BREAK FROM TORONTO, HARRY POTTER.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: "IT'S THOSE GODDAMN SLYTHERINS."

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO.

    "You almost kissed?!" Mariah whisper-shouted the next morning as she and Aveline sat in Mariah's bed. It was just past daybreak and Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati were still asleep.

     "No," Aveline deadpanned, "I wanted to. But I pussied out."

     "You what?" Mariah asked.

     "I p— I backed out," Aveline sighed, rolling her eyes. "There was too much that could've gone wrong. I didn't wanna... ruin a perfectly healthy relationship."

     Bitch you a damn lie. Perfectly healthy my ASS.

     Can you kill yourself?

     I'm you.

     Okay?

     Mariah groaned. "Veli, you have to make a move! You like him and everyone can see it. He likes you and everyone can see it. And it's only the first week of term!"

     "He's got enough on his plate," Aveline shook her head.

      "So kiss and make it official so that this is one less thing he's got to go mad about," Mariah scoffed.

     "No!" Aveline gasped.

     "Ugh!" Mariah huffed. "Why won't you do this? It'll make life a whole lot easier!"

     "Because what if it doesn't? And it makes life harder. Or what if it doesn't work out and God knows Harry would be so awkward," Aveline rambled.

     "Well, you said it yourself. You think Harry's your S—"

     Aveline slapped her hand over Mariah's mouth and glanced at Lavender and Parvati. They still seemed like they were asleep, but Aveline was taking no chances.

     Aveline sat with Hermione, Ron, and Mariah at breakfast. Harry hadn't arrived.

     "Ron, do you know where Hazza is?" Aveline asked.

     Been a minute since I used that nickname.

     "Nope," Ron replied, mouth full of sausage, "he was gone before I woke up."

     "Gross, swallow your food," Mariah grimaced. Ron frowned, but did as told.

     "Morning," Harry smiled as he walked into the Great Hall and sat down beside Aveline.

     "Good morning," Aveline grinned, looking at Harry who smiled right at her.

     "What are you looking so pleased about?" Ron asked.

     Harry glanced at Aveline for a fraction of a second and then looked at Ron and shrugged. "I'm just in a good mood, that's all."

     "I reckon you two finally made up?" Hermione inquired, gesturing to Harry and Aveline.

     "We did," Aveline nodded.

     But now we have another fucking problem.

     Maybe if you just girlbossed—

     Can you literally die?

     "Oh, and we've got Quidditch later," Harry said brightly, taking a bite of bacon.

     "Oh . . . yeah . . ." said Ron. He put down the bit of toast he was eating and took a large swig of pumpkin juice. Then he said, "Listen . . . you don't fancy going out a bit earlier with me, do you? Just to — er — give me some practice before training? So I can, you know, get my eye in a bit . . ."