Together (A Harry Potter love story) 3

39

MILLIES POV

Ron was kneeling on the floor, trembling, with a ripped bit of parchment in his hands.

"Ron?" I said, turning to look at Harry, who was standing in the doorway.

"What's that, mate?" he asked softly, taking a step towards his best friend.

Ron didn't look up. He just continued staring at the parchment, his voice shaking as he whispered, "This better be some kind of joke."

Harry and I exchanged an anxious look.

"What do you mean?" said Harry, slowly walking over to Ron and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let me see..."

Harry took one look at the note and all the colour in his face disappeared. My heart pounded as Ron finally looked up at me - the hate painted on his face was enough to make anyone shrivel away.

"What?" I said quietly, squeezing the end of my skirt. "What is it-"

"Is it true?" Ron croaked, shaking his head disbelievingly. Harry still hadn't looked up.

"Is what true?"

Ron flung the parchment at me and I instantly caught it - perks of being a Chaser. I unwrapped it, trying to think of what it could possibly be - it looked like a bit of a ripped up letter:

...ow it, and we've met before, and I need to talk to you again, Millie Donovan. Trust me.

- Sirius Black.

I read the note at least twenty times before I looked up again.

My eyes landed on Ron first. His blue eyes were narrowed, but not in anger; he looked so deeply betrayed, so fearful, that I thought he was going to start crying. He kept shaking his head, looking between me and the note as though begging for me to tell him it wasn't true. My throat ran dry as I stared at him, my mind completely fuzzy. And yet I still wished that it was just him and I in the room, because I really didn't want to meet the other boys eyes.

But I did. Hazel met green, and my heart shattered in a matter of seconds. There was only one word to describe how Harry looked; completely and utterly hurt. His lips were slightly parted, as though trying to say something. His eyebrows were furrowed, and I suspected that his mind was racing at a million miles an hour. His hand was digging into Ron's shoulder so tightly that I thought Ron was going to push him away, but neither of them moved. The two boys just kept staring at me...their faces full of pain...waiting...

"I don't know what this is," I said finally, waving the parchment uselessly. "I really don't-"

"It was on the floor," Ron muttered, "exactly where I saw Black standing. He must've dropped it..."

"Ron, I swear-" My voice trailed away, my throat feeling so dry that I coughed. "I have no idea why-"

"You must do, Millie," he growled suddenly, glaring at me through blurred eyes. "Why else would it have your fucking name on it?"

"I don't know!" I snapped back, my nails digging into my palms. "You don't - you really - you actually believe that I've been talking to Sirius Black?"

"I don't believe it, Millie, I bloody know it!" Ron stood up, taking a step towards me. "It has your name on it! Black's signed it, for crying out loud! He must've broken into the school to give you that letter...got the wrong dormitory and panicked...I suppose you just got with Harry to get more information from him, huh? Tell us, how long have you been reporting back to Black?"

"Why would you ever say something like that!" I yelled, glaring at him. "You think I've pretended to like you all for more than two years to report back to some bloke from Azkaban?"