Chapter Text
Penny gazed the Ravenclaw in front of her, the blonde Hufflepuff asked her friend, "Andre, what do you want to say? Please tell me."
"I… I just want to apologize to you for last time. I lost my temper in front of you when you tell Leonel what happened to my grandma." Andre said, his voice was nervous.
"You don't need to be sorry for that, that's my fault, not yours. And I hope after the help from Leonel and I, your eyes feel very well." She smiled.
"Yeah… Yes… You gave me a hand when I'm in trouble… I'm grateful." Andre stared at Penny, made she felt a bit uncomfortable.
"So… Do you have something other to tell me? You look more strange than usual." Penny asked, she was confused why Andre was so nervous.
Andre seemed to muster all his courage, handed her what he was holding tightly, "This… is for you… I've said a lot of things of you… to my grandma… She thought highly of you… and make this for you." His clothes were soaked with sweat.
It was a purple scarf, it just looks like the scarf Andre used to wear, but some details were different. For example, the "P" design was changed into a "W" design. This must in connection with their favorite Quidditch team, Andre's is Pride of Portree, Hers is Wigtown Wanderers, Penny thought.
"It's warm, Andre. Your grandma is really nice. I hope I could see her one day. So… what else? You seemed want to tell me something other." She noticed he was still stared at her.
"Ummm… Penny… do you have a good time with me in the dancing contest?"
"Of course I have! It's good to not always thinking about Beatrice." She replied in a low voice, "What do you exactly want to tell me? Please tell me, we don't have lots of time. Leonel and Diego will teach us 'the Badger Shuffle' soon. We must go to the courtyard on time."
"Alright… So… Penny, if there's another dancing contest… I mean, a ball… Would you like to go with me? You know, last time when I asked you to be my guest on the Celestial Ball, you said you have accepted to go with Leonel… So… I just want to… ask you now."
"But we even don't know when the next ball will begin… Andre, you are strange today… what happened?" As she spoke, she fell back into memory.
The Celestial Ball… How could she forget it? Penny still remembered the Gryffindor stand in front of her. When she remembers this memory, she always smiled. It’s a different type of smile, there was a smile in her beautiful and charming blue eyes, like she’s looking at something far off, and her cheeks turned pink.
In the courtyard, a boy was standing in front of a girl, both of them looked a bit nervous.
"Did you hear our friends talking about how wonderful the decorations are? I'm so happy!" Penny was excited.
"Oh, I hadn't asked you to meet me to talk about the decorations…" Leonel was placid.
"If you are not going to talk about the decorations with me, then why did you need to see me so urgently?" Penny was a bit surprised, then she began to analyse,"Come to think of it, you were acting oddly when we were picking flowers in the Herbology Greenhouse…"
"I wanted to see you about the Celestial Ball. I don't have a date yet…" There was tension in his voice.
"Good! Well, I don't mean 'good.' I just thought I was the only one still without a date!" Penny was a little incoherent.
"You? But you are the most popular witch in the school! I have seen a student asked you!"
Penny's face turned into pink, but later she became a bit upset, "I… I refused them… to wait for a invitation from a spe… forget it, I don't want to talk about it. Alright, get down to business, you said that you didn't get a guest?"
"I suppose there is a solution…"
"You're not going to suggest using magic, are you?" Penny smiled and asked.
"Ummm… Well, I'm not going with anyone and you're not going with anyone, so…"
Leonel paused. The whole world seemed to stand still, and Penny even could heard the sound of the wind. She suddenly have a hunch what he would say next, she looked forward to what he would say next.
"Um, Penny, would you like to go to the Celestial Ball with me?"
"Of course I would love to go to the Celestial Ball with you, Leonel!" She replied with a squeal of excitement, then she paused and smiled, "Even back when I asked you for your help with the election, I was secretly hoping you'd ask me to the ball."
"Then l'm so happy that I did! We'll have a great time together!" Leonel smiled in relief.
"This is like a dream, going to the Celestial Ball with my first choice as a date!" Penny hung her head shyly, "Of course I never got up the nerve to let you know it."
"l've been so anxious about this dance, too! I suppose we should go and start getting ready. I have no idea what to expect tonight at the ball."
"Let me tell you what it'll be like to go to the ball with me…" Penny smiled proudly, she pulled Leonel to a stone bench, her eyes gleamed with excitement, told him the plans she had made for the evening.
"I could talk about this all night ! But we really do have to go and get ready for the ball…" Leonel said.
"I can't wait to twirl in my outfit. And I can't wait to see yours!" Penny was excited.
