Delicate {𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪}

Chapter 23

The atmosphere was downtrodden around the eighth years the next morning. The 'Golden Trio' weren't sitting together and instead had the silver trio by their sides with one missing. The group sat in silence, a sense of melancholy surrounding them as the youngest of them was seated further down the table beside the youngest Weasley.

To those in the other houses or years, they were confused as to the behaviour of the Eighth years. However, any of those who had returned for their extra year noticed Harry's 'off' behaviour. The boy wasn't talking to anyone and had a blank expression on his face. The mask was strong, as whenever he turned to face the ginger by his side his mouth pulled itself into a smile.

Anyone who had looked closer than usual was slightly horrified as the fake smile was reminiscent of a marionette doll, being controlled against its will. Many were concerned or suspicious, such as the boys who had shared a dorm with the raven for years before. Dean and Seamus were highly confused and worried about their friend. After casting a look towards the incomplete trios, their concerns were only amplified.

Dean turned to his boyfriend and raised his eyebrows in question. Seamus returned the confused look before the two stood and made their way to the brooding group.

"What's up with you lot? And why's Harry sittin' all the way over there?" Seamus questioned the group. The Slytherins were surprised that neither boy said anything about their presence but, grateful for them not bringing it up, Draco decided to explain.

"Harry hasn't spoken to us in a few days and we're all concerned but he seems happy enough over there with the Weaselette," Draco said the last word with a snarl that earned him a harsh look from the other Weasley seated across from him. Draco shrugged unapologetically as the Irish boy beside him hummed in thought.

"If you ask me he doesn't seem all that happy," Dean ventured quietly. Pansy turned to him in confusion. "What are you on about, he looks perfectly content ignoring us and focusing on his new  girlfriend." She spat the word like it was acid in her mouth. Seamus raised his eyebrows but didn't comment on the tone.

"For his best friend's you don't seem to know him very well," Dean began haughtily, smug that he and Seamus had noticed the abnormalities in Harry's behaviour before his supposed best friends. The group seemed scandalised by the accusation, highly offended by Dena's words. "What are you going on about mate?" He was questioned by the redhead seated across from him.

"Look at Harry right now. And I mean look at him." The group finally looked at Harry properly and saw him. They saw his blank expression that morphed into a tortured smile when Ginny's attention was on him. Harry also hadn't touched a bite of his food and his hands seemed to be fidgeting aggressively.

The group shared looks of horror as the realisation that something was terribly wrong finally dawned on them. Blaise took the initiative to say something to Harry if only to confirm their suspicions and stood up to head over to the raven.

The two were on pretty good terms, having spoken a good few times during the parties and in passing, however not many were privy to that knowledge, including the ginger by his side.

"Potter" Blaise spoke as he came to stand behind the pair. Harry looked up at him with glassy eyes, which only succeeded in amplifying his concern. Ginny scowled at the Slytherin and rounded on him with a glare. "What do you want Zabini" She spat his name in disgust, at which he merely raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Wasn't talking to you Weasley," He shot back in a similar tone.

Ignoring her look of anger he repeated himself, "Potter," Harry opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Ginny. "Leave him alone Zabini, Harry doesn't like you and doesn't need you harassing him."

Blaise smirked as she fell into his trap almost perfectly. Harry's response would reveal if his actions were truly his own or not. Blaise ignored the redhead and stared pointedly at Harry. Ginny did the same and seemed to be drilling a hole in the side of Harry's head.

"Piss off Zabini," Harry said, with a complete lack of venom behind it, which seemed to only enrage the youngest Weasley even more. She had clearly hoped he would spit the words at the Slytherin, rather than sounding simply exhausted. Blaise on the other hand was caught between smirking victoriously or gaping in horror at his suspicions being confirmed. So Harry was either an amazing actor and had hated him this entire time, which he highly doubted, he was smitten with Ginny and was willing to be rude to anyone for her happiness and just happened to have glossy eyes, or he was being controlled.

Blaise merely nodded his head and headed back towards the group who had been watching the exchange with apprehension. "Told you he just didn't like us," Draco said bitterly. Blaise rolled his eyes and explained what he had seen and his theory. The group seemed at a loss for what to say, but Hermione was looking at Harry with a heartbroken expression at the thought of him not being in control. Draco was glaring at his plate, both angry with himself for not immediately noticing and helping his boyfriend, but also fighting with the part of him that was saying it was all a ruse and he was going to get his heart broken again.

"Ok, well if that's true, and Potter isn't in control right now," Pansy started, "Then we need to break him out of whatever the hell this is." Everyone nodded at her with determination. Ron, however, seemed hesitant, he didn't want to believe his baby sister would do that to his best friend. However, with the evidence staring him straight in the face, he had little room to argue and so agreed with the group reluctantly.

"Ron, if we're wrong and Harry really is just with Ginny," Hermione ignored Draco's flinch, "Then we can leave them be. This is only in case your best friend is being controlled against his will." Ron nodded along with her words and faced the group with a far more determined face that he had previously.

"Let's do this"

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Ok, I finally have an updating schedule. I will update every Sunday no matter what, and depending on my efficiency I'll update on Thursdays also. Let's finish this thing properly :)

Lila out 💜