"Salizar's sake, Evans! Snog me real quick and I'd call this déjà vu!"
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The further North we traveled the harder the rain beat on the glass windows of the steam engine. The compartment we sat in was silent after Harry's outburst had shut me up, and I could tell Ron and Hermione felt more than awkward as they glanced between the two of us in anticipation of the fight that a radar could've picked up brewing from over 30 miles away.
"I'm sorry, Harry, is there something you'd like to say to me?" I asked the usually charming boy with a harsh laugh— though, it was pretty obvious I knew the answer for myself. I take it that his time away from me not only let him think of the events that had taken place recently, but had given him time to turn his sorrows into anger and let those negative feelings linger in the forefront of his brain.
"Yeah, Ruby... I do have something I'd like to say. Who do you think you are to just come in here as if nothing happened a few days ago, and expect all of us to move on from it?" He asked me angrily, and the sight of his jaw tensed and his green eyes narrowed was way more attractive to me than it should've been.
"Why are you so angry with me all of the sudden?" I asked as he rolled his tongue over his teeth as if to hold his words back. The rattling of the trolley outside the door caused Hermione's face to light up with unspoken relief before she jumped to her feet in a haste.
"Oh boy! Time for a snack, isn't it Ronald?" She grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door before Harry or I could even breath the same hostile air again. Typically, I think he would've stolen his hand back, grimaced, and made a big deal about needing to wash his hands like she had cooties. Honestly, the only people oblivious to their actual fondness of each other is themselves. However, Ron followed behind her so quickly, he didn't pay any mind to her touching his hand at all.
"What is your problem, Harry?! Seriously! No one else is even bothered by the situation anymore! Just you! Hermione and Ron are fine! I thought we had moved past this after I apologized for it?" I asked him as I stood from my seat with a stomp and looked down at him with a scowl on my face. I was pissed, truly. Here I've sat at home, worried to death about how he has been feeling, all the while he had probably pinned up a poster of me at the Burrow and threw darts at it for sport.
"You are my problem! What you did wasn't okay, and you're nothing but trouble anymore! That's all you seem to know to bring into my life!" He yelled at me as he stood and now towered over me by an inch or two. "You made out with Malfoy, and then want to act like you're the one who can't stand the git? As if I even trust you enough anymore to believe that! You'd probably run off and tell him all of our secrets now that you're so interested in him!" Harry accused me, and I let out a dry laugh as I shoved my finger into his chest with a force so hard I thought it would break on impact with his sternum.
"How dare you? You know he kissed me against my will after he got me plastered! I did something stupid, and I told you I was sorry! I would never do that to you purposely, Harry, and you know that! You can't seriously let this affect our friendship this much." My voice dropped in volume as I looked up at him.
"You always find ways to mess up everything around us. Last year, all you wanted to do was pick fights with me over the stupidest things, and your erratic behavior of doing whatever you want no matter how it affects those around you has yet to change! It's like I'm a magnet for bad things to come into my life and torment me!" He scoffed, tugging his hair in one of his fists, and avoiding my eyes that I could feel stinging now with tears that I wouldn't let fall.
"Is that really how you feel?" I whispered. Merlin, talk about a knife to the chest. His stiff expression turned towards mine as he heard my defeated tone, and this strange character he had been pretending to be had vanished in a heartbeat.
"Rubes, I didn't mean that... I'm sorry." He stuttered out as his mind played back what he had just said aloud. His breathing slowed and his features started to soften as I looked at him.
"I really am sorry. I know you've probably thought of it over and over in the last few days and it has made you very angry... because I've done the same thing and the more time that has passed, the guiltier I have felt." I explained to him. He looked a bit more understanding now, like I had struck a nerve with my verge of tears.
