The Hufflepuff

Twenty Four

Eleanor frowned down at the page in front of her as she walked through a nearly empty corridor, Susan beside her, reading the article over her shoulder.

He who must not be named returns.

"They've certainly changed their tone haven't they?" Susan says.

"They're just ignoring the fact they've spent the past year slandering Harry for saying this very thing," Eleanor sighed in agreement, folding the page up and handing it to Susan to read.

Rounding the corner they find Reggie sitting outside the doorway into the hospital wing where they had been headed to visit Cynthia and the others.

"Did you want me to stay?" Susan whispered to Eleanor.

"No, go in and see Cyn, I won't be too long."

She watched Susan enter the hospital wing, turning to face Reggie once the door had shut again.

"You're not going in to see her?" She asked, deciding to ignore the fact they hadn't spoken to each other since their argument.

"I've already been in," He says softly.

"Soo you're sitting out here?"

"Waiting for you. I knew you'd be here at some point, once you got over the guilt."

"Guilt?" She asks sharply, taking a step back.

"Yeah, guilt. For playing at grown up, pretending you could take on responsibilities you know nothing about and dragging my sister into it all."

"Excuse me? It was her idea to go, she knew what she was getting into, certainly more than I did. I only went to try and keep her safe."

"Yeah and a great job you did there," he said, his voice rising in anger.

"At least I tried, and last I checked, you weren't there, volunteering to help, being chased down by death eaters."

She had obviously hit a nerve, when she pointed out that he hadn't been present as his face turned a fearsome red and, fearing they would be told off by Madam Pomfrey for arguing, grabbed her by the arm and led her down an empty corridor.

"I wasn't there because I was doing as I was told, keeping my head down for my last year of school. Like what you two should have been doing. Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself, trying to show off for that ass and nearly getting my sister killed in the process, maybe now he won't think you're so boring."

The accusation felt like a slap in the face, in fact, Eleanor was sure she would have preferred it, "Excuse me? This is somehow about Malfoy now? Is your pride so hurt at being left out that you're going to say I dragged Cynthia off to fight some death eaters to prove to a guy that I'm not boring?"

"My pride is not hurt, not by the fact that you, like a child, traipsed off in the middle of the night to fight a battle you couldn't win."

"I already told you, I only went to keep an eye on Cynthia," Eleanor snaps, her face inches from Reggies and she stares into his eyes, begging him to see how truly horrible she felt that Cynthia had been hurt, that she had not just wandered into danger out of childish curiosity and foolishness.

But there was no understanding or forgiveness in his eyes, he pulled himself to his full height and pushed past Eleanor back towards the hospital wing. "You're not visiting her, I don't want you in there and neither will our parents when they get here."

"Your parents have disowned her Reggie," Eleanor yells at his retreating back, "After all the stories you made up about George she was told to make a choice, and she did, thanks to you now, she isn't welcome home. Maybe instead of placing your blame with me, you should look at some of your own actions."