Gifted

20

"I'm fine," I said for what seemed like the hundredth time. I sat at the Gryffindor table next to Bella and Hermione who were keeping close eyes on me.

I was currently shunning Draco Malfoy every time he looked at me or tried to say anything. I pretty much cussed him out last night when I woke up and saw him sitting in a chair next to my hospital bed.

But that wasn't the big gossip anymore. Katie Bell had been cursed by the necklace she had supposedly gotten in the girls lavatory of the Three Broomsticks.

Harry was dead set that it was Malfoy, and for the first time since yesterday I felt a sinking inside me for Malfoy. I knew it was him. Dumbledore had been back at the school yesterday and I had a feeling it was meant for him.

Harry wasn't far off the correct story. He even guessed right about Malfoy being a Death Eater and as much as I wanted to tell everyone what I knew, I kept my moth shut. I would respect the last thing I said to Draco Malfoy that probably meant anything to him.

That I wouldn't tell anyone about his secret, which also meant I couldn't tell about any of the others parts of the secret.

I wasn't really paying attention to anyone's conversation because I was busy playing footsie with Neville who was sitting across from me. I would hear the occasional word. Death Eater. Git. Piece of scum. Hope he dies. I hate him. Idiotic. Unrealistic. You shouldn't jump to conclusions so fast. But you said you saw the mark. I said I didn't know what I saw. The conversation was between Ron, Harry, and Hermione, but if they were really trying to keep it a secret, they weren't doing a very good job.

Neville suddenly stopped his foot and I looked up to see him staring at me intently. I suddenly felt nervous and my cheeks starting heating up.

"You seem upset," he said softly.

"I'm not," I said. "I just don't like the fact of what Malfoy is doing. It's as if he's bipolar. One second he hates me and then the next he saves me in the forest." I stabbed a piece of egg so hard that the plate cracked.

Neville took out his wand and fixed it for me. He was really getting better at spells and school all together. I was happy for him, but I knew he still struggled in plenty of subjects.

"Don't mind him," he said.

"I'm not," I replied. "I'm just confused about so many things right now."

"Just forget about it all," Neville said. I hugged my sweater closer to me and tried to forget everything that was going on. I tried clearing my mind, thinking of happy thoughts and smiling times when nothing was wrong.

"I can't," I huffed after a few minutes had passed. "Everything I'm worried about is all so important and it seems stupid to try and forget them. Nice idea though."

"Thanks." We both sat I silence, just looking at each other.

I wasn't sure what to say.

"Did you get invited to Professor Slughorn's dinner party?" Neville asked.

"No," I replied. "I didn't even hear about it."

"I was, I could talk to him about you, I mean, Ginny's going," he replied.

"I'd love that, but I don't want to be a bother," I replied with a smile.

"It's nothing, trust me," he said. "I'll tell him about you."

"When is it?" I asked.

"This Wednesday night," Neville said.

"Okay, that's fine." I looked over at Bella who was watching Neville and I. "What?" I asked.