After dinner I walked up to the Common Room with Neville, Seamus, and Dean. I told them about what happened with me and Harry, not about what happened with Fred. I didn't realize what I did until after I saw him walk past me in the Great Hall.
I was sitting in the Common Room, doing homework with Neville, Seamus, and Dean. From behind me, I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and saw Ron behind me.
"Can I talk to you Rhea?" He said in an angry tone. I nodded and closed my potions book. I set it down and stood up. I followed Ron out of the tower and down the corridor.
"What do you want?" I said. "I already know you now hate me, and Harry really liked me, we talked if you hadn't figured it out."
Just as I finished, Ron trapped me in a tight hug. I awkwardly hugged him back, not knowing what was happening.
Once he let go an saw my look of confusion, he said. "Fred talked to me. He told me what happened earlier. He made me realized, even though you broke my best friends heart, I should forgive you."
"Alright look," I said. "I appreciate the apology, but I don't think I broke Harry's heart."
"How do you know? Did you read his mind or something."
"No, I could tell by the look on his face, and what he said to me."
"How?"
"When Harry and I talked earlier, he was saying that even if I said no when he asked me, he still would have been my friend, it would just take time. He said that since I said I didn't like him like that, it was going to take time. And you could see it in his eyes. His eyes were glassy when he first found out. His face was also red, meaning he was a little embarrassed. At the end, his face went back to normal, meaning he was okay. Then his eyes were dry. I think he'll be okay, no matter what he tells you. He likes to hide his emotions."
"Yeah I know." Ron said. After a short pause, he said. "You should be in Divination. You'd have perfect marks!"
I smiled and looked at my feet. I heard footsteps, and I had a hunch on who it was. I slowly looked up, annoyed because I knew it was going to be Fred. I was then shocked, because it wasn't Fred, but I was mad, because it was Malfoy.
He was alone, surprisingly. It looked like he was crying. I looked into his eyes as much as I could, since he was farther away and walking.
I saw a blob of colour as he got closer. It then changed into what I'm assuming was the Slytherin Common room. He was sitting with Crabbe and Goyle. No one else was there.
"I just wish I was nicer to her in the past." Malfoy said. "Maybe she would like me then."
"Malfoy, stop obsessing over her. It's obvious she just doesn't see anything in you." Goyle said.
"But I want her to like me. I know I can't change what I've done before, but maybe I can change her mind now."
"You know how stubborn she is." Crabbe said. "If you wanted her to like you, you'd need to use a love potion."
"I don't want false love. I want more than that. I want her to actually like me." Malfoy said.
"You just need to stop thinking about her." Goyle said. "It'll help. It helped with when I liked Pansy."
"But I can't! She's so beautiful. Her dark, brown, curly hair, her pale skin, her beautiful voice that rings in your ears, and the most beautiful thing about her, her grey eyes."
I realized who he was talking about, me. I kept watching to make sure.
"Malfoy, you need to get over her. It'll be ok. We're here for you." Crabbe said.
"Stop babying me!" Malfoy said, standing up. "What if I don't want to get over her. She's to beautiful to get over." His eyes became glassy. He then slowly sat back down.
"Look, Malfoy. All she will only hold you back. Any girl will." Goyle said.
"I heard that." Pansy Parkinson said as she walked down the stairs. "What's wrong Draco?" She walked over to Malfoy and sat down on the couch next to him.
"He can't stop thinking about her." Goyle said.
"Oh, that Gryffindork? She's a worthless, piece of scum. She isn't worth it Draco." Pansy said.
"She's not worthless!" Malfoy said, standing up once again. "Rhea is beautiful, and she isn't worthless. I'm leaving, before any of you pinheads can say another thing against her."
With that, Malfoy left Slytherin Tower. I broke the hard eye contact I had with him; and hopefully the one he didn't notice.
