Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 74: The Scream

"Ava, are you going to talk to me?"

My eyes focused back and I blinked back the realization that I had been walking in silence besides Sam since we had left the common room.

It was the morning after my conversation with Dumbledore and my finding out that not only had my brother, Theo, had been saved from the clutches of the death eaters, but he had also joined the Order of the Phoenix.

My relief at the news had left me breathless and in a state of disbelief until Dumbledore had gone on to tell me Theo's plan to keep his distance.

"Sorry, I'm just tired," I mumbled as I adjusted the bag on my shoulder. Sam was eyeing me warily but she didn't push the subject. We stopped quickly at the Great Hall to snag breakfast. Due to my tossing and turning last night, I woke later than I should have for classes. By the look on Sam's darker than usual under eyes, I had a feeling she was in a similar boat.

Naturally I couldn't hold back the news from Sam. One look at my face and she knew something was up.

And to her credit she stopped her questions the moment I turned in for the night.

"Nott had a guest at the quidditch pitch yesterday," Sam started, gaining my attention from my thoughts once again as I followed her down the row of benches with my marmalade-smothered toast balanced in one hand.

A breakfast on the go was not the most elegant way to start my morning, but when in a pinch, marmalade toast was a godsend.

She paused at the end of the tables for me to catch up before walking in step beside me, adding,

"Astoria came by for a little chat. They seemed quite close after practice."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, nearly dropping my toast as a sixth year Ravenclaw bumped my shoulder as he dashed out of the great hall.

Sam rose a brow my way, before nodding at something behind me. I looked back just in time to catch the likes of Astoria Greengrass walking into the Great Hall with her sister and Tracey Davis in tow.

"Because you've become weirdly obsessed with her." I twirled back to see Sam watching me with a raised brow.

"You're not into her right? Because if we need to have another heart to heart about your type being all red flags-"

"Oh shut up," I made to kick her shines but she skipped out of my range and grabbed the door to the stairwell before it could close. She turned back to me, her dark curls half shielding those glimmering eyes of hers as she waited for me to follow.

"I'm just saying I know how you get," she went on as I drew closer. "You obsess over people."

"I do not obsess over people," I stressed between a bite of toast. "I simply don't like them." Sam whirled on me from the stairs, nearly knocking a third year's face in with her book bag as she pointed at herself saying, "No, I don't like people," she pointed my way, "You love them. If you were anywhere near a large group of people and a spotlight, Ava Fountaine would be standing directly under it."

"You're just upset I made the cover of Witch Weekly," I joked, gaining more side eye as we rounded the stairs, walking head first into of all people, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini.

Those grey eyes felt like knives to my gut as our eyes locked mere feet from each other.

"Boys," Sam remarked, her humor still evident in her tone.

The two boys had been coming down the stairs as we had been going up leading the boys looking down at us.

"Move Spencer," Blaise said, shoving past us to the door leading out to the fifth floor. Draco's eyes seemed to roll up my uniform, up to the crumbs left on my polo from breakfast as he took a down step next to me.