The Irreplaceable Charlie Weasley

Chapter 2 - And Who is Andre?

Nova

After we told each other everything and ran out of things to talk about on the train, Charlie and I decided to join forces with Tulip and Tonks to force Penny to tell us who she has been writing to and receiving letters from all summer.

Tonks didn't get a hint that we should talk to Penny rather than attack her as she snatched Penny's bag and lifted it high in the air, Tulip put her hand in it and started searching. Charlie and I had no choice but to get on board with this heist as we each grabbed one of Penny's arms and made her sit still until, finally, Tulip pulled out a letter.

She opened it and started reading, Penny tried to get out of our grip now more than ever, but Tonks came to our rescue just in time to hear what the letter said.

Dear Penny,

I would love to get together sometime this school year. Perhaps we could go for a Butterbeer on our first trip to Hogsmeade as I would like to repay you somehow for giving me Potions lessons all summer.

I am also glad to hear that you are having a fun summer with your friends. I am not going to deny that I would've loved to join you if my parents would let me. Failing Potions wasn't exactly good news for them, as you can imagine.

I will see you soon at school!

All the best, Andre

"Andre?" Charlie, Tulip, Tonks, and I all gasped at once.

"Yes?" Our compartment door opened and a fellow Ravenclaw, who I've met through Penny's study group and is now playing Keeper for our Quidditch team, was standing there looking rather confused why four of his schoolmates were screaming his name.

"Hi, Andre, how are you?" Penny snatched the letter from Tulip's hand, her face as red as a tomato.

"Oh, hi, Penny!" Andre exclaimed like the rest of us weren't even there. "I see you got my letter. How about it? Butterbeer on me on our first trip to Hogsmeade?" He got shy all of a sudden, waiting for Penny's response. Tulip, Tonks, Charlie, and I, who have all been staring at him, now turned to Penny to hear her answer.

"I would love to." She answered, still red in the face, playing with her braid.

"Brilliant!" Andre beamed at her, then looked at us. "Well, see you lot around." He closed the compartment door and left.

An uncomfortable silence followed as it seemed none of us could neither stop staring at the door nor know how to close our mouths.

We then turned to Penny who looked like she was about to open the train window and jump out.

"You have a crush on Andre, don't you?" I was the first to speak as I reckon I was the only one who knew about her crush on Bill last year. That wasn't a big deal and neither was this. What surprised me more was the fact how she got over Bill and started fancying Andre so fast.

"You have been exchanging letters with Andre all summer?" Asked Tonks.

"He invited you out for a Butterbeer alone?" Added Tulip.

"He failed Potions?" We all looked at Charlie now, perplexed as his question had nothing to do with what we wanted to find out.

"Alright, I do! He failed Potions and wrote to me if I could help him study during the summer so he could take the exam again first thing in September. It started as me just sending him notes and tips but then we started talking about other things and..." She looked up for the first time since she started talking. Before that, her hands seemed to be very interesting as she was staring at them since Andre left the compartment.