How You Get the Girl |Harry Potter|

Chapter Six

It's been a week since the incident, and Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if she was overreacting just a little bit. She told Padma what happened, but the only response from her was a sympathetic pat on the back. Really, that girl read more books than the castle had stairs, and that was the only advice that she had? Elizabeth wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

It was also a few days since the first challenge, and the whole dragon scene seemed to make everything go back to normal. She had noticed, from a safe distance, that the Golden Trio was back to being all friends, whatever bad blood that had run between Ron and Harry was forgotten.

She was sitting at the Ravenclaw table and sipping on some warm lentil soup, idly listening to Luna tell stories that were too fantastical to be true. Elizabeth felt guilty. She had been avoiding Harry which she had to admit, didn't seem fair to her anymore. Sure, she hated how he was going to ask her out after she had a bad run-in with her ex-boyfriend, and how the reason behind him being so worried about her was because he wanted a date. But, at least he cared. To some extent.

She glanced over at the Gryffindor table, only to find that Harry was staring at her. It must've been too long for him to handle since she had last looked directly at him, because the next thing she knows, he is spilling drink from his mouth.

"Why, would you look at that?" Padma giggled, looking over at the reddening Harry.

Hermione and Ron were laughing at him, before Hermione looks down at the table to see a newspaper. Her laughter falls short and she turns visibly frustrated.

A girl from Beauxbatons sits down beside them and whispers, "Did you guys hear about the Yule Ball? It's on Christmas Eve." Her blue eyes were sparkling with excitement, something Elizabeth barely had time to realize before the girl moved on to tell more people.

"That sounds like so much fun," Padma commented.

"We absolutely have to go," Elizabeth agreed.

"We should go dress-shopping," Padma planned. "C'mon, let's go invite my sister."

Elizabeth looked down at the cookie that she had on her plate, debating whether or not she should take it with her. She stood there for a long moment, an internal debate raged on like politics did, before Padma interrupted her.

"Just take the cookie with you."

Elizabeth grinned and picked it up, taking a small but savoury bite. "Oh my goodness," she sighed happily at the taste, "good call, Padma. Let's go talk to your sister."

The two walked over to the Gryffindor table to where Parvati sat; just a few seats down from the Golden Trio. Elizabeth let the twins talk to each other and plan things while she just ate her cookie, totally content with life.

"Elizabeth!" Hermione called her over, making her mentally fall from cookie heaven. Hermione was waving her over and Elizabeth decided she might as well see what she wanted.

"Hey, Hermione," Elizabeth greeted her, sitting down beside her. She was directly across from Ron and Harry but decided not that it would be better not to look that way. "What's new?"

"You should come with me to the library, I want to ask you some things," Hermione said, glancing over almost nervously at Harry.

Elizabeth frowned, "You're nervous. Are you going to interview me?"

"Something like that," Hermione admitted. "And it's also been too long since we've talked and I have so much I need to tell you."

Elizabeth nodded, letting Hermione lead her to the library but not before saying a quick bye to Padma. It had been a while since Elizabeth had stepped into the library, something that her inner bookworm despised.