Challenged Love

Chapter 13

Guard your heart and watch your back.

"Remember," Narcissa told me. "No word about this to anyone."

I had actually told Kasper prior to the meeting, but that was before I knew this was all to be kept secret. She then apparated from view, and I was left to remain at the front entrance of Hogwarts. I dreaded going inside and seeing everyone as if I just did not uncover a life-changing event, as if my entire world was not just turned upside down.

I had no idea how I was supposed to keep all of this a secret. Already the knowledge was weighing heavily upon me. However, I do realize that the reveal of this can understandably be considered a risk. Word can spread faster at Hogwarts than a fire swallowing an entire forest. Because of this, nobody needs to be aware of the secret concerning my parents at the moment. Besides, it is no one's business.

My feet just so happened to lead me to the courtyard. The beaming sun shone down on me, and I noticed how small I felt amongst the crowd of bustling students. I also realized how oddly out of place I felt and how emotionally drained I had become . I still continued to aimlessly walk around campus, students abruptly bumping into my shoulders and pushing passed me. Suddenly, my heartbeat began to sound in my ears, and I wanted nothing more than to get away from the several people encasing me in their presence. I have never really been one to stress within large crowds, but I may have thought for a moment that I was shrinking into myself, or perhaps, becoming overwhelmed in the mist of all the noise and people. That was until I bumped into a familiar figure.

I stared back at Kasper with a sudden awareness I had not once possessed before. He had bent over to pick up the newspapers I accidentally knocked out of his hands. I also noticed his fingertips were stained with black ink. It is not uncommon to have a few smudges of ink on your fingers, but his looked as if he had purposely dipped his fingers into a bottle of ink. When he stood back up, the sunlight hit his golden, gleaming eyes. His rich, black hair had grown out over the summer, and his skin was almost as pale as snow. I even recognized that he was holding his journal in one hand, his fingers staining the binding.

Last time I had spoken to Kasper, I had basically called him a coward, despite what he did for the both of us. I found myself regretting the fight, but again, regret solves nothing.

"How are you?" I asked, not knowing what else I could have possibly said.

"Good, and you?"

Both of us could distinctly sense the awkwardness, but neither of us could seem to break it. There was an odd tension between us that I had never experienced before. Normally, Kasper was the first person I went to when I needed to get something off my chest. Now it seemed like there was a glass barrier between us.

"I should uh... get to class," he suggested, giving me one last glance before trailing away.

I whispered "I'm sorry", but the words were quickly carried into the other words being spoken around me.

Now, the corridors were empty, since everyone had gone to class. I did not see the point in going since it was only the last one. I went to the library instead. I needed a new book after finishing Little Women.

I did not expect to see Hermione there though.

She had slammed a stack of books down onto a table, then appeared startled when she spotted me from across the room.

"How come you aren't in class?" I inquired.

"I could have asked you the same question...several times," replied Hermione, sounding almost irritated.

"You can ask me now."

I sat across from her, just as irritated with myself but refusing to show it.

"Fine. Why did you skip school today?"