A Little Freak of Melancholy

Chapter 3

All right, I know you're thinking that the librarian's advice was something I could not take. First, because we all know my Potions teacher's temper: He would call me a stupid child with nothing better to do than try to steal his precious time. And second, I couldn't talk to him. I just couldn't. That would lead to something very stupid that I would regret for the rest of my life.

I knew all of this. But that advice kept popping into my head every few minutes. A wild side of me - one I didn't even know I had - just kept telling me that it wouldn't be so bad. After all, it would be an excuse to talk to him. And, let's face it, it had been two weeks since Hermione had promised me a solution, and there was none yet!

And today was Monday.

And there he was, talking with his velvet voice, his pale skin in contrast to his black robes, his hair falling in his eyes every now and then, driving me absolutely mad with every minute.

I was going to explode today. I imagined myself screaming for the whole class to hear that I was in love with the most hated teacher Hogwarts had ever had.

I couldn't ask him anything; that would be a terrible idea. If I stayed beside him for too long I would explode and...

And then my cauldron exploded. It didn't just melt or spill some potion out... It literally exploded, covering my classmates and me with a purple liquid that was supposed to be blue.

"Detention, Weasley, and thirty points from Gryffindor!" he screamed in anger, his pale face now as purple as my potion. "Now clean up this mess before I decide to do something drastic!"

I was petrified, but I managed to hurry with the cleaning before he screamed again.

I felt tears running down my cheek. How could I possibly be in love with a man who screamed at me like I was some mentally-challenged dog?

After a long time he spoke again, now in a cold tone that sent shivers down my spine.

"What's going on with you, Weasley? Not that you were a genius before, but now you let your mind wander and ruin every single potion I give you to do. And I'm not pushing it too hard. They are simple; so simple that a first year could make them correctly!"

That was when I realized we were alone in the classroom; everyone else was out for lunch. I hadn't even heard the bell ring; I had been too absorbed in my thoughts of self-hatred to notice. There he was, standing in front of me. His robes, which were covered in purple, were resting on his table, leaving him wearing just a black shirt and black trousers.

"I... I haven't been thinking..." I muttered, praying for him to understand.

"That was obvious," he cut me off with an arrogant smile. "Although thinking wasn't so difficult for you before."

Was it my imagination, or had he just paid me a compliment in his own twisted way? I couldn't help but smile, even with the pain in my chest almost breaking me in two.

And he noticed the smile. I realized that when his expression got even angrier and he screamed out in frustration:

"What is it now?"

"I love you," I said in a very clear voice.

Oh, no. Oh, no. I clasped my hands over my mouth, too shocked to do anything else. He, apparently, was also very shocked, for he just kept staring at me like I was mad; his mouth dropped open.

"I am sorry..." I tried to say something, but nothing came. But my stupid apology brought him out of his surprise, although he seemed quite out of things to say.

"What in heaven's name got into you to make you say that?" he asked in an amazed tone, looking like he had been struck down by lightning.

"That I'm sorry?"

"That you were in love with me!"

"I didn't say I was in love with you," I said, feeling more confident - or crazier - now. "I said I loved you." I couldn't take it back now. "And if I said that, it's because I do love..."

"Alright, I heard it!" he cut me off, shaking his head like he was trying to shake off his confusion. "Now, I don't know if I should send you to the infirmary, for you are certainly not well, or if I should just take fifty points from Gryffindor and talk to the Headmaster about getting you expelled!"

"Expelled?!" I shouted in frustration, still on my knees before him. "Why should I be expelled?"

"Because you are trying to mock me, and students are not allowed to mock teachers in such way!" He seemed quite childish while saying that.

"I'm not mocking you!" I said while getting up, tears running down my cheeks again while my Weasley temper got the best of me. "I just couldn't take it any longer because of this stupid potion that I shouldn't have drunk!"

His eyes were glowing quite dangerously now.

"So let me see if I understand..." he said, his voice already in a cold tone again. "You drank a love potion, and then you saw me, and now you are in love with me..." He smiled wickedly. "Well, Miss Weasley, I'm sorry to inform you that love potions are not allowed in this school and now you will certainly be expelled!"

"It was not a love potion, Professor," I said in a resigned tone. "It was a potion to make you realize who you love. I drank it to give support to a friend, and then I discovered that of all people, I was actually in love with you."

He froze, his smile dying while he realized what I had just said. He looked down for a minute, but when his eyes met mine, he seemed as lost as I was.