FINITE | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [4]

𝘅𝘅 | 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱

Harry and Ron were doing their Divination charts when she went into the common room. It was still relatively full. Fred and George were in a lone corner, bent over a piece of parchment as they muttered to each other. She tried to slip past unnoticed, but Ron's voice called out to her just as she reached the portrait hole.

'Where are you going?' he said.

Gwen turned back, forcing another smile. 'For a walk. Clear my head, you know.'

'Are you alright?' Harry asked.

Gwen nodded. 'Yeah! Perfect!'

Harry and Ron gave her apprehensive looks, but waved to her as she left.

Gwen didn't even know what her destination was. She wandered the corridors and passages of the castle, having a general idea of where to go. The castle was dotted with a few students here and there, and she passed Seamus and Dean coming back from dinner later than usual, still discussing the Unforgivable Curses. They greeted her as she passed, and continued up to the common room.

When Gwen reached the entrance hall, she glanced briefly into the Great Hall. There were a few students and staff remaining, finishing off their meals. None of them paid any attention to her as she passed.

She continued on down to the dungeons, slipping silently past Peeves who was setting off fireworks in the Potions classroom. When she reached her destination, she stopped short.

She stared at the wall, the entrance to the Slytherin common room. She had been here once before, two years ago when she had disguised herself as Daphne Greengrass, and Harry and Ron had used Polyjuice Potion. She had no idea how to get in now, she didn't want to get it in.

She stood there dumbly for about five minutes, staring at the wall, almost willing it to open, but nothing happened. It suddenly dawned on her how stupid it was, standing here, waiting, hoping someone would walk past. She didn't even know what she would say if someone did come past, and Merlin forbid if it were Felix or Malfoy. That would not only be embarrassing but awkward.

She willed herself to turn away. It had been a stupid idea anyway; she walked back through the dungeon passages, past Peeves again, who was now whizzing around singing gleefully. She was cringing at herself, almost running up a staircase to get herself as far from the Slytherin common room as quickly as she could, when she almost ran directly into someone, nearly knocking them from the staircase.

'I'm so sor--' she began, then stopped short when she saw who was before her.

Theo looked quite pleased to see her, if not a little startled. He smiled down at her, moving down a step so that they were level. When they had seen each other at Eddie's Graduation Gala, he had only been a few inches taller than her, but he had grown at least half a foot since then. His dark hair was brushed back, a single strand misbehaving and shadowing his eyes, and that same, sweet smile that so often crossed his face when he saw her was present.