Julia kept her head down when she got back to school, and hurried to her dormitory before very many people could see her. Her friends followed her in.
–Okay,†said Grace, –what’d you do?â€
–What? Nothing,†Julia lied.
–Murder?†Grace guessed. –Treason? Escape from Azkaban? It’s been done, you know . . .â€
–I do know, Captain Obvious. Who said I did anything?â€
–You ran through that room as fast as a spell,†said Chelsea, unpacking her Christmas gifts.
–I think I know,†Willa grinned.
–No, you don’t,†said Julia.
–Thought you didn’t do anything,†said Grace.
Julia fluffed her pillows and didn’t answer.
Willa grinned wider. –Don’t even tell us. I bet this time tomorrow we’ll have it figured out. Come on - let’s go to the common room.â€
–I’m really tired,†said Julia. –I think I’ll just go to sleep.â€
Grace came right up to her and stuck her wand into Julia’s neck.
–Ow,†said Julia, raising her eyebrows.
–Come with us or suffer the consequences,†Grace said in a deep voice, glaring menacingly, barely holding back a laugh.
–No,†said Julia.
Willa threw a book at her.
–Ow!â€
–You’re coming with us.†She pulled Julia to her feet. –Come on. Don’t protest.â€
Willa and Grace dragged Julia down the stairs, Chelsea trailing behind. They opened the door to the blue common room, and a babble of talk met them. Connor was across the room. He met Julia’s eyes and blushed. She tried to struggle back into the staircase.
–So that’s how it is,†said Willa happily. –Starting small. I like it.â€
Julia broke free and ran back to the dormitory. The others joined her with mock serious expressions.
–Well, what’d you do?†asked Grace, jumping up and down.
–Nothing,†said Julia, feeling red. They stared her down. –I kissed him,†she said quickly. There was a loud chorus of –WHAT?!â€
–You’re joking,†said Chelsea, her attention finally caught.
Grace started laughing. –Why?†said Willa eagerly. –How? Come on! Tell me!†Julia noticed apprehensively that she had whipped out her notebook.
–It was stupid. I shouldn’t have done it. I don’t know what came over me.â€
–Well, you could give him a chance,†said Grace thoughtfully. –I mean, he can’t be that bad . . .â€
–Yeah,†said Willa. –Do it. It would be a fascinating study . . .â€
–I can’t just lead him on!†Julia protested.
–You already have,†Chelsea pointed out. –What else can you do? Hide up here for the next two and a half years.â€
Julia started unpacking her trunk. –Yes.â€
- -
Julia couldn’t really avoid him, though. She tried. She spent unusual amounts of time helping Mason train Parker, which was actually quite amusing since he (her brother, not the monkey) had forgiven her entirely for her previous lack of interest. She spent long hours in the library. The dementors still made her feel all cold inside whenever she had to go anywhere near them, so she had decided to start researching the patronus charm. It looked really difficult, but she was a Ravenclaw - she’d give it a shot. Of course, she saw Connor in class, but he was still too shy to say a word.
Unfortunately, they had patrol together less than a week into term. –Well,†said Julia, –I’ll just take the top floors today . . .â€
–No.â€
She glanced up at him, surprised.
–You’re really pretty,†he said quietly. She smiled. Maybe Grace had been right. Connor may be a mousy sort of person, but she really didn’t know him . . . she let him kiss her. No harm, none at all. They drew closer together, then leapt apart as a loud bang sounded. A red-haired boy was standing in the hall - one of the Weasley twins.
–Whoops. Sorry about that - dropped a noisemaker.â€
–Right,†said Julia, trying to figure out which one it was. George, maybe? He was grinning as always, but there was a weird look in his eyes.
–Fred and I were just rigging some fanged Frisbees down the hall. You know, so they’d fly around . . . what’ll that be? Ten points from Gryffindor? Or twenty, because they’re banned?â€
Julia didn’t answer. George glanced at her hand, still clutched in Connor’s. He clicked his tongue. –And you two both prefects. Absolutely shameful.†He set off down the hall with his usual cheery gait, leaving them alone.
Neither Julia nor Connor said a word the rest of the night. They walked on in silence, him a little closer than she would have liked. She felt uncomfortable suddenly, like it was shameful. She shouldn’t be doing this. She didn’t really like Connor, not this much . . . but he had such a nice glow in his eyes when he looked at her. Just a little while longer . . .
- -
There was a Quidditch game that weekend, and Julia felt obliged to sit next to Connor. Throughout the week, the so-called –friendly teasing†had gotten almost unbearable. From Mason’s snogging noises to Willa’s note-taking . . .
It was a cold, crisp day. Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin - it would be a tough match. Sure enough, the two teams’ scores remained close for quite a while. Julia looked longingly over to where her friends were sitting with Mason and Sam. Sam was cheering as overenthusiastically as ever. Parker sat on Mason’s shoulder, wearing a tiny coat and toque their mother had knitted him for Christmas. If only she was over there . . . Connor kept trying awkwardly to pull her closer, and it was distracting her from the game.
–And Ravenclaw’s up 70 to 60!†said Lee Jordan.
Connor tried to kiss her. She pushed him away, watching intently as the players whipped around the pitch.
–130 to 60! Ravenclaw’s chasers are really on a roll now . . .â€
Connor seemed hurt. He tapped the bench, thinking.
–Can’t you just say something?†said Julia, annoyed. –It’d be faster.â€
–I . . .â€
There was a burst of cheering. One of Ravenclaw’s beaters had unseated the Slytherin keeper with a bludger. There was another burst of Ravenclaw goal scoring. –170 to 70!†Lee Jordan cried.
Connor shut up again and just stared at Julia. For a Ravenclaw, he seemed awfully dim, she noted. She glanced at the pitch just as yet another goal was scored, then another . . . but the seekers had caught sight of the snitch. They were racing, neck and neck . . .
–Julia,†Connor started.
‘I can’t do this,†she said suddenly. –I’m sorry, Connor. I really am. I just . . . I can’t . . .†There was a burst of cheering from the other side of the pitch.
–And Malfoy has the snitch. Slytherin wins!†Lee concluded.
–I’m sorry,†Julia whispered one last time. Then she ran away, leaping bleachers, so she wouldn’t have to see Connor’s hurt face.