Maci's POV
Well, that was officially the worst Yule Ball of my life. (And the only...) I could not help but keep thinking of Fred. How could he even dance with that Angelina Johnson chick? I thought he loved me. He said he did, but he threw me in the trash without a good explanation.
Okay, he did give me an explanation, but it was a crappy one. He claims he doesn't have time to focus on a girlfriend? It didn't look like that when he was holding Angelina in his arms.
I left the Great Hall, sick and tired of The Weird Sisters and not having my Fred. I walked quietly and fatiguedly down to the Hufflepuff Common Room, and found it completely deserted. I had thought that Meghan would have been in there, for she had left the Great Hall hours prior, and was nowhere to be seen.
I shrugged and walked up into my dormitory, finding it empty as well. I felt like such a loner, and kicked of my heels and got onto my bed.
I could not get the stupid song "Do the Hippogriff" out of my head, and I sang it loudly whilst in my lonesome.
"Can you dance like a hippogriff, ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma," my voice rang out. I laughed at the song, so lamely filled with wizarding metaphors.
I fiddled my thumbs, waiting for something to happen, as it was quite boring just laying there singing a cheesy song.
I heard a knock on the door, and got up quickly. I must have accidentally locked it.
"Who is it?" I asked in a bored voice.
"You know who," was the response.
I screamed out loud. "GET OUT OF HERE!" I yelled, running to my bed for protection.
"Oh my chocolate frogs," said the voice, "it's me you idiot!"
"Meghan!" I whined. "Don't scare me like that!"
"Honestly woman," said Meghan, as I let her into the dormitory. "Did you really think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is going to come into our dormitory? What the fudge would he want with you?"
"You don't know everything," I said defensively. "I could be a secret Death Eater. Or perhaps I betrayed You-Know-Who, and he is after me. Maybe he wants me for my superb magic skills."
"What superb magic skills?" asked Meghan, rolling her eyes, and taking barrettes out of her hair.
"Hurtful!" I whined. She rolled her eyes again and let out a yawn. "Where have you been?"
"Do you want the truth?" asked Meghan. I threw my pillow at her face and groaned.
"You're mental," I proclaimed loudly. "Of course I want the truth you blast ended skank!"
"Blast ended skank?" she repeated, laughing madly. "That's original."
"Honestly, tell me where you've been," I demanded, growing more impatient. I was eager for her to spill the beans. I knew it was something juicy.
"With the love of my life," she said airily, batting her eyelashes and staring up at the ceiling.
"Lee?"
"No, stupid! Cedric," she said as if it was completely obvious.
"Shut the front door!" I yelled. "You're mental. I need to take you to the Hospital Wing. How much have you had to drink?"
I rushed to her side and picked her up by the arm.
"Oh my gosh, Mace," she said drawly. "I'm not kidding. Let go of me!"
"Tell me more," I said through gritted teeth. Cedric broke her heart. He was a dirty old rotten Snitch. He did not deserve to be back with Meghan. I would not stand for it. It was complete and utter rubbish.
Payton came to my rescue and entered the dormitory, sipping a glass of punch.
"Tell you more about what?" she asked, taking a seat next to me on my bed. I sighed and turned to her, hoping she was prepared for what I was going to tell her.
"This son of a banshee over here said something about Cedric being the love of her life and whatnot," I told Payton quickly, ignoring Meghan's gaping. "She's a complete nutter!"
"WHAT?" bellowed Payton, standing up and dropping her punch on the ground.
"That's what I said!" I chimed in.
"Seriously, Megs, tell me about this or I will jelly-legs jinx you until you die," said Payton, her face inches away from Meghan's.
"Hey! Unfair! My legs would be jelly!" said Meghan, who had had bad experiences with the jelly-legs jinx. She knew she had to tell Payton.
"Meghan," said Payton in a warning tone.
"Gosh you guys are so protective," said Meghan, but she did not seem to be complaining. I smiled. "Anyway," she continued, "I have forgiven him. We are back together. Lee is with someone else. Nothing you say can change that."
"YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND!" yelled Payton. "How could you forgive that scumbag?"
"He happened to give me a logical explanation for everything," said Meghan, remaining quite calm, despite mine's and Payton's obvious disapproval.
"He probably Imperius-ed you," said Payton.
"What in the name of Merlin are you talking about?" said Meghan, finally cracking and losing her temper. "Don't you think I am capable of forgiving someone without being Imperius-ed? I'm not a child, Payton. I can figure things out for myself."
"No person in their right mind would forgive someone like him. You trusted him, and he let you down. He's a cheater!" said Payton.
I stood back watching them go at it. Both girls were standing up and fuming at each other. I didn't know what to say. I was not wanting to get involved in their stupid cat fight. They both had valid arguments. I just waited to see who would take the victory, and be the shoulder to cry on for the loser.
"He happened to have been under the influence of a love potion," said Meghan. This was news to me.
"Why did it take him so long to tell you that, then?" asked Payton, crossing her arms. I nodded in agreement.
"B-because," stuttered Meghan, "he did not know that it was a love potion until Ho told him."
"And why in the hell would she tell him?" asked Payton. Wow, Payton had some good questions.
"Because she saw the way he looked at me," said Meghan, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.
That was an especially 'Aww' worthy moment, but I did not want to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between my two friends.
"She said she couldn't do it to me or him anymore," said Meghan, her voice shaky.
"I still don't think you should have forgiven him," said Payton.
"It's not for you to decide who I forgive and who I don't forgive, O'Hara," said Meghan fiercely.
My eyes bulged out of their sockets as I looked back and forth between the brawlers. That was an intense argument to witness. It looked like Meghan had won. Payton stood there speechless. I waited for her comeback. They did not break eye contact. I could have started singing "Do the Hippogriff" and I doubt either of them would have given me another thought.
"Coward," said Payton. She tore out of the dormitory before Meghan could say anything.
Meghan fell onto her bed backwards and groaned. I expected her to be bawling, but she stayed quite still and no tears fell from her eyes.
I got up for the first time and walked over to her bed. I fell onto it next to her and struggled with what I was meaning to say.
"It was brave of you to forgive him," I whispered. "Not cowardly at all. It shows me that you're a true person. I know you are, but now I see it even more. You give people second chances. That's one of the greatest qualities of all. If you didn't have that quality, well, I probably wouldn't be your friend. Payton, she can be a bit fierce sometimes. She just cares about you, that's all. she'll come around. Never let someone try to control your life, Meghan. You did the right thing. I can see the way he looks at you, too. That's real."
Meghan did not say anything, but I did not mind. She understood me, just like she always does.
Payton did not return that night. In fact, we did not see her until dinner the next evening.
Meghan was sitting with Cedric. They were chatting animatedly. I did not blame them, they had a lot to catch up on. I caught glances of Cho Chang, who despite her supposed sympathy for Megs and Cedric, was glaring at them. The newly reformed couple was lost in their own world. I doubt they even realized they were in the Great Hall, surrounded by people.
"Hey," came a small voice from behind me. I swivelled around to see Payton beginning to sit down next to me.
"What's up," I said quietly, still not sure if I should be friendly toward her or not.
"Just feeling like a sad Muggle," was the response.
I snorted and took a bite of custard.
"What's a Muggle doing at Hogwarts?" I asked jokingly. She smiled and began fixing herself a plate of food.
"Is Meg still mad at me?" she asked timidly. I gave her a look that said what-do-you-think?
"Of course she is," said Payton. "I deserve to have my wand broken. I completely insulted her judgment, even though I still kind of hate them being together."
"You're just mad because she has a boyfriend and we don't," I told her, knowing that I was somewhat feeling the same way.
"I suppose," said Payton, sighing. She turned around and saw the Weasley twins, laughing and talking to girls at the Gryffindor table. It still hurt, after all that time.
"We need boyfriends," I said with a laugh. That sounded so desperate, but it was true.
