Can Hogwarts Make a Mistake?

Chapter 7

Rose has been incessantly been nagging me about James. She says I need to "profess my love for the bloke before he gets run over by the Hogwarts Express". Rose says things occasionally that make me think she has the emotional range of a teaspoon. I have no idea where she gets it from.

Anyways, I've been increasingly awkward around James. If he's noticed, I do not know. In Potions yesterday, he touched my arm on accident and I just about fell out of my chair. He thought he bumped me way too hard and exclaimed "She's okay! I didn't do anything!" in his adorable voice. Blushing furiously, I clambered up into my seat at the table and tried to distract myself from him with measuring the amount of powdered unicorn horn for our Common Antidote.

Despite my Potions expertise, James's grades have been steadily, though gradually, declining. Because Rose knows everything, she found out (from Albus, I suspect) that James needed help in Potions.

"You should tutor him!" Rose yelled, not a moment after I had sat in my usual chair in the niche by the fire.

"Back up," I said, almost instinctively. Rose will say something like we are in the middle of a deep conversation just as I enter the room, so I usually have to tell her to start over.

"You, Hermione, should tutor, which means to assist in learning, James Sirius Potter." Rose said slowly and clearly, like I was either an idiot or certifiable.

"You, Rose, should check, which means to register, yourself, Rose Weasley, into a mental asylum." I said, mocking.

"Hermione..." Rose whined. "You have to! You know I know what's best for you." She made a sad-puppy-dog face. I sighed, resigned, and let her take that as a sign to give her side. "Yes! So what I was thinking is James is not doing so well in Potions, right? Right. And you are, right? Right. So you should offer to tutor him because, to him, it'll look like a friendly, fun, offer, but to you, it'll be time to show him how completely, desperately, irrevocably, devotedly, unconditionally, and madly you are in love with him." Rose finished, huge grin ear to ear on her face, visage communicating her need to hear my praise of her plan.

"Completely? Desperately? Irrevocably? Devotedly? Unconditionally? Madly? In love? Rose, you need to get a few things straight. First, it is a crush.And not even really a crush. It's just... different feelings than I have for you and Albus. Also, I am eleven. You do not fall completely, madly, yadda yadda in love with a guy at the age of eleven." I was pretty mad. Though, I hated to admit it, Rose's plan seemed appealing. What did I have to lose? After Potions yesterday, my dignity tank was definitely empty.

"You like it, don't you." Rose's disappeared smile crept back onto her face. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. When I opened my mouth to, though I knew it was futile, argue, she said, "Don't say anything, save your breath, my mind is not changed. Just don't be so narrow-minded. Please. Consider it! It's doing yourself a favor." After she left a few moments later, I really did think about it. It seemed, hard as it was to admit, to be a good idea. Maybe, just maybe, once I gathered enough courage, I'd offer to tutor him. Maybe not... Ugh! This was so frustrating. When things like this happened, I made lists.

Pros and Cons of Offering to Tutor James

Pro 1.)  I can get closer to him. Con 1.) What if he says no?

Pro 2.) He won't think I like him, he'll think we're just friends. Con 2.) He thinks we're just friends!

Pro 3.) We'll spend more time together. Con 3.) WHAT IF HE SAYS NO??

Pro 4.) Maybe, after a while, he'll like me too! Con 4.) WHAT IF HE SAYS NO??

If I combined all the "What if he says no?"s into one con, then the pros outweigh the cons in that case. It still doesn't mean it's a good idea, right? Well, what if he does say no? Then what? We'll still be friends. It's not like I'm asking him on a date. I think I might put this plan into action. I need to stop obsessing over these things and just ask the bloke if he wants extra help with Potions. Bloody hell, I'm turning into Rose...