I gasped and covered my mouth as soon as I broke away. I looked at Ron with a panicked look. As Malfoy drew closer, I was debating in my head on what to say. I couldn't say I knew how to read minds, but that would be the only logical explanation.
Then, Malfoy was close enough, and I said. "Malfoy..."
He kept walking past us, rubbing his eyes. I looked at Ron and said quietly. "I'll see you back in the Common Room."
I ran off to try to catch up to a fast-walking Malfoy. I eventually did, and I grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.
Tears where streaming down his pale, now pink face. His eyes were glassy, and he had a look of depression on his face.
"What do you want Lupin?" He said, drying his eyes. "Probably going to make fun of me for crying, aren't you?"
I shook my head, then hugged him without warning. I wrapped my arms tight around his waist, and at first he didn't do anything, then he hugged back, tightly wrapping his arms around my waist. He cried into my shoulder, and my hand rubbed his back in attempt to comfort him.
We let go after a while. Malfoy looked at me with a look of confusion on his face.
"Why did you do that?" He asked, drying his eyes.
"I know why your sad." I said, looking at the tears still falling.
"How? You can't possibly know why I'm sad."
"You like me. I can read minds. You really like me, and you were talking to Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy. They kept talking about how you need to get over me. Then, you became sad. You left them in the Slytherin Common Room. You don't want to speak to them for the rest of the day." I said.
Malfoy stood in shook. He couldn't believe what I had just said.
"Well, from now on stay out of my head." Malfoy said. He tried to walk off, but I pulled him back.
"Now what?" He said.
"I just wanted to say that, if you be a bit nicer to me and my friends, maybe we can talk more." I said. Then, for the first time ever, I saw Malfoy smile. It was an actual smile. No stupid grin or cocky half smile, and actual smile. I smiled back, hoping I had just made his whole situation better.
I walked off down the hall and back to the Common Room. Everyone was there; Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Fred, George, Ginny, Seamus, and Dean. They were all crowded in the small space in front of the fireplace.
"Rhea!" Fred said. I smiled awkwardly and walked over. "You can try to sit next to me." He said, moving closer to George. I sat down between Fred and Neville.
"Well, I have a story to tell you." I said, getting comfortable.
"Well, go on." Seamus said after a short pause.
"So, when Ron and I were down in a corridor," I said, looking at Ron, who was next to Hermione. "Malfoy came, and he was upset. He was crying."
I heard a snicker from someone. I stopped and looked around.
"Keep going." Neville said.
"Anyway..." I started. "I read his mind..."
"Wait, you can read minds?" Dean said excitedly.
"Yes, she can." Fred said. "Now, if anyone else talks they will have a bloody nose."
"Thank you, I guess." I said to Fred. He nodded as if saying your welcome, and I went on.
"So, I read his mind. I saw a conversation he had with Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy. Malfoy likes me. And a lot too."
There were groans of disgust and gasps of shock. Fred put his arm around me and squeezed me into a quick hug as to say I'm sorry.
I looked over at Harry as people were talking about this to each other. Harry sat quietly, looking at me. He then stood up. Everyone went silent.
"I'm going to go to bed." He said. "Goodnight."
He jumped over legs and books and went up the stairs. Ron slowly stood up and said. "I'll go check on him." Ron went upstairs and it was still silent.
"So, what happened after that?" Dean asked.
"Nothing really." I said. "I just let him go. I didn't want to upset him more."
"Why would you care?" Seamus said. "No one in this room cares for that git."
"That's a bit much." I said.
"What's wrong with you?" Fred said. "I thought you always hated each other."
"Look, I don't want to talk about it right now." I said, standing up. "I'm already in a bad mood so I'm going to bed."
I walked over to the stairs and up them. I plopped on to my bed and felt tears fall down my face.
As I thought about it more and more, I didn't know if I liked Malfoy or not. I knew I liked Fred, but I started to get the idea that I like Malfoy. I felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest as I buried my head I my pillow and cried.