August | Hermione Granger x OFC

Chapter Sixty-Seven

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Robyn was released from the hospital wing the following evening, same time as Harry. She thought Madam Pomfrey was being a bit over the top keeping her so long – Harry was the one who had been tortured, not her. She was fine. Yet, she didn't argue, either. Less time in the scrutinising eyes of the school population.

But, still, she had to leave. Couldn't hide in the hospital wing forever.

She headed straight to Ravenclaw with her sights set on her bed, but walking through the common room was difficult – not only because of her Housemates staring at her, but because of one in particular: Cho Chang. Cho was sitting in one of the corners with her friends, and the heartbroken look she sent Robyn flooded her with guilt.

And then she arrived at her dorm and she was face to face with Olivia, which made her gulp.

"Robyn..." whispered Olivia with wide eyes.

"Hi, Liv," she whispered back.

And then she was being attacked via bone-crushing hug from a now-crying girl who was blabbing almost incoherently. "So sorry...Dumbledore told me...Imperius..."

She was coherent enough, though, so Robyn could understand the main message. She hugged her back fiercely, assuring the girl there was nothing that she could have done.

Then they were joined by the other Ravenclaws and Robyn felt a special sort of comfort. It was different from what Hermione made her feel, but powerful, nonetheless.

Do you have a group of friends you can rely on, Robyn?

Yes, she did. She could rely on them. There's no way any of them were spies – she'd been a fool to fall for Gunnar's devious methods. He'd taken the chance to make her feel as isolated and alone as possible, and it had worked. But she was fed up with that stupid boy.

No, at this point, she didn't care about him, she just wanted her friends. And at this point, if he tried to intimidate her, she might just tell him to stuff it accompanied by a firm smack.

The rest of term was a blur, mostly. The general population avoided both her and Harry like they had diseases – Harry, in particular, after the damning article Rita Skeeter had published about him the morning of the third task, calling him 'Disturbed and Dangerous'.

But then Hermione informed her that she had captured Rita in a jar, and it was quite inhumane but it was also quite satisfying.

Very satisfying.

There was also the issue of, every time she was in the same room as Harry, she felt drawn to him, and it was really, really weird. Again, she thought he felt the same as she often caught his gaze over the tables in the Great Hall. And for some fleeting moments she would think, 'Hold on, I don't fancy him, do I?', but then she would look to his left and see Hermione giving her a smile and think, 'Absolutely not. How could I, when Hermione is right there.'

Still, it was weird.

And then there was the Slytherins. They were weird, too. She had a feeling a lot of them thought she was now in cahoots with Harry and they either didn't know what to think of that or just plainly didn't like it.

Draco, too, seemed like he didn't know what to do. He probably knew his father had been present at the Dark Lord's return, and maybe he was happy about it but felt weird displaying that around her. She didn't know.

But Astoria was Astoria. Sometimes she wished the girl had been sorted into Ravenclaw, too, so she could be a permanent member of that little group and they could have sleepovers every night.