How To Annoy A Gryffindor ; harry potter

Step 26: Embarrass Yourself

Ember had been extremely confused over the past few weeks. Why the hell had Harry Potter got that Liquid Luck? Since when had Potter been good at Potions? Never. Slughorn must've rigged it in someway — everyone knew Potter was his favourite... But then Potter could've been cheating. It was the only explanation. Something was wrong — no one had ever beat Granger, Ember or Draco at Potions. They were the top three students in that subject.

Trying to get the information out of him was proving to be way easier than Ember thought. Harry Potter, for some reason, trusted almost everyone that he came by. Ember had somehow weaselled her way into the conversations that he started with Granger and Weasley. She knew she was getting on his good side and she was thanking Merlin for it — it looked like her task for Voldemort would be way easier than she expected. Now she just had to focus on helping Draco and let everything else fall into place.

Everything seemed perfectly normal to everyone at Hogwarts and everyone was starting to get worried about what would take place this year — they all knew something would happen because it's been like that since Harry Potter first got to Hogwarts. Everything was normal... that was until people saw Ember with Harry Potter. Walking by his side and muttering words to him which made him laugh. The two of them, Slytherin and Gryffindor. Could it be that the two houses were finally uniting?

"If you tell me how you're doing so well in potions I'll sneak some red hair dye in Draco's conditioner," Ember whispered to Harry as they walked out of their Transfiguration lesson with Professor McGonagall.

Harry laughed, "As tempting as that is, I don't know if I should tell you... You won't snitch on me, will you?"

"A Slytherin? Snitch on someone? That's unheard of!" exclaimed Ember dramatically.

"Hilarious, but we both know that your blond-haired prat of a friend has a reputation for it. Hope you don't turn out like that." the Gryffindor said with a little laugh.

"Merlin, if I turn out anything like him please tell me so I can murder myself right on the spot." Ember joked, a big wide smile on her face. Whether it was fake or real nobody knew — not even herself.

A silence dawned over the two of them as Harry stopped laughing and looked up to see his surroundings. The number of students he saw staring at him wasn't anything new, but it was surprising that they were doing it now. What had he done that was so special now?

"Why're they looking at you?" Ember asked, realising why the boy was suddenly so quiet.

"They're not looking at Harry," Hermione Granger said an obvious tone. "They're looking at the two of you together."

"Why?" Harry asked, genuinely confused.

"You're an idiot, Potter. Do you think anyone has ever seen a Slytherin and a Gryffindor be friends?" questioned Ember, raising an eyebrow. "I definitely haven't — they're just surprised, they'll get over it."

"That's stupid. I can be friends with whoever I want," Harry said.

Ember chuckled, "You can do anything you want Mr Chosen One — Though, I don't know about us being friends. Anyway, I have to go. I promised Draco and Cullen we'd finish Snape's essay together."

With that, she left, leaving Harry Potter extremely confused. Did he consider Ember as a friend? He had absolutely no idea if he was being completely honest with himself. Sure, she had been polite and normal around him but then again there was that tiny voice in his head that kept reminding him of all the horrible things she had done and said to him and his friends. Could it be possible that Ember Rowle was changing? The girl who constantly called Harry 'scar-head', the girl who laughed when Snape criticized his potions, the girl who's dad was a criminal — a Death Eater and the girl who was friends with Draco Malfoy, his enemy by a million. Did he hate her as much as he'd like? Not at all. Did he like her? More than he'd like to admit.

"You've got to be careful, Harry," Hermione said, watching Ember walk in the directions of the Slytherin common room. "I mean, just think about what you're getting into here."

Harry didn't take his eyes off of Ember's retreating figure, "I can handle myself, 'Mione."

Ember wondered why she was being so nice to Harry Potter. Would this friendship have happened without the Dark Lord's request? If someone had asked Ember who she would ever become friends with she would never ever have guessed Harry Potter. What made it worse was Blaise's constant comments about it. At first, it was just amusing to tease him about it and tell him to shut up but then the things he said actually started to make sense. She was stupidly following a 'Dark Lord' and becoming friends with her worst enemy? What had changed her? Could it be fear? Or maybe she actually wanted this to happen — maybe she actually enjoyed the company of Potter and his entourage. That would be gross. Ember would never ever forgive herself if that was the case.

"Where were you?" The same question that Ember had been asked over and over again had been spoken by Cullen as she walked back into the Slytherin common room. "Draco and I already finished the essay since you didn't show up."

"Cullen, I —"

"I don't care, Ember," Cuelln said softly, so softly that Ember could barely hear him and just that tone of his voice made her feel instantly guilty. "Whatever it was, I hope it was important for you to skip out on us for." and that's all he said he then left and retreated back to his dormitory.

Groaning, Ember slumped into the couch next to Billie, "Is he mad?"

"Of course not, you heard him say that he doesn't care," answered Billie cheerfully.

Georgia gave Ember a sympathetic look, "He's definitely mad at you. Draco was way worse though, you should've seen him. Almost killed Blaise for making a joke about Potter — Merlin, you weren't with him, were you? That would make everything one hundred times worse —"

Ember moaned loudly and plunged her head into her hands. She was such an awful friend for ditching them — the two people who loved and supported her and everything she did.

"Oh shit, you were with him, weren't you?" Georgia gasped. "I should've known. The two of you are so weird around each other — You haven't slept with him, have you?"

"What the fuck, Georgia!" exclaimed Ember, her head instantly snapping out of her hands and looking at her friend with wide-eyes. "No, I didn't sleep with him!" she hissed angrily, looking around and making sure that none of the other Slytherins had heard what Georgia said.

"You slept with someone?" Theodore Nott said, grinning at Ember. "Damn, Rowle, didn't know you had it in you. I thought I was the only Slytherin in the year —"

"Oh. My. God. Nott." Ember said, shutting her eyes tightly to try and forget all the images that had just scarred her brain. "I didn't need to know that and no I haven't —"

"Ember slept with someone?" Billie asked, tilting her head.

Ember slammed her hands on the table in front of her and glared at Georgia, "I didn't sleep with anyone, okay! I'm still a goddamn virgin!"

The whole common room had gone silent as they all stared at Ember in shock, all of them having heard her outburst which was a lot louder than she wanted it to be. Some of the first-years looked at her in confusion, some people were slowly snickering to their friends and others had a look of horror etched on their faces — looking absolutely horrified at what Ember had just said in front of a whole bunch of children.

"Nice one, Rowle," Pansy Parkinson giggled as Ember's scowl deepened.

"If anyone asks where I am, tell them that I'm slowly dying in my bed. I'll be sick tomorrow and every single other day after." Ember said scathingly to Georgia who had a pained expression covering her face.

That was by far the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened and the only silver lining was that (1) at least she hadn't said it in front of the whole school and (2) now everyone knew that she hadn't slept with anyone. That was good... right? Feeling, dirty, hot and bothered Ember stepped into the shower before going to sleep and mentally kicking herself for speaking. Merlin, she could be an idiot sometimes. What made her sleep even worse was she knew she was going to have to deal with both Draco and Cullen being mad at her. She was so stupid! Why would she ever want to spend time with Harry freaking Potter instead of her two best friends?