Dursley's Daughter (A Harry Potter Next Generation Fan Fic)

9. Tutoring

"Okay, one more time."

I groaned in protest but Holly pleaded with puppy dog eyes and I couldn't say no. "A pen is used for writing," I said slowly.

"I know that part," she said.

"It's sort of like a quill."

"Got it."

"You don't have to dip the quill in ink."

"Okay."

"The ink is inside the pen."

Holly stared blankly at me for a moment or two, and then popped back into action, scribbling something on her sheet of notes. "I think I've got it. You could've easily explained it as a quill that never runs out of ink, but okay, whatever works."

"It does run out of ink, though. Eventually."

Holly gave me a look of despair and then banged her head against the desk. "Why do Muggles have to make everything so complicated."

I shook my head at her, laughing. "I'll get Mum to send me one so you can see."

She perked up right away. "Do you think I could get extra credit if I brought it to the professor?"

"Maybe some points towards the House Cup."

"That would be totally worth all this nonsense Muggle Studies is putting me through," Holly said. "Hey, do you need any help with Defense?"

I felt myself turn red. "Not really. I've -"

"You're going to accept Scorpius's offer!" she cried.

"Shhh," I said, clamping my hand over her mouth and looking around the library at the students absorbed in their books. "There's no need to yell that for the whole school to hear."

She pried my hand off her mouth and looked earnestly at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Sorry, Essie. I'm only excited."

"I've accepted his offer actually," I said.

Holly squealed, but before she could say anything, I added, "And I asked. He said it was all totally platonic. He freaked out and apologized when I suggested his intentions could possibly be romantic. You were completely wrong."

"Sure," she said, rolling her eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean? You don't believe me?"

"No, I don't believe him," she said.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a gorgeous, single girl with pretty red hair and a nice personality who isn't afraid of him being all Slytherin and evil."

"What?"

"And you play Quidditch, which probably helps."

I shook my head. "No. He doesn't like me like that."

"Please," she said. "Anybody would be lucky to have you."

"It's not like that. He said he only wanted to be friends."

Holly looked away, shrugging. "That's what they all say."

"Well, I, for one, believe him."

"Why?"

"He hasn't given me a reason not to."

Holly grinned and reached over to squeeze my hand. "Okay, let's stop fighting about it. I'm sure we'll find out either way in no time. So, when are you going to meet up with him?"

"He sent me an owl on Halloween," I said. "We're going to meet after Quidditch practice on Wednesday. I'm going to meet him by the Great Hall and he said he found an empty classroom where we can study together."