Dursley's Daughter (A Harry Potter Next Generation Fan Fic)

15. Next Generation

I picked at my food at breakfast the next morning, full of anxiety. I didn't know how Sawyer and Scorpius were going to act, or how I was going to act for that matter. Would Sawyer apologize and admit that he was being slightly ridiculous? Would Scorpius come up with some kind of compromise to make everybody happy? Would I attempt to fix things, or leave them to settle it? Sawyer wasn't down for breakfast yet, and although I wasn't hungry and had some work it would benefit me to review, I found myself poking at my eggs and watching the entrance to the hall for him.

When he did come through, I had an internal crisis. Should I look at him and smile, maybe wave? Or ignore him? Pretend nothing had ever happened or try and talk to him seriously about it? Indecisive, I reached for my goblet and spilled some pumpkin juice down my shirt.

Sawyer walked straight past, ignoring Claudette, who had scooted over to make room on the table besides me and forced himself between some seventh years down the table.

Even though Sawyer was ignoring me, I found myself feeling slightly relieved. Some anger was to be expected, and at least now I knew how he was going to act about the whole thing. I could adjust accordingly. Also, there hadn't been a huge scene about it as I had feared. Some of the Hufflepuffs had noticed, of course, but nothing more. I managed to eat an entire piece of bacon.

But then Holly shoved a piece of toast in her mouth and literally ran over, hair bouncing. This was common enough of an occurrence; Holly was always jumping between tables to talk to her many friends. Lots of kids did that. Holly, however, was often much noisier about it.

She went to Sawyer first, but was rejected with blank stares. Some eyes followed as she scrambled, her boots stomping loudly, to where I was situated, more towards the middle of the table. Claudette scooted over again, letting Holly sit. Now both the Hufflepuff table and the Ravenclaws were aware that something was going on. Great.

"What was that about?" she asked, leaning back in her seat to look at Sawyer.

I filled her in with as few words as possible, in as low a voice as I could manage, as to not bring even more attention to the fact that I was having relationship issues. Holly, in her usual overdramatic fashion, nodded thoughtfully throughout my story and then, when I was finished, contemplated it with her hands clasped. She made a move and I expected a response, but instead she stole the rest of my bacon and reached for a spare goblet.

She gulped down some pumpkin juice. "My diagnosis is this," she said after swallowing, in a voice much to loud. "You, Esther, have boy trouble."

I leaned in close and hissed in her ear. "Shut up!"

"It's true."

"No, it's not," I said through gritted teeth, "and even if it is, I don't want everybody in the dining hall to know about it."

"Sorry, Essie. Where was I? Right, boy trouble. I'm not entirely sure what Sawyer's deal is yet, but I'm working on it, but Scorpius most definitely has a little crush and although he says he's okay with standing back to let you and Sawyer figure things out, he's really not."

"Please whisper," I said, glancing around nervously. Claudette, to her credit, quickly pretended she hadn't been listening the entire time.

"I am incapable of such a feat," said Holly, placing her hand on her forehead as though she was fainting in an old movie. "I am helping a friend in need and that means I'm thinking too hard to be quiet."

"I'm not sure that made much sense."

"Shush. You are no longer of any use to me."

"Glad I could help."