A Trek Through Worlds- HARRY POTTER X OC

17.

Effie never realized how fast gossip spread around Hogwarts. By dinner, the entire school had heard about Effie's outburst, mostly from the vivid re-enactments Draco performed for anyone who'd watch.

Nobody expected her to show her face for the rest of the week. Dean and Seamus even offered to do for her what she was doing for Luna and bring her homework and food. That's why, when she walked into Defense Against the Dark Arts class completely unfazed and sat at her normal desk next to Neville, silent stares followed her.

The responses of her classmates had been varied. She'd been congratulated by Slytherins, comforted by Hufflepuffs, and approached by Ravenclaws to discuss her spell usage, but the Gryffindors hadn't done anything but stare at her. She couldn't figure out what was behind their gazes; their empty eyes that stared through her.

Neville however treated her no differently. He'd been in the Great Hall at the time of the fight, so he'd obviously seen it, and yet he didn't mention it once. A fact that Effie was entirely grateful for.

They joked together throughout the entire lesson of Kappas and Grindylows and he even walked with her back to the common room after the clock chimed. Dean and Seamus also didn't stare at her or judge. After she explained to them in the vaguest terms what had happened, they took her side.

"I swear I'll kill them," Seamus said, standing up in rage. "Trying to trick you like that. Bloody cruel of them. And for what? For. What."

Effie smiled up at him in the dim lighting of the almost empty common room. Dean, Effie, Seamus, and Neville had all sat in a circle in the darkest corner of the common room to talk about what had happened.

Seamus was still on his feet, so Effie reached up her hand to the cuff of his sleeve and pulled him back to the ground, laughing when he toppled over and landed sprawled across Dean. Dean shoved him off and laughed, a small blush dusting both boys' faces.

Neville was eating one of the creme filled doughnuts from the pile Effie had snuck up to the kitchens and smiled at it in remembrance.

"I think Effie already got some sweet revenge."

The group laughed and chatted some more before the clock chimed again, calling all students to the Great Hall for dinner. The boys looked at Effie nervously, expecting her expression to change, but she remained smiling and dusted desert crumbs off her skirt.

"Effie," Dean started, "you don't have to go down there if you don't want. We'd be glad to keep you company up here."

At that, Effie laughed.

"Why wouldn't I want to go down there? I'm not the one who got covered in creme."

Finally reassured, the boys followed Effie to the Great Hall, Dean walking next to her while Seamus and Neville flanked them from behind.

The Great Hall quieted a little when she walked in, but to diffuse the tension, Effie whispered a joke into Dean's ear.

"What's a ghost's favorite football position?" She whispered. "Ghoul Keeper."

Deans laugh echoed throughout the Great Hall, relaxing all of its inhabitants and lightening the mood in the atmosphere. The four sat down together and enjoyed an uninterrupted peaceful meal.

All seemed good, but how long does good really last?

The answer to that question is 2 hours and 16 minutes. Avoiding someone is a harder task when they sleep in the bed next to you.

Effie knew that she'd need sleep for her Potions exam the next day and figured if she got ready for bed early enough, Hermione wouldn't see her until she was already fast asleep.

She quickly rushed to prepare for bed and said a short goodnight to the boys who were playing an intense game of Gobstones and barely glanced at her, resorting to small, focused grunts in her general direction.

Scurrying up the stairs into her dorm, she closed the door behind her with a sigh and focused on getting her potions book. She grabbed the large leather book with all of her notes in it and sat down to read, stuck in an education fueled trance when a small cough snapped her back to reality. Effie glanced up quickly to her left where Hermione was sitting on the edge of her bed looking at her expectantly.

Effie groaned and shut her book, tossing it at the bag at the end of her bed and throwing herself under the covers.

"Fuck off."

"Effie..."

The room remained silent and Effie closed her eyes, begging for sleep.

"Effie."

The voice returned in her head, it's whispers like steel in her mind. She deserves to suffer. Forgiveness is a weakness. Effie shook them out of her head.

"Please."

It was so quiet Effie wasn't even sure if she heard it. The small plead came out like a whimper; the desperation of it forcing Effie to turn over and sit up to face her.

"What?" Effie spat.

At her words, Hermione flinched. It broke Effie's heart to see her like that, so broken and upset. For a moment she almost forgot what Hermione had done, wanting more than anything to reach out and comfort her. Almost.

Effie took a deep breath and reminded herself of how she had felt earlier that day. The anger that had been coursing through her veins resurfaced and all sympathy for the broken girl before her vanished.

"What?" She said again, less harsh but barely so.

"How could you tell that it was me?"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?!"

Effie was fueled with hatred. Hermione wasn't asking for forgiveness or trying to explain herself, she only wanted to know why her plan failed. Little Miss Perfect was more upset over something not happening like she wanted than over losing a friend. Effie rolled her eyes and went to go back into her previous position when Hermione's voice stopped her.

"Wait, I'm sorry okay. I'm so sorry."

"No, you're not."

"But Effie- I truly am. I betrayed your trust and that was horrible of me. Please-"

"Actions have consequences Hermione. Learn to live with yours or you'll never amount to anything in life."

Hermione swallowed and took a deep breath before responding.

"I know you didn't mean any of the things you said and that you were just trying to be cruel and I forgive you for saying them, but-"

"YOU FORGIVE ME?! YOU FORGIVE ME?!"

Effie was past the point of furious.

"I do forgive you! Because even if you won't admit it now, you're overreacting and will probably regret this later-"

"OVERREACTING?!"

"-once you've cooled off a bit more. I'm sorry for deceiving you! I'm sorry for lying! I'm sorry if I was insensitive! I'm sorry-"

"Stop it! STOP IT!"

"I'm sorry for not trusting you! I'm sorry for bringing Harry and Ron into it too! I'm sorry-"

"STOP APOLOGIZING!"

"-for being a hopelessly dimwitted whiny little know it all! Please Effie, forgive me."

Both girls had stood up during the fight in their efforts to out-yell each other. Effie was the first to back down from their heated stare-off, collapsing onto her bead with a defeated sigh. Thinking she'd made progress, Hermione smiled and sat on her own bed, waiting expectantly for Effie's forgiving response.

It was never received. Instead, Effie slowly pulled the covers over herself again and shot Hermione one last glance before turning over to face the wall.

"No."