"Yeah," agreed Payton. "It's pretty sad being sixteen and seventeen years old and not having boyfriends. Especially when we're this good looking," she added, sticking her lips out like a duck.
"You know it, girl!" I laughed. It was a good thing that Meghan was in la la land or else she would have demolished me for being back on friendly terms with Payton.
"Where'd you go last night, anyway?" I asked, the thought having just occured to me.
"I just slept on a couch in the common room, and when you two fell asleep, I summoned some of my clothes and stuff," said Payton, snorting at the patheticness of her tale.
"Brilliant," I laughed, finishing the last of my custard. "Well, who are we going to date, Miss Payton?"
"No one from Hufflepuff. They're all losers," said Payton, her eyes trailing along the Hufflepuff table, a look of disgust on her face.
"I couldn't agree more," I said, eyeing Summers, who was hopelessly trying to Transfigure his plate.
"I don't think I could date a Slytherin," said Payton, biting her lip. I looked across the room to the Slytherin table. They were not that bad looking. Somewhat proud, yes, but at least they did not try to Transfigure their plates.
"Come on, Payton," I said, twirling my hair flirtaciously. "What's wrong with a couple of Slytherin boys for us?"
"I dunno," shrugged Payton. "You can date one of them. You've got the looks enough."
I laughed at her. "Yeah, I'm a real charmer compared to you."
"Shut up," she said, smiling. "Okay, get over there and sweep them off your feet."
"Are you mental?" I whispered. "I can't just walk over there and ask one of them out!"
"Look, one's leaving, he's pretty hot," said Payton, nodding her head in the Slytherin table's direction. "Go catch him in the hallway, strike up a conversation.
"You're mental," I said as I stood up. "I'm going to get rejected."
"Hurry!" said Payton.
I hurried out of the Great Hall, following a boy with short brown hair, wearing his school robes. He was a bit taller than me. I felt foolish walking behind him, but I had to do it. At last, as he turned the corner, I recognized him.
Adrian Pucey, Slytherin Chaser.
Perfect, now at least I could strike up a conversation with him.
"Hi," I said awkwardly as I caught up with him. My heart was hammering inside my chest. Why was I doing this?
"Hi," he replied, smiling at me. I guess my so called 'good looks' were paying off now.
"Adrian, isn't it?" I asked, as we walked down the corridor next to each other.
"Yeah, and you're Maci Smith of Hufflepuff," he said, in a charming voice.
"Yeah, I am," I replied, flushing at the cheeks. "I remember playing Quidditch against you last year."
"Yeah, when I demolished you," joked Adrian. I laughed and began to feel more comfortable.
"It was a close match," I said defensively.
"If Malfoy hadn't caught the Snitch you guys only would have lost by 180, eh?" said Adrian.
"True, but you know, miracles happen sometimes," I said, smiling up at him.
"Ha-ha, yes they do," said Adrian. We stopped in front of a wall. "Well, I have to, er go. It was nice to talk to you. I'll see you around?"
"Okay, bye," I said charmingly. He muttered something that must have been the Slytherin password, for he disappeared right after that. I squealed to myself and practically ran back up to the Great Hall. It didn't go perfectly, and I didn't have a new boyfriend, but it was a start. He did not shun me.
I ran through the doors and slowed down before reaching Payton. I told her what had happened, and she was thrilled at our conversation.
"You go girl!" she said, high fiving me.
"It's your turn," I said firmly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I went through that awkwardness, and it turned out great for me. It's your turn."
"I'm not ready - there isn't even anyone I like, you can't just -"
"There's a Ravenclaw," I said, eyeing a handsome blonde, casually hanging by the double door entrance. "Go choose him."
"I don't like Rave-"
It was too late for her to finish, I had pushed her in the general direction, and was not going to let her come back until she had talked to that boy. I did not want to intrude, so I turned back around and mindlessly played with my food. It was pretty boring. I waited for her to return, but she did not.
It was growing late and dark, so I headed back out of the Great Hall.
My life is so strange, I thought to myself.
Strange and magical.