ROMEO [2] ⚡ harry potter

8

SIDE AFFECTS
...
..
.

"Hey," said Theodore, as he joined Charlotte in the living room where she was sat eating beans on toast on the settee in front of the telly. Today was the day she was to receive her exam results, and she was full of nerves and tensions. So morning telly would have to calm her down. "Can I have a slice?"

"Go and make your own," she said, but let him take her second slice off her plate anyway. She snuggled closer to him, putting down her toast down and resting her head on his shoulder. This was the first time they'd been alone in a while, and she was slightly bitter about this fact. "So, why aren't you with your girlfriend as usual?"

She was hoping for an answer such as "I wanted to spend time with you" or something equally as nice but instead she got: "She'd rather be around Malfoy today." It was just wonderful being a second resort.

"Oh," Charlotte frowned, and he nodded.

"I know, right," he replied. "I love Zara to the bottom of my heart, and she was the first person I trusted in years, but someone I definitely don't trust is that Malfoy. Now that You-Know-Who is out in the open, it's only a matter of time he needs someone in the castle, more people than just Snape. He's already been recruiting, and it's only a matter of time before..."

"You think Malfoy's working with him?" she asked, nodding as if she understood everything, but really she was just wondering who the hell Snape was and why he's allowed in the castle if he works for the enemy.

"I don't know," Theodore admitted. "But I do know what death eaters are like and they're brutal. They won't care that Malfoy is underage- or that he's vunerable. I just don't want Zara getting too involved with that."

"I would speak to her but it seems like she barely wants to know me these days," Charlotte sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Hey," Theodore said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She does love you, you know."

"Doesn't seem like it sometimes, particularly when she doesn't write," she sighed. "But I suppose I can't expect her to. She certainly can't expect me to write, 'cause I won't. She's the one who's going away, so she better be the one to-"

"You do know friendship is a two way street," Theodore said, an eyebrow raised.

She felt patronised.

"You don't understand, you don't get it," Charlotte blurted, feeling a hot flush of defense take over her. "You don't have any friends, the only person you've ever met with this summer other than me, or Zara, or mutual friends is that Pansy Parkinson, and she hardly counts! You and Zara are practically joined at the hip. You don't know what it's like to have a best friend, someone you could always rely on, someone you love, someone who's like a sister to you- vanish out of your life completely!"

By the time Charlotte was finished with her rant, she wanted to take it back, rewind to thirty seconds ago and just nod politely, and agree with him. Because the look on Theodore's face was full of disapproval and hurt. She'd let him down.

"Those are really horrid things to say, Charlie," he frowned. "I do know how it feels. I lost you, remember?"

She didn't think that guilt she felt could get any worse but low and behold, it had. "Sorry."

Theodore didn't reply, simply wolfed down the last of his toast before wrapping his arms around her, and she smiled. "Hadn't you better get going? You don't want someone else getting to your results before you do."