Slytherins, Kisses and Other Disasters
Copyright© 2026 by Caroline Stanton
Chapter 9: Yes
By Friday morning, Victoria Crabbe was back in her school robes.
The fitted jumpers, skirts, and dresses were safely upstairs, along with the little eyeshadow palette she’d been given. Her hair was brushed, as always, but she hadn’t bothered with makeup. She’d considered it for approximately thirty seconds before deciding she didn’t have the patience to start experimenting with brushes before breakfast.
She intended to wear the new clothes again. They were fun, and she liked the way they looked. But Harry Potter had asked her out before any of it, and she was still trying to work out what to do with that information.
He’d approached her when she was wearing her usual oversized jumper beneath her robes. He’d complimented her when her hair was untidy from Quidditch practice. He’d asked her out without ever having seen her in a dress or a short skirt. He’d liked what he’d seen all along. And yesterday, while half the boys in Slytherin had suddenly discovered that Victoria Crabbe possessed a figure worth looking at, she’d found herself thinking about the one boy who’d noticed her first. Potter. Bloody Potter.
She’d lain awake for some time thinking about him. And eventually, she’d made a decision. It was a ridiculous decision. A potentially disastrous decision. Draconia would probably raise an eyebrow. Georgina would laugh herself sick. Weasley would almost certainly choke on something. But it was her decision. And Victoria Crabbe had never been particularly good at doing things by halves. She spotted Harry Potter shortly after breakfast. He was standing near a window in the entrance hall, talking to Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
Victoria stopped. For a moment, she watched him. He was smiling at something Weasley had said, looking ordinary. That was irritating. She’d spent half the night trying to decide what to say to him, and there he was, laughing with his friends as though nothing in the world was particularly complicated. Georgina, walking beside her, followed her gaze.
“Oh.”
Victoria looked at her.
“What?”
Georgina grinned.
“Potter.”
“I can see that.”
Draconia glanced towards the three Gryffindors. Then back at Victoria.
“Are you going to speak to him?”
Victoria hesitated. She hadn’t told them what she’d decided. Not yet. She’d wanted to do this herself.
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
Victoria nodded.
“Yeah.”
Draconia studied her face. Then smiled slightly.
“All right.”
Georgina opened her mouth. Draconia caught her arm.
“Georgina.”
“What?”
“Let her.”
Georgina looked at Victoria. Then, surprisingly, she nodded.
“All right, Vic.”
Victoria took a breath. Then another. Oh, for fuck’s sake. She’d faced down angry professors, opposing Quidditch players, and boys who’d been stupid enough to insult her friends. She could bloody well speak to Harry Potter. She straightened her shoulders. And walked towards him. Harry noticed her when she was about ten feet away. His expression changed. He stopped talking to Ron and turned towards her.
“Morning, Victoria.”
She stopped directly in front of him.
“Potter.”
Ron looked between them. Hermione went very still. Victoria ignored them. Harry smiled.
“How are you?”
“Fine.”
“Good.”
There was a pause. Victoria suddenly realised that she hadn’t planned anything beyond walking up to him. She’d spent hours thinking about what she wanted to say, but now that she was standing in front of him, the words seemed to have vanished. Harry waited. Victoria clenched her fists. Come on, Crabbe. She took a deep breath.
“Yes.”
Harry blinked.
“Sorry?”
Victoria stared at him.
“Yes.”
He looked genuinely confused.
“Yes ... what?”
Victoria felt heat rising into her cheeks. Oh, you bloody idiot. She’d forgotten that several days had passed since he’d asked. He probably wasn’t expecting an answer anymore. She swallowed.
“Yes, Potter.”
Harry frowned slightly. Victoria could feel Weasley and Granger watching. She wanted to hex both of them. Instead, she forced herself to continue.
“I’ll go to Hogsmeade with you.”
Silence. Harry stared at her. Ron stared at her. Hermione stared at her. For one dreadful second, Victoria wondered whether she’d somehow said something completely incomprehensible. Then Harry’s eyes widened.
“Oh.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“Well?”
Harry blinked again.
“You mean ... on a date?”
Victoria glared.
“No, Potter, I mean I’ll go with you to buy bloody cauldrons.”
Ron made a strangled noise. Hermione elbowed him. Harry’s expression changed. Slowly, a smile spread across his face. Not the small, polite smile he’d been giving her in corridors. A much bigger one. A genuinely delighted one.
“Really?”
Victoria looked away.
“Yes, really.”
Harry laughed softly.
“That’s wonderful.”
Victoria felt her cheeks grow hotter. Wonderful. He’d called it wonderful. She hadn’t expected that. She’d expected surprise, certainly. Perhaps a little disbelief. But the sheer happiness on his face was something else. Harry looked at her.
“I’m glad.”
Victoria swallowed.
“Yeah. Well.”
She shifted her weight.
“Don’t make a bloody fuss about it.”
Harry smiled.
“I won’t.”
“And don’t go telling everyone.”
“I won’t.”
Ron made another peculiar noise. Victoria turned sharply.
