Forever... Always

Year 2 - 'First' Crush

The night of the Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor match, after the twins left Cedric and I in the courtyard, we gathered our stuff and headed to the common room. We were walking down the hallway in the basement when we saw two people fairly close to the common room entrance. As we got closer, we realized it was Bryony and Chester.
"Hey Dutchman! Hey Diggory!" Chester exclaimed as we approached.
"Chester, you only use last names in the change room, on the pitch or if you're a professor." Bryony told him.
"It's all good." Cedric assured him.
"Can I talk with you Rayne?" Chester asked.
"Sure, let's walk and talk." I suggested this mostly to clear the coast for Cedric and Bryony to enter the common room and because there was still a good amount of time before curfew. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"Oh- I wanted to congratulate you on the win today and uh- I overheard you and George's conversation in Honeydukes earlier and got you this." He said as he handed me a Pumpkin pastry. "I wasn't spying on you, I promise. I just happened to be getting sweets for Bryony when you all came in. That's also why I was with Bryony just now."
"Thank you, I- I don't know what else to say. This is so kind of you."
"Don't mention it. It gave me an excuse to talk to you." I giggled and blushed seeing him blush as he said that. "It's getting close to curfew, I should head back to the Ravenclaw tower. Would you want to study with me tomorrow in the library after our lessons?"
"Sure." I said enthusiastically.
"Alright, it's a date, see you then. Goodnight Rayne."
I walked back to the common room with a stupid looking smile plastered on my face. I heard him right, didn't I? He did say it was a date. I got inside, talked with Lora for a little and then disappeared to my dorm. I layed on my bed thinking about what he'd said, 'it's a date'. Chester Loriss told me that we'd have a study date tomorrow in the library. I can't wait to tell Jelly bean! I'm sure he'll be so happy for me.
                    ***

These past few weeks have been joyful. I'd learned to manage my time better before Christmas break so I've been a lot less stressed and I'm managing to see all of my friends a lot more, especially Chester. Our study date went well and has led to plenty of others. He's so sweet and kind, last time he brought me another pumpkin pastry. I've told Cedric and Freddie all about my study dates and they sit and listen with smiles but Georgie, he doesn't seem to like any of it.
"If you're going to spend all our time together talking about ChEsTeR LoRiSs and his 'dates', then you can count on me to stop showing up." Jelly bean told me aggressively, what is his deal?
"Georgie, she doesn't spend all our time talking about him and honestly, I'm happy that she's telling us because first, she's keeping us updated and second, it means she still trusts us and we're still her best friends." Freddie told him and to be quite frank, he sounded like Aunt Molly when she scolds them.
"You don't get it, do you? Sure, he's sweet, kind and smart, but it's only a front. He brings you sweets and helps with your homework, but that's not a date. You should be bonding and if I'm going to be completely honest, I don't like him Winnie. I don't think you two fit together well."
"Why not? You just listed great reasons for me to like him Jelly bean." I said forcefully.
"You wouldn't understand because you've got googly eyes for him."
"Please reason with us George, your dislike for him is completely unreasonable and unfair unless you can give us a reason behind it." Cedric said calmly, trying to bring down the tension.
"HE'S A GIT. OK?" He yelled at all of us. "I was trying not to interfere with whatever you have going on with him because I see how you light up when you talk about him. He's kind to you because he fancies you, but he's snobby and narcissistic when you're not around." We all stood silently for a few seconds before it was broken.
"Jelly bean, what do you mean?" I said dumbly. I know what he means but I more so want to know how he might 'know' this.
"I've ran into him a few times before your 'dates' and well, he treated me horribly and made sure I felt like he was taking you away from me. He's so full of himself. He gloats all the time about being smart and told me I'd pull better grades if I wasn't so busy being a moron."
"We put a lot of thought and intelligence into our pranks and quidditch! What's the problem with that?" Freddie said defensively. "If he's saying that about you, he's saying that about me too. That bloody git!"
"He really told you that?" I said, barely able to get the words out because thinking of someone treating my Jelly bean so poorly hurts a lot.
"I don't think George would say something of the sort if it wasn't true Rayne." Cedric said, clearly a little distraught himself with the whole situation.
Could I have really blindly started fancying Chester? Normally I'd give people a chance to prove themselves better, but if you're messing with my best friends, you can guarantee that though I might come ask for your side of the situation, I already have my mind made up. I don't care for confrontation, but Chester needs to explain himself if he's going to be acting the way Georgie claims.
I decided to use our study date that was planned for this evening to confront Chester about what Georgie told me because I don't want to have a crush on an arse, excuse my language.
"Hey Chester!" I said as he sat at the table, trying to sound as joyful as every other time.
"Hey Rayne! You look like something's on your mind, want to talk about it?"
"Yeah actually, I have some things to ask you about."
"Oh- what might that be?" He said trying to sound sweet but I could see right through it now, he's getting nervous.
"I was just curious about something I heard, George told me you called him a moron and that you're quite full of yourself, narcissistic even. Care to explain why he might have said that?"
"W- Weasley is it? He must be mistaken with someone else..."
I could see his hands fidgeting with the side of his pants. He wasn't looking me in the eyes. He's stuttering for goodness sake. He wouldn't be like this unless he'd just been caught.
"Chester, I'm not going to lie to you unlike you just did to me. I trust George much more than you, after all, he's been my best friend since as long as I can remember and George has nothing to lose by telling me the truth about you. You on the other hand, well, you have me to lose by telling the truth, which is clearly why you lied."
"Rayne, this is all a big misunderstanding. Just because I'm smarter than him doesn't mean I'm full of myself and he must have thought I called him a moron, I wouldn't do that. You believe me, don't you?"
"Listen, I gave you a chance to explain despite the fact that I knew you'd lie. Be happy that you even had a chance." I said as I walked away with my stuff. I paused and turned around to look him in the eyes. "Also, don't ever call Georgie and Freddie morons because their priorities aren't the same as your own. They're extremely intelligent, they just don't show it through academics."
Obviously Chester and I were no longer friends after all that but sadly Bryony didn't want to be friends anymore either. I can understand her taking Chester's side, he is her brother after all. Though my first crush didn't work out, I now get to spend more time with my best friends, which is something I'll be doing a lot this summer. We just need to spend all our time now studying for our exams, no crushes for distractions.