Up and Down

Stillness and Hurricane

When Anna, Ominis and Sebastian walk into the Charms classroom, the cessation of noise is instant and evident. She frowns as they make their way to their usual table.

Natty and Poppy immediately slide over to them, moving their books and bags to sit at the desk right behind the three of them.

"Anna, Sebastian... Ominis..." the tiny Hufflepuff pulls on the back of her robe, urgently.

"What is it, Poppy?" Anna turns to face her, eyebrows raised. The girl leans over the desk and beckons for her to come closer. Anna leans back on her chair, balancing it on the back two legs. Close enough for Poppy to be right in her ear.

"They know."

She freezes, and so does Ominis who of course could make out the words.

"Know... what..." she knows but she doesn't want it to be true.

"Cressida saw you... in Hogsmeade."

A cold finger of terror runs down her spine.

"Blast..."

If Cressida was the one who saw them, it's likely half of the school already knows. By the end of the day, it will be the entire school.

"She suspected you for a long time so I guess she went snooping around..." while the three of them never spoke of the nature of their relationship with Poppy, Anne must have told her at some point or other, as there is no surprise on the girl's round face.

"Thank you for the warning, Poppy..."

"I wish I could do more. But..."

"Too late now. We can't Obliviate everyone."

"No..."

Anna leans back slamming the front two legs of her chair down to the floor with a loud clatter, her hands trembling.

Everybody's eyes on her are feeling hot like flood rays.

Ominis' hand slides over to take hers, steadying the shakes. Looking over at him, he wears a deep frown but... but there is no more point in hiding.

Despite how horrible the storm they are about to run into headfirst... it's... freeing.

No more hiding. She squeezes his fingers back, trying to share with him the confidence she doesn't have.

"What happened?" Sebastian is still oblivious to it all and Anna quickly whispers to him the truth and sees the horror dawn on his freckled face.

They are in the eye of a hurricane, and the still silence is about to break.

"... those three, you see them?..."

"... I don't see what the fuss is about, she is so plain..."

"... well Gaunt can't see so..."

"... still, two boys at once? And you say they were doing it out in the open in Hogsmeade?..."

"... what a whore..."

Anna holds her head high as they walk to their seat in the Great Hall. There is a small dead zone around the three of them when they sit down at the Slytherin table. Anna doesn't have much of an appetite but she forces herself to eat. The next lesson for her is Care of Magical Creatures, outside in the chilly October air. She will need sustenance.

It's one of the few times they all go their separate ways. Ominis heads to Ancient Runes, Sebastian to Divination and she out to Care of Magical Creature.