Not Alone After All

Chapter XIII

Laurie sat behind Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in front of Harry. And apparently, they had already heard the news. Before Laurie sat down, Hermione got up, and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry," the Gryffindor girl whispered in their hug. Laurie stayed silent. Harry was about to get up and walk to the other side of the table to hug his sister, but Dumbledore was ready to make his speech. The room ran quiet as he made a gesture with his hand and demanded silence. Both of the girls sat back down, turned to Dumbledore in a way they were literally side by side.

They listened to Dumbledore's speach of good luck to the Hufflepuff and the Gryffindor teams, for the game was the next day. He also told the children to be careful. The Dementors didn't have reason to go into the field, but stay away from them anyway, and don't give them reason to have a grudge on you.

'Dementors don't forget,' were Dumbledore's words. Great, Laurie thought. So they wouldn't forget her nor Harry.

Anyway, dinner was served. Laurie didn't eat much, she wasn't really hungry. And, unfortunately, Draco found a place besides her. He had probably threatened the first year that's was sitting there. Laurie let out a sigh and rolled her eyes.

"So, Potter, what's wrong?" Draco asked. Laurie was weirded out. She hated the boy. Draco was always a prat to her brother, always calling him names and intimidating him, and now he wants to know what's wrong?

"Why don't you just leave me alone, Malfoy?" she asked. "Why do you care about be so much, now?" she took a sip from her drink.

"I like you. You're like me. A pure-blood," Draco said. Laurie almost chocked on her drink.

"My mother was a muggleborn, Malfoy. And I, on the contrary, don't like you," she snapped. "I'm gonna ask you again, please back off."

"But something is wrong with you, Laurie. I can see it. Tell me what's wrong," Draco pleaded one last time. Out of the blue, Ron and Fred appeared behind Draco and Laurie, each one placing one hand over Laurie's shoulder.

"Hey, man. She told you to back off," said Fred. Laurie felt something cold in her stomach when Fred stood up to her. She never had that. Her brother Rory was never the kind to protect her. On the contrary, actually. If his friends started bullying her, he would be next. But Fred... he seemed different. Like a big brother to her.

"Yeah, Malfoy," said Ron. "Leave her alone." Malloy turned around to see Hermione, George and Harry staring at him from the Gryffindor table. Actually, not just them. Mostly the whole section of the Gryffindor table was staring right at him. Laurie felt her heart warm up when she saw so many people from Gryffindor showing their friendship towards her. Almost everyone in Gryffindor accepted her as if she was one of them, part of the house.

Malfoy put his hands on the air in surrender and got up, walking to his previous place. Fred sat down at the table instead. He honestly didn't even care if all the Slytherins would hate on him, he needed to comfort that little girl. Fred passed a hand around Laurie's shoulder and pulled her towards him. Fred was so much bigger than her, taller and wider, she felt like a child in her parent's arms. Except her parent's were dead. Along with her adoptive parents. But that's not the point. She felt so protected in Fred's arms, she didn't even bother moving. She just accepted the hug and laid her head on his shoulder.

"What is Fred doing?" asked Harry to Ron and Hermione, back at the Gryffindor table.

"Uh, kids these days call it hugging," said Hermione. Harry rolled his eyes at her.

"He's getting stared at by the whole Slytherin table," commented Ron.

"I don't think he cares," added George. The others simply shrugged and kept eating.