Stupid Potter and his stupid ideas. Unfortunately, my opinion is in the minority. Most everyone else in the common room was looking rather surprised, but still eying him appreciatively. He, of course, was staring at me expectantly and looking only momentarily disappointed that a similar expression of adoration wasn't mirrored on my face. Really, it was all I could do not to ruin all of our plans by throwing something at the idiot or at least glaring. Instead I remained impressively passive.

It was just so difficult when he was making that stupid smug face and grinning so widely. So, I closed my eyes tightly trying to remember that it really wasn't his fault. He couldn't possibly have known.

If I reprimanded him he'd only tell me I should have told him in the first place. I couldn't help my scowl at that point. He is such an arse.

"Are you alright?" He was hovering over me now, apparently having decided proximity was a good idea. The fool.

I didn't respond.

"Are you actually angry I did something right?" Silence. "Ohhh, I get it. You wish you had been the one to come up with it."

The only thing that stopped my hand from flying to his face was Mary's hand. It grabbed mine and pulled me up to my feet. We made eye-contact and she was glaring at me pointedly. I shrugged sheepishly.

"Come on, Lil. We need to get going." I looked over and saw the time. We really did need to get going—especially after Potter's stupid and incredibly inconvenient stroke of genius.

I wish I could say that I meant that last word sarcastically—and I maintain that the boy is an absolute idiot—but really it was rather clever of him to find the one loophole of our plan.

That didn't mean he wasn't a moron for telling everyone though. Damn braggart.

"Yeah, that er... thing. Right!" My face flushed and from the corner of my eye I could see our partner in crime, Jacob, flinch at my horrible improvising skills.

Potter looked immediately suspicious.

"What thing?"

"Potions!" I could kiss Jacob, I really could. Potter hated potions and his eyes immediately glazed over. I almost sighed in relief before another look flashed across his face. He turned to glare at Jacob. Jealousy. Joy.

"Wait a minute, why do you know?" Oh, lord. He was sneering now. Quite unattractive, really.

"Seriously, Potter? You don't know?" Potter's face was becoming contorted in what I imagine was rage. "Ours is a secret relationship, I suppose. Though I thought everyone knew I was in love... " Potter was now red as well. Mary and I exchanged a look of exasperation before glaring at Jacob. Normally I was all for provoking Potter, really I would be right there laughing at his expense, but now was not the time.

Right when it seemed that the whole thing would blow up horribly (Potter being the "thing", obviously) Jacob saved us (from his own provocation though, so it's not like he's even a hero really.)

"... with Mary. Have been since the day I was born." Jacob placed his hand dramatically to his heart and began to stare longingly at Mary who could only roll her eyes in response. Potter let out a small grin of relief.

That bastard!

How dare he be relieved! What business of his was it who I dated? Still, that's no excuse. I really shouldn't have...

"And here I was just hoping it would be me. Alas, I suppose I shall have to suffer the burn of a love unrequited." Mary actually groaned, Jacob just gaped at me, and Potter looked horrified. Looked like he was going to cry really; if it hadn't been such a poor move on my part, I would have joined him in crying, though mine would be from laughter rather than what he probably thought was heart break.

"She is kidding, you guys! Ha! Funny. Lily's a poor joke that's all...",

"I didn't say I could only love one person", and

"You're just teasing me, yeah? Pulling my leg? Though if you weren't I suppose it's only fair that you would suffer unrequited love. I mean..." Potter's response had gone on for the longest so even though they'd spoken at once we all heard most of what he's said. We all threw him varying looks of disgust. The boy at least had the decency to look guilty.

"Not that I would ever wish you pain... erm... Hey, wait! What was that you said, Jake?"

Jacob grinned. This time it was my turn to groan. At this rate, we would never leave on time. Potter was just too easy to rile up. And, then I had my own little stroke of genius, or so I'd thought. I walked right up to Potter (we had gained considerable distance from one another, because I'm not a masochist). I feel it's necessary to defend myself, because at this point I was really quite annoyed; the night was not at all going as planned. First Potter idiotically ruined our plans by pointing out the one loophole, and now? Now, we would never be able to actually leave so as to fix it. Desperate times, desperate measures and all that.

Oh, hell. I still shouldn't have done it.

He seemed surprised at how close I came to him. He even stopped glaring at Jacob. I suppose he should have been. Surprised, I mean. I never willingly get this close.

"Right then. Hey, Lil." Was the idiot really pretending we had just met for a friendly jaunt in the hall? I looked up to the ceiling and prayed a little bit for guidance. I'm not usually the praying sort, but I'm sure Merlin helps girls who have to deal with the devil incarnate, right?

"Listen. We have to go. We're going to go er, and do our Potions assignment and..." Great. What now? I had thought that the proximity would do him over and he wouldn't be listening but he appeared to be rapt to every single word I articulated. Fuck.

"And... er..." It was him that was supposed to be getting all hot and bothered, not me! I mean, not that I was hot and bothered, I was just flustered... because he's stupid... and er, his hair is like a really distracting bush or something. I really wasn't hot and bothered, alright? We're clear on that? Good.

"Could you..er... maybe watch my cloak while we go down? Probably won't be long." Jacob sent me a look behind Potter's back."Or, you know. Could be up late. Difficult project. Real hard. Er.. and I don't want to fail or something."

I hadn't needed to clarify how long we'd be gone—he had obviously stopped paying attention the second I'd given him my cloak because he was holding it tightly as if it were some sacred artifact. Though knowing Potter if it were some sacred artifact it would be broken and lying in pieces on the floor already. Geez, good thing my cloak's not fragile. Not that he looked close to dropping the thing anytime soon. He gazed at me in awe, finally shifting his eyes away from the black piece of cloth in his hands.

"You want me to keep this all night?"

"I didn't say that, you stupid twit." He wasn't paying attention, again. Whatever. As long as he wasn't questioning why I had given him my cloak. I mean, how weird! Why on earth would I need someone to watch a cloak for me?

But, now, of course, blessed with that wonderful thing called hindsight, I know I should have never given him that stupid cloak. I should have just wished Jacob and Mary goodnight, told them to carry on without me and never, ever, ever, have given Potter my cloak.

Oh, well. It didn't turn out really as bad as all that. Though I still probably shouldn't have done it, it really wasn't that bad. I don't think.