I want to thank one and all who have voted and commented on the previous update, my dears..Love you all..

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Om: (painfully) I think this is some kind of prank that you are trying to play with me, Gauri..Fine then, you won..I lost..Happy now..!!

Then he left her and walked off towards the castle, and she could see him wiping his tears, while he walked away.

Gauri was quite taken aback by his emotional outburst and she was trying to analyse what he just said to her. Just then she felt something wet trickling down from one of her eyes, and when she touched it with her index finger, she was surprised to find that it was her own teardrop.

Even though she sat down there itself under the tree shade and tried to read, her mind was refusing to concentrate on the book.

She had always been deeply affected by him, even if it meant being highly responsive to even his silliest prank, or starting a fight with him even at the slightest provocation. No one else was capable of bringing out the strongest emotions in her. Now also, his  grief caused a deep pain in her heart and his accusations were stinging her like fresh wounds.

She remained in that sitting position till noon, and it was then that two of her room mates returned from the Hogsmeade trip. They noticed her sitting under the tree with a book, and approached her with curious looks.

Hannah Bell was one of them.

Ha: Hey Gauri..We didn't see you anywhere in Hogsmeade..(smiles)

Ga: (closing the book, smiles pleasantly)That is because I never came there..You know Hannah, that I don't fancy these trips..

Hannah was surprised and she looked at the other girl with her.

Ha: Yes..but we thought that, you both would want to enjoy the outing together..

Ga: (clearly surprised) Both..?? But..

But before Gauri could say anything, the other girl named Betty  interrupted.

Be: (excitedly) Gauriii..You both make a terrific pair..I mean who knew, that you both will eventually get along so well..The way you danced together in the yesterday night's celebration party..Gosh..It was rocking..!!

Gauri looked at them with a frown. She couldn't understand what they were talking about.

Ga: Betty, Hannah..What are you saying..Dance, celebration, I don't remember a thing..!!

Hannah and Betty looked at each other anxiously, and then they sat down beside Gauri.

Ha: (surprised)Gauri what are you saying..? Did you consume any intoxicating drink at the party, so that you don't even remember yourself dancing with, Omkara Singh Oberoi.

Ga: (shocked) What..?!! Are you serious..!! I danced with -- HIM..!!

Be: (blushes) Of course yes Gauri..And I loved the way you kissed his cheek and congratulated him when he had arrived into the common room after the Quidditch match victory..(giggles) And then you took him out of the common room and both of you returned after so many minutes..(raises eye brows)...God only knows, what had transpired between you..(grins widely) Now don't tell me that you don't remember that too..!

Ha: (smiles) And when you both finally came back, you joined the party and danced together..And today morning also you told us that you want to spend the day with him..

Gauri felt as if she was receiving blow after blow on her head, and that she was not able to do anything about the odd feeling.

Ga: (odd look) But the match..! I don't remember watching it too..! I mean did I come to watch it..?!

Ha: (shocked) Of course yes..you were there with us, Gauri..What are you saying..?

Be: Since the match began, we were really surprised and shocked that you were supporting only Omkara, not any other player in our team. You were going on praising his talents as a Seeker, from the beginning to end of the match..!!

Ha: And we were like what happened to you..I mean you hated even his name, until yesterday..!

Be: And we thought that you became his fan after seeing him play Quidditch..(giggles)

Ga: (in deep thought, then says aloud in a 'matter of fact' tone) Now I come to think of it..The last thing I remember from yesterday is that, Omkara and Jamie joining me at the breakfast table..He asked me whether I would be supporting Gryffindor for the match and then I replied that I would support Gryffindor, no matter what. And then I don't remember a single thing..!!

Hannah and Betty glanced at each other, rather anxiously.

Ha: What are you trying to say, Gauri..?

Ga: (unsure look) I don't know..But I think Omkara and Jamie did something fishy..! You said that I was praising him all the time, during the match, that I kissed him on the cheek when he arrived in the common room and that I danced with him till the party ended. All of this mean that I had a strange feeling of admiration, or a kind of obsession towards him from yesterday morning to today morning. I can conclude only one thing from all these, that he might have secretly fed me Amortentia- remember the name of the Love potion, which we had learnt in our first ever Potions class this year.

