Do you Believe in Magic

Chapter 37

Every day, Albus, Teddy, and James went to fill up the six pails with water. Every day, they would pass by the big-eyed brunette girl. Every day, she avoided their gazes by looking at the ground and hurrying to her tent. Every day, Albus grew more and more curious, wondering who she was. He quickly formed a plan to meet her, and the day before the quidditch match, he executed it.

Twenty minutes before the boys usually went to get the water, Albus took his two pails and made his way to the well, hoping to see her since he was earlier. He looked all around while he waited in line, looking at every person around him. However, her face didn't appear at all in the crowds of people, and he was sad that his plan failed.

As he made his way back to his tent, he kept searching everyone he passed, hoping to still see her. He looked left and right for her. He wasn't paying attention enough to keep from running into someone.

He accidently stepped on the person's foot, a small "Ouch!" coming from the person, which sounded like a girl. Albus fell backwardcs and lost his hold on the pails, drenching himself in water. They crashed to the ground on either side of him and he groaned as he sat up on his sore bum. He looked around him and found three abandoned pails - two were his, the other one must belong to the girl he knocked over. He saw the girl sit up in the corner of his eye, so he went over to get the pails.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized quickly.

"No, it's my fault, I wasn't looking and -" the girl said, rubbing her head with her eyes closed.

"Neither was I, I should have -" he interrupted as he stacked the pails.

"Don't worry about it, it -" she interrupted him back, standing up.

"But -" he began to protest.

"Oh no!" she cried. "I made you drop your water all over yourself!"

"It's just water, it will dry," he said, getting up with the pails.

"But I made you spill two pails! Here, give me all three and I'll fill them, I'm on my way anyways and it's the least I can do," she said, reaching for them.

"I can't let you do that, it would be rude," he said.

"No it wouldn't. I want to."

They both looked at each other at the same time and both pairs of eyes widened.

It was the girl he had been looking for.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" she asked, taking him off-guard.

"Um," he said, "well, you stopped my brother the other day when we walked past you. But I don't remember you looking at me then. We've passed you the rest of the week too. Is that what you're talking about?"

She shook her head. "No, that ain't it," she said quietly, closing her large eyes and biting her bottom lip lightly, her eyebrows knit together in what seemed to be concentration.

A few moments later, she sighed and opened her eyes again. "I guess since I can't remember, it ain't that big a deal," she said, then stuck out her hands. "You wait here while I get the water."

"No," Albus said, frowning. "If only one of us is going to get the water, it's me. Let me get yours."

She blushed. "No," she said quietly.

He handed her one pail. "Then we will go together."

She blinked at him a couple times, then blushed deeper and looked down at her pail. "You don't have to go with me," she mumbled.

"I want to," he said, making her look up at him. He smiled and led them in the direction of the well.

"I didn't introduce myself," he said as they walked. He shifted his two pails and stuck out his right hand. "I'm Albus Severus Potter."