and arm chairs, and on the coffee table was an array of buns and tray bakes. I nearly missed him because of how large the cake was that he was holding, but I could just hear him shout behind it. "Happy birthday Miss Melissa."
"Dobby! Oh I'm so happy to see you. Well nearly see you." I turned to my friends. "You guys didn't have to do all of this just for me."
"Oh shut up and eat your cake Liss." Said George walking over to Dobby and taking it from him.
The seven of us sat and ate our weight in cakes for the next hour while we all caught Dobby up on what we had been up to. "Miss Melissa has a boyfriend?"
"No!"
"Well then what is he?" Asked Maddi rhetorically.
"We haven't given it a name. Is that better?"
"Who is he Miss Melissa? Tell Dobby everything."
I sat there telling Dobby all about Eddie, of course with everyone else chiming in too. As I was about to tell him, and everyone else, about the date we had just been on, I noticed Freddie getting up and heading upstairs. Once I had finished telling them all I excused myself and went to go find Freddie.
I got up to his dorm and knocked on the door before entering. "Freddie?" I said as I started to push the door open. He was lying on his bed, arms folded and legs crossed at the ankle. He looked angry. "Freddie are you okay?" I walked over to him and sat on the edge of his bed.
He looked at me and I could see his face start to soften. "Yea I'm okay Lissa."
"Are you lying to me? You haven't seemed yourself all week."
Freddie's POV
I couldn't sit there listening to her as she told them what a wonderful time she had with him tonight, it was bad enough hearing, again, that he kissed her last week. I had to leave this conversation. I went up to my dorm and just lay there staring up at the top of my four-poster bed, I came up here to calm down before pulling this prank with her, but I could just feel myself getting more and more upset by it all. I felt so angry at myself for not being happy for her.
There was a knock at the door. "Freddie?" It was her. I can't lose her. Calm down you idiot. She came over and sat on the edge of my bed. "Freddie are you okay?"
I looked over at her and automatically I felt calmer, just looking at her made me feel better. "Yea I'm okay Lissa."
"Are you lying to me? You haven't seemed yourself all week." I didn't realise I had been so obvious with my feelings. George is right, I do need to hide it more, no wonder Maddi figured it out.
I pulled her down to lie beside me and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. "I'm fine Lissa, I promise." I could feel her body relax beside me accepting what I was telling her.
*
"I knew it!" We must have fallen asleep. "They're always doing this! Get up we have a prank to pull!" It was George and the rest of our friends coming to find out where we had went.
"Awck, look at them" I could hear the smile on Holly's face.
"Get up, Ron's going to be back soon." Said Lee.
I was far to comfy I still didn't want to even open my eyes. "Lissa." I whispered. "I think they've found us."
"I think we need to get up Freddie." She whispered back.
"I think you're right." I opened my eyes to see hers, staring back into mine. She's so beautiful. I need to pull myself away from this.
"Liss you're going to love this." Said George pulling me up and away from her. He gave me a look that said, 'what the hell are you doing?'
"What are we doing then?" She asked.
"Well you know how Ron's terrified of spiders." Explained George.
"We asked Charlie to send us a bunch of fake ones." I said.
"Yea, and we're going to put them in his bed."
"So when he goes to sleep tonight he's going to scream like a little girl."
"Where are the spiders? Do they look real?" She asked. I grabbed the box and passed it to her. "These look so real."
"We need to get a move on, him and Potter will be back any minute." Said Maddi trying to usher us out of the dorm.
"She's right, let's go." Said George. We all went down to the first-year dorm and knocked on the door. George and I had already spoken to Dean and Seamus about what we wanted to do, and they were going to be in the dorm waiting for us and then they would keep watch while we set it up.
"What took you so long?" Asked Seamus letting us all in.
"These two fell asleep." Said George, pointing at Lissa and me.
"Harry and Ron will be back soon so hurry up." Said Dean as they went to stand outside the room.
"Are we just tipping the box out into his bed?" Asked Maddi.
"Maybe we could hide some in the curtains of his bed so even when he's already found the others on the mattress, when he gets in later they'll fall out of the curtains and scare him again?"
"Liss you're a genius." Said George and me.
We set it up and left the room and waited in the common room for them to come back. We didn't have to wait very long when they came running in and headed straight upstairs. Once we knew they couldn't see us we followed them and stood outside the door.
"AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" He sounded like a six-year-old girl screaming. The six of us burst into hysterical laughter, but she was the one I was looking at. She was so happy, we did that. I did that. I put that smile on her face.
Seeing her happy makes me happy.
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DISCLAIMER
I do not own any of these characters except Melissa, Holly and Madison. The rest belong to J.K. Rowling.