Do you Believe in Magic

Chapter 34

Before they knew it, Jessica and Teddy were in their sixth year at Hogwarts, at their sixth Christmas Ball.

After being at the ball for a couple years in a row, they had noticed the songs were basically the same every year. By the sixth year, they knew most of the songs by heart.

That year, Teddy took Maggie to the ball while Jessica went with Jeremiah.

As Jeremiah pulled Jessica close for a slow dance, Teddy, who was dancing with Maggie a few feet away, watched the other two closely. He glared at Jeremiah's hands encircling Jessica's waist, at how his eyes watched her lips hungrily as she gently swayed, lip-singing to the music.

In front of Teddy, Maggie chuckled lightly, and he turned to her. "What is it?" he asked.

She shook her head at them. "I know who you're looking at over there," she said knowingly, raising an eyebrow.

Teddy blushed. "Well...I-I have to...keep an eye on her, you know, since that stuff with Luke shook her up...."

"Teddy," she scolded, "you and I both know that's not true. You so like her."

He blushed even harder, looking at her incredulously. "How did you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "I have to say, you make it pretty obvious."

He snuck a peek at Jessica. "Does she know?" he asked, suddenly scared.

Maggie sighed. "I've tried telling her, but she won't believe me. You know how stubborn she is."

Teddy fidgetted slightly as he asked, "And how does she feel about me?"

"She's crazy about you, too," Maggie admitted with a smile.

His face brightened. "Really?"

She nodded enthusiastically, and they both looked over at Jessica.

They couldn't hear, but Jeremiah and Jessica wee having their own conversation.

"He keeps looking over here," Jeremiah said through gritted teeth.

"Who?" Jessica asked, looking over but seeing no one looking back.

"Teddy," he hissed, glaring in Teddy's direction. She looked and saw him talking intensely with Maggie.

"Will you stop? He's not," he said.

"He just did again."

"Jeremiah, even if he did, what makes it your concern?" she asked hotly.

"Because he obviously likes you."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Please. But I'm still not seeing how it's your concern."

Blushing deeply, he replied, "Because I like you more. And I'm not happy about him liking you." He pushed a strand of her blonde, straight hair behind her ear. "I like you so much, Jessica. I have since I met you."

Still blushing, he leaned toward her, just like he had her first year.

And, just like her first year, she stopped him.

He was attractive, his hair fixed to look messy, his clear blue eyes, and the way he blushed at almost everything. But she couldn't lead him on by letting him kiss her.

"Jeremiah, I like you as a friend and only a friend," she said as steady as possible. "I just can't let you kiss me." She took a step back.

She had never seen such a defeated expression on his face.

"Why?" he asked quietly, his eyes sad.

"Because I like someone else, and I don't want to lead you on," she said, then turned and looked in Teddy's direction.