Dark AIAOY 5

Chapter 15

Hermione ate her breakfast in the exact silent-tension she had been expecting.  Rebecca hated the discomfort, but also wouldn't forget the incident that caused it.  

"Rebecca, I..."  Harry couldn't believe the words about to come out of his mouth.  "I'm asking if you a-and Fred have, if the two of you-if-"

"If we've had sex?"  Rebecca finished, sending the drink Fred had been taking straight to his lungs.  She patted his back as she choked, looking to Harry with a little smirk.  "Is that what you're asking?"

"Yes."  Harry muttered.

"Brilliant question!"  Rebecca raised an eyebrow.  "That would be none of your business."

"You said last night I could have asked!"

"But I didn't say you would get an answer!"  Rebecca scowled.  "For fuck's sake Harry, didn't you hear anything I said last night?"

"You literally said 'ask' last night!"  Harry raised his hands in defense.  "I didn't know that was rhetorical!"

Fred lowered his head, trying to save Harry from any extra embarrassment and unable to not laugh.

"I don't know why you can't tell where the line is between controlling and caring."  Rebecca picked up her fork again, moving her food back and forth.  "I thought that, even if you have to be nosing in, you would have a little trust in me--any at all, actually."

"I trust you with my life."  Harry said seriously, laying his hand on her wrist.  "It's..."

Fred's jaw dropped.  "Careful, Harry.  Might hurt my feelings."

Harry at least had the decency to blush.  "I'm sorry."  Rebecca didn't say anything.  "I'm sorry to both of you, alright?  I've been-"

"A right bastard?"  Rebecca offered with a smile to soften the blow.

"Yeah, I have."  Harry nodded his head.  "I just-I'm, I don't know."  He had feelings, but they didn't transfer into words right.  He had only had a sister for a short while, though it felt like eternities.  He always felt like he was still learning how this worked.

"But you're done?"

"Yes, message received."  Harry changed the subject, feeling as if a weight lifted off of him with the lessening of the tension.  "Are you ready for tonight?"

"No."  Rebecca said angrily.  Fred reached over and laid his hand on her knee, discreetly so that Umbridge wouldn't notice as she walked around their tables.  "I don't know why we're still going.  All he does is yell at us; we haven't learned anything."

A breakfast of surprises, there was one more instance of choking.  Rebecca had reached for her cup of tea when the subject shifted to what Hagrid had wanted and, at the reason, Rebecca forgot she couldn't breathe tea.  "A what?"  She hissed, making certain Umbridge was nowhere near them.  "Why would he do that?  Bring him here and show you?"

Hermione frowned.  "Dumbledore's gone, Rebecca."  

Ron watched Rebecca's face, particularly how no recognition crossed it.  He was a little amazed, especially since it was rare for him to understand something and she to not.  "He'll get the sack any day now, soon as the headbastard wants to."

 "I wish I had been there, even if just to comfort him."  Rebecca hoped Hagrid was okay.

"You're lucky you didn't."  Hermione shuddered.  "Grawp has an affinity for girls."

Harry sniggered.  "He scooped Hermione right off the ground and kicked Ron over!"

"And what were you doing?  Watching?"