Reactance | James Potter

Chapter 23

   RAPID FOOTFALLS ECHOED in the corridor. Olivia whipped around at once, listening to the Fat Lady murmur faintly, her stomach tied up in a knot. A moment later, Marlene came climbing out of the tunnel, sputtering like an angry bull.

   She clung to the stone for balance as if without it she'd crumble to her knees and, when she saw Olivia watching her, she glared, blowing out a great burst of air that sent the loose hair over her forehead flying.

   Heaving herself up against the wall, panting, Marlene pointed lazily at Olivia. Her mouth mimed silently before finally managing, "You —" gulp "— you made me run. Twice."

Olivia shot forward and seized her by her shoulders, making her mouth clamp shut and eyes bulge. Burning hot with adrenaline, Olivia shook her violently, crying, "You don't understand! You don't understand!"

"Brhshhe!"

   Whatever Marlene tried to say came out incomprehensible. Olivia released her and stepped aside, peering anxiously around the empty Gryffindor common room. The nearly full moon casted a white sheen over the shadows, giving the space a slightly eerie feel.

   Marlene spat out her hair, smacked her tongue at the taste, and jerked her chin to make her vision stop spinning. "What I said was — What the fuck are you talking about?"

Olivia gave a disgruntled, high-pitched whine, running her hands through her hair, which was quickly becoming a frizzy mess, grown to three times its usual size.

  Marlene glowered. Swiping invisible dirt off her sleeves, she hissed, "This is the last time I hang out with you one-on-one! You are suspended from my company —!"

"Marlene, did you see that cloak James was holding?"

The severity to Olivia's tone made Marlene falter; blinking slowly, she tried to remember, "No, I didn't see any cloak . . . unless y'mean Pettigrew's shirt." Olivia rubbed her paling face and turned, gulping, towards the dwindling fire in its hearth. Marlene, feeling the anxiousness in the air now, followed closely as Olivia went to stand in front of it. "It's a cloak, so what?"

Only a few thin twigs remained. The fire was burning so low that it gave off very little heat, but Olivia struck out her leg regardless and teased the hem of her trousers over the flames to warm her calf, more for comfort than relief.

"You can't say anything to anyone, he'll know it was me who told," Olivia waited for Marlene to nod, "It's an Invisibility Cloak."

"You're lying!" gasped Marlene scandalously. Olivia, lips tight, nodded. Marlene slammed her hand onto her thigh and stamped her foot, as if in realization. "I knew it!"

Olivia pulled an incredulous expression, "You did not know it."

"I could've known."

"Marlene!" Olivia was desperate for Marlene to see the difficulty of the situation, which ate away at her nerves like a nasty poison. "He must've been there the whole time, he heard everything!"

"I dunno . . ." Marlene crinkled her nose, unconvinced, and Olivia gaped. "Why spy around the corner? Why not stay invisible?"

"Uh — hmm," Olivia hesitated to argue, "Fair point. To join up with his mates? Surely they can't all fit beneath that cloak."