"Oh… I have another thing to tell you…"
"What is it?"
"Rowan and Ben knew I asked you…"
"You want to let me to tell them, because they don't believe?" Penny smiled, then she said what she always thinking, "You don't to be lack of confidence! You are a the best one in Hogwarts! Rowan and Ben are your best friends! Why are you so—self-abasement? Why do you think they won't believe you?"
These words stunned Leonel, later, he laughed out loud. Penny was surprised and a bit angry, pinched her partner, "Why are you laughing? Are you crazy? I speak from the heart just now!"
"No, I am happy your words to me. But you overpraised me. I'm not as good as you think I am." He stopped laughing, said with a bit bashfulness.
"Actually, I want to play a trick on them. I will tell them you refused me, but you tell them the truth later on the ball, alright?" Leonel's blue eyes glowed with a sly twinkle.
"A prank! It will be fun to see their expressions! You are always giving me pleasant surprise!" Penny suddenly realized something when she said the last word, she closed her mouth and bowed her head with a bit self-conscious. After a long while, she said in low voice, "Okay, Leonel… it will be funny, I agree. Now, I… I must go to try my outfit. I… I've got to go. See you at the ball, Leonel." After these words, she left the courtyard quickly, just like a wind.
A voice interrupted her memory, Penny frowned, and she didn't listen it carefully, so she has to ask, "What did you say just now, Andre?"
Andre looked at her with his mouth open in disbelief, just like Penny did something wrong. However, he soon adjusted his heart, paused to collect his thoughts, said in low voice, "I… I like you, Penny, for a long time. I… I've told it to my grandma, she gave me this scarf, and encourage me to tell you my feeling for you. I know it's not a right time, but… I can accompany you until your sister is safe, then… I asked you out official… for a date. So, Um, Penny… if you like me too, would you like… I accompany you?" There was an unspeakable light in his eyes.
Penny was shocked. Her brain was almost stopped. Why did I didn't find that before? Andre… well, he's always good to her… especially after her sister was trapped in a portrait… How could she didn't find it?
But that's not important. Because she didn't like him. She has forgot Andre invited her to go to the ball—Because she only has eyes for Leonel. She really has a good time with Andre, like many other friends. But they are only friends, good friends. That's the top of their relationship. Their relationship won't, actually never, she thought, changed into romance. There can only be friendship between them—Although the friendship wasn't pure any more.
"Thanks, Andre… Thanks for you like me… But I don't like you," She noticed the light in his eyes was gone, "We're friends, good friends. I really had good time with you. But… the fact is, I also have the same feeling when I with other friends, you are not my cup of tea. We're only friends, and that's all. That's the top of our relationship. I'm sorry, I can't accept to have a closer relationship with you. You are a good person and an excellent Quidditch player, you are also a fashionable wizard, there must be many other girls adore you. So I sincerely hope you will find the one for you one day."
Andre's smile was frozed. After a long time, he know he was refused by his crush. He asked slowly, "So… Are we still friends now?"
"Yes, we're still friends. But I must return this scarf to you now. It has a purpose, I can't accept it. It's a nice scarf, but I am not blessed to own it." She passed him the scarf.
Andre opened his mouth, wanted to say something, but when he saw her determined eyes, he sighed, took the scarf.
That's not strange. No matter what did other people give Penny, if they asked her out for a date, she refused them and returned the gift immediately every time. It has a purpose, Penny always says. Although she is a good person and always thinks of others' feeling, she draws a clear line in her emotional life. If she doesn't like the one who has a crush on her, she'll tell them her thoughts at once.
Andre was almost out of the door, but he stopped to ask a question, "Do you have a crush on someone, Penny?"
"Yes, I do."
His felt his heart was holding by something, he just felt endless void. He paused for a while, then he forced himself a smile, "Can I know who is the lucky one?"
"No."
Andre said slowly, "Alright… I know… Please don't tell this to others… see you later in the courtyard."
"Never mind. See you later, Andre." Penny's voice was flat.
After these words, Andre turned around, and then closed the door of artefacts room quietly, didn't give Penny time to reply him. While he is closing the door, Penny swored she heard a sigh. She was sad. Their relationship can never go back to the past. Though Penny didn't have the same romance feeling for him, Andre is a good friend. She was sad to lose such a good friend.
At the same time, a question was haunting her. Do you have a crush on someone? A low, but firm voice asked. Does she have a crush on someone? She was thinking about it.
Yes. She replied. That's a truth. There was only one person who confessed he fancies her, and didn't get a turn down from Penny.