The next day, an oblivious Theodore Nott roamed about in the castle with his hundred galleons that he won from the bet, the smile never wearing off his face while his friend's jealousy was a bit evident on his face.

    "We almost kissed too, if it hadnt rained that exact moment." Theo said munching on his toast in the great hall with a smirk and saw how Blaise Zabini groaned, "Okay enough of it, I dont want to hear more."

    Draco chuckled, "Its alright mate, you are not the one who gave the hundred galleons, relax."

    Theo almost rolled his eyes, hundred galleons were not the thing he was so glad about, it was the girl he spent the last day with. Though the end of it seemed a blur to him but he still remembered that they were at the sunset spot on the hill and were definitely having a good time.

    But what worried him slightly was the fact that he hadnt seen Rosalie Hearst since last night now and that was the particular reason today he decided to have lunch in tbe great hall rather than the common room because he wished to see her and maybe ask her out for the second date.

    Yes, he knew he would definitely go on another date with her and waited for her impatiently to arrive at the great hall. Suprising, that he was waiting for the glimpse of a gryffindor who had vexed him all the time.

     And then there she was stepping into the hall with her muggleborn friend, arms linked and gaze casted down, both of them had a plain expression. Theo waited desperately for her to look up and meet his gaze.

    Both the girls made their way to the gryffindor table and settled with their two friends already having their second lunch now. Hermione passed Rosalie a glass of juice after she pushed away the plate and softly mumbled something to her.

     Theo was finding it a bit uneasy now, she wasnt looking his way at all. Maybe she didnt know he was here afterall he always had lunch in the common room. He needed to do something to grab her attention.  His eyes quickly casted to the half filled glass in front of him with he picked up and dropped shattering it into pieces, gaining the attention of the whole hall let alone her.

    "Mate, are you alright?" Theo ignored Draco's question towards him as his eyes were already locked with Rosalie Hearst and he was quick to offer her a short but sweet smile. But she looked away, as if he were a stranger. His smile faded away as quickly. He couldnt help but wonder if she purposely ignored him or maybe didnt want to give a reaction surrounded by her friends. Yes. He believed the latter to be the reason.

    He saw how Rosalie again mumbled something to Hermione who nodded as both the girls stood up quickly starting to leave the great hall. He wanted to talk to her, now.
   

     "Oh, I remembered I have got something important to do," Theo said as he stood up wiping his face with a handkerchief while his friends gave him a quizzical look, "Will meet you in the common room later."

    Before turning back to their lunch both Draco and Blaise watched as Theo rushed out of the hall. As soon as he got out, his eyes searched for her and then he spotted her moving along with Hermione and went after them running a hand in his hair, fixing himself a bit.

    "Hearst!" Both the girls halted as they heard the voice and saw who was approaching, Rosalie felt her heart clench. Grasping her hand warmly, Hermione whispered, "Lets not stop, Rose."

    But before both the girls could move forward, Theodore Nott was standing before them almost smiling, "Granger, please excuse us a moment."

    "No." Hermione said dismissively and it took everything in Theo to not say the 'm' word, he didnt want to say it in front of Rosalie.

     He sighed shortly turning back to Rosalie, "About yesterday Rose, I am sorry, I didnt realise when you left. Can we please meet out in the lawn after the classes end?"

     "Why?" Thats all Rose could force through herself holding that glaring yet hurtful gaze towards him. He took his time to come up with an answer and tried to ignore Hermione's insignificant presence.

    "I want to tell you something and also... ask you for a date, Rose." He said and waited for her to say something but all he could see was utter hate in her eyes reflecting upon him as she sneered lowly, "Why? Is there another bet? Didnt you win hundred galleons already?"

    He stared at her completely baffled as she said that. How did she know? Before his mind could work to discover that, he realised she was leaving and felt the need to stop her immediately but she moved past him and he was quick to reach out for her hand stopping her, "Wait Rose, I can explain—"

    "Leave my hand, Nott." She said through gritted teeth and he felt the pangs of that hurtful tone stab in his heart. He realised her hand slowly and she added looking over her shoulder, "And know the fact already that I absolutely hate you."

    With that she stormed off. While he was left there helpless and defeated. He had planned to her the truth before asking her out on a real date and now knowing that she had already known the truth which left him no chance for redemption. 

    He felt extremely irritated at the situation not knowing how come she was aware of the truth. His mind went back to his friends. Could they— No, he firmly believed that his friends would never sell him out like that.

    Then how? He groaned frustrated. He tried to recall the last day if he had mistakenly spilled the truth or given hints of the bet but no he didnt. Until he came to the last part of the day, of which he only remembered the blurred parts. He was drunk. Shit! He realised he could have told her everything in his drunken state and that was the reason she was not with him when he returned to the school.

