✓ Heavenly

012. Lovegood

Part One / Chapter Twelve

Venus walked to Herbology with a book in her hand. Constance walked a ways ahead of her asking Hermione Granger about Herbology answers, unintentionally listening to Harry's rant about the new Care of Magical Creatures Professor. Venus stood behind Constance with her eyes glued into her book.

"And don't say that Grubbly-Plank woman's a better teacher!" Harry said threateningly to Hermione.

"I wasn't going to," said Hermione calmly looking back down at her own book and vaguely answering Constance's questions.

"Because she'll never be as good as Hagrid," said Harry firmly. Venus never wanted to thump someone so bad.

"Okay, we get it. You're in love with Hagrid," said Constance, annoyed with Harry's constant blabber about their former Care of Magical Creatures Professor offering Venus a licorice wand, which she kindly declined.

"I'm not in love with Hagrid!"

"Please, you might as well invite us to the wedding," Constance teased. Venus snorted, winning an indignant eyeball from Harry.

The door of the nearest greenhouse opened and some fourth years spilled out of it. Ginny Weasley was one of them, greeting the trio brightly before heading to her next class, closely followed by a whimsy looking Luna Lovegood.

Luna took a great breath and then said, without so much as a preliminary hello: "I believe He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back, and I believe you fought him and escaped from him."

"Er — right," said Harry awkwardly.

Parvarti Patil and Lavender Brown were laughing in the distance.

"You can laugh!" Luna said, her voice rising. "But people used to believe there were no such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack!"

"Well, they were right, weren't they?" said Hermione impatiently. "There weren't any such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Luna gave her a withering look and flounced away. Parvati and Lavender were not the only ones hooting with laughter now.

"D'you mind not offending the only people who believe me?" Harry asked Hermione as they made their way into class.

Now Venus was unintentionally listening, or ... intentionally.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Harry, you can do better than her, " said Hermione. "Ginny's told me all about her, apparently she'll only believe in things as long as there's no proof at all. Well, I wouldn't expect anything else from someone whose father runs The Quibbler."

"Oh, yeah because asking Ginny is such a great source, I thought you were supposed to be the smart one. " Venus said sharply. "Sorry. Just— stop talking badly about her."

The trio glanced at Constance as Venus pushed through them into the Greenhouse. She was watching her best friend take a seat next to Daphne Greengrass when she noticed the three staring at her glassy-eyed, "Don't look at me like that, I don't know anything."

Venus didn't look at any of them for the entire class. Although it was likely of her, she focused solely on her classwork. Even if it meant listening to Professor Sprout speak about the importance of O.W.L.'s. After Professor Sprout had given them their homework, the Gryffindor's trooped back up to the castle. Venus had ended her tantrum and walked alongside her friends.

"So, now you want to talk to us?" said Ron comically.

"Who said I was talking to you?" Venus responded keeping her sight forward. She took Constance's forearm and pulled her away from the trio.

Umbridge's detention started in an hour. She figured she should eat before going, the woman could keep them there for hours and Venus wasn't going hungry.

"You've eaten eight biscuits, Venus," Constance said worryingly.

"Okay?" Venus mumbled.

"Umbridge's detention won't be so bad," Constance reassured taking a biscuit out of Venus' hand. "She'll probably only make to write lines or something."

"What d'you reckon are the odds of Umbridge letting you off on Friday?" She heard Ron say as he, Hermione and Harry took a seat at the Gryffindor table.

"When hell freezes over," said Venus scraping some salad onto her plate. She peered back up to find Harry looking at her displaying a what-the-hell look on his face. "Sorry, not helping."

Ron moaned and for some reason glanced up at the ceiling. "It looks like it's going to rain."

"What's that got to do with our homework?" said Hermione, her eyebrows raised.

"Nothing," said Ron at once, his ears reddening.

Venus stared at the ginger skeptically, his sudden interest in the weather was questionable. But she had Umbridge's detention to worry about. Every worst-case scenario flowed into and out of her head. Venus looked at his red ears that'd begun to return to their porcelain tone. Either he was mad, embarrassed, or lying. Venus reckoned the boy was hiding something from them.

At five to five Harry and Venus bade their friends goodbye and set off to Umbridge's on the third floor. They passed a group of Gryffindor's on their way toward the staircase; Ritchie Coote eyed her fancifully sending her a flirtatious smirk. Venus snapped her head in front of her swiftly, avoiding his contagious eye contact.

"Venus," said Harry hesitatingly. "Why did you get so angry when Hermione said that. . .about Luna?"

Venus was at least five feet apart from the boy, staring at him uninterested.

"It's just— I've seen the way Malfoy goes at it with you three. When he calls her a Mud— you know what I'm talking about. It's unreasonable when he does it to you three or anyone else. But she's being a complete hypocrite doing it to Luna." Venus glanced at Harry. "Sorry, I know Hermione's your best friend. She should know how it feels being bullied, yet, it's so easy for her to do it to someone else." Venus said in a much quieter tone than before.

"Don't be, you're right," affirmed Harry. Venus' eyes met his; unable to form any words out of frustration form the earlier situation. Harry cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "There's her office."

The two stopped in front of the door. Neither of them being able to knock on it.

"You ready?" asked Harry looking down at Venus who stared at the door to their Professor's office.

"No." She responded knocking on Umbridge's door. Undermining the limits the woman would go, to ensure that Harry Potter and the suspected half-breed never cross her again.

I changed the title of the story.