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My diversion is successful, since she mock-glares at me. I think she realizes I'm not going to do that again. "Yes, that would be wise."
"I might do that light and smoke show again, you have to admit that looked awesome," I say, slightly forcing a grin.
Her glare falters, and the corners of her lips turn up slightly. "Fine, it looked...awesome."
"Wow, that sounds positively adorable when you say it," I say in my latest attempt at a British accent.
"Your accent is still atrocious," she says with a smile.
"Prat!"
She laughs at that. "And that sounds really odd when you say it."
My shoulders slump in defeat. "Well, I tried."
-------
"Alright, what's the deal?" Harry asks, closing his Potions book. He looks expectantly at Hermione, then to me.
"What?" Hermione asks, seemingly surprised by the question.
"You two have been looking up and smiling at each other when the other one isn't looking," he says.
My mouth drops open, and I look at Hermione just as she turns to me. We both blush furiously. "Uh..."
"We may have, er, accidentally kissed the other day," Hermione says, not meeting Harry's eyes.
"Accidentally?" Harry asks.
"Um..." I say.
"Well, the first time might have counted as an accident," Hermione says, watching Harry closely for a response. "The second time wasn't," she added quietly.
Harry smiles at us, but it seems forced. "Good."
I flinch at his response. "I'm sor—"
"Don't, William," Harry cuts me off quickly. "Please don't. I...I'm jealous, of course, but you're...you're better for her. I want her to be happy, and you're the best one for that, as I've known for some time now."
Hermione looks like she wants to cry again.
I shake my head. "I'm not—"
"William—" she tries to cut me off, but I keep going.
"—the best one for that, Harry, but it doesn't matter right now. I wanted to tell you that Hermione and I are not together. Nothing about my situation has changed. But even ignoring that, it would...we are not in a rush, and we've got more important things to worry about to get distracted now." I know Harry would get mad if he thought we were staying apart for his sake, so I had to carefully word that one.
He seemed surprised by that. "I guess...that makes sense."
"We thought so, too," Hermione says with a relieved smile.
"Not that I would stop you even if Hermione and I were dating," I say seriously, "but I want to emphasize that nothing has changed, and therefore you must continue with the affectionate hugs and kisses and holding hands."
Harry snorts. "It's an open relationship, then?"
It's Hermione's turn to snort. "Honestly, can you imagine William not flirting with Daphne and half the other females at Hogwarts? Professors and portraits of old ladies included, mind you."
"And yet, my lips have only touched one other pair in this entire school," I retort.
"So far, anyway," she shoots back.
I grin. "In case you forgot, yours touched Harry's too, back when he asked you to the Ball."
Her blush deepens now. "I suppose they did. Although, you know what that means, right? Harry and I accidentally kissed, William and I accidentally kissed..."
I start laughing. "Yes, to be fair, we have to complete the cycle, Harry."
"And...that's my cue to leave," Harry says, standing up quickly, "and by leave I mean run away screaming." This time, despite being mostly suppressed, the smile reaches his eyes.
-------
"Something happened between you and Hermione," Daphne says one afternoon when she asks to speak with me alone.
Now that I think about it, it's the first time we've been alone since we met in the Room of Requirement and talked about why she seemed to know more than my own best friends.
I had told her what pieces of information she knows that Harry and Hermione don't, and that they knew many things that I hadn't shared with her.
As a Slytherin this had satisfied her immediately, so it was a surprisingly pleasant talk despite the threats made beforehand...no protective cup or pain potions needed.
"What makes you say that?" I don't want to give anything away. She made me fall for that trick before, making a statement when it should be a question.
She raises an eyebrow at my neutral response. "A few slight differences in the dynamic between the three of you. It's subtle and I'm not sure I can put it into words, but it's there."
After a moment of consideration I sigh. "You're too good. We made a mistake when we were running some wandless magic experiments. We kissed."
Her expression tightens. "I don't see how that's a mistake."
"You are missing the information that makes it a mistake. I think you know me well enough to realize that, were it not a mistake, I would have kissed her a long time ago. Or I may have risked your wrath to try and kiss you first, I couldn't say."
She lets out a breath but otherwise ignores the last bit. "So are you going to share what makes it a mistake, or do I have to Slytherin it out of you?"
I laugh at that. "You can try, if you aren't satisfied with the promise that I will share it eventually."
"I will hold you to that," she sniffs.
"I would expect nothing less," I say.
We walk in silence down the disused corridor for a time. "So you are finding my father's tome useful?"
I'm sure my face lights up with that question...a possible opening for inviting myself over! "Oh yes, very much so. I'd love to browse a collection that has stuff like that...if your father didn't mind giving that one as a gift, I can hardly imagine what treasures it still holds."
She looks at me askance. "That is more true than you know. The Head's collection of books and scrolls is often considered one of that family's precious treasures."
I deflate quickly. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean—"
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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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