Hogwarts is my Home

Chapter 44: Classes (PA CH6)

I walked downstairs by myself the next morning, and was still deeply sad that I couldn't find a ghost that looked like Spencer.

When I reached the door to the Great Hall, I saw the twins talking with Harry at the end of the table, so I hid and listened.

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" I heard Fred say comfortingly.

"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" Harry asked in a low voice.

"Forget it, Harry," George said bracingly. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, and he said it was the worst place he'd ever been. He came back all weak and shaking... They suck the happiness out of a place, dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."

"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," Fred said before noticing me. "Ah, Toni!" he exclaimed, pulling me by the wrist and sitting me down next to him. "I got your course schedule for you, but there's really no need because we're taking all the same classes."

"Thanks, Fred."

"I'm sorry, Tone, but you don't look too good."

I'm sure George was right- I had stayed awake all night, because I couldn't get myself to stop crying. My eyes were probably puffy, red, and tired-looking. I didn't even look in a mirror while I was getting ready. 

"What has Malfoy been doing to you now, Harry?" I asked, ignoring George's comment.

"Pretending to be a Dementor," he said, matter of factly.

"Do you want something to eat?" Fred asked, picking up the plate at my setting. "A waffle, perhaps?"

"No thanks, I'm not hungry. I think I'll just make my way to Transfiguration."

The twins both stood up. "We'll go with you."

"No, you don't have to."

"We were done eating, anyway."

"Come on, let's go." They both linked an arm with mine before marching upstairs.

McGonagall rushed down the stairs when she heard the door open. "Oh, it's you, Miss Marston. Have a seat anywhere you'd like. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"No, I just want some peace and quiet." I put my head on the desk. "Wake me when class is starting?"

"Yes, of course."

I was not woken up until class was dismissed, and to my shock, McGonagall just told me to have a lovely day- no mention of work or points being taken from me.

I sat down next to Harry when I arrived for lunch. He watched me as I did and we exchanged quiet hellos.

"I think Divination seems very woolly. A lot of guesswork if you ask me," Hermione said, searching in her bag for something. 

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" Ron said hotly.

"What happened?" I asked. "Not liking your first Divination lesson?"

"She told me I have a Grim," Harry said, not sure what my reaction would be.

"Babes, I'd need about five hands to count the amount of people I know she's predicted the deaths of."

"But isn't Sirius Black after Harry?" Ron asked in a whisper. 

This only upset Harry more. So I grabbed his hand and stated, "Nobody believes anything Trelawney says, trust me. For example, she told me both my husbands are going to die on May 2, 1998." 

"Both?" 

"Guess so. Maybe they find out about each other and the only reasonable thing to do is to kill them," I said jokingly, smiling at Harry. 

"Well if you cheated on me, I'd rather be dead."

"But what if you're the one I'm cheating with?" I asked flirtatiously. I leaned closer to him.

"Clearly you still don't love me enough to leave the other guy." He too leaned closer to me.

"Maybe I was forced to get married and now I can't leave." I moved my face forward again.

"As long as I'm the one you really love." I could feel his breath on my face. Both of us were too wimpy to do anything with all these people around, but I can assure you I really wanted to grab his face and just kiss him.

Ron cleared his throat loudly. "We're still here, mates," he said, adorning an awkward smile.

"Sorry," Harry said, turning red.

We turned away from each other in an instance and I reached into my bag to find my schedule. "Oh, no," I groaned when I saw what class was after lunch.

"What?" Ron asked, leaning forward to get a look at the paper, so I placed it down on the table. 

"Charms- the class I was dreading most."

"What, you think it's boring?" Hermione spoke before realising. When she did remember, I could tell she felt really bad, but just muttered, "Oh."

"Yeah, Spencer's favourite."

Fred must have also looked at what our next class was, because he was walking toward me. 

"Are you gonna be okay?" he asked sweetly.

"I don't know yet. Will you sit next to me in case I start freaking out? So you can make up an excuse for us to leave."

"Of course."

I turned my head to Harry, who I thought would be smiling, but was gritting his teeth instead. Thrown by his expression, I turned back to Fred. "I'm excited to learn new spells, I just..."

"We know, you don't have to say it."

I zoned out during Charms, because that was the only way I could get myself to not think of Spencer.

Flitwick called me to stay after class was over. "Orchestra starts again in 2 weeks. Will we see the return of our star pianist?"

I thought about it for a few seconds before deciding. "Yes. I'll be back this year."

"Excellent!" he handed me the page with all the dates and times practises would meet.

At least I had this I could count on to make me happy.

"Oh, Flitwick! I wanted to ask you to charm something so it'll work in the castle. It's a muggle music player, but it doesn't work here because of that. It helps me relax."

"Of course I will! Do you have it with you?"

I pulled it out of my bag and handed it over. With a wave of Flitwick's wand, I could hear the music playing muffled through the headphones.

"Thank you so much!"

I put them on and Cello Suite No 1 by Bach played. I kept it on repeat all the way up to Gryffindor Tower and I knew then that I would somehow be okay.