Denying Draco

14 - A Scathing Slap

'You gonna' eat that bacon, Pop?' Ron asked, as Poppy stared at the plate, resting her cheek on her hand. 'Poppy?'

'Oh, what?' Poppy raised her head and turned to him across the table. 'Oh, my bacon, no, it's all yours.'

'Cheers.' Ron grinned as he reached over and took the three slices of bacon from her plate as Hermione twisted her face at him.

'I think you've eaten quite enough of that already this morning,' Hermione told him.

'Well if Poppy's not going to eat it, no good letting it go to waste!' Ron argued, shovelling it into his mouth.

Hermione shook her head and turned to Poppy. 'This is the second time I've seen you not eating, Poppy. It's only your third day at Hogwarts...is something wrong?'

'I think I'm just already feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the stuff I have to study for the NEWTs,' Poppy lied.

'I'm with you on that one, Pop,' Ron said, with a mouth full of food. 'The stress of exams puts me off my food too.'

'Really?' Hermione questioned, raising her eyebrows at him.

'Yeah, this is nothing!' he replied. 'I would've normally worked my way through four sausages, three eggs, beans, tomatoes and three slices of toast as well as what I've already eaten.'

Poppy stifled a small laugh. She loved how her friends always cheered her up, even when they didn't realise what was actually wrong.

'Morning, guys.' Ginny slid into the seat next to Poppy and Poppy turned to her and smiled.

'Hey, Ginny,' Poppy said, hoping to get a more positive response from Ginny than the recent ones.

'Hey,' Ginny replied, her attention focused on the food she was putting onto her plate.

Poppy let out a quiet sigh and turned back to her now empty plate.

'Holy shit!' Ginny cried out and the other three all turned to her in surprise, but she was staring right back at Poppy.

'Ginny?' Hermione questioned.

'Is that a hickey on your neck?' Ginny asked, a little too loudly, causing Hermione, Ron and most of the other Gryffindors around them to all look.

Poppy's eyes widened and she instantly pulled her robes up over her neck.

'Who the hell gave you that?' Ginny asked. 'It's only your third day!'

'It's not a hickey,' Poppy murmured.

'Well it certainly looks like one and that mark wasn't there yesterday,' Ginny stated.

'Poppy, it's okay if it is,' Hermione said, calmly, giving Ginny a look. 'If you've been hanging out with someone at school there's nothing wrong with that.'

'Who is it, Pop?' Ron asked, with a wide grin.

'Honestly it's no-one,' Poppy lied, shaking her head. 'Please can we change the subject now?'

'Why?' Ginny asked. 'We're your friends; you can tell us.'

'Ginny she doesn't have to tell us if she doesn't want to,' Hermione said, smiling at Poppy. 'It's fine. You don't have to talk about it.'

'Is it Harry?' Ginny asked, rendering the table silent again. Hermione frowned at her, Ron's eyes widened as he turned to Poppy with a curious stare and Poppy's head snapped around to address Ginny.

'Of course it's not from Harry!' Poppy exclaimed.

'You sure about that?' Ginny pressed. 'You two looked awfully cosy in the common room late the other night.'