"I just... I guess you're right. The more I think of it and how much you hurt my feelings, the more upset I get. Poor Ron and Hermione have been getting the ear loads since we left you at the Tournament." His shoulders slumped and he let his lips fall into a frown. "I should've never picked this fight. Malfoy is just foul and evil, and it really hurt me to imagine you remotely hanging out with him because you're... you. And... I think I wanted to hurt you, too..." He admitted in a hushed tone as guilt flushed over his features and he started tugging at his fingers.
"You know you're one of the most important people in my life, right?" I asked him softly while I reached out and brushed the back of his hand with my fingers. He was the one to grab ahold of them and hold them in his own, giving them a tight squeeze like my touch had brought him back down to Earth. "I know we argue the most out of the lot, and we pick on each other far more than anyone else, but that's us. I never do it intentionally. I don't wake up in the mornings and find ways to pull you into trouble-"
"I know you don't. You aren't the bad luck in my life, Ruby. I should've never insinuated that. I've had it long before I even met you, and we both know it. You're one of the only good things I have." He rushed out, pulling our hands up to his chest and keeping his eyes on our intertwined fingers.
"You are my best friend, Harry. You always have been, and you always will be. Please don't let this ruin everything for us. I feel awful enough as it is." My voice strained as I begged him. He let out a long sigh and ruffled his hair out of habit before he released me and sat back down on his seat while he patted the spot next to him for me to join him.
"You promise me that you still can't stand him? That you don't fancy him or anything?" Harry asked me quietly as he laid his head back against the seat. I gave him a weak smile and nodded my head.
"I loathe the fucking prick." I chuckled, and his usual cheeky grin returned to his face and you'd have never known he was upset to begin with. "Do you feel better now? Are we good?" I asked him.
"Yeah, Rubes. We're good. More than good." He nodded as he placed his hand across my grey sweatpants carelessly. "But I swear to Godric himself, if you ever pull something like that again— especially in front of me— I'll never speak to you." He gave me as serious of a look as he could manage, but I just giggled at him and gave an amused nod.
"Okay." I chuckled, and crossed my arms over my chest. "I don't know whether I should find this flattering or if I should be mocking you. Jealousy isn't a good look on you." I teased, letting myself relax and lean into him.
"Well, you went with the latter anyway. And, I'm not jealous." He argued, and I gave him a sarcastic grin of agreement. "I'm not! Honestly, I was going to ask a favor anyway!" He sat up straight and looked down on me.
"You we're going to ask for a favor? Before or after you had planned on coming at my throat?" I teased him, and his charming grin suckered me in for a slip second.
"I knew I wouldn't stay mad forever. Just had to blow the steam, I suppose." He shrugged and his fingers tapped against my thigh. He used his opposite hand to ruffle his dark locks as I waited for him to continue. "I need help finding a girl that's suitable for me. Someone pretty, funny... charming, a nice smile... can't be a bore, obviously-"
"What? So you want me to play match maker for you?" I laughed loudly, and prayed he was joking. That's weird... right? To set your ex-boyfriend up with someone else?
"Yes, basically. I know you won't let me make any wrong choices. If you'd like, I can set you up with someone. Merlin knows I don't need you fucking around with the likes of Malfoy-"
"Fine." I cut him off, and his smile was polar opposite to my annoyed gaze. Must he insist on constantly bringing that up? "And you don't think that's strange? That I'm picking out your new love interest?" I questioned.
"No, I don't. You're my best friend. You just said so yourself. You know me better than anyone, and I think you wouldn't steer me in the wrong direction. Wouldn't let me go out with anyone crazy. Just like I'll prevent for you." He chuckled. I gave him a devious grin, and nodded along.
"Deal. I have your jumpers in my trunk by the way... so I can give them back when we get to school." I told him. "I had a bit of a collection going. I guess it's only fair you get them back." I sighed without even meaning for the sound to escape.
"You'll keep the black one though, won't you?" He quirked a brow and when I glanced at him, he tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear while he waited for a response. "I like when you wear it. It looks cute on you." He told me innocently, and I gave him a warning look. My cheeks were starting to feel warm even if I didn't feel as much excitement in my chest. He's my best friend. Nothing more.
