Dancing with Danger

nine

I started to pick at my hand as Eliza and I stood in the hall, nearly silent aside from someone's snoring. I felt as if I made the wrong move I would screw everything up and she'd hate me more than she already seems to.

"Look, I don't think it's right how Pansy's been treating you, I've never actually seen that side of her." My eyes widened as I realized what the hell just came out of my mouth, no matter how hard I tried to sound stern. My mind was racing as I saw her start to mess with her necklace, there goes my reputation.

"Such a Hufflepuff," she giggled and tucked some of her hair behind her ear, revealing her cheeks flushed with pink.

"Take that back right now," I snarled but the angry clicking of high heels from somewhere in the common room interrupted the moment. The faint green light shone on Eliza's face as she peered over the railing.

"Oh, it's you," I said while looking at Pansy in disgust, rolling my eyes.

"You two absolutely disgust me!" She shrieked, finally getting her balance.

Eliza and I exchanged a looks of confusion and worry that spread across both of our tired faces.

"Pansy, I don't know what's come over you," I spoke through gritted teeth and clenched my fist, "you're a strange, delusional girl—and especially at this hour of the night, go to bed."

"You can't possibly be catching feelings for this loser," she squawked.

Without hesitation I reached out and put my hand on Eliza's cheek, turning her glance towards me. I think I've gone too far. But I leaned in and kissed her, and she didn't resist. I ended up pulling away after a few seconds, trying to hide the smile that formed on my red face—from further upsetting Pansy, of course, what else could it possibly be from?

Pansy shoved both of us aside and flung the door open so hard the lights hanging from the old chains on the ceiling swung.

"OUT!!" she screamed and threw two people out of her dormitory, then slammed the door behind her.

We stood alone in the drafty hall after the two people set off back down the hall. I reached out to grab both of her hands and pulled her into a hug, resting my chin on her head.

"I won't screw with your reputation by telling everyone you're a softy," She mumbled into my chest.

"I am not a softy," I snapped and watched her vanish into the darkness of the hallway after her friends.

I threw myself down in one of the tall armchairs down into the common room, slightly smiling and trying to recap what the hell just happened.

"What's up, smiles?" Blaise said smoothly and put a hand on my shoulder, he probably knows what happened—since it involves Pansy, the whole school might as well know by now. I made up some excuse and headed back up the stairs to the room of my own.

meanwhile...

The moonlight from the window in Kate's dormitory reflected off of my eyes as she threw herself onto the her bed with a soft thud. I couldn't stop smiling, what's wrong with me I thought as I sat down on the bed across from my best friend.

"C'mon Liza, you know what I'm going to ask," she said wide eyed and my cheeks flushed a shade of red. "What'd loverboy say in the hall?"

"Well," I laughed slightly while looking out the window into the sky of stars. "He may or may not have kissed me, and I may or may not have kissed back."

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sorry for such a short chapter!