Violet Summer: Prisoner of Azkaban

Chapter 16: The Reminder

 The news of Harry's fall during the Quidditch match quickly spread throughout the school. While Harry was safe and recovering, many students couldn't help but be intrigued by the Divination predictions, particularly Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil.

On Saturday, Toni sat with Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall. Harry had been confined to the hospital bed over the weekend, as Madam Pomfrey was cautious about releasing him. Even though Toni had managed to see him wake up on Friday, she couldn't shake off the guilt that washed over her. It wasn't her choice to miss the game, but in her preoccupation with planning her secret relationship with Draco, she had forgotten about Harry until Neville arrived to deliver the news of his fall.

Ron and Hermione frequently questioned her about her time spent in the library with Draco. Toni skillfully deflected their inquiries, describing Draco's snide comments and hostile glances. It wasn't difficult to portray their interactions as unpleasant, and Ron and Hermione seemed satisfied with her response. She didn't dare reveal the truth to them, considering the lingering animosity from Draco's previous actions, such as faking his injury to incite Hagrid's dismissal and Toni's tearful return to the Gryffindor common room after the Slytherin party. She had even made sure to keep the secret relationship from Theodore as well. Although he remained somewhat skeptical, after persistent probing and elaborate lies, he eventually seemed to believe the story she had crafted.

"Are you going to see Harry after this?" Hermione asked Toni, taking a big bite of her food.

"I had planned on it, yes," Toni replied.

"He asked about you this morning," Ron chimed in. "He seemed a bit urgent for you to come. Where were you anyway?"

Toni looked at them oddly. Hermione and Ron were among the few who knew about her training sessions with Snape. She had shared it with them over the summer, but she had been hesitant to disclose it to Harry. Although she had confessed it in a letter to him, like all her other letters this summer, it was returned to her. She sighed and took a small bite of her food.

"I was with Snape," she whispered.

"On a Saturday? Is that where you've been every Saturday morning?" Ron probed. Toni nodded.

"Last year, he had me do the sessions every Monday, but he said my education was important too, so he switched them to Saturdays," Toni replied. Ron shook his head.

"I don't envy you," he remarked. Hermione's brow furrowed.

"What has he been teaching you, anyway?" she asked.

"Last year, he focused on defensive skills and the history of the Violet Summers... but this year, he seems fixated on my dreams and memories," Toni explained. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "Yes, I told him about the dream I had involving the Whomping Willow and the white stag. I had to tell him. He's not easy to deceive," Toni admitted.

"Have you even tried?" Ron exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Just as Toni was about to respond to Ron's exaggerated question, she caught sight of the Weasley twins leaving the table and heading towards the exit. Without a word to Ron and Hermione, she quickly rose from her seat and hurried out of the Great Hall to catch up with them. Meanwhile, Draco observed her closely, aware of what she was going to retrieve from the twins. A smile formed on his face, unaware that the other Slytherins had noticed his gaze.

"Back to gaping at Antonia, are you Draco?" Blaise commented, taking a sip of his water.

Draco turned to face them, realizing his friends had been watching him. "Hardly."

"I thought you were done with her," Pansy said, her curiosity tinged with a hint of jealousy. "I mean, she has feelings for Potter. No point waiting around for her."