𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 110

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED
AND TEN
✧
-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH HARRY'S MIND 
IS PUT AT EASE

. . .

As Hermione, Ron and Ginny took their seats on Ron's bed, Aviana made her way back to sit beside Harry, producing a compact mirror seemingly out of nowhere and spending majority on her focus on cleaning up her makeup and reapplying lipgloss. It was rather heavily cherry scented, and Harry often found himself distracted.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, forcing himself to look over at Hermione. "I thought you were skiing with your mum and dad."

"Well, to tell the truth, skiing's not really my thing." Hermione said, as she took off her coat, face pink with cold. Evidently, she had quite literally just arrived. "So I've come for Christmas instead. Mum and Dad are a bit disappointed, but I've told them everyone who's serious about the exams is staying at Hogwarts to study. They want me to do well, they'll understand." She shrugged. 

"Didn't want to stop and unpack first?" Aviana asked pointedly, as her mirror snapped shut and it disappeared into a pocket. 

Hermione ignored her. "I came on the Knight Bus." She said airily. "Dumbledore told me what had happened first thing this morning, but I had to wait for term to end officially before setting off. Umbridge is already livid that you lot disappeared right under her nose, even though Dumbledore told her Mr Weasley was in St. Mungo's and he'd given you all permission to visit. Didn't particularly seem to understand what was happening with you." She added, glancing over to Aviana.

"She never does." Aviana replied, her elbow resting on Harry's knee. "Bitch." She added, as an after thought. 

Hermione nodded vaguely, before returning her attention to Harry. "So... how are you feeling?" She asked.

Harry felt whatever he had just told Aviana sink into oblivion, replaced by the feeling of something immensely heavy weighing on his chest. "Fine." He replied, stiffly. 

"Oh, don't lie, Harry." Hermione said impatiently. "Ron and Ginny say you've been hiding from everyone since you got back from St. Mungo's." 

"They did, did they?" Harry glared at Ron and Ginny. 

Ron, despite his laughter just minutes before, had the courtesy to look down at his face, but Ginny seemed quite unabashed in the face of it.

"Well, you have!" She said. "And you won't look at any of us. Apparently, anyway." She glanced hesitantly over at Aviana, who was staring down at her nails quite purposefully, a singular eyebrow raised.

"It's you lot who won't look at me!" Harry replied angrily. 

"Maybe you're taking it in turns to look and keep missing each other." Hermione suggested, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards. Her expression faltered as, simultaneously, both Harry and Aviana turned to glare at her. 

"Very funny." Harry snapped. 

"Oh, stop feeling all misunderstood." Hermione said sharply. Aviana's eyebrows raised even  more. "Look, the others have told me what you overheard yesterday on the Extendable Ears-"