The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts

69. Lovefool

The conversation surrounding Astoria continued long after Sloane had walked away.

People were arguing. McGonagall was threatening detentions. Astoria was protesting her innocence. Draco was loudly explaining exactly how innocent she wasn't.

But Sloane heard none of it.

She had already returned to her cot. Goose had poked his little head out of his carrier the moment she sat down. He immediately climbed into her lap. Sensing her distress.

Sloane absentmindedly stroked behind his ears. The little niffler curled into a ball. The warmth should have been comforting.

Instead her chest still hurt.

The thing was...

She knew what had happened. Logically she knew.

Astoria had kissed Draco. Not the other way around. She knew Draco had pushed her away. She knew he'd been furious. She knew he'd fought against the spell.

She knew all of it.

Yet none of that was the part replaying in her head.

No.

The part that wouldn't leave her alone was what came before. The moment Astoria had called his name. The moment he'd looked at Sloane. The moment she'd smiled because she was so certain he would tell Astoria to get lost.

And then he hadn't.

He'd gone with her.

Those ten seconds of kissing weren't what hurt. It was the choice beforehand. The fact he'd left. The fact she'd felt regret pouring off him only an hour earlier. The fact he had walked away from her.

"Sloane?" A voice pulled her from her thoughts.

She blinked. Theo Zabini was standing beside her. 

Apparently he'd been talking.

"Oh." She looked up. "I'm sorry."

Theo frowned. "Sorry?"

"I didn't hear you." She blushed. 

"You didn't hear any of it?" Sloane shook her head.

Theo sighed. "I said that what Astoria did was wrong." He sat down beside her. "And that Draco was basically ambushed."

Sloane looked down at Goose.

"He only has eyes for you."

She nodded weakly. "Except he left me to go help her when she called."

Theo groaned. "Merlin."

"What?"

"You're focusing on the wrong thing." He said shaking his head as he leaned over to pet Goose who was only too happy with the attention. 

"No, I'm not." She shrugged. 

"You really are."

Sloane looked unconvinced.

Theo rubbed a hand over his face. "Astoria is exhausting."

"Agreed." She nodded. 

Theo looked down at his hands. "Sometimes people do things purely because they want her to stop talking."

Sloane raised an eyebrow. "That's your explanation?"

He looked offended. "It's a very good explanation."

"It really isn't."

Theo laughed despite himself. Before he could argue further, Daphne appeared.

She lowered herself onto the other side of Sloane. "No." Daphne pointed at Theo. "His explanation is rubbish."