regret, harry potter (rewriting)

eighteen

"I'm so fucked," Harry exclaimed frustratedly to Ron now that they're alone at the broom cupboard.

"Mate, why did you choose the broom cupboard? It looks like we're about to snog!" Ron shrieked.

"Did you remember what you said?" Harry completely ignored what Ron just said.

"About what?"

"About whether I fancy her now and before?"

"Yeah?"

"Fuck," Harry groaned, "I'm so screwed, I'm so dumb."

"What?" Ron frowned, still confused about why Harry is acting like this. "You smelled Aurelia, right? it's alright mate, Hermione and I expected it."

"No, not that."

"What? You didn't smell her? but-"

"What's Ginny's perfume?" Harry cut him off.

"You smelled Ginny?" Ron gasped.

"What's her perfume scent, Ron?" Harry ignored what Ron just said.

"I don't know exactly but she likes the smell of flowers." Ron answered, "Why would I know my sister's scent? That's weird!"

"What's her shampoo scent or body wash?"

"What the bloody hell is happening? Why are you asking me this?"

"Does she have anything Vanilla?" asked Harry.

"No, not that I know of," Ron shrugged.

"I've been smelling her the whole time," said Harry more like a whisper.

"What?"

Harry remembered the times he would always look forward to her letters during school break, longing to go back to school so that he could reunite with his friends, especially Aurelia.

He remembered Aurelia was always the first person he hugged every time he reunited with his best friends, not to mention how he always stole glances at her during classes that went unnoticed by her, or at least he thought.

Lastly, he remembered the first time he saw Cho and how pretty he thought she looked which made him completely disregard his feelings towards Aurelia. Although one thing that never changes is paying attention to Aurelia; all the times we would sneakily look at her, especially when she's with Ernie, ignoring the sinking feeling, assuming it's just because he was guilty, not because of his sharp sentiment he has for her.

"Remember what you said a couple of days ago? about whether I had feelings for her back then and whether I fancy her now?

Ron finally caught up and opened his mouth yet was speechless.

"I smelled her this whole fucking time. I smelled her in my sixth year. I thought — I thought it was Ginny because I smelled Vanilla and I used to smell vanilla at your house, then I remembered your mum, she baked a lot-"

"Bloody hell," Ron cuts off his best friend.

"Then just this year I remembered she always used Vanilla perfume. I spent a lot of time with her this year and I just realized she's the one I smelled in the sixth year." Harry was pacing around the small broom cupboard with heavy breathing while his fingers ran through his hair every now and then. "I had a feeling I started fancying her recently but I never thought I would fancy her back then as well."

"Did you even smell Ginny in the sixth year?" Ron frowned, feeling a bit furious at his best friend.

"Of course I did — but I smelled her too," Harry answered in disbelief.