The Potter Twins and the Half-Blood Prince {6}

16. Pray You Catch Me

"You can taste the dishonesty it's all over your breath. As you pass it off so cavalier, but even that's a test. Constantly aware of it, my lonely ear pressed against the wall of your world. Pray to catch you whispering, I pray you catch me listening" - Pray You Catch Me, Beyoncé

The next day, Harry and I confide in Riley, Ron, and Hermione the task that Dumbledore has set for us, though separately in regardless to the latter, Hermione still refuses to remain in Ron's presence longer than it takes to give him a contemptuous look.

Ron and Riley think that it's unlikely we'll have any trouble with Slughorn at all.

"He loves you," Ron says over breakfast, waving an airy forkful of fried egg. "Won't refuse you two anything, will he? Just hang back after class this afternoon and ask him."

Hermione, however, takes a gloomier view. "He must be determined to hide what really happened if Dumbledore couldn't get it out of him," she says in a low voice, as we stand in the deserted, snowy courtyard at break. "Horcruxes...Horcruxes...I've never even heard of them..."

"You haven't?" We're both disappointed; Hermione was the one person who we thought might be able to give us a clue as to what Horcruxes are.

"They must be really advanced Dark Magic, or why would Voldemort have wanted to know about them? I think it's going to be difficult to get the information, you'll have to be very careful about how you approach Slughorn, think out a strategy..."

"Ron reckons we should just hang back after Potions this afternoon..."

I grimace; why would he say that?

"Oh, well, if Won-Won thinks that, you'd better do it," she says, flaring up at once. "After all, when has Won-Won's judgement ever been faulty?"

"Hermione, can't you --?"

"No!" she says angrily, storming away and leaving Harry and us alone and in ankle-deep snow.

"You're tactless," I mutter.

"And you're lovesick," he retorts, linking his arm with mine as we begin to trek back inside. "Do you know what you're going to do about Malfoy yet?"

"No."

He gives me a pointed stare. "Haylee, isn't it obvious? Break up with him!"

I frown, at a complete loss of what to do. "Do you really think so? Oh, don't answer that, of course, you think so! I just want us to be normal sixteen-year-olds. Why does it have to be so hard?"

"Because you love him," he says bluntly. "He does something to piss you off, you get angry, and then opens his mouth and you cave in and forgive him. It's like you're addicted to him, or something. And he won't be happy until you overdose!"

"Jesus Christ, Harry!" I snap, my heart suddenly in my throat.

"It's not too late to say no, Haylee!" he presses, as enthusiastic as Wood in one of his old pre-match pep talks. "Say no to all the lies and manipulation - you know Dad and Sirius will tell you the same thing!" He takes a moment before continuing in a quieter voice, sensing my panic. "I'm only saying this because I love you, and I know you better than I know myself."

*~*

Potions lessons are now uncomfortable enough these days, seeing as Harry, Ron, and Hermione all share a table, and I usually share a table with Draco, Tessa, and Zabini. However, today I fight to get a spot with Hermione, reluctantly following her so we're as far away from Ron and Harry as possible. I bridge the gap between them nevertheless, once again playing both sides.