destruction ➙ h. potter

34

The group of friends sat eating breakfast on a Saturday morning. The day after Ron was freed from the hospital wing.

Harry was preoccupied with his potion's book, specifically with some spell labeled "For Enemies Only".

Ron stared aimlessly at an angry Lavender.

Hermione watched Ron hopelessly searching for some sort of answer.

Isabel pushed her eggs around mindlessly, watching Harry read.

"Ron," Hermione pushes his shoulder, "Stop, you're making it snow!"

"Huh?" Ron coughed, clearly unaware of what was going on.

He looked up to see a small cloud of snow falling exclusively over the four of them.

Hermione put her hand on top of his, pressing his wand down to the table, bringing him back to reality.

Hermione's heart squeezed.

"Tell me how I broke up with Lavender again."

Harry looked up from his book to meet Hermione's hesitant gaze.

Hermione slowly pulled her hand away from Ron's.

She sighed, "Um, well. She came to visit you in the hospital, you see, and you talked. Um, I don't believe it was a long conversation..."

"Don't get me wrong," Ron said, "I'm bloody thrilled to be away from her."

Harry lightly chuckled, looking back down at his book.

"It's just she seems... a bit put off."

In unison, the four all glance over at Lavender. She sent them back lethal glare.

"Does, doesn't she?" Hermione nods, "And you say... you don't remember a thing from that night? Not one thing?"

"Well... there is... something." Ron pauses, looking at Hermione hesitantly.

Hermione waited, completely nervous about what he might say.

He shook his head, "But no. It can't be. Besides, I was completely boggled, wasn't I?"

Hermione nervously laughed, slumping back into her seat, "Right. Boggled..."

Harry smiled with amusement. He glanced over at Isabel next to him to see if she found it funny as well.

She was just pushing her food around.

The lull in conversation caused the other two to focus on Isabel too, but she didn't seem to notice.

The three sent each other nervous looks.

Harry gently put his hand on her forearm.

She quickly pulled her arm away, looking alarmed.

The other three were very confused.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked.

"What?" Isabel said, sliding a bit away from Harry, "Uh, yeah."

They all nodded.

Hermione suddenly perked up.

"Look, it's Katie. Katie Bell." Hermione pointed.

Katie Bell stood smiling, surrounded by a bunch of her friends.

Without thinking, Harry stood up and walked right to her.

Isabel was so longer focused on her eggs. In one swift motion, she snatched Harry's potions book and put it in her little bag without anyone noticing.