"You're doing it again." I told him, and his lips curled up into a smirk while he licked the bottom one.
"Doing what?" He asked me in a nonchalant way, and I felt my own grin growing.
"Flirting. It doesn't take you long to feel better, does it?" I teased him, and he shrugged his shoulder and flipped his hair back.
"I'm just brushing up on my skills. You're my practice dummy before we go back to school so I can turn on the charm for all the ladies." He smirked, and that's when I realized that two could play at these games.
"Just like how Malfoy was my practice dummy?" I asked him, and the amusement dropped from his face too quickly.
"Don't push it. We were having a good moment." He warned, and I chuckled as he wrapped an arm around my neck and pulled me in to his side for an embrace.
~⚡️~
Many of our classmates— Seamus, Dean, and Neville, as well as others— checked in with us through the ride in an attempt to keep ourselves occupied. Harry had returned to teasing me the moment Hermione and Ron entered the compartment with a few snacks for each of us, and things were finally feeling normal. My excitement for the upcoming year only grew as everything was finally falling into place.
"Oh wow." Neville exclaimed as Ron showed off his small figurine of Viktor Krum. Neville held the figure on his pudgy hand and his grin grew wider and wider as the small Krum moved.
"We saw him right up close, as well. We were in the Top Box-"
"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley." Ron was explaining everything, but when Malfoy appeared in the doorway, our entire compartment seemed to shut up.
He was flanked by his two idiotic sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle, who seemed to have grown over a foot during the summer months. My mouth ran dry as the blonde demon's smirk grew at my unease, and I felt myself trying to shrink in appearance. It was apparent that the group of Slytherins had overheard our conversations from the hall and decided to butt in.
"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy." Harry said coolly, and I was surprised by how relaxed he had managed to stay. Maybe all he truly needed was for me to assure him— now that I was sober— where I stood with Malfoy. His confident and radiant personality was fully in tact once again.
"Don't remember asking you permission for a lot of things, Potter." Malfoy threw back at him quickly. His silver eyes flickered towards me before his grin returned. "Hi, Evans. Been dreaming of me, love?" He teased, and I thought I'd vomit right on the spot.
"In my fucking nightmares." I spat at him, and he covered his chest with his hand and gave me an over-exaggerated pout.
"Sweetheart, you have hurt my heart." He sighed before he shrugged it off. "No matter... A lover's quarrel never lasts long. You'll be back sooner or later, dearest." He remarked, and I watched as Harry shifted in his seat with unease, and the two trolls behind him laughed and eyed me up and down like a piece of meat. "Weasley, what is that?" Draco gave a hiddeous face as he pointed at the robes that hung over Pigwidgeon's cage. Ron tried to move the robes away, but Malfoy had snagged them too quickly.
"Look at this!" He held the robes in the air by the sleeve, and Crabbe and Goyle howled with more laughter... if that's what you'd like to call that weird choking sound they make with beet red smiles on their faces. "Weasley, you weren't planning on wearing these, were you? I mean- they were very fashionable in about 1890..."
"Eat dung, Malfoy!" I spat at him as I stood and ripped the robes out of his hand. His chuckling never subsided as I tossed the robes back to Ron. I pivoted forward and my eyes locked with Malfoy's as I stood before him with a scowl.
"So... going to enter, darling? Surely, Weasley over there will try and bring a bit of glory to the family name. There's money involved as well, you know... you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won..."
"That's it!" I grabbed the collar of Malfoy's shirt and his eyes widened out of fear and surprise while I wound my fist back. Clatters of commotion filled the air as Malfoy tried to escape my grasp, shouts spewed from mouths, and Harry jumped from his seat and pulled me away from the white haired rodent.
"Salizar's sake, Evans! Snog me real quick and I'd call this déjà vu!" Malfoy scoffed while he straightened out his tie.
