In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter XXXIX: Nothing But the Truth

(A/N: I don't want to talk at the end, so instead I'll tell you now I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please leave your thoughts down below... you might have quite a lot to say.)

LUCY:

"You excited to be playing your brother in the morning, Cub?" George asked.

I groaned and tossed my Ancient Runes textbook onto the table. "Draco Malfoy is the biggest pansy I've ever met, which is ironic considering there's a girl named Pansy in his house. He asked me to take his notes today because he claimed his arm was hurting too badly to write. He's milking this for all it's worth. Watch, it'll be miraculously healed come Sunday."

"It'll be miraculously healed as soon as we flatten Hufflepuff," Fred chuckled. "Because we will flatten them, right, Harry?"

Harry glanced out the window just as a massive lightning bolt forked across the sky. "I can't help but think Cedric's size will help in this weather. He's less likely to be blown off course than me."

Angelina giggled nearby. Fred turned to her with one eyebrow raised. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing," she lied, glancing at Alicia and bursting into laughter. I felt my face growing red. It was definitely about my brother.

"Looks like you'll be carrying the team tomorrow goal-scoring-wise, Cub," George teased. "Your fellow Chasers will be too busy drooling over the new Hufflepuff captain to even think about the Quaffle."

Fred clapped his hand to his forehead. "Oh, so that's why they made a fifth-year captain! They're hoping everyone on the opposing team will swoon before the match!"

"Oh, shut up," I giggled, my face turning red. "This is so weird. How would you feel if everyone in the school was obsessed with Charlie?"

"Oh, they were," George said, "but he was a lot like your brother. He didn't have eyes for a single one."

I bit my lip. Cedric did have eyes for one girl, but I was (obviously) sworn to secrecy. "He didn't?" I asked instead, fighting to keep the focus on Charlie and off of Cedric.

"Not at all," Fred replied. "Charlie just likes dragons, his family, and a couple of close friends. Nothing more, nothing less. He's a simple man, and sure fun to be around."

I nodded thoughtfully. "I'll have to talk to him more next time he's at your house. I mean, I like dragons, too."

"Boom, instant friendship," George laughed. "That's pretty much all it takes."

"Hey, Lucy?" came a soft voice from behind me.

I turned around to see an uncharacteristically-shy Ginny. "Hi, Ginny, what's up?"

"Can I talk to you?" she asked, looking around. "If you're not busy?"

"Oh, of course," I replied, immediately jumping off the couch and swooping up my textbook. "I can't focus on homework anyway with my teammates all crushing on my brother. Gross."

She managed a small laugh. "Okay."

I followed her up to her dormitory, which was empty except for us. She flopped onto her bed with a frustrated sigh.

"What's the matter?" I asked, perching myself on the corner of her bed.

She lifted her face off the bed and twisted her head to look at me out of the corner of her eye. She sighed again, this time with more resignation than irritation. "Well..." She pushed herself to a sitting position, playing with the corner of her quilt instead of meeting my eyes. "My parents said I should find a person to talk to instead of a diary. Which makes sense, considering... well, you know. And they thought you were a good person for that, and Percy agreed. Sorry if that's weird, I-"