The Life of Bells Potter PART ONE

29) The Unexpected Quarrel

I waited impatiently for the term to end. Ron and Hermione spent their time before the End of Term feast playing Gobstones, while I brooded. It was only a few days... But they went as slowly as they could. Harry was unconscious from his faceoff with Quirrell, down in the bowels of the castle. 

Fred and George were happily unaware of my Forbidden Forest escapade. I doubted anybody apart from Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione knew about my little bit... And I wanted it to stay that way.

"Another year... Gone..." George sunk into an armchair, muttering bitterly.

"At least our boy Harry had his share of recklessness!" Fred added, notThroughiably, sinking into the armchair beside Georges'.

"Fred!" I squawked, Quidditch through the Ages falling onto the floor with a thud, "I'm sitting here!"

"Oops!" He got up hastily and handed the book back to me.

"You're talking about the Forbidden Forest, aren't you?" I used the book to mask the guilty grin spreading across my face.

"Nice of you to pour salt in the wound, Bells," Fred said, sitting on the floor by Georges' feet.

I scowled. I still hadn't forgotten the way he had tricked me by giving me a drugged Chocolate Frog.

"Gobstones, Bells?" Neville invited me to join him, Ron, Hermione, Dean, Seamus, and some second-years who had swarmed around the fun game.

Placing the book on my armchair I went beside a shame-faced Dean who had a putrid-smelling liquid all over his face.

"He's awake! Harry's awake!" Ron proclaimed gleefully, as we made our way to the End of Term Feast, "He's joining us at the Feast, that is Madam Pomfrey lets him!"

"And you're telling me this Now?" I exploded, startling a third-year who was going to the Feast.

"Sorry Bells!" Hermione apologized lamely, "We uh forgot! Honest!"

I scowled. I honestly thought that given the events from the past days, I was going to have a permanent scowl.

"Neville!" I found a haggard Neville scrambling through the portrait door, "Let's go to the Feast!"

Giving Ron and Hermione another sour scowl, I marched off with Neville who was relieved to have somebody walk him through the castle.

The Great Hall was decked out in the Slytherin colours of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.
I could see Blondie smirking at Ron and Hermione who were sitting next to a wide-awake Harry Potter (Neville made me take a wrong turn, so we were pretty late).

"Bells!" Harry waved at me, and I looked in the other direction, blatantly ignoring him.

Fred, George, Angelina, and others from the Gryffindor table raised their eyebrows at a typical sibling quarrel.

It was not a typical sibling quarrel! I was furious at Harry! It was as if he'd completely forgotten about me, who was his best friend when he had nothing...

"Bells," Harry said quietly in my ear.

He had come up beside me and broke my thoughts. I tore my gaze from the cutlery and stared brazenly at him.

"Bells. I understand that you've been feeling left out. With the three of us going on our own... I must admit that your adventure in the Forest was far more dangerous and- and grander than mine. Dumbledore told me everything." He added as I opened my mouth.

"I'm proud to have you as my sister, Bells." He continued softly, moving closer away from Hermione's sharp ears, "And I don't ever want you to feel like I've forgotten you. I never have, and never will! You're my little sister after all."

"Only by two minutes!" I retorted jovially, nudging him in his ribs.

Okay, so Harry was not so bad after all. It was an eleven-year-old sibling quarrel.

"You forgive me and Ron too right?" Hermione piped in apprehensively.

"Ugh... Do I have to?" I teased her good-naturedly.

This time I received a nudge in the ribs.

***