𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 48

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
✧
-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH THINGS
CALM DOWN

. . .

"I talked to your father earlier." Aviana's head shot up as soon as she heard the voice, eyes landing on Harry Potter as he approached the windowsill she was currently sat on with her Potion's textbook balanced on her knee. "You'll spill the ink if you move that quickly again." 

"I wasn't planning on being snuck up by some arse of a Gryffindor." Aviana snapped back in reply, her hand cupped around the small bottle of ink before placing the cork stopper back in place. "It would have been a whole lot easier if you announced yourself like a normal person."

"Sorry, I wasn't raised in the same circumstances as you were - you know, dead parents and all."

"Oh boo-hoo with the sob story." She scoffed, and Harry shook his head, coming to stop beside her and watching as she sat up, closing her text book and crossing her legs. "I grew up with people who pretended to be my parents.. we all have troubles."

"You're in a significantly better mood than you were the other night." Harry commented, although he very much resented the scowl that flickered across her face. "Listen - I didn't want to upset you.. it was just I was taken aback - and my scar had been hurting and it was just.. a bad time to be surprised."

"Oh so like the time you made me almost drop ink over the entirety of my Potions textbook, homework and notes?" She said, hardly even looking at her as she raised her eyebrows and scoffed.  

"I thought you would've heard me coming." Harry shrugged, deciding that she had moved in order to provide enough space for himself to take a seat and so he did, and even though Aviana edged right up to the corner of her seat, she didn't say anything. "I'm sorry. Really." 

"If you didn't want help, that's all you had to say. And wow, your scar hurt? Like it's been doing all summer and over the rest of the years since you found out about the magic blood in your veins?" 

"Well.. it usually only hurts when I'm seeing or around Voldemort - or - or anything remotely related to him." He replied, pulling the sleeves of the jumper Mrs Weasley knitted for him over his hands. "And then I felt it in detention.. when I sort of jumped and then she touched my hand I felt it again."

"So you think that purely evil woman is somehow related to the Dark Lord, do you see this look of utter surprise on my face?" She replied, pulling her knees to her chest and tucking her feet beneath her. 

"Only Death Eaters call him that."

"Oh yeah, and you thought my dad just killed Muggles for no reason?" Aviana's eyes flickered up to him. She paused. "I mean.. adopted dad. Sirius is innocent.. what did he say about it?" 

He faltered slightly, trying to think back to the absurd sight of seeing Sirius Black's head coming out of the fireplace in the Gryffindor Common Room. "Not a lot. Just that Umbridge definitely isn't a Death Eater. And Dumbledore said that it's gonna hurt more now he's actually back.. and when he has extreme emotions." 

"So Voldemort's a hormonal teenager now? Figures."

He stifled a laugh. Aviana even cracked a smile at that, hearing that there was a little more lightheartedness woven into their conversations. And it was a shame that someone had to ruin the mood. 

"I'm sorry for blowing up on you in the bathroom." Aviana spoke softly, listlessly but somehow not. "I couldn't believe what she had done - I was so angry at what she was doing. What she had done to my dad and what she was doing to me.. and you by default I guess. Snape seemed to understand when I told him what had happened.. but I don't think I can tell him about this. Nothing would be done."

"When did you talk to Snape?" Harry asked, a frown on his face. 

"After I got sent out the lesson. It was a good conversation, made fun of him a bit - you know, how I talk to all the Professors. But I was angry then.. and I'm even angrier now because her methods of punishment aren't lawful, you heard McGonagall last year, it's like how they can't use Transfiguration as a punishment. They can't harm us either."

"Or they're not supposed to." Harry pointed out, watching as she grinned just a little. "Why did you go to the Quidditch practise."

"It was.. cathartic. Made me feel better. I guess I'm a little sorry about that too." Aviana admitted.

"Who are you and what have you done with that Slytherin who doesn't ever feel regretful over anything." There was only the slightest hint of joking in his tone, but instead mostly laced with confusion.

"I guess it's because I'm spending more time with you. Ruining the reputation I've so carefully built up."

"So does that mean I can talk to you again?"

"Only when we're alone. If you try come up to me in class, in the hallways, or on the Hogsmeade visit in a couple weeks, then I find no harm in  resorting to physical violence." Aviana hummed. "So, is Sirius okay?"

"He's fine. Asked if you were, sounded proud that you stood up to her as well." Harry nodded. "Just wondered if you would send him a letter every now and again. He wanted to come up to Hogsmeade for that visit, would disguise himself as that dog."

"If you get to talk to him before me, fine." She agreed. "And that is a stupid idea. Draco knows exactly who he is and would recognise that dog anywhere. Please, he'll apparate up here and set of a Caterwauling charm or something." 

"That's exactly what I told him."

"Seems like we agree on a couple things then." She said, watching as he nodded. That was a change - this all was a change. It was so much more.. mellow than any of their other conversations. 

And Harry enjoyed it. He actually enjoyed it.

✧