“Um, actually I was waiting for him. Is something wrong?”
“Just tell him to find me later today. I have the information his parents wanted about undergraduate programs.”
“Oh, um—you do?”
She shrugs. “A lot of parents are scared of the humanities at first. But he shouldn’t worry. They usually come round.”
“Right. Good to know.” My thoughts swirl as she walks away. He actually talked to his parents about art history? Just when I thought I knew everything about Dev, he surprises me again.
It’s surreal to walk onto the sidelines of the Quidditch field holding Dev’s hand. Mostly because I never thought I’d date anyone who ran around a field with a broomstick between his legs. But then, I don’t have room for superiority, since I’ve got my unicorn hoodie on, rainbow mane flowing down my back. Dev and I make quite the pair.
I lean in and kiss him again. I can’t seem to stop doing that. “I’ll see you after the game, okay?”
But rather than let me go, he grins and pulls me toward the bleachers on the other side of the field. “Come with me.”
The bleachers aren’t full by any means, but there are enough people that I won’t be completely alone. There’s a group of younger kids wearing Gryffindor scarfs, others wearing Slytherin or Ravenclaw colors. A few people are brandishing wands.
Someone catches my eye. It’s... Sage. And there’s Frank and—I have to lean forward to get a closer look—Huan is wearing a huge lion hat like Luna Lovegood. I burst out laughing. And I thought today couldn’t get better.
“You made it!” Huan shouts when we get closer. “I was scared you two would get caught up and forget to come.”
I twist toward Dev. “You finally told them about Quidditch?”
“I felt bad denying them all these new ways to laugh at me.”
“But now I don’t have anything to blackmail you with.”
“I’m sure you’ll come up with something soon,” he says, and kisses me.
“Ellie, come over here with us!” Huan waves me up. He’s likea giddy little kid still high from opening Christmas presents. “Are you ready for what we’re about to witness? Dev playingQuidditch! He’s freaking Indian Harry Potter!”
Dev laughs. “I don’t play seeker.”
“And he wouldn’t be in Gryffindor,” Sage adds.
Huan waves them off. “Doesn’t matter, it’s still the best thing in the world. The teams were just practicing down there. One of the players ran around trying to reach into another guy’s shorts to get a tennis ball—” Huan’s laughing too loud to finish.
“That was brilliant!” Frank adds. “And look how ridiculous Huan is!” He points at the lion hat. “Mate, you’ve got to sign it after the game. And we need pictures.”
To my surprise, Dev doesn’t look embarrassed. Well, notthatembarrassed. In fact, he pulls me closer and poses for the camera.
After a few shots, Frank holds the phone out for me. “Do you mind?”
I nod and bite my lip. He seems to understand what I’m asking without words.
“No hard feelings,” he replies quietly. “He’ll always be one of my closest mates and I hate to see him down, but I think it’s for the best. I talked to him this morning and he’ll bounce back.”
I nod, grateful, and take a photo of the boys together. Sage steps up next to me.
“You look happy. Are you feeling good?”
“Definitely.” I look back at Dev, who is now pretending to fly for the camera. “I’m great. As long as you’re okay with...”
“Of course. It was clear you two were going to get together.It was only a matter of waiting for you both to stop being idiots.”
That would be an insult from anyone else, but it only makes me want to hug Sage.
“You still owe me a scarf, you know,” I tell her. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“Imayhave been working on something for you. But you’ll have to wait until Christmas to see it.”
I rub my hands together eagerly, already imagining exchanging presents back home with the group. Someone on the field blows a whistle and Dev is next to me in a second.
“For good luck,” he says, and kisses me long enough that the guys start catcalling.
He runs down to the field, and my friends press around me, cheering and calling out made-up spells. I can’t stop laughing. Dev was right. Life can be messy and difficult.
And really,reallygreat.
