In the days to come, a person couldn't help but notice how Harry's life had turned upside down.
Every house except for Gryffindor had turned on the boy, and I'd noticed Ron was giving Harry the cold shoulder as well.
I didn't know what was going on there, but I assumed it was just Ron being Ron.
Harry and Hermione still looked to be on good terms though.
During breaks, I'd always seen the trio under a specific tree in the quad, but everyday since the announcement of the champions, it was just Ron and Hermione there.
Ginny, Dean and I often strolled along the banks of the lake during our breaks and today had been no different.
I'd heard the sound of someone skipping stones on the lake and turned my head to look.
I spotted Harry under a tree near the banks. He had been leaning against the bark of the tree with his legs bent in front of him.
Neville was knee deep in the lake a few steps in front of Harry, but they weren't talking to each other.
Harry tossed another stone and his mind looked to be somewhere We we hadn't spoken a word to each other since the break up, and as much as I hated to admit it, I still cared about him.
An unwanted memory filled my mind of when Harry and I had gone on a date here.
He'd brought me to that tree after we'd snuck out the castle, and we had laid talking and stargazing into the night.
He'd bet me a galleon on who could skip a stone the farthest.
I'd lost miserably but Harry never took compensation, even though all his bets were of monetary value. He'd always said something along the lines of, "Ah, you'll get me next time so don't worry about it."
I pushed the memory aside and contemplated for a little longer, before coming to a hesitant decision. Turning to Dean and Ginny, I said, "Uh you guys go ahead. I'll catch up."
They looked a little confused, but ultimately nodded and continue walking. I hesitated for a while longer before slowly walking towards Harry.
He hadn't heard me - which confirmed my suspicion of his mind being somewhere else - even though the autumn leaves had been crackling very loud underneath each of my steps.
"Hi Y/n!" Neville beamed from the lake. He had a bundle of seaweed in his one hand.
I stopped dead in my tracks. There went my plan of easing in my presence.
Where I'd stopped, I was standing right beside where Harry was sitting.
He looked up and shuffled in a flustered way when he saw it was me.
I stood and fiddled with my bag straps nervously.
Neville, oblivious to the awkwardness he'd just caused, walked deeper into the lake in search of more seaweed presumably.
Even though Neville was out of earshot, no words were exchanged between Harry and I. He was clearly very surprised to see me of all people here.
After a while I smiled awkwardly, "Uh... Hey, Harry... I know we don't uh... speak anymore really... but, I just wanted to ask if you're...you know, okay?
He avoided looking into my eyes and replied in a much softer tone than I was used to, "...Hi, y/n...oh yeah, yeah i'm fine."
there was a silence that I broke by asking in a concerned whisper, "Harry. What the hell were you thinking entering your name in? How did you even manage to do that?"
He sighed, sounding defeated. After the better half of a minute, he replied, "I didn't put my name in there."
There was another silence, i was very lost, "Well then, if you didn't put your name in there... who did?"
"That's the thing. I don't know," he said, still not having looked me in the eye since my arrival.
I was now proper confused but didn't want to overstep my boundaries and ask for some sort of an elaboration, so I dropped it.
I turned to look out at the lake. I hadn't realised it, but Harry had taken notice of the 'S.P.E.W' pin on my bag. I also had a 'Support Cedric Diggory,' badge pinned on it.
What felt like the entire school had been wearing one just to spite Harry, but I had just been wearing it to support my brother.
"So uh..." I rocked back and forth on my heels, "you and Ron?"
Harry cleared his throat and replied, "...Yeah. long story."
"Always is with that one, isn't it?" i commented, getting a weak laugh in return.
"Suppose so."
Another silence, of course, followed. I looked back at him sitting and break the silence by enquiring, "So... what are you gonna do about the tournament?"
He took a deep breath and analysed the ground for another stone, finding one.
"What can i do? Once your name comes out the Goblet you can't back out... but I didn't even bloody well put it in there," he repeated, throwing the stone at the lake in frustration. It had skipped quite far actually. "But of course," he added in a mumble, "nobody believes me."
Another, you guessed it, silence washed over the conversation. This one had been significantly longer than the previous ones.
"...I believe you." I said in a soft tone. Harry looked up into my eyes after I said this. I smiled weakly.
Harry had opened up to me during our time dating, we had been very vulnerable with each other at times.
Well... it kinda depends on what you would call 'very vulnerable'. I could probably count on one hand how many times the boy had let his walls down.
Although it really didn't take a genius to figure out that he wasn't doing too great right now.
But, it was no longer my place.
"Just know Harry..." I said softly, "that i'm always gonna be here for you. Even when you don't want me to be,"
His gaze softened and he gave me a weak smile.
