Saudade

Chapter 7 The Nervousness of Not Seeing Her Harry

The walk back to the castle was quiet, Harry could tell Ron felt embarrassed and ashamed so Harry decided not to say anything. Besides he was too distracted. Harry's mind raced with thoughts as he walked back to the castle with Ron. He couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions about Ophelia's sudden disappearance. After all the honesty she had shown him, proving she wasn't a Death Eater, he couldn't shake off the nagging doubt. Was Ophelia pulling a prank on him? Or worse, was she preparing to turn on him? Harry hoped with all his heart that his suspicions were unfounded.

"How was practice?" Hermione asked rather coolly half an hour later, as Harry and Ron climbed through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room.

"It was--" Harry began.

"Completely lousy," Ron said in a hollow voice, sinking into a chair beside Hermione. She looked up at Ron and her frost mess seemed to melt.

"Well, it was only your first one," she said consolingly, "it's bound to take time to--"

"Who said it was me who made it lousy?" Ron snapped.

"No one," Hermione said, looking taken aback, "I thought--"

"You thought I was bound to be rubbish?"

"No, of course I didn't! Look, you said it was lousy so I just--"

"I'm going to get started on some homework," Ron said angrily and stomped off to the staircase to the boys' dormitories and vanished from sight. Hermione turned to Harry.

"Was he lousy?"

"No," Harry said loyally.

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Well, I suppose he could've played better," Harry muttered, "but it was only the first training session like you said..."

"Oh... well... what about Malfoy?" Hermione said, eyeing Harry. "Did something seem out of the ordinary?"

"Not really, she didn't seem to laughing along with her brother and the other Slytherins."

"They were there?" Hermione said worried. "No wonder Ron's acting like this."

"Ophelia wasn't joining in though, she even hit her brother when he shouted things at me," Harry said, sitting down in the armchair.

Hermione stared at Harry for a moment.

"What?"

"Harry... are you starting to like Ophelia?" Hermione asked, eyeing Harry suspiciously.

"Like her?" Harry said disgusted. "No!"

"Not like that!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "As a friend obviously. You seem to be enjoying yourself when you are around her. Always laughing with her."

Harry opened his mouth to protest but paused as Ron returned with their homework, momentarily distracting him from his thoughts. But no matter how hard he tried to focus, his mind kept drifting back to Ophelia Malfoy. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than met the eye. Being friends with Harry wasn't something that came naturally to someone like her, a Slytherin. While she may not be a Death Eater, Harry couldn't shake the suspicion that she and her brother were plotting something to make his life even more miserable. Harry was determined not to let her get to him. He had almost let his guard down, but now he saw things clearly, and he wouldn't fall for her tricks.

As the Sunday passed Ophelia wasn't spotted anywhere. Not at breakfast, not at lunch, and not at dinner. The absence only fueled his suspicion that she was up to something. Harry imagined all sorts of scenarios, and they all ended with him being humiliated. The uncertainty of Ophelia's whereabouts was driving him crazy. He tried his best to concentrate on his homework, but by the evening, it felt like his brain was being pounded inside his skull.