MY TYPE OF LOVE | marauders era

| chapter eleven |

"So what did you want to talk about?" I began to fill up my plate, eyeing all the delicious food in front of me. School made me so hungry.

"I'm worried about Carri."

"Wait, why?" I immediately replied, turning towards him. "Is something wrong? Is she hurt? Did something happen?"

"Woah, calm down," Oliver said, raising his hands up. "As far as I know, she's fine. I just think she's been behaving weirdly."

"Oh, ok," I said, turning back to my plate as I tried not to panic. Carri was behaving weirdly, and I knew exactly why, but I figured it wasn't my place to tell Oliver any time soon. "What is she doing?"

"I think she's avoiding me," Oliver said, "But I'm the only person she seems to be avoiding. I've talked to both David and Leon and she doesn't seem to be going out of her way to avoid them. Is she avoiding you, or am I the only one?"

His bitterness was evident, but I wasn't going to lie to him completely. "No, she hasn't been avoiding me, as far as I know," I admitted, and hesitated. "Do you know why she might be avoiding you?"

"Not really," Oliver said, "I have a couple of guesses, but none of them really make sense."

I might have been an atheist, but right then I began praying hard that the subject of this conversation would change soon. The longer we discussed this, the angrier he would be when it got out that I did know what was going on with Carri. "Well, I don't know what's bothering her. Have you tried talking to her about it?"

Oliver sighed. "No, but I don't want to spook her."

"Yeah, but eggshells aren't good for any relationship."

"Maybe. I'll think about it." Oliver ruffled his hair. "Also, I wanted to talk about you."

"Me?" I asked, thinking about everything I had done in the past few weeks. "What about me?"

"Why are you studying so hard?" He asked, and I relaxed a little. So he didn't want to know about what Carri had told me. "I'm pretty sure you didn't start studying this hard for the O.W.L.'s last year until after Christmas Break, but the year just began."

I poked at my food, searching for words to say before sighing loudly. "My parents sent a letter on Sunday," I said finally, not looking up from my plate. "Apparently, my grades are going to determine the amount of freedom I have on breaks. And my allowance."

"Don't stress yourself out too much," Oliver said quietly, and I gritted my teeth.

"I'm fine, Oliver."

I surprised both of us with the bite in my words, but I didn't apologize, choosing to keep eating instead. We sat in silence for a few more minutes before Oliver started up another conversation, which I only half-heartedly participated in. When we finished eating, I excused myself to go to bed, and we walked back to the Common Room in silence.

I slipped into my dorm, throwing my bag on the floor next to my trunk as I kicked my shoes off and under my bed. I settled into my bed, grabbing my wand, parchment, quills, and the letter my parents sent to me.

I unfolded the papers, my eyes quickly scanning the letter, written in my father's scratchy handwriting, for what felt like the hundredth time this week.

Glinda,

How is Hogwarts, dear? I hope you are settling in well, and keeping up with your schoolwork. Your sixth year is no year to slack off, and even if you aren't taking your O.W.L.'s or N.E.W.T.'s, it is important to keep up with your classes.