Lovingly, not yours.

Chapter 13

"I had hoped yours would be the hand I held as I danced, instead, it was your eyes that I danced in."

Chapter 13: "Halloween, pt1."

The blanket was rather cold the morning she woke up, the sheets crinkled more than usual over the end corner of the bed. With a sneeze she started her day. Her ears felt as if they were fighting against the cold with heat of their own.

The festive smell of pumpkin and cinnamon filled her nose even before she made it to breakfast. It oddly made her smile to herself. What an odd thing, for a moment to be a bad thing for someone, and celebration for another.

The feeling of being one with the castle, the eyes catching everything and feeling it to be home. Her body was tuned perfectly to the flow of the school. She sat at her usual place, the people beside her changed though. It was the Weasley twins to her right instead of Parvati.

"Hey! Odele was it? You are in Ron's year aren't you? We heard-" Their cheerful and synchronised voice would've made her smile if only it were not Halloween.

"You're a bit too loud, I am sorry."

"Sure, whatever." The two said.

She was surprised by their reception of her such harsh words, but she was embarrassed to have made the bad girl. Sinking in her seat, she felt her headache while nibbling on the rather too sweet of a pumpkin pastry.

Soon it was time for Charms. And although the basic levitation charm was her specialty, she couldn't perform it. It was as if the day was rebelling against her.

Hermione was paired with Ron. Harry with Seamus and Odele with Neville.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" Professor Flitwick's voice was like an annoying squeaky rubber duck to Odele today. He was perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too -- never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

She didn't need to be reminded of the Wizard. Her ears were ringing with the throbs of pain in her head, and so, she gingerly rested her head against her copy of 'The Standard Book of Spells'. The material cool and comforting against her warm forehead, and her wand kept neatly aside the book.

"Wingardium Leviosa." The girl muttered under her breath and Neville noticed her feather move, and he was too stunned to speak. Odele just performed wandless magic without even looking at the object! Neville was about to inform Odele about what she just did before Professor Flitwick's voice screeched again and with a feverish red face Odele lifted her head to see Hermione.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

She smiled at her friend's achievement and patted her back from where she sat, "Great job, 'Mione." To which the receiver gave a sweet smile in response. Odele planned to sit with Hermione for the next class and as Professor Flitwick dismissed them she went down, excusing herself from Neville to find Hermione amidst the sea of students.

Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."

Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione.

Harry caught a glimpse of her face -- and was startled to see that she was in tears.

"I think she heard you."

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

Odele with hot tears in her eyes of perhaps the fever or the insult of her friend, grabbed Ron's sleeve to make him look at her, "She's got a friend, and that is me. Just because she has more brains than you, and though she can be a know-it-all, that doesn't mean she has bad intentions, Ronald Weasley. It's such a shame, I expected better from you."

Odele was struggling on her own, the fever had risen too much for her to speak properly and see past the tears but she tried to go find Hermione, because to her, Halloween was a bad, bad day.

At some point Odele lost the sight of the busy haired girl and held onto the nearby wall to catch her breath. Gathering herself she decided to move forward in her search for her friend. Because of the tears in her eyes, and her ringing head, she bumped into someone instead.

Looking up at him she hesitated before apologising softly, “I am sorry professor, I didn’t see you there-”

He cut her off rather quickly, “Oh it’s fine.”

That was odd, was Odele thought as she looked back upon him, over her shoulder. He didn’t stutter, at all, which was rather surprising because he was infamous for being meek and a stuttering fool. It felt unsettling, or perhaps it was the mood of Halloween that made her suspicious and critical of everything.

Pushing down her suspicions she tread again only to be stopped by a very concerned looking Prof. McGonagall and by her side, a sneering Prof. Snape.