In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter CII: Something Big

GEORGE:

Hermione paced back and forth, on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"They should be back by now," she muttered.

"You said that ten minutes ago," Ron pointed out.

"And ten minutes before that," Fred added.

"And ten minutes before-"

"I get it!" she snapped, pacing faster. "I just hope nothing went wrong, that's all I'm saying."

"Hermione, relax, it's Lucy and Harry," Ginny said. "You know bloody well neither would ever let anything bad happen to the other when they're together."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, it's when they're not together problems arise. But there's no way that will happen anytime soon. They're inseparable."

"Ron and Ginny're right," I said. "I'm sure they're fine. I wish I could have seen the two of them shouting at Umbridge, though. You said they even shouted together at some point? Like, in unison?"

That distracted Hermione, as I hoped it would.

She smiled a bit. "Yeah. Umbridge kept using her middle name for some reason, calling her Miss Everlin instead of Miss Diggory. At one point, they shouted 'Diggory!' at her in unison, then Harry jumped up, too. They were... quite the pair."

"Just wish they'd hurry up and start snogging already," Ginny commented, reaching forward for another liquorice wand. "But that won't happen until Harry gets over Cho Chang. Bloody idiot got all starry-eyed yesterday when she showed up."

"How'd Lucy react?" Ron asked. "Can't imagine she was terribly thrilled."

"She looked more sad than anything." Ginny ripped a solid six inches off the wand in one bite. "I mean, Cho was Cedric's girlfriend. She didn't seem too fazed by Harry making a fool out of himself, come to think of it."

"She better not be giving up on him, blind though he may be," I said with a chuckle. "I honestly expected him to come to his senses after the Yule Ball, but here we are."

"But what if they are snogging right now?" Fred asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Hermione swatted his arm when she passed him mid-pace. "Lucy was crying, so I doubt he'd decide tonight was a good night to... well, you know."

"It'd certainly cheer her up a bit, though-"

The portrait hole swung open then, and Fred immediately shut up. Lucy and Harry climbed through. Lucy's hair was up in a ponytail, and even though her eyes were red and swollen from crying, there was a different air about her.

Something big had happened between Lucy and Harry.

"Merlin, you're all still up," she said, blushing a bit.

"Told you they would be," Harry muttered.

She blushed harder. She didn't reply.

"So how was detention?" Hermione asked as she rocked back and forth on her feet. "What did that horrible woman make you do?"

Lucy and Harry exchanged a look before Harry answered, "Lines."

"Which wasn't too bad," Lucy said quietly. "It was just... the principle of it all. Set me off a bit, I guess." She shook her head, blushing somehow even harder, then glanced at me. "How'd tryouts go? Who's the new Keeper?"

I hesitated.

Lucy hadn't been there, obviously. Neither had Harry.

But Harry didn't know that there was a new Chaser as well as a new Keeper.