The Beginning of the End
IX
Over the next few months, Effie secluded herself from the group. She started hanging around more with Seamus and Neville. Harry had told Effie and Ginny that he needed some space. Of course, Ginny being the 'amazing person' that she is, agreed. Effie however was a little more stubborn. She didn't try to hang out with him but she did try to get answers out of him. That wasn't really happening.
"I still can't believe Harry did that to you." Hermione said with a shake of her head. Effie sighed and put in her other earring.
"It happened months ago, please let's not talk about it tonight?" She asked as she fastened a bracelet around her wrist. Hermione held up her hands in a defensive manor but dropped the subject. They were both getting ready for Slughorn's Christmas party. They both made the Slug Club, along with Harry of course but oh well. Effie chose a simple but sexy black lace dress with 3/4 length lace sleeves. Her shoes were black with a t-strap that had rosettes covering it.
"That dress looks better on you than I thought it would." Effie said turning around to look at Hermione's light pink halter style dress. She had borrowed her rose gold heels from Effie, along with a blush pink pearl cluster bracelet.
"You honestly look way better." Hermione said with a smile. Effie feigned a blush and giggled. She was still pining over Harry but as each day went by, it was getting a little bit easier.
"I'm more suited for gaudy jewelry and darker clothes. You are suited for a lighter, more delicate style." Effie said. She brushed her fingers through her naturally wavy hair and sighed. She was now ready to leave.
"Alright, I have to meet Seamus downstairs before he has a bloody cow." She opened the door to the dormitory and made her descent down the stairs. When she got to the bottom, she saw Seamus who was by the portrait hole.
"Wow, if I didn't know any better, I'd start hitting on you. But I am a gentleman." He said offering Effie his arm. She rolled her eyes but took it anyway.
"Oh please, you are a child." She mocked. The conversations were light and fun as they made their way to Slughorn's office. Harry never once came up as a topic and for that, Effie was greatful.
"Before we go in, fair warning, Potter's not going to be able to take his eyes off you." Seamus said with a wink. Effie groaned. She hadn't thought about that. They walked inside and students were everywhere. Some she knew, some she didn't. She plastered on a fake smile and went to be social. She saw Ginny across the room and walked over to her with Seamus.
"Effie!" Ginny exclaimed flashing her a smile. Effie forced one back and gave her a quick hug. Thankfully, Ginny had no idea about Harry and Effie. He chose to tell them individually. Effie gave him kudos for that.
"How have you been?" Ginny asked, "you haven't been around much."
"Yeah, I know. I've been so busy with my studies and everything." Effie said looking back at Seamus who just gave her hand a quick squeeze.
"You're here with Seamus, that's new." Effie chuckled and shrugged.
"Well, he's been like my best friend lately so I figured, why not?" There was a few moments of awkward silence before Ginny got called over by a friend.
'Yeah, how are you doing?" Seamus whispered, gently turning Effie to look at him. She glanced up at him and shrugged.
"I honestly don't know how I'm doing it. I don't know how I'm able to get up everyday and act like nothing ever happened." Seamus barely heard her over all the talking but at least he heard her.
"You're strong."
"Effie." Effie's head snapped to the left of her. Harry stood there, his hands stuffed into his pants pockets. Seamus touched Effie's elbow and walked off to give them a minute. Effie scratched the back of her head nervously and approached him.
"How are you?" He asked, licking over his lips. Effie laughed humorlessly.
"What do you care? You haven't bothered to talk to me in months. You have completely ignored me every time I've tried to talk to you. So why do you care now?" She crossed her arms over her chest and started chewing on the inside of her lip.
"Look, I'm trying now. Doesn't that count for something?"
"It does, but it would mean more to me if you hadn't have been a coward. We kissed, so what? It was bound to happen sooner or later. We've been friends for years!"
"I'm ashamed of myself. I hurt you. That's why I've been ignoring you. I can't bring myself to face you." He whispered, reaching up to cup her cheek. She dodged it though, not wanting to fall victim to his touch.
"So uh, who are you here with?" She asked, desperate to try to change the subject.
"I'm with Luna and Hermione's with Cormac." Effie laughed. Luna was alright but Cormac was just...terrible!
Effie was about to say something when Professor Snape came up to Harry. Effie raised an eyebrow.
"I really should get back, my date-"
"Can surely survive your absents for another minute or two. I only wish to convey a message...from Professor Dumbledore. See he's traveling and won't be back for a while." Snape mumbled, looking down at Harry emotionless.
"Traveling where?" Harry demanded. Snape just paused for a moment then walked off. Effie's eyebrow shot right back up out of confusion.
"Okay then." She mumbled. Seamus finally turned up by her side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and was about to pull her aside to dance but then Mr. Filch came in, dragging Malfoy by his jacket.
"I found this one lurking about in the upstairs corridor. He said that he had been invited to your party." Filch said.
"Okay, okay. I was gatecrashing, happy?" Draco snapped. Effie rolled her eyes and walked off with Seamus.
They were there only a little while longer before Effie decided that she wanted to leave. She and Seamus walked back to the common room together and found Hermione sitting on the sofa looking frazzled.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Effie asked timidly.
"Cormas is horrible! It's like I told Harry, he's got more tentacles than a Snarfalump plant! It was horrible. But enough about me. I saw you talking to Harry at the party."
"Yeah, we talked but that's all. I don't think anythings going to change. Anyways, I'm going upstairs to change. Thanks again, Seamus, for going with me." Effie said hugging him. She pulled away and went to the girls' dormitory. She kicked off her shoes and collapsed on the bed. Why couldn't she just take everything back and be friends with Harry again? Why did she have to let him kiss her? Cause she wanted it pretty damn bad, that's why!
