Control ▸ Ron Weasley [2]

XIII. NOW YOU SEE ME

      The entire castle, much like Astoria, was abuzz with the prospect of being able to Apparate. Nova couldn't bring herself to care until it was closer to the time she could actually take the lessons. Daphne seemed to be in the same boat, saying that she'd like to wait until Nova did the lessons so maybe they could do them together. Daphne and Nova trailed to their Potions class, meeting up with Blaise halfway as they made their way to Slughorn's classroom.

      Both Blaise and Daphne had been told by Nova about the disastrous Christmas break conversation with Draco, so they huddled around her when Draco entered the room in a show of friendly solidarity. Nova didn't bother telling them that it wouldn't matter; Draco wouldn't speak to her anyway. He kept his head down and headed to his seat, his ever-permanent scowl on his face. He had a book tucked under his arm, and when he sat, he immediately pulled it out and started flipping through the pages.

      Weasley, Potter, and Granger were the next three to walk into the classroom. Blaise and Daphne huddled around her on the opposite side, where the Gryffindor trio walked in.

      Nova found it funny that this class was filling up with people to avoid. 

      This lesson was for the coughing potion, since so many of the people in the class had seemed to get a small cold over winter break. The three Slytherins worked quietly, talking only when necessary. It was a change from doing potions near Weasley, which she had done only a handful of times last year. She felt the dull ache of wishing it could go back to that, but knowing that it couldn't and not being able to do anything about it.

       Whenever Nova saw Lavender Brown in the hall, she cowardly turned around and walked in the opposite direction. She'd startled a couple of first years when she abruptly turned around and almost trampled into them once, but Nova knew that wherever Lavender went, Weasley was sure to follow. And seeing them together was something she didn't need. Not when she was trying to navigate helping Theo.

      "Draco keeps looking over at you. And whenever he does, Weasley glares at him," Blaise informed her. "It's kinda entertaining to watch. So much testosterone."

      "I'm glad my teenage angst amuses you."

      He shrugged. "As long as it stays teenage angst and doesn't get too much to handle. You'll tell me if it does, right?"

      Nova nodded, but didn't say anything. She couldn't lie to Blaise with words; lying with actions was much easier.

      "Good. Now let's make Weasley jealous." He tapped the tip of her chin affectionately. From another point of view, it might have looked like they were flirting.

      "You're incorrigible," she said, but she smiled at him. It was impossible to be anything but content around Blaise. 

      "You say that like it's synonymous with bad," he said, shaking his head at her, "but it's synonymous with wonderful."

      "Whatever you say, Blaise."

      He winked, ruffling her hair (which was mildly disgusting because they were still in the process of making their coughing potion). "Weasley looks mighty upset."

      Nova hummed, not bothering to turn and look at him. "His brother tried to do the same thing over winter break."

      "Make him jealous? What a brilliant idea. Nothing like seeing your own brother macking on your girl."

      "We aren't actually macking on each other," Nova reminded him. George and Fred had had the time of their lives laughing about the defeated and angry look on Weasley's face when George had fake-flirted with her. They claimed they would remember it for the rest of their lives. "The twins have been wonderful about all of this."