The Last Riddle

15. Grey eyes and lies

After Ron had been screamed at by the red letter I returned back to my table struggling to hold in my laughter. The other Slytherins in the hall however did not seem to have the same urge and were instead openly pointing and laughing at poor Ron.

Thankfully Snape stole their attention away from the poor boy as he came out distributing timetables for the year.

I look down scanning mine quickly and notice how my first lesson of the day is transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs, I hadn't yet had the chance to see Poppy and I feel awfully bad that I hadn't actually thought about her since boarding the train until just now.

"Blaise can we get to transfiguration early? I'd like to be able to see Poppy before we go in." I look to Blaise putting on my best puppy dog eyes.

He looks back at me with his dark eyes and stops eating the piece of toast in his hand "fine but just so you know those eyes don't work on me" he mutters with his mouth full of food. "I am only agreeing as I  should probably stop eating now. This is my fifth piece and I can only imagine my mother's reaction if she saw me eating this much bread so early."

I laugh and pack my timetable into my bag which is swiftly taken off me by Blaise. No matter how much I protest, the boy just isn't capable of letting me carry my own bag, he says that his mother raised him to be the perfect French gentleman to which I simply roll my eyes in response.

As Blaise and I approach the transfiguration classroom I notice that it is empty outside and we are the only two students here yet. Which would make perfect sense seeing as we are over twenty five minutes early.

Blaise silently leans against the wall and closes his eyes. I stand next to him moving slightly up and down onto the balls of my feet, excited to see my other best friend after a long summer apart. The minutes pass and other students begin to arrive, one by one they line up behind Blaise and I. I look around eagerly but to my dismay Poppy still hasn't arrived and it is now only a few minutes before the start of class.

Professor McGonagall soon arrives and gestures for us all to enter the room. Blaise and I take two seats at the back as I go to sit down in one of the desks I notice that Blaise has left a space between us.

"Hey?" I whisper at him confused as to why he doesn't want to sit near me. "What's wrong do I smell?" I ask him subtly trying to smell my cardigan.

Blaise raises his eyebrow at me "no you weirdo" he pulls his bag up and places it on the seat between us. "I'm saving a seat for Poppy?"

I smile at the boy and nod my head. I knew that no matter how cool Blaise acts he has a sure soft spot for her.

The clock strikes nine o'clock and McGonagall promptly starts her lesson. I can't focus on the witch at the front of the room who is talking about turning beetles in to buttons as Poppy's empty seat is calling for my attention.

First Harry didn't turn up for the train and now Poppy has just disappeared? McGonagall instructs us to all to try the spell ourselves and soon the room is full of chatter and enchantments.

"Psst Hannah" I whisper to the blonde haired Hufflepuff sitting in front of me.

She turns round looking at me curiously "yes?"

I attempt to smile at the girl in hopes of seeming less intimidating but judging by the look on her face it achieved the opposite effect.

"Where's Poppy do you know?" I ask her watching McGonagall out of the corner of my eye who is attempting to teach Crabbe and Goyle the complex spell.

"She isn't here" Hannah whispers back shifting in her seat.

"Yeah no shit Sherlock" Blaise snaps at her.