Scared, Potter?

What Happens in the Dungeon, Stays in the Dungeon

"Where have you been?" Pansy Parkinson asks as I sneak into the Slytherin Common Room. 

"Uh..." I yawn and try to sidestep her, but she won't hear of it. 

"No way! I want to know where you've been." Pansy places her hands on her hips. A few of the kids in the room look up at us, disgruntled that we've interrupted their studying. One of Pansy's friends weaves his way over, followed by Goyle. 

"Shut up, Pansy." I scowl at her. 

"You were out with Potter, weren't you?" Goyle says. He may be gruff, but he sounded hurt. I looked up at him and I realized that I'd been ditching him to hang out with Harry and Hermione. I made a mental note to try harder in our friendship. 

"Who cares if I was?"

"Yeah, we all knew he was in love with him anyway," Pansy's friend says. Pansy doesn't look satisfied.

"You're friends with Potter now? That Gryffindor jerk?"

That's when I ruined our secret.

"For your information, Pansy," I yell, loud enough that the whole common room stares up at me. "Harry may be a Gryffindor, but he's not a jerk! He's amazingly smart and kind and he's so brave and he's so strong and he's been through so much," I ramble on like this for another minute before concluding with an angry statement. "And we're not just friends, Harry. Is. My. Boyfriend."

"Yeah, right," One of the fifth years laughs, "and I'm a muggle."

"Are you crazy, Malfoy?" Pansy sneers at me. "You could do so much better than him." 

I hear a small cough to my left and turn to see Goyle shouldering past the crowd of Slytherins gathered around me. He quietly sneaks out of the room. 

"What's up with you guys anyway?" I holler at the entire room. "So what if I love him?"

"We all knew you did!" One of the sixth years pipes up. She's small for her age, but she has a loud voice that takes up the whole room. "Remember that one game we played, Teddy?" 

"Yeah."

"Game?" I asked.

"It was just a betting game. Every year, we would bet how long it would take you to go visit Potter on the train." 

"Oh." I turn back to Pansy. "Now, if you don't mind, it's late and I'd like to get to bed." I don't wait for her to answer. I just turn and stomp off to my dorm room.

I get inside and see Goyle's huge body sitting in the corner. I hear a quiet sniffling coming from his direction as well.

"Goyle?" I whisper. I go over and sit down beside him. "What's wrong, dude?"

"You've changed." All at once, I realize how hard it must have been for Goyle this year. He's basically lost his two best friends. 

"No, I haven't. I've just become who I've always wanted to be."

"But you aren't my friend anymore." Goyle sniffs again. "You chose Potter over me."

"Why can't I choose you and Harry?"

"Why do you keep calling him Harry? He's always been Potter and he always will be Potter!" Goyle explodes out of anger. 

"What are you talking about?"

"YOU CALLED HIM HARRY!" Goyle shouts at me, before he storms out of the room, not once looking back at me. I stare at the space where he had been sitting and choke back a sob. 

I'd called him Harry.