beautiful - harry potter

chapter 29

Harry couldn't peel his gaze away from Thalia Forthing and her small smile and her knowing eyes. 

"Harry, what're you doing?" Ron asked. This was the one and only time that Ron would stop eating. Syrup dripped from his bottom lip to his chin as Harry got up from his seat and climbed onto the table. 

Harry didn't reply as he stood up and cupped his hands over his mouth. "Can I get everyone's attention, please?" Harry shouted.

All conversations seemed to fade away and everyone's attention fell onto Harry. He knew that Umbridge would surely punish him later with detentions that would make his hand bleed but he didn't really care about that when Thalia was in the same room.

"Thalia Forthing, will you go out with me?" Harry always heard his godfather's stories about how James Potter stood on the Gryffindor table every morning and asked out Lily Evans. 

Sure, Harry's mother said no an uncountable amount of times but this was a grand gesture so how could she possibly say no? If Thalia rejected him, it would be publicly embarrassing but Harry wouldn't stop until she agreed. 

"Like on a real date," Harry clarified, "at Hogsmeade." 

For Thalia, all the kiss had been was a kiss. She didn't know that it would spark Harry's feelings for her again, but she never knew that Harry never lost feelings for her. She didn't know what she was doing when she kissed him and she didn't regret it, but she didn't want it to be public.

Thalia looked at Draco, who was glaring down Harry like he was going to hex him right on the spot. Harry ignored Draco's glare and continued to watch Thalia with hopeful bright eyes. 

"No." 

Her voice was so quiet and low that it was almost inaudible and Harry thought he'd misheard her. Thalia nervously twisted around her right earring while the students and teachers looked between her and Harry.

"I'm sorry?" Harry asked. 

Thalia let out a sigh and stood up as her hands fell back to her sides. "I said no, Potter," she repeated in a louder, clearer voice. It was loud enough for Harry to hear, loud enough for everyone in the Great Hall to hear.

Harry frowned and got down from the table. The conversations in the Great Hall seemed to start up again and Harry just stared at his plate.

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At first, Thalia was flattered by the attention she received every morning when Harry asked her out. But then, he asked her out during free periods, through little notes during class, and he even got Neville to ask her out for him when they studied in the library.

After two weeks, Thalia was pissed that he kept pestering her. So when Harry didn't show up one morning, Thalia was pleasantly surprised.

She'd assumed that Harry had gone down to the field early to practice a bit before the match started, but then she remembered that Harry was kicked off the team by Professor Umbridge. 

Thalia didn't think much of it. "Okay, Gryffindor's practically shit now," Theo explained, "so the Hufflepuffs actually might have a chance of winning."

"I don't know, the Gryffindors are still pretty good," Blaise disagreed. 

"Hufflepuffs got it in the bag," Thalia commented. "I mean, without the Weasleys and Potter? They're set up for defeat."

"I'm still booing when the Gryffindors come out," Draco scoffed. Thalia laughed and the four began to make their way to the Quidditch Pitch. The stands started to file in and the match was starting up.