An Art of Balance

Chapter 25: Everybody Talks

By the time Lizzie was done tutoring the younger students, it was almost lunch time. She would have bet good money on the last two hours being the longest of her life; it had taken all the concentration she could muster to successfully transform her porcupine into a pincushion. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool out of herself in front of a few bored second-years, so she pushed the memory of how Orion's lips had tasted like green tea aside for the time being.

She hadn't really paid much attention to the futile transfiguration attempts of her students, rather letting them wave their wands about and chatting between themselves. Her own thoughts had constantly been returning to Orion's words before he had left her.

Despite her emotional rollercoaster, Lizzie couldn't help but huff thinking about them. He wanted her to 'restore her balance', of course he did. He made it sound like it was just about making up her mind, talking things out and all would be well.

As much as Lizzie wished he was right, she had a very distinct feeling that it wouldn't be as easy to mend everything that had been broken.

She was so caught up in her thoughts, that she didn't notice the raised eyebrows and sideways glances many people gave her on her way to the Great Hall, nor did she hear the quiet words and chuckles people were exchanging behind her back.

It was only when the crowd shuffling into the Great Hall thickened that Lizzie became aware of how the other students were looking at her. Some stopped talking when she passed them, expressions ranging from curious over amused to downright hostile, while some of her classmates clapped her on the back with a laugh.

At first she blushed furiously at the whispers of "Congratulations, it was about time," and "I always knew there was more to you guys," glumly contemplating how nothing in Hogwarts could stay a secret for long.

But when she was stopped by some grinning Ravenclaws with the words "Talking about keeping the enemy close, huh?" and "Getting Weasley's mind off your next match seems as good a plan as any," her embarrassment turned into bewilderment.

Thoroughly confused by now, she was almost glad none of her friends were anywhere to be seen. Rowan didn't want to talk to her anyway and apparently she had claimed Penny as her confidante; Skye had probably gone back to bed and she knew Murphy took the day after a match to get his statistics updated. Lizzie had half hoped to find Orion at the head of the table, but knowing him, he was probably balancing on his broomstick out on the Quidditch pitch.

Not wanting to eat alone, she walked over to the Gryffindor table where Charlie sat with some of his teammates. A few of them started snickering as she approached, elbowing an exasperated Charlie into his sides.

Lizzie raised her eyebrows at their suggestive grins as she sat down with them. She knew most of them quite well; the lions were known for their speed in the air and she often went broom racing with them when there was no official practise.

As if on cue, all of them besides Charlie, who didn't even look at her, got up, ready to leave the table. Julian Bennet, one of the Gryffindor Beaters and a good friend of Charlie and Lizzie both, bent down to his team captain and whispered something into his ear; as a result, Charlie's freckled face went beet read and he shot Julian an angry glance.

Julian clapped Lizzie, who was totally at a loss of what was going on, on the shoulder before he followed his friends out of the Great Hall.

Blinking in confusion, Lizzie tilted her head in the direction of Charlie's leaving teammates. "What was that about?"

Charlie only shrugged, however. "No idea, you tell me. People have been bugging me all day; apparently someone's started the rumour we're officially dating."