starstruck || hannah abbott

8 || the three gossipers

"It's not that noticeable, is it?" Anastasia had finally caved in and told Theodore everything from Hannah to her detention wit Umbridge. He had stayed up and waited in the Common Room for her.

"Pomfrey ought to look at this," Theo scrutinized her hand carefully despite having no medical expertise.

"She ought to but it's after curfew and I don't fancy any more detention than I have to," Ana explained.

"Do you have any idea how much blood you've lost?" The concern in his voice was touching but Anastasia wanted nothing more than to wash her hand and just go to bed.

"Obviously not enough to do any critical damage as I'm still standing, Theo, I just want to go to sleep right now," she said in a jovial tone.

"Will you at least wrap it up in something? If you die over night—"

"Theo! Please, I'm fine," Anastasia said.

He only nodded in response and began to make his way over to the boys' dormitory. The brunette boy paused and looked back at Anastasia and she returned his tired glance.

"What you told me about that Hufflepuff girl, I hope she comes around and sees what I see in you," Theo left and his words hung in the air.

Anastasia sat up in the Common Room for a while after her best friend had gone to bed. She mulled over what he had told her and stared into the dying embers in the fireplace. She had been somewhat aware of his feelings about her but often dismissed the idea. More importantly, Anastasia felt more free to be herself around him because he had accepted everything she had spilled to him without batting an eye. Though part of her felt bad knowing that he would never get what he sought after from her.

'I hope she comes around and sees what I see in you.'

The words echoed in her mind as she left the Common Room and washed her hand. Anastasia climbed into bed, happy that Millicent, Pansy, and Tracey were well into their dreams. A tiredness slowly spread through her body and her hand throbbed painfully as she drifted off into unconsciousness.

In the morning, Tracey asked Anastasia were she had been last night coyly but Anastasia simply shook her head and got dressed. Tracey would pretend to ask an innocent question like that with a double meaning intended.

Once her robes were on and her tie was relatively straight, she marched up to breakfast and sat next to Blaise. Her brown eyes locked with Theo's over her oatmeal as he served himself some beans on toast. He looked tired and Anastasia blamed herself for keeping him up so late. She was thankful for their friendship but something seemed different today. Perhaps it had been her confession about Hannah? Anastasia's cheeks flamed at the thought as she moved her spoon listlessly through the oatmeal bowl.

"Have you been paying attention?" Blaise's voice pulled her back down to Earth and she blinked.

"Sorry, what?"

"Draco is thinking about officially ending things with Parkinson, about damn time, right?" Blaise commented idly.

"He said that last year, honestly, Malfoy is a mess," Theo complained.

"He better come up with an excuse soon, I can't stand her constant wailing about how the two are apparently soulmates. It's awful," Anastasia added to the conversation.

"If he breaks up with her, then all she'll do will be whine about her broken heart for the next millennium," Theodore pointed out.

"Gross, maybe we accidentally push her off—" Blaise started to say but Anastasia playfully whacked his arm and Theo started laughing.

The trio watched as Pansy and Draco strolled into the Great Hall fashionably late. Pansy had a death grip on his arm and he was looking more bored that ever. After dealing with Pansy Parkinson for five years, it's a wonder Malfoy hadn't dropped her sooner.

The couple sat down and Draco said something to her and she laughed so falsely that Anastasia covered her ears. Pansy's cackle was the most annoying sound when her mouth wasn't running. Blaise rolled his eyes and motioned that he was about to leave. Theodore and Anastasia took his lead and they exited the Great Hall and Pansy's extreme devotion to the Slytherin Prince.

They meandered slowly to the Charms classroom. Taking their time, the trio passed by a tall boy with mousy brown hair, a shorter boy with jet black hair, and the unmistakeable flash of red hair that belonged to Susan Bones. They appeared to be in deep conversation and immediately stopped as the three Slytherin students passed them.

"That's her," said the boy with jet black hair.

Anastasia walked faster.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Called the boy with mousy brown hair.

Anastasia increased her gait size and sped up. Theo and Blaise scuttled after her with matching confused expressions.

"What was that about?" Blaise reprimanded her and she rounded a corner and practically flew down the next hallway.

"It's nothing, okay?" She hissed over her shoulder.

"Well, whatever this nothing is, it's making you walk ridiculously fast so you need to slow the fuck down," Blaise huffed at his friend's back.

Anastasia abruptly stopped which caused Blaise to collide with her and lose his balance. She spun around and glared down at him with a ferocity in her eyes he had never seen before. Simply that withering look made the boy hold up his hands in surrender as he stood back up.

"I'm sorry, Blaise, but I'd rather not discuss it at this time," the brunette said calmly. Her eyes had ceased to blaze with anger and her voice had smoothed out.

He only nodded and they completed their walk to Professor Flitwick's lecture on levitation. The three took their seats and Anastasia organized her desk carefully.

Eventually, everyone was in their places but the seat next to the fifteen year old Slytherin was vacant. Hannah Abbott wouldn't skip a class unless something was wrong.