DEAD TO ME → (h. potter)

CHAPTER FIVE

"Okay," Nancy said slowly and unsurely, going back to her potion. Indiana huffed a bit, eyes trailing over to the Gryffindors; she locked gazes with Potter, and after giving him a 'the hell are you looking at?' face, he turned away. Fucking Gryffindors.

✧✧✧

"THERE'S NO WAY," Hermione muttered that morning in Potions, shaking her head to herself. "Absolutely no way."

"Why?" Ron challenged. He then lowered his voice to an almost whisper and said, "Harry thought Malfoy was a Death Eater, why's Jones any different?"

"Because," Hermione huffed. "What would Voldemort want with her, huh? Malfoy got it because he had to replace his father in his ranks. Why would he give her the mark?"

"Her father followed Voldemort," Ron pointed out, mindlessly stirring his cauldron in the wrong direction.

"She wouldn't roll up her sleeves, and she was right, it was bloody hot in there," Harry told them, taking a pinch of moonstone powder and sprinkling it into his cauldron. He knew it was the wrong amount, but couldn't find it in him to care. "And she saw me looking at her arm and hid it from me. Why would she hide it if there was nothing there?"

"And so what if she did have the mark?" Hermione said. "Voldemort's dead. It's not like it means anything."

"It means she was a Death Eater," Harry said blatantly. "It's confirmation."

"What? So you can send her to Azkaban?" Hermione hissed. He blinked and removed his glasses, wiping off the steam. He had forgotten about that; all of Voldemort's Death Eaters had been sentenced to life in Azkaban... if she was found out... she'd be sent, too. "Look. Don't go meddling around in her life, Harry, she probably doesn't want anyone seeing it. And, on a separate note — you need to learn how to go a year without thinking that she's out to get you."

With that, Hermione picked up the empty vials of her ingredients and brought them to the back of the class, washing her hands and throwing her trash out. Harry glanced back over to Jones; she had zoned out again, fiddling mindlessly with the handle of her knife.

"I still think you should go through with it," Ron said from opposite him.

"Hermione'll know I've snuck out," Harry shook his head.

"Uhm, hello, you have an Invisibility Cloak," Ron reminded him. Harry's mouth opened in the shape of an O as though he had remembered. "The locker rooms are always unlocked, even the girls'. Her plays will definitely be there, at least a copy of them."

"If she sees that they're missing —"

"I'm not saying steal them!" Ron shook his head fervently. "No, just look at them. See what she's got in store. I hate to say it, mate, but. . . that team's getting good. Like, really good. There's a chance they'll beat us... that Nott kid is really fast —"

"Fine, I'll go," Harry muttered. "If you're so bloody stressed about it."

✧✧✧

HARRY WAS USED to sneaking across the grounds at night, especially underneath the Invisibility Cloak. He would have had Ron come along with him, but they both had gotten so tall that it wouldn't cover both of them completely. Harry had grown so much that he had to slouch a bit so his trainers weren't visible.

Ron had been right, the girls locker room doors were unlocked. He was amazed with how clean they were, the sparkling tile floor void of even a speck of dirt. The lights were on, so Harry could see how there was no trash on the floors, the locker doors free of graffiti or wads of gum. . . he would much prefer to change in here. Not that he would, of course, but still.