"Thanks, Y/n... I appreciate —"
"I found it, Harry! Check it out!" Neville, again obliviously, shouted from the water. Harry gave a faked celebratory smile and Neville beamed back, before returning his attention to the water.
"Well uh... I'll see you around...?" I said as I turned to walk away. "Oh and good luck with the first task."
Whatever it may be.
I walked off with the crisp November air hitting my face and the leaves still crunching underneath each of my footsteps.
•••••••
"SHE SAID YES!" Cedric exclaimed excitedly as he picked me up and spun me around in a hug. He had the biggest smile I'd ever seen plastered on his face.
"Can you believe it!? I'M Cho Chang's boyfriend! Me!" Cedric was practically bouncing off the walls of my dorm. He had been paying me a visit to let me know how things had gone.
I laughed as he jumped with me in his arms. "I can believe it, yes! You've had a crush on her for forever!" I said as he put me down.
Cedric slumped down onto my bed in somewhat of a blissful daze, "Didn't mean she'd say yes though... but she did," he sighed contently, still smiling like an idiot.
I continued laughing softly at him, leaning against my desk. He didn't care though; he just stared at the ceiling with a smile.
"C'mon Ced." I said as I slapped his leg playfully, urging him to get up. "I don't think Hermione would appreciate a sixth year prefect in our dorm."
"Please, Hermione loves me—"
"Cedddd," I complained.
"Yeah, yeah," he said as he stood up. "I'm going, i'm going." He walked to my door, and I followed behind to see him out.
He then paused and turned around in the doorframe. He leaned on it and tugged on my one pigtail.
"Thanks for the advice, loser. I owe you one... maybe I'll name our child after you in tribute," Cedric says.
I rolled my eyes.
"I'm being serious! But then I'd expect something in return —"
"— But you're naming them after me in return for me already?—"
"— Like Cedric Jr. That has a ring to it, I'd say."
I started shutting the door on him, "Goodnightttttt," I laughed and shut the door fully.
Cedric walked off, his own laugh audible through the door.
Not even a minute later, Hermione opened the door and walked in, Ron trailing behind her.
I sighed at his presence and could sense he'd felt the same way.
But it was my bloody dorm, not his.
I had just started neatening up my desk as they had arrived.
"You can tell Harry yourself Ronald, I'm not an owl," Hermione snapped at Ron.
He scoffed, "Maybe i will."
"Wonderful! Then it could put a stop to one of the two petty fights you're currently busy with," Hermione replied and indicated to me.
I scoffed at the implication of Ron's unknown problem with me, and that had clearly struck a nerve because afterwards, he simply rolled his eyes and walked out of our dorm.
"Boys," Hermione muttered under her breath as she changed into her pyjamas.
I finished with my desk and climbed into bed. Hermione and I chatted a little before hitting the sack.
••••••••
The next morning, we had Potions first. And if you had told me at the start of the year that it would be my favourite subject, I would've called you a liar.
"...and I fell from the tree, my broom landing on top of me," Draco said in the midst of his silent belly laugh. He had been telling me the story of how he got the scar on his shoulder.
"You idiot!" I laughed and nudged him.
The first task was a mere few days away, and all anyone could talk about was that. Teachers had given up on trying to teach the rowdy classes and we ended up just playing games and chatting in most.
This didn't apply to Potions though, we were still very much so working. But, the workload had definitely gone down and was not enough to occupy everyone for an entire lesson, not that anybody minded.
Draco and I continued our very entertaining conversation when he'd brought up something we had spoken about a few weeks back.
"I don't think I can wait until the Hogsmeade trip to hang out with you, Y/n," Draco said with a smile as he laid his head on his desk and looked at me sitting beside him.
"What happened to being a 'very patient person'?" I teased.
"You seem to have gotten the best of me," Draco smiled and nudged me playfully. "So what do you say to tonight? Around maybeee, 9:30pm? Just after curfew. We sneak out and go for a walk along the lake?"
I smiled and thought about it. It really wouldn't hurt to try, right?
"Tonight's perfect." I smiled. "But don't expect a ball gown Malfoy. You'll never catch me in anything other than pyjamas after 9."
Draco laughed softly, "I had the same plan."
The bell rang and Snape dismissed us.
"See you later, Diggory," Malfoy smiled as he walked out the classroom, leaving me more excited than I'd like to admit for what the night had in store.
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more Harry is coming i promise🤞dw tho yall, im not gonna write a whole date with Draco😭
(edited)
(A/N) omg wait i didn't realise that when i edit the text, the comments disappear too😭😭😭i might actually stop editing then💀