After All This Time - Book 3

Nine

"I think she and Draco have been fighting" I could hear Pansy whisper from a few rows back. "She was crying a few night ago, she looked pretty bad."

I shifted in my seat, trying to distract myself in my DADA book.

"Just ignore her" Hermione whispered to me.

I half smiled at her and put my attention back to my book, trying to look as though I was ignoring her when in all actuality I was trying to listen to the nonsense she was spreading. I had informed Draco of our fight of course, and he agreed to sit away from me for one DADA class before we "reunited" and got back to normal. The rest of them hadn't really asked, but put two and two together themselves.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they broke up by the weeks' end" Pansy went on, "such a shame really-"

"SHUT UP" Draco bellowed, slamming his fist down on his table.

"Parkinson, detention tonight" Snape snapped, slamming down the quill in his hand. "And I would best advise you to keep your nose out of other student's business unless you want to make it two. The rest of you are dismissed."

I quickly shoveled my book and notebook into my bag and followed Hermione out, avoiding Pany's searing eyes.

"The nerve of that girl" Hermione huffed as Ron and Harry joined us. "Anyways, are we all still going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

The three of us nodded. It was already October and tomorrow would be our first trip of the year to Hogsmeade. All of us were a bit surprised that they were still allowed, with the tightened security and all, but we weren't complaining. Any chance to escape the confines of Hogwarts for a few hours was more than welcome.

The next morning was cold and stormy, apt weather for the first trip of course. The four of us were crowded around the breakfast table, chatting away over breakfast. All except for Harry, his nose was still buried in that Advanced Potions book of his. I peered across the table at it, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that it belonged to Snape back in the day. Each page was nearly identical to the copy Snape had annotated for me, there was no way it belonged to anyone else.

I glanced over to the professor's table, hoping to catch Snape's eyes, but he wasn't there and neither was Dumbledore. Come to think of it, he and Dumbledore had quite often been absent from meals lately. And according to Harry, Dumbledore had been absent in general as well. The two of them were supposed to be holding private lessons of some sort but hadn't since the first week of the term. It was odd, no one seemed to know where Dumbledore was.

As if on que Ginny suddenly appeared, a small scroll in hand. "Here Harry," she said, thrusting it at him, "I'm supposed to give this to you."

"It's Dumbledore's next lesson! Monday night!" he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming. "Hey Ginny, want to join us in Hogsmeade?"

Ginny shook her head, smiling sweetly as us. "Thank you, but I'm going with Dean. I'll see you there though!" She waved as us as she skipped off.

"Interesting" I laughed, watching her go, "when did this start?"

"Summer" Ron groaned, "its gross."

"It is not" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Its just because she's your sister."

"Let's just go" Ron said, shoving his breakfast away from him. "I'm not even hungry anymore."

Half an hour later we were clamoring into Three Broomsticks, fighting the cold wind to get inside. We were able to find a table in the back for the four of us, away from most of the others. We had just settled down with our drinks when a cheery voice called out from behind us.