Control ▸ Ron Weasley [2]

XIII. NOW YOU SEE ME

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
NOW YOU SEE ME
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      Waking up in the Slytherin dorms was easier now that Nova had found a friend in Daphne.

      She avoided Pansy and Millicent like they had Dragon Pox, but she woke up around the same time Daphne did and they got ready for the day together. Then they walked down to the Great Hall and got breakfast. Nova wondered why she hadn't hung out with Daphne earlier, when Theo was with her. Though Nova was endlessly happy that Theo was so happy (and with her best friend, no less), she thought Daphne Greengrass was cool. It was a weird sensation, after years of avoiding having friendships within her house.

      It also helped that it was impossible to not like Astoria Greengrass.

      Since Daphne had been spending a lot more time with her little sister, it meant Nova spent time with Astoria by proximity. And oddly, Nova was fine with that. Unlike the younger Slytherins, Nova found Astoria to not be annoying. And the dragon book she had let Nova borrow was pretty entertaining for those late nights in which Nova couldn't fall asleep.

      She still avoided looking at the Gryffindor table, especially after the Christmas mishap. But...she was doing okay, which was all that she could ask for. 

      When she caught a flash of platinum hair sit at the end of the Slytherin table, she sighed. Another thing she was avoiding looking at.

      Nova knew Draco would eventually get over their breakup. It's what she genuinely wanted for him. But she didn't think she'd ever be without Draco in her life. Maybe that was selfish of her. Now, though, she didn't even want to look in his direction and he seemed perfectly fine with that. She didn't think she could ever forgive him for what he said and he probably meant to do it, to self-sabotage. 

      "Did you see the sign?" Astoria asked, plopping down onto the bench across from Daphne and Nova. Her hair was up in a bouncy ponytail, tied off with a green ribbon. Nova wished that look of childish life and innocence would stay on her face for a while to come. 

     "What sign?" Daphne asked, delicately taking a bite of her cinnamon roll.

     "You lucky arseholes get to go to Apparation lessons. Not until you turn seventeen, of course, but you'll get to. I'm jealous." Astoria loaded her plate with more food than Nova could ever imagine her packing into her tiny body. "When's your birthday, Nova?"

      "April second," she and Daphne replied at the same time. When Nova looked over at her new friend, she saw Daphne wince. She was most likely remembering Theo's last birthday as well, when they were still together and happy. "I'll be able to take it in February," she said quickly, changing the subject.

      "I hate side-along Apparation, so hopefully doing it by yourself won't be as terrible," Nova mentioned.

      "You've Apparated? Wicked!"