"What are you going on about, Malfoy?" Ron asked him in a snap, and Draco looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"You were there, Weasley... When Evans and I snogged in the woods... Don't tell me you're that hollow." He pointed out, and gasps filled the air around us as the other Gryffindor students listened in.
"Not that! The other thing!" Ron tried getting him back on topic.
"No, no, no, no." I muttered quietly, shaking my head and placing it in my hands while Harry pulled me into the far corner of the compartment, his arms linked around my waist tightly to keep either of us from springing at the boy. He threw himself down on the seat and placed me in his lap, shooting daggers across the small space.
"Piss off, Malfoy! You two didn't even snog. You took advantage of her while she was drunk." Harry spit across the room. I moved my hands slightly so I could see what was happening, and rested my head against the top of Harry's.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Potter." He snickered. "I suppose you will enter, right? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?" He moved his eyes over the sight of me sitting over Harry's legs with his arms around me, and his jaw twitched while his eyes lingered. Harry's mouth quirked up at the edges as he heard the snarky remark, and he watched Malfoy's jealousy grow like it had at the World Cup.
"Either explain what you're going on about, or go away." Hermione told Malfoy testily. His eyes finally removed themselves from Harry's arms on my body, and his pale face spread into a gleeful smile.
"Don't tell me you don't know?" The delight in Malfoy's voice was more than obvious. "Between the lot, you've got a brother and two father's at the Ministry and you don't even know?" He mocked us some more. "My God, my father told me about it ages ago... heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But then, father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry... Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley... yes... they probably don't talk about important stuff with him... But Evans, you shock me. You father is high in the regards of the Ministry. He's always in the know. You really don't know?" He asked me with narrowed eyes. I shook my head timidly, and Malfoy and his cronies laughed at all of us once more before the three of them disappeared with their secrets.
Ron was the one to jump after the boy now, but all he did was slam the compartment door shut behind them... so hard, it had managed to shatter the glass, mind you.
"Ron!" Hermione screeched reproachfully. "Reparo!" She muttered after she had pulled her wand and pointed it at the damage.
"Well... making it look like he knows everything and we don't..." Ron snarled as he sat back down and crossed his arms. "'Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry'... Dad could've got a promotion at any time... he just likes it where he is..."
"Of course he does," Hermione said quietly to calm the fire red boy's nerves. "Don't let Malfoy get to you, Ron-"
"Him! Get to me?! As if!" Ron picked up a cauldron cake and smashed it to a pulp. "I'm not Ruby." He scoffed, and I stiffened my body, which caused Harry's grasp on me to tighten once more like I'd attack the angry boy next to us. Then again, I think I might.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I shouted at him. He gave me a quick glance before he crossed his arms and slumped into his seat some more.
"Come off it, sis. You act like he didn't have a point. Between you punching him last year when Buckbeak was awaiting execution, the woods the other night, just now— you're always losing your temper and attacking the git!" He waved his hand through the air dramatically.
"Because he deserves it!" I barked back as I tried getting off of Harry.
"Shhh," Harry's lips found themselves next to my ear to calm and soothe me, and I felt a shiver of relaxation rush down my spine.
I let out a long sigh and was the one to slump my back against Harry's chest and cross my arms. It was quite obvious that both of our moods had been deplinished, and it didn't seem like they would return to normal any time soon.
"I can't believe you snogged Malfoy!" Dean finally broke this silence with his mouth ajar and Seamus nodded in agreement.
"Honestly!" Neville agreed.
"I'm the only boy she's snogged. Don't believe a single rumor that idiot spreads." Harry told them calmly as he slipped me off his legs and sat himself between Ron and I— who sat in an identical fashions with grimaces on our faces. "Merlin, I'm in for a long night." Harry muttered under his breath as he rubbed my knee with his hand and tried to talk Ron down from his ledge.