The Chaser [sequel to The Mudblood]

Chapter 9: Year 1

"It's like a cult," Mose said through a mouthful of beans as us first year Slytherins collectively watched the Granger-Weasley-Potter family across the Great Hall. Even if Harry Potter weren't among them, the nine cousins would've drawn the entire room's attention with their boisterous laughter and playful screams. Most of it derived from James and Fred transfiguring the others' food into various non-edible objects, though Dominique scored her fair share of laughs with witty jokes.

Shockingly, Rose actually participated in the conversations, smiling maybe for the first time ever. Albus was the only one who refused to engage. He chewed his food in silence, glaring at me through a narrow slice of students' heads. Unblinking.

"It's called a family," Britney said, head held high as she delicately munched on chicken. "You should know, Mose, since we are, in fact, an even more immaculate family than them."

Leah exchanged a discreet side-glance with me and tried not to giggle as she chewed. "If immaculate means dysfunctional."

"If we're a family, I call dibs on being the dad." Jewel looked up from the pyramid he was constructing with croutons, all charm. "And Leah's the mum."

Obviously, she choked, and Britney thumped her back in a blow that probably would've broken her spine if she didn't have some vampire durability in her bones. "I...I think I'll pass on that," Leah managed.

"Of course you would," Mose said consolingly. "Because I'm the dad."

"You two are such brainless oafs." Duncan flicked potatoes at their faces. "Alvie wants to be the mum...so that Scorpiuscan be the dad."

"Ohhhhh," Jewel and Mose sang in unison before devolving into chortles.

Thankful Scorpius was still in the hospital wing, I swallowed and tried to keep my face stoic. "That eager to give Malfoy authority, are you? I'm sure you know what his house rules would be."

The boys' smiles evaporated, and Mose shuddered. "Instead of time-outs, we'd get...blowouts."

Duncan ruffled his messy hair as if to ward off the impending styling. "Never mind. S'pose Alvie'll have to settle for Albus, then. She did snog him in the Forbidden Forest today."

My cheeks actually burned that time, especially when my gaze instinctively found the psycho Potter still death-glaring at me. "We didn't...do that," I insisted, refraining from elaborating in case Albus could lip-read.

Jewel kicked my foot under the table. "We need to work on your poker face, Pucey."

"I'm not bluffing."

"Did you really snog him?" Leah questioned, wide-eyed and appalled, while Britney shook the whole bench with her cheering dance.

"Finally, some true love in this posse!"

"No—"

"Hey, Albus!" Duncan called across the hall, and the Weasley clan's laughter fizzled out. Roxanne waved animatedly at my cousin, Rose assumed her usual pompous scowl, and Albus finally averted his eyes to his plate, pretending he hadn't heard. "Potter!"

"Here!" James raised his hand, and Dominique chucked a half-eaten cupcake at him.

"Albus, your friends are talking to you," Harry prompted, barely loud enough for me to hear.

"They're not my friends." Albus's grumbly response reached our ears, and Britney gasped in outrage.

"Albus! Take it back!"

"Albus," Duncan started again, "I need to know: did you and my cousin—"

I jabbed my butterknife against his freshest scratch from King, eliciting a wail of disproportional agony. The little poke hadn't even drawn blood, but Duncan clutched his forearm and howled like a banshee for the whole Great Hall to hear.