"Bullocks."
"I still can't believe Harry did that to you." Hermione said with a shake of her head. Effie sighed and put in her other earring.
"It happened months ago, please let's not talk about it tonight?" She asked as she fastened a bracelet around her wrist. Hermione held up her hands in a defensive manor but dropped the subject. They were both getting ready for Slughorn's Christmas party. They both made the Slug Club, along with Harry of course but oh well. Effie chose a simple but sexy black lace dress with 3/4 length lace sleeves. Her shoes were black with a t-strap that had rosettes covering it.
"That dress looks better on you than I thought it would." Effie said turning around to look at Hermione's light pink halter style dress. She had borrowed her rose gold heels from Effie, along with a blush pink pearl cluster bracelet.
"You honestly look way better." Hermione said with a smile. Effie feigned a blush and giggled. She was still pining over Harry but as each day went by, it was getting a little bit easier.
"I'm more suited for gaudy jewelry and darker clothes. You are suited for a lighter, more delicate style." Effie said. She brushed her fingers through her naturally wavy hair and sighed. She was now ready to leave.
"Alright, I have to meet Seamus downstairs before he has a bloody cow." She opened the door to the dormitory and made her descent down the stairs. When she got to the bottom, she saw Seamus who was by the portrait hole.
"Wow, if I didn't know any better, I'd start hitting on you. But I am a gentleman." He said offering Effie his arm. She rolled her eyes but took it anyway.
"Oh please, you are a child." She mocked. The conversations were light and fun as they made their way to Slughorn's office. Harry never once came up as a topic and for that, Effie was greatful.
"Before we go in, fair warning, Potter's not going to be able to take his eyes off you." Seamus said with a wink. Effie groaned. She hadn't thought about that. They walked inside and students were everywhere. Some she knew, some she didn't. She plastered on a fake smile and went to be social. She saw Ginny across the room and walked over to her with Seamus.
"Effie!" Ginny exclaimed flashing her a smile. Effie forced one back and gave her a quick hug. Thankfully, Ginny had no idea about Harry and Effie. He chose to tell them individually. Effie gave him kudos for that.
"How have you been?" Ginny asked, "you haven't been around much."
"Yeah, I know. I've been so busy with my studies and everything." Effie said looking back at Seamus who just gave her hand a quick squeeze.
"You're here with Seamus, that's new." Effie chuckled and shrugged.
"Well, he's been like my best friend lately so I figured, why not?" There was a few moments of awkward silence before Ginny got called over by a friend.
'Yeah, how are you doing?" Seamus whispered, gently turning Effie to look at him. She glanced up at him and shrugged.
"I honestly don't know how I'm doing it. I don't know how I'm able to get up everyday and act like nothing ever happened." Seamus barely heard her over all the talking but at least he heard her.
"You're strong."
"Effie." Effie's head snapped to the left of her. Harry stood there, his hands stuffed into his pants pockets. Seamus touched Effie's elbow and walked off to give them a minute. Effie scratched the back of her head nervously and approached him.
"How are you?" He asked, licking over his lips. Effie laughed humorlessly.
"What do you care? You haven't bothered to talk to me in months. You have completely ignored me every time I've tried to talk to you. So why do you care now?" She crossed her arms over her chest and started chewing on the inside of her lip.
"Look, I'm trying now. Doesn't that count for something?"
"It does, but it would mean more to me if you hadn't have been a coward. We kissed, so what? It was bound to happen sooner or later. We've been friends for years!"
"I'm ashamed of myself. I hurt you. That's why I've been ignoring you. I can't bring myself to face you." He whispered, reaching up to cup her cheek. She dodged it though, not wanting to fall victim to his touch.
"So uh, who are you here with?" She asked, desperate to try to change the subject.
"I'm with Luna and Hermione's with Cormac." Effie laughed. Luna was alright but Cormac was just...terrible!
Effie was about to say something when Professor Snape came up to Harry. Effie raised an eyebrow.
"I really should get back, my date-"
"Can surely survive your absents for another minute or two. I only wish to convey a message...from Professor Dumbledore. See he's traveling and won't be back for a while." Snape mumbled, looking down at Harry emotionless.
"Traveling where?" Harry demanded. Snape just paused for a moment then walked off. Effie's eyebrow shot right back up out of confusion.
"Okay then." She mumbled. Seamus finally turned up by her side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and was about to pull her aside to dance but then Mr. Filch came in, dragging Malfoy by his jacket.
"I found this one lurking about in the upstairs corridor. He said that he had been invited to your party." Filch said.
"Okay, okay. I was gatecrashing, happy?" Draco snapped. Effie rolled her eyes and walked off with Seamus.
They were there only a little while longer before Effie decided that she wanted to leave. She and Seamus walked back to the common room together and found Hermione sitting on the sofa looking frazzled.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Effie asked timidly.
"Cormas is horrible! It's like I told Harry, he's got more tentacles than a Snarfalump plant! It was horrible. But enough about me. I saw you talking to Harry at the party."
"Yeah, we talked but that's all. I don't think anythings going to change. Anyways, I'm going upstairs to change. Thanks again, Seamus, for going with me." Effie said hugging him. She pulled away and went to the girls' dormitory. She kicked off her shoes and collapsed on the bed. Why couldn't she just take everything back and be friends with Harry again? Why did she have to let him kiss her? Cause she wanted it pretty damn bad, that's why!
"Bullocks."