Reactance | James Potter

Chapter 10

   THE TWENTIETH OF September brought with it a chilly morning and yet a sunny afternoon. So sunny, in fact, that the girls decided to spend their lunch break out in the courtyard rather than eating in the Great Hall.

   Marlene, armed with enough ham sandwiches to feed an army, stood by and watched as Lily and Olivia fluffed out a blanket at the base of the sloping lawn in front of the black lake's shore. Alice was already sprawled in the grass, sporting a pair of Muggle sunnies that had been gifted to her on her last birthday.

"You don't need to guard your lunch so fiercely," said Dorcas dryly as she side-stepped Marlene to help Mary with the tankard of pumpkin juice and platter of treacle tarts. "No one's going to take it from you."

"I saw fat arse Pettigrew eyeing them on my way out," said Marlene with distaste as she finally sat down on the blanket between Olivia and Lily, the other three girls across from them.

"Peter's not fat," defended Mary airily. "He's actually quite .  .  . quite fit." Her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment as her words drifted off.

   Wide-eyed, Olivia and Lily shared an amused glance.

"He's fat minded," quipped Marlene as she started on her first sandwich.

Olivia leant back on her hands, turning her chin to the clear sky as she said, "How long until we've got to go in?"

   Alice peeked at her watch. "Fifteen minutes."

   Marlene, through a mouthful of bread, groaned in annoyance.

"Why're you tossed up, you haven't even got class," said Dorcas snippily, eyeing Marlene rather coldly. Olivia noticed Dorcas' hostility at once. They must be off again, she supposed. "Lils, Liv and I are the ones who've got Alchemy. You've got a free block."

   Again, Olivia and Lily shared a silent glance. Although, this time, it was less amused.

"Sinistra's —" the Astronomy professor – "assigned a whole foot's essay, due this Wednesday."

"She assigned it when?" asked Alice through light humour, sunnies on the end of her nose. "Last week?"

   Marlene gulped her mouthful down harshly, her puffed cheeks deflating as she said, "How can I be expected to write an entire essay in a week?"

   Dorcas rolled her eyes and gazed off silently towards the lake. Olivia forced a cough.

"So, Dorcas," said Olivia quickly, in attempt to lighten the mood, "how're you getting on with Macey?"

   Ever since Gryffindor's Quidditch trials, Macey the second-year had been trailing after Dorcas and some of the other senior players like a lost puppy. She was really looking up to them.

   Dorcas quirked a smile. "She's alright. Good girl. Actually, Fabian told me that she asked Potter for the keys to the practice equipment last week. Said she wanted to get out and familiarize herself a bit before trainings start. Fabs swore he's never seen Potter look so ecstatic."

"He's clearly never seen him around Lily, then," joked Olivia. Marlene snorted, and Dorcas' happiness faltered back into annoyance at the sound.