Be: (clasping her mouth with her hand) Oh my God..! He might have mixed it into your drink, yesterday at the breakfast table.

Ha: (shocked)Oh no..We should have guessed it yesterday itself..Seeing the transformation in you..!

But then Gauri remembered Omkara's tearful eyes and his accusations.

"GAURIII..I LOVE YOU..YOU LOVE ME..AND YOU HAD PROMISED ME THAT  WE WOULD VISIT HOGSMEADE TOGETHER TODAY..!!"

"I think this is some kind of prank that you are trying to play with me, Gauri..Fine then, you won..I lost..Happy now..!!"

His voice still resonated inside her head. And she was wondering why he was accusing her.

Just then she noticed, Jamie and two other Gryffindor boys returning from their trip to Hogsmeade.

Ga: We have to get to the bottom of this..!!!

Gauri rose from the ground and walked towards the boys, and Hannah and Betty followed her. Just when they reached near them, Gauri called Jamie.

Ga: Jamie..Could we have a word with you, please..

Jamie nodded and the other two boys went off. Gauri and the girls confronted him for the interrogation.

Ha: Jamie..Did Omkara mix anything in Gauri's drink yesterday morning..?

Jamie was taken aback at first, but then he shrugged off the question,

Ja: No..Why would he..?!

Be: Listen..We know that you guys mixed a potion in her drink..!

Ja: (shocked now) What..?! No..!

Ga: (nods determined look)Yes Jamie..!

Jamie knew that their game was up and so he decided to tell the truth.

Ja: But, how do you know about that Hair Raising Potion..It never worked..?!

Ga, Ha & Be (together) : WHAT..?!! HAIR RAISING POTION..!!

Ja: Yeah..! (shrugs)

Be: It was a Love Potion, you idiot..!

Ja: WHAAATTT...?!! (wide eyes)

And now everything became clear to him.

Ja: (hitting his forehead with his hand) So that is why you proposed Omkara yesterday morning, after drinking it..! And Omkara and I were shocked like hell..! We assumed that you were playing some prank upon him..!

Ga: (shocked) What..? I proposed him..? And then, what happened, Jamie..?(she ran her hand through her hair, frantically)

Jamie was gulping and sweating profusely when he spoke the rest of his words. He was finding it embarrassing to share the details with Gauri.

Ja: We just went off to the game after that..! And when we came back after the game, you kissed his cheek and hugged him to congratulate for the Gryffindor team victory..And then..(he stops)

Ga: (nervous look)And then...?

Ja: Omkara wanted to talk to you..He was finding it strange to seeing your behaviour towards him..And you both went out of the common room together..And then..I don't know what happened between you both..(smiles meaningfully)..He didn't tell me, of course, it might be too personal..And when you guys came back, you both were really happy..We all assumed that you were a couple after that incident..

Gauri didn't want to think about what had happened between them, in private. She shook her head and tried to evade such unwanted thoughts.

Ga: Ok so you are saying that, Omkara mixed the Love potion inside my drink, thinking that it was a Hair raising potion or something..

Ja: Yeah..(nods)

Ga: Omkara never realized it was be a love potion..?!

Ja: You are right..!!

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Bhavya and Rudra came back from the Hogsmeade trip and they entered into the Entrance Hall of the castle.

Bh: Oh Rudra..The trip was so wonderful..!

Ru: You are right Bhavya..When you are with me, everything seems simply great..!

Bh: (giggles) Hmm..(smiles at him in admiration)

Catherine Flint was watching these two people with a clear mix of hatred and exasperation. She was Rudra's girlfriend, only two days before, and now she couldn't just digest the fact that he was interested in Bhavya Pratap Rathore. She had noticed the fact that, Rudra had changed right after the Slytherin - Gryffindor Quidditch match. But she couldn't understand what had made him divert his attention to this Ravenclaw girl.

