Harry's POV:
"That was some match, Harry!" Lucy congra- tules me with a smirk. "Cho Chang was an interesting opponent, wasn't she?"
I feel myself blush at the thought of my little sister noticing me look at a girl. But I have to admit: Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker, really was a very interesting girl to play against. Mostly she was just an interesting girl, in general. I look her way, trying to do so subtly. She looks disappointed at losing, of course, and I do feel kind of bad. She catches me staring and gives me a smile and a small wave.
"Oh God, you really like her!" Lucy's smirk grows even wider, I feel my cheeks get warmer and warmer.
"You're annoying, y'know that?" I shove her lightly and she laughs at me. She laughs at me. "Are you coming to the party tonight? After the win, I mean?"
"I can try, but Poppy's not too fond of me being here for the match as it is," Lucy huffs. Why is she always in such bad luck?! Al- ways absent at the fun parties, all because of one stupid night out, only to escape our crazy home. "How are you feeling? We never talk about those nights anymore..."
I know she's been talking to no one about it, only to Vanessa, maybe. At first, I thought she talked to Ginny and Liliana too, but I asked, she does not. Maybe she writes to Remus about it all? It sounds more like her.
"It hurts, especially after the match..." I can see she's still unwell: she's still pale, she flexes her shoulder regularly and she looks a bit ill after the exercise.
"Maybe it's best if you just rest tonight," I say. I hate to keep her from the party, but it wouldn't help if she passed out halfway through the night, right?
"I'll only come to the party for a little while," Lucy suggests as a compromise. She is of course bound on being at the victory party, which I get. I really want her to enjoy a party as well: she doesn't have much luxury when it comes to parties.
"Okay. But you'd better get back to the Hospital Wing when you start feeling worse again."
She agrees instantly with a grateful hug. "Thanks Harry! And you know, Poppy will come get me herself if she thinks it gets too late... and otherwise Vanessa and Ginny will drag me there."
"We sure will," Vanessa responds as the girls join us, followed closely by Ron and Hermi- one. "Ginny, 'Liana and I vowed to always look after our Lucy. We are sure to obey that vow!"
"At least let her have some fun," Ron chimes in. "She's just won a Quidditch game for us. If it hadn't been for her, we could've never earned enough points for Harry to be able to go catch that snitch!"
"Thank you, Ron!"
"No problem, Lu!"
"Now, let's go change for the PARTYYY!" Liliana pulls Lu, Vanessa and Ginny after her and gestures for 'Mione to come too. "Come on! We can all get dressed together!"
Hermione smiles, excited and follows them quickly.
"As if those parties are so serious," Ron mutters as we watch them run over to the castle. "I'm not going to change, that much I know... I'll never understand girls."
*
As the Gryffindor party is warming up a little, Lee Jordan, Fred and George enter, later as always, with the booze.
"We have come at last!" Fred announces to all of the Gryffindor tower. "The party can finally start!"
"Ridiculous," Hermione tuts at them, as she turns back to her homework. She has a lot of homework, with all of the subjects she's following this year.
"Hermione, relax for a little bit," I tell her for what feels like the thousandth time. Ron and I have been trying to convince her to put her work down sometimes, but she rarely listens.
"And we have the record player!" Vanessa calls out as she points at the record player. "We won the match people! Let's make them all know!"
With that, Lucy put a vinyl in and 'We are the champions' by Queen starts playing. Everyone starts cheering and chanting along to the song. Even the purebloods now know Queen, after the girls had played their albums so many times.
Lucy went over to Hermione to ask her something. At first, Hermione seemed to react offended, but after some more talking, she relaxes and Lucy even sits with her.
"What is going on between these two?" Ron whispers to me, also looking at the girls.
"I don't know," I answer truthfully. I have never really seen them talking much before, not as much as with Ron, at least. When had they become such close friends? "Whatever it is, I'm kind of happy she gets along great with both of you."
Ron snorts. "That girl can get along well with anyone if she wants."
I knew that wasn't true; she always puts up that facade, but that isn't truly who she is. Yes, she is really the prankster that she is with her best friends, that really is the true her. But is she also friend-to-all she seems to be? I know better than that.
And when did she quit keeping out of 'Mione's way in order to keep her secret? Maybe she already knows and Lucy is just keeping her close! The thought alone makes my heart race.
"Whoa, Harry!" Ron grabs my shoulder lightly and shakes it a little. "Are you alright?"
"F-fine," I stammer out, but he is not convin- ced. He eyes Hermione and Lucy, but they are not paying attention. "I er... just need to go to the bathroom."
With that excuse, I escape Ron and the horde of people. I'd better not get a panic attack right now. And Ron'd better not follow me or alert Lucy. She does not get many festive nights like these, especially near the full moons.
