𝖮 𝗂𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖮𝖻𝗌𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 ʰʲᵖ

• ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔗𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔳𝔢 : 𝔖𝔴𝔢𝔢𝔱-𝔠𝔬𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔏𝔦𝔢𝔰 •

• Chapter Twelve : Sweet-coated Lies •

[••• ––– •••]

Halfway through October, the wind started howling outside the castle. Small flecks of snow had finally released from the sky. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake chilled like a steel. The ground was soon covered in frost. Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creature teacher, was seen through the upstairs windows defrosting school broomsticks on the Quidditch field. He was bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, fur gloves, and enormous boots. The corridors were starting to get chilly but not until Filch the caretaker put up some extra torches in the wall to add the warmth of the place.

Quidditch season had officially entered as well. In a few weeks, (Y/N) would be playing a match in between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, the first game under her Captaincy.

(Y/N) hardly can be seen in the company of other people except for her teammates for a couple of weeks ever since the Ravenclaw team's tryout for a Beater. She could hardly hang out with her best friends. She was focused on training her team for the upcoming match as they are the one to open the Quidditch season for the year. If they win the first game, they will be starting the season with a good score.

It wasn't just that. Her subjects had been extra difficult too. She would get tons of homework every week and could only get a proper time to do them at night. Whether she would be awake until sunrise, she wouldn't even bother to see the time as long as she would have everything done.

She was busy the entire time that she couldn't sit in one place for an hour even if she wants to. Her friends had noticed this and would talk her off, just like what they were doing to Cho, every time (Y/N) would stand up from her seat just to get some homework done.

Eventually, they gave up trying to get (Y/N) from work. Instead, they did everything just for her to at least get some rest like stealing her bag or wand or books and will only give it back when she had enough rest from everything.

The only person, probably, who had witnessed (Y/N)'s pure exhaustion was Harry, and he was not amused to it. True, he could actually cuddle with her at night but no, he couldn't. Because every time (Y/N) would get back into her dormitory after a few hours of Quidditch practice, she would go straight to the bathroom to shower and would start doing her homework after. He had probably did all means to gain her attention but he couldn't get what he wants. In the end, he had resorted into watching her and listening to her small rants while she do her stuffs.

Monday morning came and a small crowd was found standing in front of the notice board when Harry came out from the dormitory. He was midway through the common room when the small crowd left the notice board and he had a clear sight of what was on the board in the first place. It was the first Hogsmeade visit for the term.

He thought about this. Of course, he would want to go to Hogsmeade with (Y/N) again, making him think of their first ever date on the year before, but there was still a possibility of her refusing it, considering all of her works. He can try, though, even before anyone could ask her out. There was no affliction to this, he knew that, but he was still open for other prospect of guys asking her out and Merlin knows what will happen next if they do.

"Where's (Y/N)?" he asked to Cho when he saw her coming out of the Ravenclaw door while he was still ascending on the stairs.

"She's coming down in a few minutes." said Cho, holding the door open for him. "You can wait in the common room."

"Oh, no." said Harry, shaking his head. "I'll wait for her in here. I want to surprise her."

"Are you sure?" Cho asked, closing the door slowly. She also had books on her arm that was why she was a bit struggling to hold the door open. "I can still open the door for you."