Y/N strolled through the courtyard, her hands casually tucked into her pockets, earphones in place, the sound of her footsteps brushing lightly against the grass. Small beads of sweat dotted her forehead, a testament to the mid-summer warmth, which was even more pronounced for someone like her, someone who could control flames.
She came to an abrupt halt when her eyes fell upon an unexpected sight. Hermione and Agil were seated together on the swings, both holding Potions books and engaged in conversation with genuine smiles. Y/N strained to catch snippets of their dialogue.
"Really? That's so cool, Y/N sounds amazing," Agil's voice reached Y/N's ears in a faint murmur.
"She is," Hermione replied warmly.
"It just sucks she hates me though," Agil whispered with a hint of sadness.
"She doesn't, I assure you," Hermione countered firmly. Agil sighed softly, her brows furrowing as she struggled to find the right words.
"I'm not so sure of that, Hermione. Y/N looks like she wants to turn me into a frog every time she looks at me," Agil expressed her doubt.
Hermione responded, "She looks at everyone like that."
Agil shook her head. "No, she doesn't. She doesn't look at you like that."
Hermione's curiosity was piqued. "...What do you mean? How does she look at me?"
"Well..." Agil started, her finger tapping her chin as she contemplated. "Like... she's only looking at you," she murmured, her words causing a faint blush to appear on Y/N's cheeks as she discreetly eavesdropped. "It's like...— gentle, almost. I can't quite put it into words, but her eyes become tender when they land on you."
Hermione chuckled softly in response, her head dipping down slightly. "I don't think that's true."
Agil, however, persisted. "You look at her in the same way," she commented.
Hermione couldn't help but smile at Agil's observation. "Well, maybe you're onto something," she admitted, her voice laced with a hint of fondness.
Agil grinned, feeling a sense of satisfaction. "See? It's not just one-sided." Their conversation continued, Y/N still standing at a distance, her heart racing.
✴✴✴✴✴
"What does she mean by 'one-sided'?" Y/N exclaimed as she paced back and forth, her frustration evident. Harry and Ron watched her, genuinely trying to help, but equally puzzled by girl problems and feelings. They were in the Gryffindor Common Room.
"I dunno, mate," Ron replied with a small sigh, scratching his head. "Maybe you look at her with one side of your face," he suggested, though he knew it didn't make much sense.
Y/N stopped in her tracks, her brows furrowing in disbelief. "What?" She blinked, utterly baffled. "That doesn't even make sense, Ron!"
Harry chimed in, trying to offer some insight. "Uh... maybe Hermione stares at you a lot, but she thought you weren't staring back at her," he ventured, attempting to grasp the situation.
Y/N sent Harry a withering glare, her patience wearing thin. "Oh, Merlin, you two are completely lost when it comes to this," she groaned in exasperation, her face buried in her hands. The Gryffindor trio's unintentional misunderstanding of the situation only added to Y/N's frustration.
"Hey, not our fault, girls are crazy," Ron retorted, trying to deflect from the conversation.
Y/N rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Ron. That's why you and Harry haven't got a girlfriend yet," she fired back.
Harry, feeling caught in the middle, tried to distance himself from the debate. "Hey, don't bring me into this," he said as he let out a sarcastic scoff and feigned offense. "I didn't say anything."
Ron, still defending himself, crossed his arms and protested, "Hey! We're only in second year!" He turned the tables on Y/N. "What about you, huh? You're roughly a year older than us and you still haven't gotten a boyfriend," he pointed out with a mischievous grin.
Y/N simply scoffed at Ron's comment. "If I wanted to, I could," she replied confidently, her gaze unwavering as she met Ron's eyes.
"Come on, Y/N," Ron said, a mischievous grin forming on his face. "I seriously doubt that," he retorted, challenging her with a playful tone.
"Oh really?" Y/N replied, her skepticism evident. She wasn't one to shy away from a challenge.
"Wanna make things interesting?" Ron proposed, his bravado showing as he held his head high, ready to make a wager. "Let's make a bet; 1,000 Galleons for me if you don't get one by the end of this term,"
"What's in it for me?" Y/N retorted, her curiosity piqued. She wasn't about to agree to anything without getting something in return.
Ron hummed thoughtfully. "Well, what do you want in return?" he inquired, genuinely curious about her terms. He didn't want to make this bet without knowing the stakes.
Y/N looked at him blankly for a moment, her mind working on the perfect conditions. A few moments of silence passed before she finally opened her mouth to speak, her challenge clear.
"You won't be able to enjoy any chicken—scratch that, any kind of meat until the end of the next term," Y/N declared, her words causing Ron's smug smile to falter. He looked rather hesitant as he contemplated the wager.
