Chamber of Love

Chapter 56

On the very same day, just a few hours later, the raven haired girl was sitting under a large tree near the lake while holding a book in her lap. White flowers with black stems surrounded the area, elegantly dancing with the wind. Her haired kept gracefully blowing in the wind with the breeze, sometimes covering her face. She had to stop holding down the page to tuck the loose strands behind her ear. She was trying to finish one of the essential readings for the History of Magic, but her mind was too occupied to focus on the content of the book. And it's boringness didn't help.

She was wearing Cedric's Hufflepuff scarf. It hugged her neck loosely, the ends touching the grass. It gave her unexplainable comfort, as if he was right there with her. She put it on after breakfast, aimlessly going back to the common room. She never got to share the news with Draco because he was... busy. So she a grabbed a piece of paper, a quill and an ink to write to her parents. It was something she never thought she'd do, telling her parents that she became a Seeker. She so desperately hoped that they'd be proud, instead of thinking of it as a waste of time.

Juliette stopped by the Owlery to send her letter, then thought about looking for Draco once again, but the thought of having to walk away from him with burning jealousy once again convinced her to do otherwise. She was humiliated by her own reaction, and she later on decided that it was the product of her own excitement that was cut short so suddenly. She was just bitter that Draco was with his friends and she had to wait to share the news. She wasn't jealous and she didn't care that he was as close to Pansy as he was to her, if not more.

As she was rereading the same page for the fifth time with her growing frustration, faint footsteps made themselves known before the familiar voice called her name.

"Juliette, hi! Wasn't expecting to see you here."

Juliette looked up, pushing away the hair strands that were covering her face. Neville was walking towards her, wearing his baby blue cardigan and carrying a brown, worn out pouch.

"Good morning, Neville." Juliette greeted him with a warm smile. "I was just trying to read. It looked peaceful here."

"Oh, don't let me bother you." Neville paused, "I can come back later."

"No, please, I can't for the life of me focus anyway." She closed the book, relieved that she could take a break. Neville looked happy with her reply, stepping closer to the lake before her.

"What are you reading?"

"No idea." She sighed. "What are you doing with that pouch?"

Neville opened the pouch and crouched down, his knees immediately getting damp by the grass near the lake.

"Collecting some Moly." He answered, reaching for the beautiful white flowers with black stems. "Snape gave it as a homework. I think we're going to do some kind of healing potion with it."

"Which one?" Juliette asked, her interest peaking. She couldn't remember receiving that homework from Snape, which meant she'd get it very soon.

"Uh... I'm not sure." Neville looked up thoughtfully, his hand resting around one of the stems. "Wigglewield? Wiggenfield? Something like that."

Juliette smiled at him as he kept murmuring similar made up names, trying to remember what the actual potion was called.

"Wiggenweld." She corrected him.

"Yes, that one! Have you done it already?"

"No, but I've read about it. Never made one though, I couldn't get my hands on any Dittany."

"Well, this is your chance then." Neville pulled a few Molys from the ground with great care. "And you're interested in healing, I reckon you'll get a nice grade as well."