Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }

Chapter 65 - Silver and Opals

A few weeks later was our first Hogsmeade trip of the year. It was colder than usual so I wore a thick wool turtleneck and a jacket. Hermione and I met Ron and Harry in the entrance hall and walked toward the small village. The boys were laughing loudly as they told us how Harry had used a spell that had made Ron levitate above his bed.

"Was this spell, by any chance, another one from that potion book of yours?" Hermione asked disapprovingly.

"Well... yeah, it was, but so what?" Harry said.

"So you just decided to try out an unknown, handwritten incantation and see what would happen?"

"Why does it matter if it's handwritten?" Harry asked, clearly trying to avoid the question.

"Because it's probably not Ministry approved," Hermione said. "And also because I'm starting to think this Prince character was a bit dodgy."

"It was a laugh!" Ron shouted. "Just a laugh, Hermione, that's all!"

"Dangling people upside-down by the ankle?" Hermione said. "Who puts time and energy making up spells like that?"

"Fred and George," Ron said.

I ignored their bickering for the rest of the way as I tried to conceal my face from the wind in my Gryffindor scar. When we reached Hogsmeade, we saw that a few shops had been boarded up the same as in Diagon Alley.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks," Harry said. "It'll be warm."

We nodded but saw a familiar figure before we entered.

"Tonks!" I said happily.

"Elizabeth!" She said with a small smile then glanced at the others behind me. "Ron, Harry, Hermione, it's nice to see you."

"How are you?" I asked her as I noticed she seemed less joyful than I knew her to be.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, "why don't you four go inside— get out of the cold," she said as she gestured to the pub. I hugged her quickly before following the others inside, grateful to be sheltered from the cold as we sat down and ordered our butterbeers.

"Oh, bloody hell," Ron said as he glanced at something behind me.

We turned to see Ginny and Dean holding hands as they talked at the back of the pub.

"Honestly, Ronald," Hermione said, "they're only holding hands— and snogging."

We all stopped staring at them and turned to Ron.

"I'd like to leave," Ron said.

"What? You can't be serious," I said as I took a sip of my butterbeer.

"That happens to be my sister," he said.

"So?" Hermione said. "What if she looked over here and saw you snogging me, would you expect her to get up and leave?"

We all looked to each other uncomfortably, but I saw Ron's cheek turn slightly red at her words.

"Harry, m'boy!" A voice said from behind me.

"Oh, no," Harry muttered. "Hello, Professor," he said once Slughorn stood beside me. We all smiled at him, but he only looked at Harry.

"Listen, m'boy," he said, "in the old days I used to throw together the occasional supper party for the select student or two. Would you be game?"

"I'd consider it an honour, sir," Harry said, not looking as pleased as he made it sound.

"You would be welcome to, Rosier," he said with a smile. "And Granger as well, of course."