If Only//Harry Potter [4]

18

Autumn groaned as she threw herself onto her bed. Hermione seemed to notice something was wrong, so she saw down at the foot of her bed.

"What's wrong?"

"Just. . . Harry doesn't like Matt, and I know Ron doesn't like him — but I want them to like each other, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it." Hermione said, making Autumn feel better that someone understands. "Did Harry tell you why he doesn't like Matt?"

"Nothing of value." Autumn sat up. "He said that he doesn't trust Matt. Harry thinks Matt was the one who was using the Polyjuice Potion."

Hermione shook her head. "At this point, we don't know who it is, Autumn." As Hermione saw the look of shock and slight anger on Autumn's face, she backtracked. "I'm not saying it was him, but it could be someone we know."

Autumn's face lit up. "Or, maybe it's someone we don't know."

Hermione looked at Autumn with a confused expression.

"Think about it." Autumn jumped out of bed and made motions with her hands to express her thoughts. "If I were going to impersonate someone and not want to get caught, it would be with someone that no one knows very well."

"But it wouldn't be someone with too much attention, so we can rule Dumbledore out." Hermione stood up  as well.

"It would also have to be someone that Dumbledore doesn't know too well, because Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard." Autumn gasped. "It would have to be someone new, but it couldn't be a first year."

Hermione's face lit up as well. "Maybe it's Madam Maxine!"

"Or Igor Karkaroff!" Autumn added.

>>>

The only thing Autumn could see was pitch black. She could hear the whooshing of a wizard appearing and the whistle of the wind.

"We have to find her, Norrace." A croaky voice said strongly.

"I know. The plan is in works, she has the notebook." Norrace said sternly. "She will find us, or we will find her."

The next morning, Autumn woke up with an uncomfortable aching feeling in her chest and her gut. She couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

She shook the feeling and forced a smile. Two of the most important people in her life were now friends with each other and Autumn was happy about it.

The golden sunlight broke through the red curtains of her bed and gave Autumn a warm and cozy feeling. Although Autumn was feeling tremendously comfortable, she slipped herself out of bed and got dressed, preparing herself for breakfast in the Great Hall.

Some mornings, Hermione wouldn't be in the room when Autumn woke up. She learned not to worry, though. Hermione was normally in the library or eating breakfast already. On this day, Hermione was already in the Great Hall eating breakfast with Ron and Harry.

"Morning." Autumn said as she sat down next to Ron.

They all murmured their hellos in response.

"The third task is coming up." Autumn grabbed a slice of toast and bit into it. "Do you think you're ready?"

"I dunno. I guess. Why do you keep things from us?" Harry said suddenly.

Autumn furrowed her eyebrows together and laughed awkwardly. "What?"

"Why do you keep secrets?" Harry repeated.

Autumn was shocked by the question. "I don't like keeping secrets, but I don't want to burden you guys. And with the Triwizard Tournament coming around, I didn't want anything distracting you."

"You know you can tell us anything, right?" Hermione reached her hand across the table.

"The third task is one day away, you really want me to tell you guys something?"

The three nodded. 

"Okay, um, my first motherly figure was kicked out of the orphanage after first year, the next motherly figure was sent to jail, and now all my friends, who I considered family won't talk to me. Oh yeah, and my caretaker hits me in her free time, the girl whom I considered my little sister was killed by Lucius Malfoy, and I think my great great grandfather may still be alive and might be hunting me down. So how's that for secrets?" Autumn grabbed a piece of toast from the table in a hurry then walked away from her friends.

As soon as she left the Great Hall, she ran into her boyfriend, Matt. 

"Hey, darling." Matt said.

"Darling? What are we, fifty?" Autumn joked.

"We might as well be." Matt laughed. "But I'm just trying it out. I guess you don't like it?"

Autumn shook her head. 

It was almost like Matt could sense something was wrong. "Are you okay?"

"I don't like keeping secrets. But sometimes I do without even realizing it."

"You don't keep secrets from me though, do you?" Matt asked.

Autumn could've sworn she'd seen a flicker of anger in Matt's eyes, but as soon as she recognised it, it was gone.

"No. . ." Autumn said slowly. "I tell you everything."

I tell him everything. Autumn shook her head, shaking the upcoming thoughts away. "I'm going to prepare for class. I'll see you in class later?"

Matt nodded. 

Just as Autumn walked away, a hand on her wrist pulled her back and spun her around. The next thing she knew, Matt was kissing her.

Before she knew it, the kiss was over and the two were staring at each other.

"I'm sorry, I really have to go get ready. It's not because of that. . ."

"No, I get it." Matt said sheepishly, itching the back of his neck.

"There's still potion's class." Autumn said awkwardly, slowly walking backwards to the stairs.

>>>

Autumn couldn't help but feel weird. Why would she tell Matt, a person whom she's only befriended nearly a year ago, everything rather than her best friends?

No, she's crazy. Matt's her boyfriend, of course she'd tell him everything. But why was Matt her boyfriend? She didn't recall ever liking him until the Yule Ball. But there were no distinct reasons she liked him.

Autumn thought about the time Ginny explained why she liked Harry. She said, as dreamily as ever, she liked him because he was a hero — because he always did what was right.

But what did Matt do? Sure, he was a great person, but there was nothing distinct about why Autumn had liked him. 

One night, Hermione and Autumn were up late talking. Autumn wasn't in the mood to talk, so she let Hermione do all the talking. She talked about Krum the entire night. She talked about how Krum was the only person, other than the other three, that made her feel appreciated by him. And how she liked the way his accent was almost a part of his personality. 

No, she liked Matt. Matt was her boyfriend, whom she liked — and maybe in a few more months, a boyfriend she loved.

Autumn felt a headache dawn. She had been thinking for too long, and she needed to get to class.