A Forbidden Love

Chapter 9: Potter Gets Me A Detention

Classes started the next day, just as Snape has promised. My schedule hasn't changed, so I continue my routine as though I hadn't even left. I go to classes, bully Potter, do homework, and even get a chance to practice my Leg-Locking Curse on that stupid Neville character. I really don't know how he's a Gryffindor. He's a wimp.

Then came the Gryffindor v. Hufflepuff Quidditch match. Snape is refereeing, so I know Hufflepuff is going to win. I make sure to go over to the weasel and the mudblood to rub it in. Lucky me, that stupid, brainless Neville is over there too. I make fun of them and their house. Sure they're Potter's friends, but boy, are they easy to make fun of. It's fun too. I do feel a little bad, but I'd never let that show.

I walk away with a black eye from Weasley. Potter catches the Snitch and Gryffindor somehow wins. Everything is normal. It's relaxing.

Then, everything changes. I walk past Potter on the way to Herbology and hear his hot voice. I can't help myself; I stop and listen. I hear Weasley and Granger arguing about... a dragon!  I'm intrigued, so I continue listening. Soon, I hear Potter shush them. He caught me listening and got defensive. That upsets me. It's proof that I may have gone too far. There may be no chance of him liking me now.

I'm distracted throughout all of Herbology. All I can think about is how I jeopardized my chance with Potter. It feels like a punch to the face and a shot to the heart.

After Herbology, as soon as morning break begins, I decide what I must do. I must finally talk to Potter.

I see them head to the grounds, instead of into the school, so I chase after them. My friends ask where I'm going, but I tell them to go to the common room without me. I think they finally turn when they see my target.

I chase them all the way to Hagrid's hut. They enter, and I know I missed my chance. I decide to try and wait it out anyway. After ten or fifteen minutes, I decide I must get away. If I want to be accepted by the Slytherins, I can't be seen around Hagrid. As nice as he is, they hate him.

I peak in the window, to see if they're anywhere close to being done, and I'm shocked. There is a newly hatched dragon on the table. I stare a little bit too long, for Potter catches my eye. Without a thought, I run. The look in his eyes when he saw me told me there was no talking to him. In efforts to fix things with him, I made it worse. Why does this always seem to happen.

My mistake haunts me for the rest of the week. Nothing I do let's me forget it. I can't even focus on class work. I decide to take a walk once evening classes let out.

On my walk, I see Weasley running to the hospital wing. I decide to stop in once Potter and Granger leave. Getting revenge on the weasel for him punching me is just what I need to take my mind off Potter.

I ask Madam Pomfrey if I can borrow one of Ron's book. She let's me in to ask. I laugh at him, obviously he got bit by the dragon, and take his Potions book when I leave. That way it looks like I went in for the reason I said.

I go back to the dorm and stash Wesley's book with my own. Then I lie down on my bed. Teasing the weasel is fun, but nothing helps me forget Potter.

By the end of the second week after my mistake, it no longer bothers me. That is, until the evening. I go to bed for the night, and suddenly, I'm awake again. I dreamed that Potter rejected me after I asked him on a date. It made me so upset, I woke myself up.

Instead of going back to sleep, I decide, again, to take a walk. Walking always helps me clear my head. It was about a half hour before midnight, I'm not allowed to walk around the school at this point, but I jump out of bed anyway. I don't have a choice.

Everything in the school is peaceful. I've never seen it this dark, or quiet for that matter. Then, just as I'm passing the Transfiguration classroom, I stub my toe.

"Ow!" I scream, instantly hating human instinct.

"Who's there!" McGonagall yells from inside the classroom.

I try to run but I'm not fast enough. "And where do you think you're going young man!" She caught me.

I don't know how to respond. I obviously can't tell her the real reason I'm taking a walk. Imagine if she knew I had a crush on Potter.

She grabs me by the ear. "Detention!" she shouts. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you--"

I have to think of some excuse. I'm not going to receive detention without a fight. That's when it hits me. One day, when I was doing my Potions work, I accidentally grabbed Weasley's book. In it, I found a note saying that Charlie would pick up the dragon at midnight this Saturday. That's now.

I don't really want to get Potter in trouble, but I don't have a choice. Plus, I'm pretty sure nothing I do can make him hate me any more than he already does, so I go for it.

"You don't understand, Professor. Harry Potter's coming -- he's got a dragon!" I say. Fingers crossed.

Of course, she doesn't believe it. Even if she had, McGonagall doesn't accept any excuse for being out of bed past curfew. I decide it's best to just let her drag me away. I could lose more points for Slytherin if I don't.

She drags me all the way back to the common room. Luckily, everyone's asleep. I'm still very embarrassed and upset. I've never gotten a detention in my life.

I lie in bed for over an hour after the event. My mind keeps running over it. It takes a while, but I finally process that it really happened. I really have detention. Finally, after what feels like forever, I fall back to sleep. It's a restless sleep, but at least I don't dream of Potter.