The Other Potter

First Date

Two weeks go by and the twins are still the picture of House Unity. The other two houses have had to water their pranks down a bit so that they don't kill the boys. Talia and I have gotten complains about it from both houses and it is met with both the truth and logic 'we said we'd go last'. Ravenclaw is due to unleash their wrath in three days; the twins have become much jumpier, but otherwise look unaffected which just won't do.

"MYA!" Cedric says as he comes to my side in the Defense section of the library. I haven't studied in the Charms, Transfiguration, or Potions sections since the Chamber.

"Hey." I say, smiling at him.

"What are you doing this weekend?"

"Approximately...nothing." I say after a dramatic moment of thinking.

"Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me, like, as my date?"

"You're asking me on a date?" I ask in shock.

"Um, only if you want to." He says, looking awkward. "Or not, that's cool. We can go as friends."

"No, no, no! It's just, I heard your comments in the Chamber and you didn't do anything until now, so I didn't think you meant them."

"You heard those?"

"Lucas kept having to save you from my werewolf godfather, so I thought you knew." I say. All of Hufflepuff is well aware of Remus' illness and none of them care about it.

"Lupin's your godfather? I knew Lucas was saving my ass, but I didn't know he was your godfather. That explains why the need to save my life had appeared. Anyway, I meant those comments. So, will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"Yes. I would love to." I say, smiling at him. His smile slips slightly.

"You won't poison me like you did the twins if it goes badly, will you?" He asks and I laugh.

"No. I won't." I promise.

"Speaking of, though, has anyone broken into song?"

"Yeah, the Gryffindor Quidditch team about having to focus-and I quote-get your head in the game." I say and he sighs and rubs his face.

"Should we just accept our fate at this point?"

"A month before spring term ends." I confirm.

"You're going to send them home like that?"

"Nah, the Weasleys are staying at the school for the holidays but I would have." I say and he laughs. "Their mother would have beat their butts for what they did, said they deserved it, and left it be at that."

"Never mess with Molly Weasley. Got it." He says and I laugh.

That Saturday I dress in my nicer jeans, which just means the jeans I hadn't worn for the detention from Hell, a white sweater, and black flats. I braid back the front strands of my hair and leave to meet Cedric in the common room.

"Mya, you look beautiful." Cedric says when he comes out in dark jeans, a purple sweater, and black sneakers. Pretty Boy Diggory indeed.

"Thank you. So do you. Um, you look nice I mean." I say, stumbling over my words and he gives me a crooked smile.

"Thank you."

"Bloody better." Lucas grumbles as he passes.

"Only worried over it all night and half of this morning." Tommy agrees. I raise my eyebrows in shock at their words before turning to Cedric who is now red in the face.

"Didn't even do that with Chang." Tommy says. I smile smugly.

"Good." I say happily.

"You're trouble." Cedric says with a laugh, offering me his arm.

"Duh." I say, threading my arm through his. "You've known me long enough."

"Yeah, what happened to that sweet girl that was caught in the middle of a Weasley dare I saved from face planting into the train wall?"

"Oh, um, she realized she's actually free here...and then she took advantage of that freedom maybe to the extreme."

"Maybe?" Cedric asks with a laugh. I just shrug, not bothering to add fuel to that fire.

Cedric and I spend the day talking and joking about even the smallest of things, going from shop to shop, enjoying being together. I had always harbored a small crush on the older boy but I didn't think he would see me as anything but the small girl he has to protect. I don't plan on questioning my luck here.

We end up getting back to the common room late thanks to having dinner in the kitchen instead of the Great Hall and losing track of time. He kisses my cheek at the girls' dormitory door and then goes to his own dorm. It was easily the best day of my life.

"A million thoughts in my head

Should I let my heart keep listening

'Cause up 'til now I've walked the line
Nothing lost but something missing

I can't decide
What's wrong, what's right
Which way should I go

If only I knew what my heart was telling me
Don't know what I'm feeling
Is this just a dream?
Ah oh, yeah
If only I could read the signs in front of me
I could find the way to who I'm meant to be
Ah oh, if only
If only
If only

Every step, every word
With every hour I am falling in
To something new, something brave
To someone I, I have never been

I can't decide
What's wrong, what's right
Which way should I go

If only I knew what my heart was telling me
Don't know what I'm feeling
Is this just a dream?
Ah oh, yeah
If only I could read the signs in front of me
I could find the way to who I'm meant to be
Ah oh, if only
Yeah

Am I crazy? Maybe we could happen
Yeah
Will you still be with me when the magic's all run out?

If only I knew what my heart was telling me
Don't know what I'm feeling
Is this just a dream?
Ah oh
If only I could read the signs in front of me
I could find the way to who I'm meant to be
Ah oh

If only, yeah
If only, yeah
If only, yeah
If only, yeah

If only
If only" I sing out of nowhere. I guess I was overdue for a dance number. I sigh in defeat.

"At least this one didn't get me a date with a dead Basilisk." I grumble, going to the dorms.