Moments of "Time"

Seventh story. From the End of the World.

I saw you last night, but you could not answer,

You were a lonely little sidewalk dancer,

When I woke up I could not stand it,

You were gone, but I got to hand it to you...

- Electric Light Orchestra, "From the end of the world".

He stirred in his sleep - he wasn't getting any proper sleep in the last week. Not since that event...

It all started simply enough, with watching the Gryffindor - Ravenclaw quidditch match. Harry Potter got the snitch and-- well, that was not the point of the match anyway. The thing was that the Ravenclaw Chaser - Terry Boot - was there and he was quite openly angry about their team's loss. It was then... Then that he realized that... Well, that Terry was the one for him. Those eyes, the habits... The looks, everything about him was somehow... Appealing. Intriguing. Welcoming even.

Well, for one thing, he always thought that something was wrong with him - he never liked girls. Not in the "I hate girls" way since he never had problems with talking to girls, but he never liked them, as in liking girls, hanging out with them, snogging them and things like that.

Somehow, he preferred boys... Not that he was a pervert - there was nothing perversive in being homosexual at Hogwarts. Of course it raised a bit of discussion on your part, but no problems. There was enough of proof to that, take Blaise and Padma for instance. Except that these two seemed to be the only homosexually inclined ones to openly admit their being that way in their year. And even though he was in the same year, he never had the nerve to do it.

On the other hand, doing so might've meant clearing up the issue with Lisa... Well, she obviously took a liking to him, and was trying to get into his pants, if not to say more. The problem was that he, with his mind, could not agree with that - the very thought of being with... with... a girl scared him out of his wits.

Yesterday he almost walked up to Terry and asked... Well, he never ever saw Terry with a girl either and that left a small ray of hope. Not a very large one, but it still was a chance worth trying.

So he made up his mind. Tomorrow will be the day. The day he will go to Terry and ask him fair and square, bluntly and openly.

*****

That day they had a Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson together with the Ravenclaws, and he thought that it would be the perfect time and place. So, right after the lesson ended and most of the students had rushed to professor Figg to settle things with their essays (he had it settled already - an essay on preventing infestation from a werewolf bite and countering it if the prevention step failed) he headed over to Terry. The trick was simple. Terry was packing up and his attention was solely on his bag, so dropping a note onto his desk was no problem.

He was careful to write with his left hand, to cover the handwriting issue, because those Ravenclaws did not get into their House for pretty eyes (though they had it too, he admitted to himself). The note itself was quite simple - saying that if Terry was interested in meeting a girl, then he should be having a red band on his bag tomorrow. Otherwise the band should've been green.

Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time... And time was now his greatest enemy.

*****

The next day came like the last day of his life - that must be how those sentenced to death feel on the day of their execution. Today was the day he would know if it's something wrong with him or the world.

He did not see Terry at breakfast. And nowhere in the hallways between the lessons either. His heart did a somersault in his chest as he saw Terry at dinner - and there was a green band. He sighed with relief, and, when Terry went out, followed him.

*****

I was vaguely aware of someone walking behind me. Not that I am paranoid or anything like that - they always say such things about us Ravenclaws, but somehow they also say that Slytherins aren't capable of other emotions other than hate.

And the examples of Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini and their support of er... Inter-House relationships, as professor Dumbledore calls them, proved that statement wrong.

Anyway, there I was, walking down the hallway, minding my own business, when I heard steps behind me. After another turn, I finally saw the person I was looking for - Lisa.

*****

When he saw Terry kissing Lisa he felt his heart stop. All right, that explained the reaction to the note, but it did not explain why Lisa was trying to get into his pants three days ago. She found consolation in Terry that fast?

Whatever the answer was, he was going to find out. Right here, right now.

"Hello, Lisa," he said coldly.

She looked at him with a mix of surprise and happiness.

"Hello there. I was wondering when you would come to us," she said playfully. Playfully?

"Us?" he asked, "What are you two doing here anyway?"

"Who died and made you prefect thus giving you the right to ask that question, eh McMillan?" Terry asked pointedly.

*****

"And then why was she--" here Ernie pointed at Lisa, "-- trying to get into my pants lately?"

"What's the problem, Ernie?" Lisa asked, "Have problems with that?"

"Er..." he seemed to be lost for words.

"Now I can understand why you followed me, McMillan," I said, "You were the one who wrote that note! That explains your following me after the denial reply and--" as realisation struck me, I lost my words as well. He was stalking me because... Because... Why was he? "And what then?"

"Watch you snog Lisa, what else?" Ernie replied angrily as he turned around on his heels and was ready to leave when I called out to him.

"Wait!" I said and he turned around, "You were stalking me because you're... you're... gay?"

"Yes..." he replied down-heartedly.

Lisa turned to me with a glint of triumph in her eyes.

"And you said we wouldn't find one!" she exclaimed.

*****

He felt his heart sink even lower.

"Find who? What for?" he asked swiftly, feeling as if this entire event was some kind of cruel joke.

"You see, Ernie," Lisa started, "Terry and I like each other all right, but there's one slight problem - this git refuses to make love to me."

"And how do I fit in then?" he asked, a dazzled look on his face.

"Well, he refuses to make love to me unless we had a third someone with us. A gay third someone."

*****

I felt stupid saying this, but he must've felt even stupider, so I had to say it.

"Welcome on board to H.M.S. "Feeling Stupid". I'm bi," I said, stretching my hand out, "So, you see, you are a blessing."

I thought he would die from a heart attack right on the spot, but once the initial shock came off his face, the first thing he did was grab me and lock his lips into mine.

*****

That day he felt like the happiest bloke in Hogwarts. And, actually, so did Terry.

And Lisa... Well, she got what she wanted - Terry - and if getting him meant sharing a bit of him with someone else - even if that someone was Ernie McMillan - she was ready to do so.