Too Much?

24

The next day, the news about the Hufflepuff-Slytherin match was overshadowed immediately by the upcoming last match of Gryffindor against Ravenclaw that will officially determine the winner of the Quidditch Cup. Although it seems to be over in the whole castle, the issue about the previous match remained its weight in the Slytherin House; the students maintained their dismal silence most of the time even in class, mostly communicating in low whispers. The students in other Houses are confused of their behaviour, but they couldn't really care less.

Half an hour before dinner, a few Slytherins chose to stay at the common room a little longer; which includes Pansy, Blaise, Daphne, Ava, Agatha, Robin, Crabbe, Goyle, Norman and Graham. They were all busy in their own businesses; mostly are studying except for Norman who did his favorite pastime of playing his guitar and singing with a new rendition of his song.

"They don't love us but it's okay..."

"Will you stop that, Enriquez," said Ava stiffly. "That song is very depressing."

Norman stopped playing and threw his hands in the air pessimistically. "And what do you call us?"

"Being okay is subjective," said Agatha while sitting comfortably in a chair with her book resting on both of her knees. "You should at least try to be okay."

"I am," replied Norman convincingly, but sounded more like he's talking to himself. "As long as I have my guitar, I'm okay. The others could try living the same, simple life."

Pansy dipped her quill to the ink bottle and scribbled in her parchment. "Yeah, and ignore the Dark Lord's threats and just wait for your time to die."

Norman collapsed in his chair and exhaled, his eyes focused on one of the floating emerald lanterns. "It all falls to the reason behind, amigo. I mean, why would it be necessary?"

"Ulysses's got a point, we can't just stand on the top of the staircase without seeing the steps even if it means saving Draco's neck. One wrong move and we'll all fall down into god-knows-where," said Agatha. "But his approach is faulty-calling it 'disloyalty' when the proper term is 'cynical.'"

Blaise sniggered as he waves his wand to practice Charms. "And since when did Ulysses had a wide range of vocabulary?"

"But Agatha's metaphor is right, we're all standing at the edge of the staircase now-and Pansy's right as well-we're stuck in the dark. Even Snape is getting more skeptical on us-that loco found out about the commotion last night and we don't even know how!" said Norman who now resumed his guitar playing. "Pity it's only señor Vailey who can do Occlumency."

"No, Draco can, too," said Robin from his seat. "Don't ask-I just know," he said again when Norman opened his mouth to reply.

"And not to mention again that Potter links him to Bell's accident," said Daphne while stirring her cauldron. "He'd not just give up on that theory, I'm sure."

Pansy paused in her writing and blotted her essay. Come to think of it, when she was trying to catch Draco with those two girls that happen to be Crabbe and Goyle, Harry Potter always shows up, staring into the wall. She gave a small gasp-does he know?

"Speaking of which, I heard from Leanne that Katie Bell has finally come back from St. Mungo's," said Robin in a calm voice as he reads his book. Norman stopped abruptly again in playing and looked at him in intrigue, "Really, amigo?" Pansy abandoned her thoughts about Harry Potter and focused her entire attention to Robin.