Yesterday night when he returned to the Slytherin common room after the match, Rudra was pretending as if she didn't exist.

She had confronted him then and asked,

Ca: Rudy..Why are you avoiding me..?!

Ru: (unfocused look)Hello Catherine..(tries to smile)

Ca: (clearly hurt)..I was Cathy for you till yesterday, Rudy..!!

Ru:(raises his brows) Really..? And why would I call you so..?!

Saying this, Rudra had just turned away from her and went off to his dormitory. And Catherine had felt extremely hurt and humiliated. And then today morning also, she had tried to join him for breakfast at their house table. But he had avoided her yet again and he went towards Bhavya. He even went out with her for the Hogsmeade trip. She couldn't understand what had happened to him, and why he was behaving strangely with her.

Now as she watched them come back after the trip, she had a feeling that Rudra wasn't the same anymore. Gone was the flirtatious and playboy type Rudra Singhania whom she had known, now he was turned into a lovesick puppy for Bhavya. Catherine doubted whether Bhavya had used some magical means to gain his love and attention. She followed them as they went inside the Great Hall for having lunch and decided to keep an eye on Bhavya, whatsoever.

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Gauri wanted to meet Omkara, she wanted some answers from him. At last she found him in the empty common room, all the other Gryffindors had gone to have lunch downstairs in the Great Hall. He was sitting in one of the armchairs beside the large window of the room. When she approached him, he looked up at her quizzically.

Ga: (gently) Omkara..We need to talk..

Omkara was gazing her with an eerily calm expression and then he nodded. Gauri sat down in a nearby chair, but he didn't utter a single word to her and was waiting for her to start talking.

Ga: Omkara..I don't want you to have any misconceptions about me..The potion you added into my breakfast juice was no Hair Raising Potion..(looks at him sharply)..It was a Love Potion..!!

Omkara was shocked by her revelation and clasped his head with his hands.

Om: What..? But I never..

Ga: I know, Omkara..That was why I was behaving...well..(looks away embarrassed) behaving weird with you..And I guess you believed that it was all true..! (looks at him again)

Omkara felt guilty at once, and felt sorry for her. But he was at a loss for words, he didn't know how to ask forgiveness from her.

Om: Gauri..I..Look, I am really very sorry..I was just trying to make fun of you in front of everyone by feeding you the hair raising potion..I never intended to..

Ga: Hmm..Of course I know..Jamie already told me about that..! But I just wanted to know one more thing..What happened between you and me, after we went out of the common room before we joined the celebration party. Only you might know about it..

Omkara was instantaneously reminded of their scorching kiss, and his face turned red. After a brief pause, he tried to explain, looking at the floor.

Om: Well you know..you were acting all lovey-dovey with me Gauri and I wanted to know what was in your mind. When I asked you if we can have a word in private, you happily just took me out to an empty class room and..I tried to, you know..(licks his lips, feeling tensed) reason with you that you were behaving strangely, and then you started crying, but then I tried to console you, and..

Omkara looked at her face and saw the apprehension there.

Ga: And..

Om:(looking sharp into her eyes) You sort of kissed me..!!

Gauri knew this was coming, but still her face turned red in embarrassment, hearing it straight from him.

Ga: Ohhh no..! (clasping her head)

Her eyes were tearful, when she looked at him again. Omkara's face was pale now, he didn't know how to pacify her. And then she started to weep.

Ga: But then why didn't you stop me..! You could have just stopped me, or pushed me away, Omkara..!(sobs bitterly)

Omkara felt really guilty now, he knew he was responsible for her plight. He knelt down beside her and tried to hold her shoulders.

Om: (genuine tone)Look I am sorry Gauri..I had thought that you kissed me because you loved me..(softly) And when you kissed me, then I came to know about my feelings for you..I realized at that moment Gauri, that I love you too..I mean I love you, Gauri..

Gauri couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stopped crying and looked into his sincere eyes. They were full of love and painful guilt.

*******End of PART 4*******

Hope you all loved the update..

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Love,

Naina