Not a Gryffindor - a Harry Potter fan fiction

Chapter 7

A/N this chapter is dedicated to both HarryPotterforEvar and cupkakes4eva for being awesome and encouraging me to update quickly!!! :)

Zara's Pov

I had never been so relieved to wake up in my dormitory. I had been dying to go back to Hogwarts after what had happened.

Looking around, I saw that I was the only one awake. Everyone else was deep in slumber, breathing gently.

Except for Carrie.

I realised with alarm that she wasn't moving at all.

Panic grasped my body as I ran to her bed, whipping off the covers. Then I laughed out of euphoric relief. She had gone elsewhere, leaving a rolled up blanket to act as her sleeping body. I donned my invisibility cloak and ran off to find her.

I had made it to the seventh floor when I knocked into someone, my invisibility cloak flying over my head while I crashed to the ground.

"Merlin's beard, I'm so sorry- oh, hey Zara," The person said, and I realised with embarrassment that it was Ryder. For some reason, when I stared into his deep, hazel eyes, my heart began to do gymnastics in my chest. It was a strange feeling, but nice in a way.

"Hi..." I said awkwardly. He grinned and helped me up.

"Cool cloak," he remarked, nodding at the crumpled sheet of fabric, translucent on the floor.

"Oh right, urm thanks."

"Hey," he said softly. " I heard about - the um... You know, thing that happened in your family."

My stomach churned. "O-oh."

"I'm really sorry. That sucks." I nodded awkwardly, my neck feeling slightly stiff. He looked at me seriously. "Are - are you okay?" I looked down and shrugged, playing with my hands. Then, to my complete surprise, he pulled me into a hug. My breathing went shallow and my heart began to hammer at my chest. I had never felt so safe, so warm, so content.

After a few seconds, we separated and he grinned at me again, slightly wider than last time.

"I thought you might need something like that. I'll see you around, Zara," he said. "Don't forget that if you ever feel down and you need to talk to someone, just let me know and I'm there."

"Wow," I said. "Um, thanks."

And with that, he was gone.

___________________________

"Ooh ooh! I know!" Carrie cried excitedly. "How about Rarla?" I elbowed her. "Ouch! What was that for?" She asked and I sighed over-dramatically. "Alright, alright. But you guys are so cute together!"

After Ryder had left, I had smiled to myself and sighed happily, then looked for my invisibility cloak. I couldn't find it anywhere! Then I had heard a voice from behind me.

"Looking for this?" I spun around to see Carrie, holding my invisibility cloak in one hand and looking extremely smug.

"Oh..." I said awkwardly. "Hi Carrie, I was just-"

"Dreaming about you and Ryder?" She asked smugly. "Oh come on, I saw the way you two looked at each other."

"Carrie, I don't-"

"It's fine, Zara. You're 14, for crying out loud. Just ask him out already."

We had then returned to the Slytherin common room - well, Carrie dragged me there, to discuss 'This critical matter of true love,' as she put it.