"Deal," Ron eventually replied, his reluctance evident. He knew he was in for a challenge, but he wasn't about to back down now.
"I'm in too; I bet Ron's going to win," Harry spoke up, joining the bet with a confident grin. Y/N couldn't help but scoff at his enthusiasm.
"Alright, Harry, you're in as well," Y/N retorted, her competitive spirit fully ignited. "No backing out," she added, sealing their agreement and setting the stage.
"Deal."
✴✴✴✴✴
"The girls' bathroom, really?" Y/N muttered as she strolled through the corridors with Harry and Ron. Both boys shrugged in response.
"That's what Hermione said. Heard she's already brewing it," Harry replied with a casual tone.
"Ah, she's told me she brought someone else too, won't tell me who, though," Ron chimed in, and Y/N arched an eyebrow.
"She invited someone?" Y/N asked, her curiosity piqued. Ron nodded in response. "Also, Ron, has Harry told you about the Chamber?" Y/N added, and Ron confirmed that he'd heard about it from Harry the previous night.
"It's been opened again, right? Harry told me last night," Ron replied.
The trio turned and walked toward their destination. "It's right over here, and no one ever goes in the girls' bathroom," Y/N commented as she approached the marble walls. She pushed the doors open, revealing a lavishly designed restroom with sinks and large windows letting in the sunlight.
Her gaze settled on Hermione, sitting on the floor with a small cauldron in front of her. A small smile tugged at Y/N's lips upon seeing her, an unintentional reaction she had developed whenever Hermione was around. However, her smile quickly faded when she noticed an unexpected visitor – Agil.
"What's she doing here?" Y/N muttered with a hint of annoyance as she approached the two girls.
"Uh, Y/N. I can explain," Hermione began to defend herself, but Agil quickly stood up.
"She's not supposed to be here," Y/N insisted, her tone firm. Harry and Ron exchanged uncomfortable glances and quietly closed the doors behind them.
"I know, but... Agil's my friend, and she's a really good brewer," Hermione tried to explain, attempting to mediate the situation. Y/N's jaw clenched, and she rolled her eyes in response.
"You can leave now," Y/N stated coldly, her gaze fixed on Agil. Agil struggled to find the right words to reply.
"Y/N, don't be rude. She's my friend, you can't just kick her out," Hermione retorted, her tone firm, pushing back against Y/N's insistence.
"I smell tension!" a voice suddenly exclaimed, capturing everyone's attention. They looked up, mouths slightly agape, as they saw a black-and-white, squat girl with a glum expression, her face hidden behind lank hair and thick glasses, her hair tied in pigtails.
"Moaning Myrtle?" Y/N muttered under her breath, recognizing the ghost.
"Who's Moaning Myrtle?" Ron asked, puzzled by the sudden appearance.
"I'm Moaning Myrtle!" Myrtle spat, flying down to Ron with an angry expression, causing him to press his back against the wall in surprise.
"I wouldn't expect you to know me. Who'd ever talk about ugly, miserable, moping Moaning Myrtle?" she lamented before letting out an ear-piercing scream and swerving through the group, making her way to one of the stalls and jumping into the toilet.
"...She's a little sensitive," Hermione spoke up, trying to explain Myrtle's behavior. Ron looked down at her with wide eyes, unimpressed by the ghost's antics.
"You think so?" Ron retorted sarcastically.
Y/N, attempting to shift the conversation away from the awkward encounter with Myrtle, asked Hermione about the potion. She settled next to Hermione, who instinctively rested her head on Y/N's shoulder, clearly frustrated and deep in thought.
"It's brutal, but it should be done in a few weeks, if it goes well," Hermione sighed out. "Agil's been a real help, you know," she added, her words directed at Y/N, who averted her gaze, finding herself looking at Agil.
"I don't know," Y/N murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, meant only for Hermione to hear. "I can't... just forgive so easily, I know it's not her fault that Caspian— you know,"
Hermione sighed as she looked up at Y/N and gently cupped the girl's cheek. "You'll be alright, Y/N/N, don't pressure yourself," she reassured, her touch sending a strange sensation through Y/N, causing her breath to momentarily hitch.
"Uhm, yeah. I'll do that," Y/N murmured softly as she gently removed Hermione's hand from her cheek, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She cleared her throat casually, trying to divert any further attention from the moment.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances, both raising their eyebrows simultaneously, while Agil just shook her head with a small sigh, recognizing the subtle shift in the atmosphere.
Hermione, seemingly oblivious to the unspoken tension, returned her focus to the potion. "Well, let's get back to work," she said, her tone cheerful, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.
Agil joined Hermione by the cauldron, eager to continue helping with the potion, while Y/N and the boys hesitated for a moment before finding their own tasks to assist with.
TO BE CONTINUED...