Even Birds Chirp in the Dark (D.M)

Chapter Four

By Potions I'm sitting with Neville and Cho, listening as Snape waltzes down the aisle.

"Attention. Today we will begin with a lecture on the Forgetfullness Potion." Snape says in his dark, monotone voice.

"Now, does anyone know the three main ingredients?" He mumbles dryly. Hermione's hand shoots up like a rocket, but Snape ignores her.

"Mr. Potter? You seem to be paying too much attention to the back table. If I must make other arrangements so you won't become infatuated with Mr. Longbottum and Mrs. Chang, then I will do so. Pay attention!" He snaps at Harry, who certainly had been glancing back at Cho. She had turned beet red, turning towards Neville to hide.

Hermione starts to answer, and Snape merely rolls his eyes and continues. I turn to Cho and start whispering. Her face steadily gets more annoyed with every word.

"Oh c'mon Cho. You liked that guy just this summer, now you're jumping to Potter? I should've known- OW!" I whisper at first, but end up flat out yelling the last part in pain as she lands a kick to my shin. My hand flies to my mouth as Snape's hateful eyes glare at me.

"Miss Wyler! Enough with the disruptions!" Snape snaps his attention to me.

I glance down avoiding his gaze sheepishly. "Sorry Professor."

He merely stares at me a moment longer before spinning around with a flourish and starts talking again to the class. "Now. Forgetfullness! Goyle?" 

Cho leans over and whispers, "I told you, I. Don't. Like. Harry."

I'm vaguely aware of a pair of eyes on me as I take notes on my parchment. I sweep the hair out of my eyes, tucking a strand behind my ear. Luna gets my attention by tapping on my book. I scoot closer to her and lean in to hear her whisper.

"Draco Malfoy is staring at you."

I let my eyes drift over to his table and I see his cool grey eyes staring at me thoughtfully. He smirks when I see him, and I glare heatedly. He makes a look of surprise, fake, obviously. And when he mouths five hateful words to me, I scoff.

"Must be the Slytherin Blood. At least my family doesn't have murderers in it."

"Don't be so sure."  I mouth back. 

He sneers and turns around to face Snape before he can get into trouble. For the rest of the period I sit with my arms crossed, not taking notes, but simply listening to Snape instead in an attempt to keep myself focused. 

Before I know it the clock chimes and it's time for Divination. I grab my books,  shuffling after Neville as we start the long haul up the stairs. "Can you believe this?" I vaguely hear someone say behind us. "Divination is a joke."

I had often enjoyed Divination, or at least the very few parts I'd heard Cedric and Erin talk about or asked my mother. I was intrigued about tea leaves, the crystal balls, and even prophecies. I was getting excited about taking it, although I'd heard that Trelawney was quite the eccentric.

Neville and I picked a spot by the window, and he started talking with another Gryffindor. I started to gaze out the window. Neville nudged me when it was time to begin as Trelawney instructed us to read each others tea leaves. I hesitantly reached for Neville's cup to have a look. He watched my intently, his lip quivering. 

"Please don't mess it up Genevieve."

I rolled my eyes and flipped the page in my book. "Ah. I see." He groaned and told me to hurry up, to which I slid the cup over to him. "Look, see the horseshoe shape. It means you're going to be lucky. The three lines mean change. Something's going to change and it's going to be lucky?"

He seemed relieved, taking my cup and flipping in his book to read it. He squinted and shook his head, while I rolled my eyes and sat back patiently. "That hard eh?"

"Okay, well. This one looks like a key, so it could be caution. But it also could be a fish, which is good fortune. And then this one looks just like "look inside" but it also could be sleep?"

"So I either need to be cautious about myself, or I'm getting good sleep?"

He shrugs and sets the cup back down. "Either way, doesn't sound so bad."

He shuffles in his seat before leaning closer to me. "Hey Gen, I just wanted to check in, y'know? See how you are?"

I smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "I'm fine Neville. All this stuff around Erin and Sirius Black just has me a little jittery, that's all."

"I hope you know that... nobody thinks any less of you because of what Erin did. Cho and I were talking about what happened on the train. She said you were so brave, and strong. I know that everything is taking a toll on your family- you've been practically living at the Diggory's." His eyes were gentle as he rambled on, and I could see that he was trying to make me feel better about the whole thing. "Cho and I wanted to let you know that you can stay the holidays with one of us, or if you can't come home one of us will stay behind with you, or-" I cut him off as he started to get breathless. 

"Neville I'm staying with Cedric for the holidays. My parents wanted me to stay here, but Amos insisted." I gave him a smile I the hopes that he would be relieved and stop worrying, but to my surprise he looked almost disappointed. 

"Oh, okay." He nodded, looking down slightly. I realized he probably was excited about having someone else stay with him so he wouldn't be alone with just his grandmother. I quickly reached for his arm.

"But that won't stop our yearly tradition will it?" We always met up, me Neville and Cho, in a muggle coffee shop over break for breakfast. It was fun to "mugglewatch" as Cho would say- not to ridicule, but rather just for curiosity.

His face seemed to brighten as he nodded eagerly. 

At last it was time for Hagrids class, and Neville and I bounded down the steps, carrying the massive monster book warily. Cedric had laughed when it had nearly taken off my finger, and Amos chided him, helping me wrap a scarf around it. I had seen Amos smile out of the corner of my eye, clearly amused as I stuck my tongue out at Ced. 

I was beyond grateful for the Diggory's, but as Cho caught up with us, I delightfully flung my arm around my best friends shoulders. She laughed and gave me a questioning look. 

"What?"