August | Hermione Granger x OFC

Chapter Seventy-Three

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Robyn found Olivia a few compartments along the corridor with Luna, Harry, Ginny, and Neville. They all turned to look at her as she said, "Olivia. A word."

"Robyn. Okay."

"Hi Luna, Neville."

"Hello," they said simultaneously.

In the corridor, Olivia revealed Hermione told her Robyn had been taken away on behalf on Dumbledore for her safety. That was all she said.

And that was all she was going to know.

"Yep. That's it."

"It- it is? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, honest. You just...can't tell anyone, please?"

"I won't."

"Not even Willow. Or Lana. Or Luna."

"Okay."

"Okay."

And that was it.

Olivia and Luna went with her to reunite their group as a whole, and it was great. Lana, Willow, and Luna hadn't a clue about her abnormal summer, other than the lack of replies to their letters.

No, it was when Astoria joined them they realised something had happened.

Of course, it was all lies.

"Robyn! How are you? I take it you're over your Spattergroit...right?"

Robyn blinked slowly, processing. "My...Spattergroit..."

Astoria tilted her head. "Isn't that why you didn't come to the Sacred Twenty-Eight Gala?"

"Yes," she said immediately, "that's why." She had completely forgotten about that event, honestly.

"Is that why you didn't respond to any of us?" challenged Willow.

"Yes, that's why," she repeated. "I was really ill. With Spattergroit. Frightful stuff."

"What is that?" asked Lana.

Willow answered before Robyn could, which, honestly, she didn't mind. Less on-the-spot thinking for her. She wished her siblings had bothered to tell her this was the story they went with for her absence. Oh well. They probably just forgot.

"It's a highly contagious disease that makes you break out in purple pustules all over your face, and when it gets to your throat, you can't talk. It also makes you really, really tired. People have been bed-ridden with it for months!"

"Er, Robyn, not to be rude..." started Lana, "but, well, I think you're still infected..."

The other girls stood immediately, even Luna (though not Olivia, who knew the truth) to back away from her. Lana joined them at Willow's urging. They crowded round the window while Robyn watched them in bewilderment and Olivia laughed behind her hands.

"What? How? I can talk, can't I?"

"Your- your eye's all purple!" exclaimed Astoria.

Oh.

"I hugged you!" lamented Lana.

"Oh my Gods!" said Willow. "We're all infected! We have to- we have to quarantine in this compartment until—"

"No, we don't!"

"Yes, we do! No one can leave, or we'll infect the entire school! The entire country! We'll have to go on lockdown for months! We'll only be able to see each other via Floo calls! And- and- we might run out of toilet paper!"