Wait, what's that? I do a doubletake, but I didn't see it wrong: the Grim, standing right there, at the end of the hall, looking me right in the eye.
This is it, I am about to die.
*
Lucy's POV:
"I had no idea you'd be interested in Ancient Runes..." 'Mione comments in an amazed tone. "Harry and Ron never take an interest in this all."
"Of course Harry wouldn't..." I snort at the thought of Harry trying this. He'd get a headache within the first two minutes. "No, I like the challange. I like trying to figure out a story someone wrote ages ago."
"I know right?" Hermione laughs shortly. She must be so happy to have some friends who understand some parts of her the boys would never get, even if they tried to.
"So what do you think you'll do?" She asks. I am trying to get a better view of what subjects to take next year. No one has started about it yet, but I've seen Harry all about Divination, I will not be making that mistake.
"Well, like I said, I really liked Ancient Runes and I think I'd like Care of Magical Creatures too..." of course I'd like that.
"The best would be three or four," Hermione advises. "It's a lot of work to do five, as you see."
"Yeah... I really admire how you manage. I'll be taking three or two, I need to think about it."
"You do well in class, right?" 'Mione comments. "I think taking three or even four should be fine for you."
Maybe I should ask Remus about this stuff. He will know how much work it was to plan it all... and I still want to play Quidditch.
"LUCY!" Liliana grabs my hands and drags me out of my chair. "Come party! Don't sulk when you've just won a game!"
"Did she get a hold on the Firewhiskey?" Hermione whispers to me, a scowl already on her face.
"Nah, this is sober 'Liana!"
*
As I'm dancing with Ginny, Vanessa and 'Liana, everything for once feels like being a teenager should feel like. Or at least like how I'd imagined teenage lifes should feel like: cheerful, the true time of my life, the time to make the mistakes you can't make later.
Halfway through the evening, when the older years are already drunk on Firewhis- key, Ginny grabs my arm.
"Is it true?" She looks suddenly extremely upset. Only seconds before she seemed fine?
"What?"
"Harry, does he really like that Ravenclaw?" By now, she looks positively devestated. "The twins are saying he does. That he was all over her during the match."
Oh no. I should have told her! I take hold of her hand and pull her out of the crowd. I was getting a little overwhelmed anyways.
"I know he was after the match," I answer, after checking if no one is listening in. "I don't know how serious it is. Maybe he was just a little attracted to her, she was rather pretty."
Ginny opens her mouth to ask another question, but thinks better of it and stops herself. "Okay."
The other girls join us. As Ginny is about to turn back to the people, I stop her. "Ginny, I know you like him."
She freezes and refuses to look me in the eye.
"What? Who likes who?" 'Liana interrupts. She's holding out two Butterbeers for us to take. "I brought us some drinks."
Ginny ignores her and looks me in the eyes at once. "Since when do you know? Does he know? Who else knows?"
"Please, Harry wouldn't really notice if you screamed it through the whole school."
"I mean you did send him a Valentine's card last year," 'Liana counters. Vanessa pokes her in the side as a warning and she squeals. "Sorry! It's true though, she did!"
"I've never heard him talk about you liking him," Vanessa tries to say. I nod as a confir- mation. "Either he doesn't know or doesn't care. He doesn't act weird around you, right?"
"But I do," Ginny stammers. "I act weird towards him! Merlin, the whole school will know before long!"
"Ginny, calm down, it'll be fine. The whole school won't know." Vanessa puts her arm around Ginny's shoulders. "We won't tell a soul and Harry doesn't see it. Your brothers might, but there's no way they'll spread it."
"Fred and George would," Ginny argues. A look of panic sets over her face. "Oh Merlin, they'll tell people!"
"They will not," I tell her. "If they even try to, we'll hex them. And I'll learn how to obliviate people and make them forget it."
*
Not long after the talk with Ginny, the girls accompanied me to the Hospital Wing. We tried to find Harry, but he was nowhere to be found. Poppy wasn't too happy about the time, but she did understand.
I did go to sleep immediately, mostly to please her, but I was tired too. It was a peaceful sleep, until I woke up because of some commotion somewhere further in the castle. Why did I have to have such good hearing all the time? It has to be the Gryffindors, still partying.
But no: the hectic spreads slowly through the building, all of it. Curious, I get out of bed and light the lantern on my nightstand. I get to the door, but Poppy beats me to it: she throws open the door, almost right in my face.
"Oh, thank Lord, you're still here!" Poppy looks panicked, but she seems to calm down at the sight of me. "For a moment, I feared..."
She sighs in relief and pulls me in for a very tight hug. This is not the time for hugs!
"What?" The panic was passing on to me. Why is she so concerned about me? "What happened, Poppy?! Is it something with Harry?"
"Lucy dear... it's Sirius Black-"
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