Little Bird

Chapter Eleven

(Trigger warning: there is a scene within this chapter that may be sensitive for some readers. Please read at your own discretion.)

Eve

            After classes that same day, I went down to the lake to sit with Neville, Luna, and Ginny. I was already feeling nervous about meeting Blaise later tonight, so I needed to be distracted before I could back out of it. Meeting with them helped me stop worrying so much about what Blaise wanted to talk about—to be honest, I still had no idea what it could be.

            The four of us laid around by the lake and watched the sunset before heading back inside to eat dinner, and I separated with them to eat at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. Not many people were seated around because of the Quidditch practice, so I got to eat in peace for the first time in a while.

            By the time I made it back to the common room, it was still pretty early in the evening, so I knew the practice wouldn't be over for a couple more hours. To keep myself busy, I headed up to the girls' dormitory to work on the Divination homework Trelawney had given us for tomorrow.

            Unfortunately, Pansy was already working in our dormitory. She was sprawled out across her bed, lying on her stomach as she looked over her notes with an extremely bored expression. I entered the common room a bit uneasily, hoping she wouldn't even look up at me.

            But Pansy did glance up when I dropped my bag onto my bed, and I could feel her watching me from across the small room. I pretended not to notice, getting out my Divination textbook and pulling out a piece of parchment.

            I was just sitting down when Pansy finally decided to ask nosily, "Where've you been all afternoon?"

            "Um...down by the lake," I replied, leaning back against the headboard with the notes on my lap. I flipped through the textbook slowly, asking a bit suspiciously, "Why?"

            "Just...wondering," Pansy said coolly, her quill between her teeth as she watched me carefully.

            An awkward silence ensued, while I desperately tried to pretend that Pansy wasn't full-out staring at me. After a minute of this I finally slapped my book down and snapped, "What?"

            Pansy raised an eyebrow, then asked bluntly, "What's up with you and Zabini?"

          I felt my mouth open and close for a moment before I could finally think of a response. "What do you mean?" I stammered. "Nothing. Nothing's up."

            I couldn't control the blush that rose to my cheeks, and I knew Pansy had noticed by the look she gave me. She finally looked away, not bothering to hide her smirk.

            Letting out an annoyed sigh, I propped my book up against my knees and just tried to pretend Pansy wasn't even there anymore. I dipped my quill into the ink pot to start on the first question, not wanting to know what Pansy had been grinning about.

            For the next two hours, Pansy didn't look up at me again and was gracious enough not to ask me any more annoying questions. By the time I finished the Divination homework, it was close to eleven and both Millicent and Pansy were asleep. As quietly as I could, I packed up my work and shoved my bag back under my bed, wanting to get downstairs to see if Blaise was back yet.

            My stomach felt twisted with nerves as I descended the stairs down to the common room, yawning only a little bit. I always had trouble sleeping and usually stayed up late, but I hadn't been able to sleep much at all last night. But by the time I turned the corner into the common room, I forgot all about being tired.