“What?”
Ron raised both hands.
“Nothing!”
Hermione gave him a warning look. Victoria narrowed her eyes.
“Better be.”
Harry cleared his throat.
“Victoria?”
She looked back.
“What?”
“Thank you.”
She blinked.
“For what?”
“For saying yes.”
Victoria stared at him. That was ridiculous. He’d asked her out. She’d agreed. Why was he thanking her? But he looked so genuinely pleased that she couldn’t quite bring herself to mock him.
“Yeah,” she muttered. “Well. Don’t mention it.”
Harry smiled again. Victoria looked at him for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, she smiled back. It was a small smile. A little awkward. But genuine. Harry’s expression softened. And Victoria suddenly understood why she’d been thinking about that smile all week. She liked it. She liked seeing him happy. Even more disturbingly, she liked knowing that she’d made him happy. That was a new feeling. And she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it.
“So,” Harry said, “the next Hogsmeade weekend?”
“Yeah.”
“Shall we meet in the entrance hall?”
She hesitated.
“All right.”
“Ten o’clock?”
“Fine.”
“Brilliant.”
Victoria looked at him. He was still smiling. It was becoming difficult not to smile herself. She glanced towards Ron and Hermione. Both were watching with expressions that suggested they’d just witnessed something profoundly unnatural. Victoria scowled.
“What are you two staring at?”
Ron opened his mouth. Hermione stepped on his foot.
“Nothing,” Hermione said quickly.
Victoria snorted.
“Right.”
She looked back at Harry.
“Well, I’ve got to go.”
“All right.”
She hesitated. Then added, “See you, Potter.” Harry smiled.
“See you, Victoria.”
She turned and walked away. She did not run. She did not hurry. She walked at a perfectly normal pace. And she absolutely did not look back. Not until she’d rounded the corner. Then she stopped, leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes. Oh, fuck. She’d done it. She’d done it. She’d walked up to Harry Potter, in front of his two closest friends, and agreed to go on a date with him. A proper date. In Hogsmeade. Just the two of them.
Victoria pressed a hand against her forehead. What the bloody hell have I done? But she was smiling. She couldn’t help it. And that was perhaps the most frightening part of all. Draconia and Georgina were waiting a little farther down the corridor. Georgina took one look at Victoria’s face. Then she grinned.
“Oh, Merlin.”
Victoria stopped.
“Don’t.”
Georgina’s grin widened.
“You said yes.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“Yeah.”
Draconia smiled.
“Did he accept?”
Victoria stared at her.
“Of course he bloody accepted! He asked me!”
“Fair enough.”
Georgina looked delighted.
“You’re actually going on a date with Potter.”
Victoria groaned.
“Yes, Georgina.”
“Harry bloody Potter.”
“Yes!”
“The Boy Who Lived.”
“GEORGINA!”
Georgina burst out laughing. Victoria raised a fist. Draconia caught her wrist gently.
“Victoria.”
“What?”
“You’re smiling.”
Victoria froze. She hadn’t realised. She tried to scowl. It didn’t work. Georgina laughed harder.
“Oh, this is brilliant.”
Victoria looked from one friend to the other. Then she shook her head.
“You’re both bloody unbearable.”
Draconia smiled warmly.
“And you’re happy.”
Victoria opened her mouth. Then closed it. She looked down. Was she? She thought about Harry’s face when she’d said yes. The surprise. The delight. The way he’d thanked her. She remembered the small smile she’d given him before leaving. And the way he’d looked at her afterward. Victoria swallowed.
“Yeah,” she admitted quietly.
Georgina stopped laughing. Draconia’s smile softened. Victoria looked at them.
“Yeah. I think I am.”
Neither girl said anything. Then Georgina stepped forward and gave her a rough hug. Victoria stiffened in surprise.
“Oi!”
Georgina laughed.
“Good for you, Vic.”
Victoria hesitated. Then hugged her back. Draconia joined them a moment later. And there, in a quiet Hogwarts corridor, the three girls stood together for a few seconds. Victoria felt ridiculous. She also felt wonderful. When they separated, Georgina wiped an imaginary tear from her eye.
“Our little Vic’s growing up.”
Victoria punched her lightly in the shoulder.
“Fuck off.”
Georgina laughed. Draconia shook her head.
“Come on. We’ll be late.”
They started walking. Victoria fell into step between her friends, still in her ordinary school robes, with no makeup and her hair loose. She had a date with Harry Potter. She was going to have to survive an entire afternoon without telling him to piss off. Bloody hell.
She was going to Hogsmeade with Potter. And she was actually looking forward to it.
They were halfway to their next lesson when Georgina finally asked the question.
“Hang on.”
Victoria glanced at her.
“What now?”
Georgina wasn’t looking at her. She was looking at Draconia.
“Why aren’t you more pissed off about this?”
Draconia raised an eyebrow.
“About what?”
“Potter.”
“What about him?”
Georgina gave her an incredulous look.
“Draconia, our Vic has just agreed to go on a bloody date with Harry Potter.”
