Lost. Harry Potter's sister

chapter seventeen

"Well... it's not confirmed yet. But if everything goes well, I'd like to go with you."

I can't even breathe. All of the air seems to have been sucked from my lungs, leaving me stunned. Fireworks explode in my brain - a mini celebration for something I had been longing for, for weeks. The sparks fall down into my stomach where they swoop into a swarm of butterflies. They linger there, tickling my insides, making me want to dance and shake them all away.

"Me?" I laugh in disbelief. I stare at him with wide eyes and he's standing there with slightly pink cheeks. "You can have any girl you want- any girl in Slytherin-"

"But I don't want to go with any other girl." He says, grabbing my hand and looking into my eyes. "I want to go with you."

"Really?" I ask, staring into his eyes. Those gorgeous eyes.

"Yes." He whispers, seriously. "I really hope I'm not too late." He looks at me sincerely, and he smiles gently, eagerly waiting for my response.

"No, you're not too late, actually you're just in time," I say, smiling.

"So? What do you say?" He says, eagerly. What do I say? I'd be walking in without a date at this rate and Christmas is only five days away. I want to say yes I really really do. But what would Harry say? He would probably kill both me and Draco if he found out I was going with him. Hermione would be furious and Ron would probably not speak to me for days. But I've been waiting for this for weeks and weeks. What would everyone else say though?

"Olivia?" He says, waiting for my response.

Oh, who cares about everybody else.

"Of course I'll go with you!" I say, grinning broadly.

"Really! That's great! I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall before it starts, then?" He says, his eyes flickering and his smile, beaming.

"Yeah, sounds great! I'll see you then!" I say, excitedly and we part ways, after entering the castle once again.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel a relief I haven't felt since Harry finished the First Task. I have a spring in my step as I walk swiftly through the empty corridors. I take a deep breath and it's so amazing to not be worrying about getting a date. I can feel adrenaline pumping through my veins, making me want to open the nearest window and scream as loud as I can out of it. I won't have to go through the humiliation of walking in alone. I won't have to hear the laughs and giggles of people when they see I haven't got a date because I have a date!

I take a deep breath of the cool, evening air and  forget about everything, just for a second. I stop in my tracks and take a look out of a large, metal-framed window, next to me. I actually can't believe I'm here. My life is better than it ever has been before. Not six months ago, I was sat, alone, in that orphanage, counting the seconds and the minutes and the hours, just waiting for something good to happen to me, for once. But now, I'm here. I'm here with my brother, and an amazing group of friends, laughing and smiling every single day. I'm so grateful for how everything has turned out.

~

As I step through the portrait hole, after taking a moment outside to attempt to conceal my excitement, I'm met with a blast of warmth and coziness. The firelight glowed over the scarlet, squashy sofas and armchairs and my ears are filled with the noise of the loud chatter within the room and I immediately spot Harry, Ron and Hermione gathered in the corner, in deep conversation. I walk over to them, with a straight face, pull out a chair, next to Ron, and sit myself down. I try to act normal but they look at me suspiciously.

"Where'd you run off to?" Harry questions, putting his quill down.

"Oh-nothing. I was just doing... uh some studying. Yeah, I was trying to figure out the clue to the egg... no luck again though." I lie, reaching forward and taking a few of the grapes Ron was eating. Hermione closes her book and leans forward.