Love, Potions and Legacies: Fifth Year (UPDATED)

Chapter 8: Library Chats

Once Lucius Malfoy had finally left the Common Room, the buzz died down just enough for me to continue working on my Potions essay, but not enough to fully stop other students approaching us, asking us to verify the rumours they'd heard. Asking us if Mattheo had actually punched Umbridge or whether he really had kissed her.

The very thought sent a shudder down my spine. There had been a split second in the DaDA classroom where I really thought he was going to do it. These and other wild rumours were now being thrown at us and I knew they were just going to get more out of hand. Even though neither of those things had happened, plenty of people would now believe Mattheo had been that stupid.

That was the thing about Hogwarts, rumours spread like Fiendfyre. Wild and rampant, scorching everything in their path, especially the truth, causing untold damage, some of it, completely unfixable. It's why if you had a secret you did your best to keep it hidden. Like me, for example, I could not deal with the drama and attention that would come my way if anyone found out how much I fancied Tom. I'd admitted it to myself now and was trying to ignore it as best I could. It would never come to anything and it caused me annoyance and discomfort everyday, but that was pain I could live with. The sneering from the seventh year Slytherin girls and their cruel nicknames, rumours and gossip they'd start, I could not.

By the end of the after-school activity hour, none of the Malfoy family had come back down into the Common Room. People were constantly looking up at the stairs to the Common Room entrance in the hope of seeing Mattheo slope his way down on his way home on a suspension, so they would have more drama to gossip about. But as we all sit and chat on the sofas and the bell finally goes for dinner, there is still no sign of any of them. I was glad of it in a way, I didn't want to see or speak to Lucius Malfoy again for as long as possible. Mattheo's birthday party in December would be too soon.

I wondered if they were still searching for Mattheo (who was a master at hiding) or whether Lucius had already taken him home on a suspension. The idea of him getting suspended for being a prat made me even angrier with him than I already was. Because of the palaver that Mattheo had caused, I wondered if Tom was going to turn up to our tutoring session tonight or not. I decide to text him, using this situation as an excuse to talk to him again. He takes almost ten minutes to reply and we continue to talk throughout dinner, but I notice he never turns up for it.

Me: Hi Tom. I just wanted to ask if we're still doing the Potions tutoring tonight? No worries if not, I can work on my potions stuff myself. Or we could do it another day if you have to do weekly sessions to meet your reqs. for tutoring.

Tom: Yes we're still doing it. Why wouldn't I be there?

Me: Oh I just thought you might not be able to come because of Mattheo? Or maybe spending the evening with your Dad?

Tom: My Father's gone. I'll see you in the library at 7pm.

Me: Okay see you then, I'll bring your hoodie! Sorry I forgot to give it back earlier.

Tom: Ah yes, I did wonder if I was ever going to see that again. I do hope you've not doused it in some sickly cheap perfume when you've been wearing it.

I stare at the text and swallow hard, feeling my heart speed up a little. A wave of offended annoyance crosses me first when I see the word cheap. But then again, any perfume I could afford to buy was probably cheap to someone with Malfoy money. One thing that all three boys had in common was that they all smelled good (Even Draco, I hate to admit). Whatever colognes and aftershaves they used always smelled amazing and I knew they were all expensive, probably from brands I'd never heard of. Perhaps even custom made, that was the sort of money their family had.