“I’m aware. I was there.”
“Yes, but it’s Potter.”
Draconia sighed.
“Thank you, Georgina. I hadn’t quite caught his name the first three times.”
Victoria laughed. Georgina ignored her.
“I’m serious. You’ve hated him since first year. You’ve spent six years calling him an arrogant, self-righteous little bastard. And now Victoria’s going to Hogsmeade with him, and you’re acting like she’s just told you she’s bought a new pair of shoes.”
Draconia considered that.
“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m quite that indifferent.”
Victoria’s smile faded slightly.
“What does that mean?”
Draconia glanced at her.
“Nothing terrible, Victoria.”
“Then what?”
Draconia stopped walking. The other two stopped with her. For a moment, she studied them both, looking faintly exasperated.
“Do you honestly think I’ve suddenly developed a fondness for Harry Potter?”
Georgina shrugged.
“You’re certainly not acting like you hate him.”
“Oh, I still dislike him intensely.”
Victoria blinked.
“You do?”
“Of course I do. He’s arrogant, irritating, and has an infuriating habit of emerging from situations looking like some sort of bloody hero. I find his friends insufferable, and I have absolutely no desire to spend an afternoon in his company.”
Georgina nodded approvingly.
“That’s more like it.”
Draconia continued.
“I also haven’t forgotten six years of arguments, insults, and mutual hostility. Potter and I are not suddenly going to become friends simply because he’s developed an interest in Victoria.”
Victoria looked down. For some reason, hearing Draconia say it so plainly made her uncomfortable. She’d known, of course, that her friend disliked Harry. Everyone knew that. But she hadn’t really considered what dating him might mean for their friendship. Draconia noticed her expression.
“Victoria.”
“What?”
“Look at me.”
Victoria reluctantly raised her eyes. Draconia’s expression softened.
“I don’t like Potter.”
“Yeah. I got that.”
“But I love you.”
Victoria went still. Draconia said it simply, without embarrassment or hesitation.
“You’re one of my two best friends. You have been for six years. I trust you, I care about you, and I want you to be happy.”
Georgina was quiet now. Draconia continued.
“And for the past few days, I’ve watched you smile more than you have in months. You’ve been laughing, talking to people you barely used to acknowledge, and apparently you’ve even stopped shoving first-years out of your way.”
Victoria scowled.
“I didn’t shove every first-year.”
“No. Only the ones who were unfortunate enough to be in front of you.”
Georgina snorted. Victoria gave her a look. Draconia smiled faintly.
“The point is, something has made you happy. And unless I’m very much mistaken, Potter has quite a lot to do with it.”
Victoria felt herself blushing.
“Oh, bloody hell.”
“Am I wrong?”
Victoria hesitated. She could have denied it. A week ago, she would have. But Draconia was looking at her with such genuine affection that lying seemed rather pointless.
“No,” she admitted.
“Then there you are.”
Georgina folded her arms.
“So you’re willing to put up with Potter because he makes Vic happy?”
“Precisely.”
“Even though you hate him?”
“I said I dislike him, Georgina. There’s a difference.”
“Not much of one, in your case.”
Draconia gave her a dry look.
“Perhaps.”
Victoria studied her friend.
“You’re really all right with it?”
Draconia turned towards her.
“Victoria, I don’t have to like your boyfriend.”
Victoria nearly choked.
“He’s not my bloody boyfriend!”
“Not yet, then.”
“Draconia!”
Georgina laughed. Draconia smiled.
“All right. Your prospective boyfriend.”
“That’s not much better!”
“The boy you’re going on a date with, then. Will that do?”
Victoria groaned.
“You’re both impossible.”
Draconia waited until Georgina stopped laughing before continuing.
“My point is that I don’t have to like him. You’re the one who’ll be spending time with him, not me. And if you enjoy his company, that’s your decision.”
She paused.
“Besides, I can hardly complain that Potter has been treating you badly. Quite the opposite, actually.”
Victoria looked at her. Draconia’s mouth tightened slightly, as though the admission cost her something.
“He’s been surprisingly decent about the whole thing. He approached you respectfully, apologised when the rumours spread, and accepted that you might not want to go out with him. He hasn’t made a spectacle of you.”
Georgina nodded.
“That’s true.”
“And,” Draconia added, “he appears to be genuinely delighted that you’ve agreed.”
Victoria remembered Harry’s face in the entrance hall. That enormous smile. The astonishment in his eyes. That’s wonderful. She felt herself smiling again. Draconia noticed.
“There. That.”
Victoria blinked.
“What?”
“That smile.”
Georgina looked at her and grinned.
“Oh, she’s doing it again.”
Victoria immediately tried to straighten her expression.
“Fuck off.”
Draconia laughed softly.
“That’s what I mean, Victoria. You look happy when you think about him. Why would I want to take that away from you?”
Victoria stared at her. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. Then she looked away.
“You’re making it sound like some bloody romance novel.”
“Well, it rather is, isn’t it?”
“No!”
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