Treacherous | Hermione Granger Book II

|35| Chapter Thirty-Five

T H I R T Y  F I V E 

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Another week passed, and Saffron was grateful for the fact that no other attacks had taken place in the school. But, of course, that came with its own sort of paranoia. People were speculating that the Heir of Slytherin was resting and biding their time before striking yet again. 

The week was relatively low-key. Saffron and her siblings were happy to see that Amanda had taken her full-time position in the school and was working in conjunction with Madam Pomfrey. The matron always had helpers around her, as running a hospital in a school full of magic was quite the task, but having somebody beside her full time was to the benefit of the school as a whole and to Madam Pomfrey individually.

Saffron was found to be walking down to the Great Hall alone for breakfast one morning since Hermione had gotten up particularly early to check on the potion when she saw Olly standing beside the noticeboard. He gestured to her to come over to him.

"Have you seen this?" He pointed his hand at a notice that said that there was a Duelling  Club starting up that night in the Great Hall. "It sounds great, but my friend Anthony heard from his friend Lucy that Professor Lockhart is running it. . . which only makes it better,"

"Better?" Saffron blinked. She vividly recalled slating Lockhart with Olly and Padma in Astronomy one night. "I thought you hated Lockhart too?"

"Oh, I do," Olly assured her. "That's why it's so much better, won't it be hilarious to see him getting beaten up by a first year or something,"

Saffron giggled. The mental image of her brother or sister destroying Lockhart in a duel was engraved in her mind and honestly, it wasn't all that unrealistic.

"I definitely don't want to miss that," replied Saffron, subconsciously adjusting the ever-present red ribbon in her hair.  As she did so, Olly noticed what was around her hand. 

"You actually kept it," the boy's eyes widened in surprise.  

"Of course I did," Saffron told him with sincerity. "I didn't quite fancy it as a necklace, so I got my friend Hermione to tighten it so that'd be a bracelet,"

"Luna will be pleased," said Olly with a grin. "She really put a lot of effort into making them,"

"How come people call her Loony?" Saffron asked Olly, following him into the Great Hall. The pair took seats opposite each other at the top of the Ravenclaw table, near a group of chattering sixth years. 

"I think it's because she's misunderstood," answered Olly, though he seemed to be considering the answer himself. "Well, actually I think nobody gives themselves the chance to understand her, but I did and I'm glad I did. She's different, very very very different than anybody I know, but different in a good way,"

"Rowan's told me about her," Saffron told Olly. "He says she doesn't really talk to anyone in her class, and whenever she does she says something that has nothing to do with what they were talking about or something really harsh about what they were talking about,"

Olly nodded. "That sounds like Luna, she does that, but it's actually what I like about her," He paused. "Plus, we have a lot more in common than anyone knows. Firstly, we're both blonde," He paused and Saffron laughed in the pause. He smiled when she did so. "But secondly and most of all, we both live in a house with just one parent. I don't know if everyone knows, so if you don't mind keep that between us---"