Skill and Seclusion [2] || Harry Potter x OC x Draco Malfoy

168. Prefects

DISCLAIMER

I do not own Harry Potter ... but I wasn't a prefect at my school. However, I was house captain for both my houses (primary and secondary) which were Yellow and Green respectively. Now that I think about it ... Hufflepuff and Slytherin ... huh weird how that worked out

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It wasn't necessarily Bel's silence on the train journey that had Harry concerned.

It was the fact that she didn't smile.

Not once.

That and her eyes.

So vacant, staring out the window the entire time and focusing on nothing in particular. Almost as if there was a whole other world she could see that no one else could.

When she was addressed directly, she would provide a short answer here and there after a bit of prompting. Nothing more than a few words at most, and then she would go back to her silence.

Neither Harry, nor Ron and Hermione, tried to disturb it.

There were a thousand different things that could be unnerving her, 90% of which she couldn't talk to them about.

Harry had now accepted that his role in her life currently wasn't to try and get her to. It wasn't to burden her or worry her further.

Bel wanted normal, so normal is what Harry would give her.

From a distance, of course. As her friend.

So whilst he had his own grievances about that particular change, and whilst his concern for her was not so easily lifted, Harry started to try and do his job on the train.

Engaging in normal discussion with Ron and Hermione about the coming school year – classes, friends, quidditch, homework, O.W.L.S – and hoped that Bel could focus in on their voices rather than the ones no doubt taunting her in her head.

There were moments it seemed to be working. Bel explained what classes she would be taking (still reduced and altered to her own required curriculum), which O.W.L.S she would thus have to sit (a lot less than Harry, to his chagrin), and there was even a detectable spark of that competitive mischief in her eyes when the quidditch matches between houses were mentioned.

But it was only a spark. One that ultimately fizzled out.

Harry tried not to let it concern him too much. With everything that had happened, and everything currently happening, it would take time for Bel to ease into normalcy again.

They had an entire year ahead of them for her to do that. With Harry and the rest of her friends helping her.

She would smile again. That beautiful smile that warmed Harry's heart.

There would be joy in her eyes again, energy in her posture, lightness in her voice.

And then maybe, just maybe, that distance between them could close.

"Right then, we need to go."

Hermione's sudden announcement two-thirds into their journey was one of the few things that got Bel's undivided attention.

"Go where?" the Hufflepuff asked, her voice quiet and reserved.

"The prefects' carriage, of course. We have our first meeting there in ten minutes and we will not be late", Hermione answered, shooting a pointed glance in Ron's direction.

Another change to their world. Hermione and Ron were made prefects for Gryffindor house.

When they had told Harry during his stay in Headquarters, he was initially surprised to hear that he hadn't been made one himself.