9 Unspoken Desires

After the Yule Ball was announced, he turned to his 'pseudo' girlfriend at their next meeting and said "If I was able to do what I wanted, you'd be my first choice to ask to the ball. I know that would place unwanted attention on you and I don't want that. I would have been honored and proud to escort you."

He was rewarded with a kiss to the cheek along with a hug. During this she whispered "And I would say yes in a heartbeat if I was asked but I know you can't. I'm happy just being your very good friend."

Trying to change the subject, Harry asked "Why do you refer to each other as brother and sister?"

They both looked sad at the question and Harry started to regret asking. He said "If it's too personal, you don't have to tell me."

Megan managed a sad smile. "No, it's okay. It just hurts when I think about it."

Harry said "You guys have been there for me. I'd like to think you could trust me to do the same for you."

Cedric moved over and put his arm around Megan. As she leaned into him, he said "Meg had an older brother named Michael. We were best friends growing up and were always together. For some reason, no matter where we went or what we did, this bratty little girl always invited herself along. Mikey adored his bratty little sister and so did I so it wasn't a problem for us and if she was with us, she couldn't go tell on us. (Megan punched his shoulder and Harry chuckled.) A year before we were to start Hogwarts, Mikey came down with a bad case of Dragon Pox and the normal medicine wouldn't work for him."

Megan quietly said "He was allergic to one of the ingredients."

Cedric sighed "Without the medicine, they couldn't treat it. He eventually became so weak that even his magic couldn't sustain him and his core started draining. I think he knew he was going to die and he asked for me."

Megan hugged him tightly. Cedric shed a lone tear. "When I got there, he made everyone leave so that he could talk to me alone. He grabbed my hand and said I'm not going to be around much longer so I need a favor from you. Of course I told him he was my best friend and I would do anything for him. He then told me that I had to be there for Meg and that I would be her big brother from now on. At ten years old, we didn't know much about magic and oaths but I promised him and there was a flash of light. Ever since then, she's been my little sister."

Harry moved to hug the both of them just as they had done for him. "I'm sorry. If I had known, I would've kept my mouth shut. I…I'm a selfish prat because I think that only bad things happen to me. You've always just talked about my problems and I never considered you may be dealing with your own things."

They both pulled him closer and Megan said "Harry, you're a very giving person and you didn't know. We don't talk about it much because we loved him and miss him. Mikey was a lot like you and in a way, our trio is back. I know he would have liked you."

Cedric chuckled and said "Could you imagine the trouble Mikey and Harry could get into together?"

Megan giggled "Yeah, I'm sure I would have had my hands full."

Later that night when he was alone, tears were once again running down his cheeks for his lot in life and that of his friends. If it wasn't for them, he would have already walked away from Hogwarts and the magical world.

****

The night of the Yule Ball, Harry showed up without a date to which McGonagall immediately assigned Hermione to be his escort. When she tried to wrap her arm in his, he quickly pulled away and stepped away. She tried to protest but was quickly told for her not to touch him. She had to hurry to catch up with him as he walked away from her and into the Great Hall.

He never noticed the beautifully decorated hall as the first thing he saw was the person he most wanted to be with on another's arm and it stopped him cold. It took Cedric coming up behind him and quietly guiding him to the table to get him to move. Harry sat there gazing towards the goddess that was Megan Jones. Her long dark brown hair was normally worn straight or pulled back into a pony tail but tonight she had fixed it to where it was flying around her head in loose curls.

The way it framed her face brought out her olive complexion and highlighted her small nose and her two gorgeous dark brown eyes that he just loved staring at. She was slightly taller than he was and slim, the dress she wore hugged her tightly and left no hint at the girl that was normally hidden beneath loose robes. He knew he was attracted to her emotionally after their many hours of talking but he wasn't prepared to be struck speechless by her appearance.

It was then that he realized that he had the same stirrings of feelings for Megan as he once did for Hermione and just hoped and prayed that one day she would return his feelings.

(In the movie adaptation of my story, LOL, Megan will be played by Penelope Cruz.)

Cedric seated himself next to Harry and was the only one who heard him mumble "beautiful". Cedric smiled and whispered "Yes she is."

Harry glanced up and Cedric could see the pain in his eyes. He whispered "There is no romance there Harry. They have been friends for years. You know she'd rather be here with you."

Harry nodded but it didn't ease the knot in his stomach. Cedric noticed his discomfort and leaned over to whisper "What's the matter?"

Harry sighed "I can't look at her with him without my stomach getting in knots. (He looked up with pleading eyes.) What does that mean?"

Cedric smiled "It means that you really like her and it's something you need to tell her and talk to her about. It also means that if she thinks about you the same way, then you'd better be good to her and treat her right. She's one in a million."

Harry nodded but the thought of her with someone else was just too much for him to handle and he withdrew into himself once again. As he was sitting at the table tuning out Hermione's constant yammering, he realized this would be the perfect opportunity to take care of something Dobby had told him recently. He came out of his thoughts and noticed several people were trying to talk to him. Hermione actually had the nerve to say "Honestly Harry, you could at least be attentive to your date for the night."