     "Shit! Shit! Shit!" He kicked at the wall several times annoyed at himself. He ruined his chance himself. He needed to apologize to her truly now. Earlier he was planning to do it but not this way but now he needed to tell her the whole truth which contained that he had indeed started liking her.

   He rushed to find her again, reaching outside the gryffindor common room where he got to know that Rosalie just left but didnt know where. He asked several students if they had seen her to which they replied no and he felt his anger and frustration grow while feeling extremely awful that she must be thinking it was all his evil plan and he played with her. He hurt her badly.

    After searching the whole school for an hour straight and asking almost every student, ghost and portrait, Theo could not find Rosalie at all. It was the worst feeling he was getting, dragging his feet outside the castle, he found himself sitting at the astronomy tower by the balcony glancing out at the green lawns with a dull feeling.

  Drowned in misery and dejectedness he thought of ways to apologize to her but couldnt come up with any because he knew what he did to her was awful. She didnt deserve this at all. And the fact that he had actually started liking her made it even worse.

    Suddenly he heard a low cry coming from somehwere near, which probably belonged a kid. Glancing down at the garden he saw a first year or so girl was sobbing hugging her knees to her chest. Same. He turned away, feeling he might cry as well.

    He lowered his head to the railing, closing his eyes letting out a heavy sigh. The girl's sobs echoing in background, until he heard two soft voices which probably belonged to the girl while the other one was not quiet distinguished maybe before he the distance between them. He payed no heed as he himself was already depressed enough.

    "...And I think they all hate me, no one wants to be my friend." He heard the girl say trying hard to ignore but he couldnt and his attention darted completely to them until he recognised the second voice, "Hey, can I be your friend?"

    It was Rosalie Hearst, his head jerked up instantly as he peered down to see Rosalie was crouched by the little girl sitting in the same manner. He almost jumped out in excitement before halting as she brought out a blank paper from her pocket and began folding it in certain ways while saying, "Let's start our friendship in a nice way, shall we?"

    The girl watched her curiously and so did Theo because he felt something  in him stir watching that and saw she made a paper plane. The little girl asked, "Wow where did you learn it?"

    "Someone taught me years ago." Rosalie said with a smile which said she went back into reminiscing. And the little girl asked again, "And do you give it to everybody?"

   Rosalie nodded brightly handing it the little girl, "Anyone who is sad, I give them a paper plane."

    She knew it was a rather childish idea but why give away anything that brought joy to us? She liked making paper planes ever since and handing them over as a little happiness and to be honest it brought her great delight.

    She watched as the girl beside her admired the paper plane excitedly, mission accomplished, while Rosalie let out a sigh, "But who would give me a paper plane?"

    The girl turned to her with slight confusion, "Have you never got a paper plane yourself?"

     Rosalie let out a short chuckle, "I have but it was years ago, a boy gave it to me when I was crying all alone in a random park and since then I have loved to make a lot of paper planes."

    Theo listening to all of them was forced back to a distant reverie which almost felt blurred. He felt related to whatever Rosalie just said as if he too had been a witness. A random park. A crying girl. A boy who gave a paper plane—

    His mouth parted in disbelief as he remembered that rainy day almost ten years back when he had escaped his house and arrived at a muggle park with not much people in it until he was met with the cries of a girl of his age.

     He remembered playing with that nameless girl the whole time, making paper planes and loving every moment spent with her. He tried to recall her appearance vaguely, dark brown hair, bright hazel eyes shining at him in glee when he taught her how to make paper planes.

    How he used to go back to that park everyday after that for a long time hoping for the girl to show up but she never did and after a while he gave up waiting on but it didnt mean he had forgotten her. For a long time her memories lingered in his thoughts, he would randomly go on thinking what she must be doing, how she must be?

    A part of him always craved to meet her again, he could never come to admit it to himself out of a stupid fear, that he developed a crush on her and now realising it had been her all along, Rosalie Hearst. Right under his nose.

    He had recently discovered his liked Rosalie and now getting to know that she was the same girl he had waited upon a long while in his childhood. His childhood crush. He needed to tell it to her instantly. Peering down once again, he was baffled to see the two girls have gone, completely out of sight.

    "No, no, no, no,..." He murmured to himself descending the stairs of the astronomy tower swiftly. He needed to tell her everything immediately from apologizing for the bet and tell the whole truth, to admitting liking her so much that now it hurt him staying away from her.

    It was now dark when he had reached outside the gryffindor common room for the third time now after searching for her everywhere. He could never understand who she could hide so well unknowingly. But this time he was met with the portrait outside the common room claiming that it was past curfew and now student would step out. He got into a short argument with the portrait that wouldnt let him even call from outside and eventually had to return to his common room dejected.

    Laying on his bed, he felt the tears sting his eyes as he recalled how he had hurt the girl who meant so much to him.

   It seemed too late now.
   

   
Just one more chapter left....

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