Your Grief is My Grief [DM] sequel to Beauty and the Beast

Chapter Twenty

Lizzie's POV:

I had been walking to the library to finish working on the reading that had been assigned for Alchemy when I ran into the only three people that I didn't want to see. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were walking down the same hallway as me when they saw me.

"Lizzie!" Hermione called to me, pulling herself from whatever hurried conversation they had been having.

"Oh, hey, Hermione," I replied uncomfortably. "Harry, Ron." I nodded at the boys in greeting.

"Hey, Liz," Harry said. Ron simply nodded. He had never been completely fond of me.

"Are you heading to the library?" she asked. I nodded in answer. "Great! So were we!" Harry and Ron looked at the bushy haired girl confusedly but didn't say anything.

"The library is the other way and, judging from Harry and Ron's expressions, you certainly weren't heading to the library. So, I won't get in your way and ruin any plans. You guys can continue on to wherever you were going." I smiled at them and moved to walk away quickly.

"But we weren't heading anywhere, we were just wandering, and, besides, we could all use a little study time before our N.E.W.T.'s, right boys?"

"Right," Ron murmured bloody unenthused.

"So, what are going to work on?" Hermione asked me.

"I was going to finished the reading for Alchemy," I answered.

"Oh, I didn't know you were taking that class! I almost took it this year but decided to take Ancient Runes again instead."

"All joking aside, what do you guys want? We've barely talked all year and now you are all over me. There's no ulterior motive here, is there? Don't tell me this is about Draco." I sighed in exasperation, knowing the trio's feelings about Draco.

"Can't we just spend some quality time with our friend?" Harry asked.

"Now I know you're up to something," I frowned. Harry looked appalled at this statement. "Guys, I'm not stupid and I'm not going to pretend I don't know what you're doing. You're spending time with me hoping that I'll say something that'll incriminate Draco, but I'm not going to."

"Every conversation we have with you, the more I end up liking you," Ron grinned.

"Draco and I are not up to anything, and you three chasing me around isn't going to help either of us any."

"We didn't say anything about both you and Draco," Harry spoke, furrowing his eyebrows. I could feel my face drain of color. Damn it, Lizzie.

"Please, just leave us alone. It's hard enough without you guys following our every move. Don't think that I haven't noticed you watching us in the Great Hall, Harry," I said. "Hopefully, I won't see you around." I turned and hurried down the hallway, now perfectly okay with reading in the over busy common room.

I heard footsteps jogging up behind me and sighed internally. No doubt that was Hermione coming to make amends.

"Lizzie, wait up," she called to me. I stopped where I stood but didn't turn. "Lizzie, I'm really sorry. You see, ever since Katie Bell got cursed by that necklace, Harry has been practically obsessed with Malfoy. He's convinced that Malfoy did it."

"That's no excuse for you and Ron following him," I said impatiently.

"I know it's not, but Lizzie, like you said back there, you're not stupid and neither am I. I know something is up with you, whether it has anything to do with what Malfoy may or may not be up to, I don't know, but something is up." My face turned red and I looked to the ground. "Lizzie, I just- I want you to know that you will always have a friend in me. And anything that you might confide in me will stay between you and me. I'm rather good at keeping secrets from Ron and Harry, you see."