Phoenix|| A Harry Potter Love Story

33

Cho seemed to be everywhere these days. Every corner Rosie turned, outside of the Gryffindor tower that is, Cho was there. Smiling. A constant reminder of how much she was snuggling up to Harry with her charm and her beauty, and how Rosie wasn't who Harry had eyes on.

Cho has started to implant herself into the rest of the group or tried to at least. She began to eat lunches with them at the Gryffindor table.

It was lunch on a Thursday, Rosie had just exited Potions, a class that Rosie struggled with considering she hated the teacher with a passion. Nevertheless, Cho joined them at their table, again. She was detailing a story that happened in Herbology class that day with Professor Sprout.

"...and then the plant exploded, and she wiped all the goop off her face and she said, Harry it was so funny, 'Well then I guess we are onto the next lesson."

Ending with this, Cho erupted into a roar of laughter. Ron and Hermione let out a half-laugh to be polite, or perhaps they just didn't want to make her feel bad. Rosie didn't laugh at all. She wouldn't laugh at something if it wasn't funny. Whereas, Harry laughed from his gut as well. He must have been sorely blinded by her charm.

The black-haired girl's eyes settled on Rosie, with a smirk she added, "Isn't that a funny story, Rosie? Why didn't you laugh."

"Oh," Rosie was caught off guard, Rosie could see Cho's hardened eyes grappling towards her, she squirmed in her seat "I just didn't find it that funny. It isn't my sort of humor."

Cho nodded awkwardly before turning back to Harry and telling another one of her hilarious stories to him. Couldn't she find something else to talk about other than her not-so-funny stories?

--

Harry walked into the Room of Requirement a minute late. He was the last one in the room. It was easy to tell that all who participated in the DA loved it. there were no slacks.

"Sorry I'm late," Harry said, gaining everyone's attention the moment he spoke, "Alright, so we're going to work on our dueling again, and I thought to start us off we'd have the one who's been doing the best at dueling battle me. So, Rosie Lupin, are you ready to duel me?"

Rosie stood very still. Yes, it was correct, she was good at dueling better than anything she'd done before, but to face Harry, that was a recipe for disaster.

"Bring it on," Rosie said, trying to contain her anxiety.

Harry smirked at her, and turned to Neville, "Neville would you take a lead with the directions?"

"Uh-sure," Neville said, standing where Harry was moments before, "Stand back to back."

Rosie and Harry stood back-to-back. Rosie's head could rest on Harry's shoulders if she tilted slightly. Rosie could feel his open hand fumbling at the end of his sleeve if only she could reach over and grab his hand. Or maybe she could brush his hand. Her pinkie was edging to feel the company of Harry's flesh, it shifted closer and closer until it touched.

"Now, three paces, One....."

A step. Her pinkie rushing away from Harry's warm hand.

"Two...."

Another step. Rosie's hand felt cold against her own, the warmth that radiated off of Harry's hand was long gone in the other direction.

"Three..."

Another step. Rosie's hand gripped tighter on her wand, it was game time. Turning around, Rosie saw a spell headed straight towards her. She dove forward, falling flat on her face, avoiding the spell. Harry was an excellent dueller, this would be much harder than dueling some DA member.

"Titillando" Rosie whispered under her breath, but loud enough for the spell to activate.

He stepped out of the spell's trajectory and let out a chuckle of approval, "Expelliamus."

She smiled back at him, ducking out tof the way of the elementary spell he threw at her. She smirked at him, taunting him, "You're going to have to do better than that, prof."

As typical kids do, the all shouted "oooh!" and put their hands over their mouths, hyping Harry and Rosie up. Harry shook his head, "Okay, Lupin, you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? Flippendo! Expelliamus! Stupefy!"

Rosie ducked and blocked the first tto spells, but she was hit in the shoulder by stupefy, and the fell to the ground. She didn't slide too much, and she stuck her landing. Harry walked over to her and offered his hand to help her up, She grabbed his hand, and helped her up. His hand was warm.

There was a spark between the two hands that were held in such an innocent action.

--

"Hey Rosie," Harry said, touching her on the shoulder as she was grabbing her books after the Dumbledore's Army meeting, "That was some pretty good dueling, and some good comebacks."

"Thanks," Rosie smiled, "I was pretty proud of them. By the way Harry, you're a really good teacher."

"Well-thanks Rosie, I mean it's not really teaching is it?" Harry said.

"Yeah it's teaching," Hermione said, appearing from behind Rosie, with a book in her hand, "Harry, who said. you'd be perfect at this"

"Uh-"

"Us!" Hermione exclaimed almost jumping for joy, "and I'm never wrong..well rarely so. Also, Rosie, you left your Potions textbook in my bag."

Rosie sheepishly smiled, taking the book back, "Thanks, Hermione."

A dark presence loomed over Rosie's head when she saw Cho headed over to Harry. She wrapped her arms around him and covered his eyes with her hands. Of course, she would do the stereotypical "who am I?"

And she did it. Harry explained that himself and Cho were going to go on a walk after the meeting to 'just talk' about whatever they wanted.

Harry turned away, and she slung a hand over his shoulders, and he did similarly for her. Harry was so oblivious to the metaphorical sign on his back, hung by Cho, that said "do not touch. mine."

As they exited the room, Cho took a look at Rosie. It was filled with anger and a sense for revenge, though Rosie was confused on what she may have done to Cho.

"What was that about?" Hermione asks.

Rosie shook her head, "It's stupid really, Cho thinks I'm in love with Harry or something and she's out to get me for it. See, stupid girl drama."

"I honestly don't know what he sees in her," Hermione said, "I mean, she's pretty, but what else is there?"

Ron, who was suddenly interested in the conversation, "What do you mean 'what else,' there has to be more than that?"

"Yes, Ronald," Hermione said, her hands flaring around, "Compatability for one. Two people can look amazing together and be polar opposites. That won't work out. Secondly, if they respect you as a person, and don't use you like a piece of meat, that is another thing for a relationship. Thirdly, I would say-"

"Okay, we get it," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

At this point in the banter between Ron and Hermione, Rosie tuned out. All she could think of was Harry, his touch and how it radiated throughout her. She longed for him to touch her again. Rosie then thought about Cho, and her pure hate for Rosie, which was very apparent, and how, under no circumstances would she ever tell Harry about how Cho was treating her. Harry wouldn't believe Rosie, he was too blinded by his feelings for the girl.