Together (A Harry Potter love story) 3

8

"Mills."

Harry shoved his bag under the table and dropped into the seat beside mine. He rested his elbow on the table, leant his face against his hand and looked at me expectantly.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, his green eyes staring hard into mine.

I sent him a small smile, muttering a quiet, "Yes."

He frowned. "Is it because Trelawney said I'm going to die?"

I laughed, pushing his elbow so that it slid off the table. "No, you git. She's a fraud anyway. Not one thing that she predicted is gonna happen, right?"

His smile that had appeared dropped slightly. "Right," he said quietly. "All bullshit..."

I nodded, frowning as I turned my attention back to the front. I hardly heard what Professor McGonagall was telling us about Animagi, and wasn't even watching when she transformed herself in front of our eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes. All I could thing about were Trelawney's words - young love.

"Really, what has gotten into you all today?" said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at us all. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."

Everybody's heads turned towards Harry, but no one spoke. Then Mione raised her hand.

"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and-"

"Ah, of course." Professor McGonagall sighed, suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which one of you will be dying this year?"

I bit my lip, trying hard not to laugh.

"Me," said Harry, finally.

"I see," said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them have died yet. Seeing death omens is her favourite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleague..." Professor McGonagall broke off, and I saw that her nostrils had gone white. She went on, more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney..."

She stopped again, and then said in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Mione laughed. Harry leant back in his chair, a satisfied grin on his face. He tilted his head to look at me, playfully furrowing his eyebrows when he noticed I had been staring.

"I guess you're enjoying the spotlight, huh?" I whispered, nodding at Lavender, who was staring at him. He followed my gaze, before quickly returning it to me.

"I'm only enjoying it because you were staring," he whispered back, placing his arm on the back of my chair.

"Is that so?" I questioned, smirking. He nodded. "Why?"