Artemis Hexley and the Circle of Khanna

Chapter 14: Reflection

The Valentine's Ball left many students nursing sore heads and bruised hearts the following day. Penny, Tonks, and Artemis were all taciturn over breakfast the following morning, only Alanza wanting to engage in lively discussion, raving about her enjoyment of the previous night.

"It all was so wonderful," she told the girls, her voice so loud it made Artemis' head hurt. "I loved the candles and the hearts, they made the Great Hall very pretty. Oh, but the dancing, and the music. The last song especially was very beautiful and romantic."

She hummed the tune to herself, and Artemis glowered at her silently, hoping that Alanza would soon get the idea that no one was in the mood for loud voices or humming. But Alanza continued on, as if she hadn't noticed the look on Artemis' face at all.

"I loved everything about the ball," she sighed. "I just hope that Charlie will want to go out with me again. I had lots of fun with him, and he did look so handsome in his dress robes. I think that he thinks the same abut me, so he very likely will want to go out with me again, don't you think?"

"I dunno," Artemis muttered, still glaring at her. "He's only over there. Go and ask him and then you can stop going on about it."

Alanza blinked, looking almost hurt for a moment, but then she smiled brightly and trotted over to the Gryffindor table. Across the table from Artemis, Penny was looking at her with pursed lips.

"What?" Artemis asked.

"Well, that was hardly very kind, was it?" Penny told her. "She was just trying to make conversation."

"Yeah, well. I've got a headache."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have had so much to drink, then."

Artemis frowned. There was a tenseness to Penny's voice and a look of disdain in her blue eyes that made her feel as if she were being judged.

"What now?"

"Nothing, Artemis. I didn't say anything."

"No, but you obviously want to say something," Artemis said as Penny sighed again. "You might as well come out with it, mightn't you?"

"Oh, very well then," Penny folded her arms across her chest. "I just think you've been behaving very unfairly, that's all."

"How have I been unfair? I didn't want to have to look after Alanza in the first place!"

"Even so, you shouldn't be so rude to her all the time. She's quite sweet actually," Penny told her. "And besides, I'm not only talking about Alanza. Poor Barnaby was really upset after what you did last night."

"I just kissed him!"

"Yes, you did. After you told him last summer that you just wanted to be his friend, and then less than an hour later you snogged Diego, who you don't even like. What was Barnaby supposed to think about that?"

"That I wasn't thinking straight, obviously!"

"Well, he was quite upset by it."

"Why?"

"Because," Penny tutted, "he's supposed to be our friend-"

"I'm supposed to be your friend!"

"- and he really liked you, much more than you liked him, and he managed to get over you, and now you've gone and confused him!"

"Lots of things confuse him!" Artemis rolled her eyes and returned the look of judgemental disappointment on Penny's face with a fierce glare. Next to her, Tonks had looked up from her breakfast to stare at Artemis, her chestnut eyebrows furrowed deeply. Artemis turned on her. "Don't tell me you think I'm an awful person now, too."