Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 205: A Date?
"What?!" Ginny shouted, probably a lot louder than she intended.
"You are inviting my brother on a date?" Lyra asked.
"Ohhh, a date!" Luna said with excitement before turning to her friend. "Asto, what's a date?"
Astoria made a face of displeasure. She did not like that nickname, she preferred her sister one. She also didn't like to give long explanations and was still getting used to speaking more than a word or two at a time. With no other choice, she took out some parchment and started to write.
Pansy gave the girls a quick glance before choosing to ignore their comments. "What do you say, Harry? It's the last chance to visit Hogsmeade until next year."
Harry noticed how nervous she looked even though she tried to hide it. She had approached the table alone, but Nott and Zabini were close by and also looked nervous. Nott even had several visible bruises on his face.
The Slytherin table still had over thirty students on it. Most of them looked to be seniors, and many were watching them with attention.
"H-Harry?" Pansy asked again.
"Sure, I'll go," Harry answered, much to the surprise of everyone at the table.
"Really?" It seemed like not even Pansy expected him to agree that quickly. "I mean… wonderful. I'll wait for you at two at the back exit of the castle…"
"I'll see you there," Harry replied.
Pansy gave him a weary smile and left without saying one more word.
"Are you serious? You are going out with her?" Lyra looked very upset.
Ginny didn't say anything and just gave him an intense glare.
Harry finished his breakfast. 'Good thing Ron was not here… that would have been annoying.'
"Hey, don't ignore me!" Lyra shook him.
"I was just trying to eat before the—" The plates disappeared from the table, along with all the food. "Before that…"
At least he had time to eat something before the elves took it away.
Harry stood up. "As for me going to Hogsmeade with Pansy… that's my business."
"Fine! I won't worry about you then!" Lyra huffed.
"Ohhh, so that's a date…" Luna finished reading the paper that Astoria gave her.
At the Slytherin table, Daphne and Tracey were sitting together and observed the whole event.
"Wow, Pansy got daring all of a sudden. And I thought she looked depressed since we started school," Tracey commented.
Daphne frowned. "I don't like this…"
"Well… you could have asked him first," Tracey pointed out. She knew that her friend had a thing for Potter, even if she thought she was good at hiding it.
"Not that… there is something weird about her suddenly asking Ha—Potter out." She quickly corrected herself.
Daphne did not miss the faces that some of the seniors were making. Many of them were there when Montage, Derrick, and the others were attacked. But they were the only ones who suffered no injuries. They still appeared to hold a grudge against the attacker.
To be fair, the entire house was angry. Even those who didn't like the injured boys. After all, this had been a blatant insult to the Slytherin house as a whole.
'Should I warn Harry?' Daphne considered it.
'But he is not an idiot… he must have realized that something was off…'
She was sure that Harry was not easily deceived by just good looks. The fact that he agreed so quickly must mean that he had something in mind.
'At the very least, I should follow him…' She decided.
<><><><><><><><><><><>
"Sorry, did I make you wait long?" Harry asked.
He found Pansy waiting for him near the door. She was wearing an elegant black dress with green decorations and a light jacket on top.
"Not at all…" She seemed a bit hesitant. "Thank you for accompanying me on such short notice."
"Are you going to be okay with those clothes? It's very cold out there."
She chuckled. "I'm fine. All of these have warming charms."
"Ah yes… the conveniences of magic. Shall we?" He offered her his arm. He had to maintain basic manners, even if this was just a trap.
Pansy smiled and grabbed onto his arm. "What a gentleman."
The two of them left the castle and started to walk through the snowy path that led to Hogsmeade.
There were a lot fewer students than usual, as many were taking this last weekend to get their things in order before returning home for the break.
"Say, Harry…" Pansy spoke after they had walked for a few minutes. "Your sister appeared upset by my sudden invitation. Sorry if I have caused trouble between you two."
"Don't worry about it. My sister is an idiot who is always getting upset by minor stuff," Harry said casually but also in a loud tone.
They then heard some branches crack and a 'thud' noise, like something heavy had fallen on the snow.
"What was that?" Pansy turned around after hearing the noise but could not see anything among the rocks and trees.
"Probably some wild animals, don't mind it…"
Harry felt something.
He already knew that two groups of people were following them, but now… he was able to even feel their magic a bit.
'Another new thing…'
"So, it's three then…" He found a third group of two people hiding behind a large rock.
"Three?" Pansy asked.
"Yes, it's almost three pm. We should pick up the pace if we want to get any tables." He started walking again, and Pansy did not let go of his arm.
A.N: - Remember to comment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.
You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.
You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.
-patreon.com/Kriogenix