"That's the thing, Williams. Secrets have a way of making themselves known, whether we want them to or not. And I won't tell if you don't."
"And what makes you so sure I've got something to hide, Malfoy."
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Harry Potter and all related...
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"How bad was it this time?" Odessa asked, furrowing her brows in thought. Trying to assess Harry's facial expressions, searching for any indications of his mood he would give her.
"It's been worse. But Snape said that I should be doing better by now." The Gryffindor responded, his expression bleak and exhausted.
"What? He expects you to be doing better even though any instruction he's given you is as vague as can be?" Hermione asked, falling into step with the pair, Ron on her other side.
"Yeah, mate, he can't do that." The Weasley claimed, placing his hand on Harry's back reassuringly.
Harry's demeanour brightened almost immediately at the contact like it had just caused him to remember something. "I managed to get into his head this time though, and then he ended my lessons, altogether."
"You did what?!" Odessa and Hermione chorused, one sounding in disbelief, the latter in disapproval.
"Well, yeah. I didn't mean to or anything, but it just happened." Harry looked down at the floor, frowning once more.
"So what did you find in the slimy git's memories then?" Ron asked, causing Odessa to scrunch her face up at his choice of words.
"I— I probably shouldn't say, Ron—"
"Come on, mate, it's Snape we're talking about for Merlin's sake!" Ron interrupted, earning him a smack on each arm from both Hermione and Odessa, who seemed to have more common sense than the ginger wizard.
"If Harry doesn't want to tell us, Ron, then he doesn't have to." Hermione explained, going over her words slowly as if she were talking to a small child.
"Yeah, I'm not stupid, 'Mione," Ron argued. "But I just want to know, that's all, it's like you and your weird obsession with books."
Odessa rolled her eyes as she felt the bushy-haired brunette bristle at Ron's words. As per usual, Ron had not thought about his choice of words and had offended Hermione. And as usual, Hermione reacted by removing herself from the group, choosing to walk back to the library.
As soon as she was out of earshot, both Harry and Odessa turned on Ron.
"What the hell was that for Ronald?" She watched as Ron cringed inwardly at the use of his full name.
"What was what for 'Dessa?" He asked, turning a shade of beet red, either from embarrassment or annoyance, she couldn't tell.
"You know what, mate. You've upset her again for fuck sake!" Odessa started, but Harry quickly placed a hand on her arm, causing her to pause to look at him.
"Ron, I think what 'Dessa is trying to say, is that you upset Hermione by making fun of her." Harry explained calmly, trying his best to de-escalate the situation.
Ron shifted his weight from his toes to his heels repeatedly, trying desperately to focus on anything else but the two Gryffindors in front of him. His wish was granted, however, when he caught sight of a speckled niffler bouncing around the corridor. Pippin seemed to be on the run from something, or someone, Ron paused to look up and down the corridor they were in, unable to see what he was running from.
