Saudade

Chapter 23 The Consolation That Love Can Bring Ophelia

"But why haven't you got Occlumency lessons anymore?" Ophelia said, frowning.

"I've told you," Harry muttered. "Snape reckons I can carry on by myself now I've got the basics."

"So you've stopped having funny dreams?" Ophelia said skeptically.

"Pretty much," Harry said, not looking at her.

"Well, I don't think Snape should stop until you're absolutely sure you can control them," Ophelia said indignantly. "Harry, I think you should go back to him and ask-- "

"No," Harry said forcefully. "Just drop it, Ophelia, please?"

Ophelia stared at him for a moment and sighed. She was sure Harry was hiding something from her but she didn't understand why. He told Ron and Hermione the same thing, not giving them a reason either. So she was sure it had nothing to do with Voldemort.

It was the first day of the Easter holidays and Hermione, as was her custom, had spent a large part of the day drawing up revision timetables for the five of them. Ophelia, Blaise, Harry, and Ron had let her do it; it was easier than arguing with her, and, in any case, they might come in useful.

Ron had been startled to discover there were only six weeks left until their exams.

"How can that come as a shock?" Hermione demanded as she tapped each little square on Ron's timetable with her wand so that it flashed a different color according to its subject.

"I dunno," Ron said, "there's been a lot going on."

Ophelia scoffed in agreement.

"Well, there you are," she said, handing him his timetable, "if you follow that you should do fine."

Ron looked down at it gloomily but then brightened.

"You've given me an evening off every week!"

"That's for Quidditch practice," Hermione said.

The smile faded from Ron's face making Ophelia and Blaise snort.

"What's the point?" he said dully. "We've got about as much chance of winning the Quidditch Cup this year as Dad's got of becoming Minister for Magic."

Hermione said nothing; she was looking at Harry, who was staring blankly at the opposite wall of the common room while Crookshanks pawed at his hand, trying to get his ears scratched.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

"What?" he said quickly. "Nothing."

He seized his copy of Defensive Magical Theory and pretended to be looking something up in the index. Crookshanks gave him up as a bad job and slunk away under Hermione's chair.

"So what happened with you and Cho last night?" Ophelia said eyeing Harry. "Blaise and I saw you two... looked a little heated."

"Wha--oh, yeah, it was," Harry said, looking rather annoyed.

"What about?"

"That sneak friend of hers, Marietta," Harry said.

"Yeah, well, I don't blame you!" Ron said angrily, setting down his revision timetable. "If it hadn't been for her..."

Ron went into a rant about Marietta Edgecombe, but as Harry looked angry, nodded and said 'Yeah' and 'That's right' whenever Ron drew breath, but Ophelia could tell something else was on his mind.