Huffily Puffily || Golden Trio

It's Time || xxii

The next couple of weeks were unpleasant to the Hogwarts students, but especially so for four first years. Mother Nature seemed to have tried combating the dark, frightening nightmares for Lucy, but the sweltering hot weather only made everything seem so much worse.

She took her exams, feeling like she was trying to work in an oven. She was slightly surprised to see that her final exams were painless, and she'd finished in half the time they gave her. Then again, she had a special sort of tutor.

Quirrell called their lessons off shortly after Lucy served her detention in the forest. She wondered if Voldemort told Quirrell to do so, but from the journal entry she read, she felt like he'd done so out of his own volition. She didn't care; the further away she was from that man, the better. He was easy enough to handle before she found out he was trying to bring the murderer of her best friend's parents back to power.

She had just taken her History of Magic exam when Professor Quirrell caught her right outside the door. Her fellow Hufflepuffs gave her questioning looks, and Megan and Wayne stopped by the door to wait with Lucy.

"Go on," she urged him, glancing back at Quirrell. The man did not look very patient at the moment— she could swear he was reaching toward his wand. Wayne's eyes narrowed at her, so she lowered her voice, taking on a hint of a threatening tone. "Wayne, I said leave," she said harshly.

Megan looked hurt, and a little angry. "When you decide to stop being such a git, you can come apologize to us," she snapped. She grabbed Wayne's arm and pulled him away.

Wayne didn't look angry at her. Lucy wished he was, because the alarmed look he shot her way was somehow worse than Megan's biting words.

Still, she made a show of rolling her eyes and turning to face Professor Quirrell. "Alright, Professor?" she asked calmly.

"It's time," he said, unable to keep a grin off his face. Her heart dropped in her chest. In theory, she knew it was coming, but knowing something and then it actually happening were two completely different things. "We've got to put a few things in order, and then we can begin. I will send a letter to Dumbledore's office; you're going to wait to make sure it's arrived. If he's gone, you'll meet me at the trap door at precisely ten o'clock. I don't think I'll need to warn you to bring your wand."

Lucy nodded sharply. Maybe it was the hot weather, but her temper was feeling a bit short today. "Understood. I'll see you then, Professor." With that, she turned and hurried away.

She waited at the entrance to the school, sitting at a window ledge. To anyone passing her, she looked like she was lounging and enjoying the summer's view, but she knew better. She was watching each passing figure carefully out of the corner of her eye.

She knew it was too much to hope that her friends would leave her alone today. It was hardly their fault that they were so nice and concerned, but with the current events, it was better if they stayed angry at her.

Susan and Hannah passed her first on the way outside. They shot her dirty looks, which she forced herself to roll her eyes exaggeratedly at. Ernie and Justin followed closely behind but they either didn't notice or didn't care that Lucy wasn't joining them. It was only when Anthony, Cedric, and Daisy rounded the corner that Lucy knew she couldn't get away with staying silent.

Anthony walked up to her, concern written clear across his features. Even when she glared at him, he didn't flinch away. "Hey, Luce, what's going on?"

"Nothing," she replied, glancing out the window. She resisted the urge to sigh in relief when she saw an owl carrying a blue letter toward Dumbledore's tower. Mission accomplished.