Scopophobia | H. POTTER [4]

4 | slug club

"Why don't you just give her a chance?" Abigail asked.

"It's complicated," Lupin replied.

"You sound like me when I'm trying to avoid an uncomfortable conversation," she pointed out. "She cares about you, dad. Why can't you let her?"

"I'm no good for her," he pointed out.

"Oh come on, you know that's not true."

"It is true," he shook his head, "Like you love to point out, I look like a homeless man. I'm old, poor and I'm a werewolf. What more do I need to say?"

"If she doesn't care, why do you?" Abigail inquired.

"You're too young to understand," Lupin frowned, "Trust me when I say it's better this way."

"But-"

"That's the end of the conversation, Abigail."

"Fine," she muttered, "I'll see you at Christmas then. Have fun with whatever it is your doing for the Order that you won't tell me about. Even though I'll know soon enough."

"Hey," he called after her. "No snooping around where you don't belong."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she rolled her eyes before rejoining her friends.

"Is everything alright?" Harry asked as they made their way to the train that was preparing to depart.

"Everything's fine," she mumbled before walking ahead of the boy and boarding the train quickly.

She made her way toward the back and smiled tightly at Hermione and Ron but continued walking seeing as they wouldn't be sitting with each other till later.

"Where did Abigail go?" Harry asked quickly as he passed by his friends.

"Oh, she went that way," Hermione explained, pointing behind them.

Harry said a quick goodbye and walked in the direction that Abigail went, looking in compartments here and there to see where she had gone.

"Hey, Ginny," Abigail spoke quickly and the Weasley girl turned to face her. "I know you're going to sit with Dean but do you think I can join you?" she requested, glancing behind herself briefly.

"Yeah, of course," the girl agreed and made their way to the compartment where Dean was. Inside the compartment already was Dean, Seamus, Zacharias Smith and some boy Abigail couldn't remember the name of.

Ginny took a seat next to Dean and Abigail was able to sit next to Ginny seeing as the three other boys were sitting on the other side.

"So what exactly happened at the Department of Mysteries?" Zacharias asked Abigail and Ginny.

"That doesn't exactly concern you now does it, Smith?" Abigail inquired.

"Lighten up Abigail," Smith commented, "It won't hurt for you to just fill us in."

"Yeah, come on girls," Smith's friend smiled, "Tell us what happened."

Abigail and Ginny exchanged a knowing look before pointing their wands at each of the boys and waving them. Before either of the boys could do anything, bats had grown from their nose made out of their boogers.

"I still can't get over how absolutely disgusting that is," Abigail grimaced.

"Yes," Ginny agreed, "But it certainly does the job, doesn't it?"

"Wow," the old man gaped from outside their compartment the girls looked up, "That was simply extraordinary!" He turned to the girls, "I'm Professor Slughorn. Would you two care to join me? I've invited a few other students and I would love for you to join us."