The Simple House of Duffrey

(51) N.E.W.T.S

When you are ignoring someone, it suddenly becomes very obvious if they start ignoring you back. Something had definitely happened to Anna at the first party but her response was actually helpful to me. This meant we said, "hello and goodbye" or maybe just held hands, leaving the other with a soundless peck on the cheek. The time I was sacrificing was definitely worth it. On my end, I had made Slughorn's party such a success, that he had set a date for the next on the four-day weekend right before NEWTS.

David Searle, had been pacing around me a lot this week, though I considered him Anna's friend, not mine. I could tell he was under the impression that I was still the main party host again. When I told him, I had arranged to simply enjoy it this time, he had stopped bothering to speak with me. It was obvious that he was fishing for an invitation. What I was contributing this time, was my house elf Baravis as doorman. He had completed, according to a very agitated Agarth, the overhaul of the castle's Alchemy lab, so I decided to give the younger elf a breather. Then again, I also needed to get out of this castle and the only secret passage I knew had been sealed.

Regardless, I dressed in a relaxed grey suit and brought along a short cloak that wouldn't be too suspicious. The subbasement, much as the Slytherin dorms, always seemed a bit too cold for me anyway. Parker was already there pigging out on the food where no girls could observe. As soon as the first other guests started arriving, he stopped his carb-loading in case he had any fans to disappoint. He had become rather bulky, but it was more due to focus on athleticism. I was pretty sure that Ruddy was coaching him to seriously apply for teams next year.

Anna had come with the girls which was surprising, but pleasant. I had spied her talking to a Black cousin of mine last time. Whatever was said, seemed to upset her and the Blacks were pureblood supremacists so, I could only guess at its uncomfortableness. Watching her stuff her favorite quiches into her mouth and trade some with the other girls at least felt good. She wasn't smiling not at me, but seeing her smile was good enough for now.

My mind however had snapped back to the plan for the next few days, and I lost track of her. Ruddy was practically being chased around the party, but he had started shedding girls off to the other international quidditch player. Once he unloaded the last of them, he headed my way. He stood around and appeared to be in deep conversation with me, so that any others would know to stay away. When the arranged amount of time to be seen had past, he finally spoke up.

"Stephen, we should go now. The international port-key is like a train, it only runs on its time and doesn't wait for anyone" Ruddy said, quite thoroughly fed up with schoolgirl fans after only a few hours.

My eyeline however was set on Parker and Anna, "I'm just worried he's about to say something stupid and mess it all up".

"Glad, you still have that same old confidence in other people, I thought we fixed that" he sighed, looking at his concealed watch.

"I trust him, but his love for Anna is nearly as strong as mine. So how can I trust that?" I quibbled.

"Yeah, I noticed that the summer he stayed with us" Ruddy said, taking in the sudden raise in my shoulders. It certainly wasn't a relief for someone to confirm that another man had it in for your girl. He pressed himself to me so that others wouldn't hear and firmly held my shoulder, "...don't think too deeply on it. You won't be doing anything stupid enough to be replaced by someone else. This is all for her anyway".

I had to let it go for now, which is when Parker shooed her off and headed out into the hall where I had instructed Baravis to wait. Waiting until we were sure she was occupied, we too slipped out to the subbasement. Luckily, Baravis did not have too many qualms about just getting us outside the school grounds and Parker had already taken his apparition test at the Ministry over the summer.