Hell Heart ❤️‍🔥 Harry Potter [1]

xxii ⟶ Love And Other Afflictions

✦
╔═══════════════╗
xxii. Love And Other
Afflictions
╚═══════════════╝
✦

"WHERE COULD HE BE?" Thea asks worriedly as she reaches the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione. "Don't you think we should wait, or go back? This isn't like him."

Thea looks over shoulders and past bodies in an attempt to find the familiar head of dark hair, but it doesn't appear.

"Thea, he'll be fine! He probably found Ginny or someone," Hermione says, as the three push through the crowd trying to make their way into the Great Hall.

Thea frowns. "Why Ginny?"

"Yeah, why Ginny?" Ron asks pointedly, staring ferociously at Hermione.

Hermione rolls her eyes. "No need to get jealous and protective!"

"I'm not jealous!" Thea exclaims, as Ron snaps, "She's my sister!"

Hermione rolls her eyes again.

"Anyway," Ron says, looking at Thea, "I think Harry and Thea are a better match."

Thea nearly chokes on her own breath. "What? When have you had time to even consider that?"

Ron shrugs. "I don't know. I can just sense it."

"Alright, Trelawney," Thea mutters, but she can't stop the redness filling her cheeks and the smile breaking out on her face.

She thinks she hears Hermione chuckle, but she ignores it anyway.

She's extremely aware of the eyes on her as she steps into the Great Hall. Now, she really wishes Harry was here because she'd reach for his hand. The stares cut into her skin like knives, and the shouts echo around her skull as they try to find a gap big enough for four.

"It's Thea Cindercroft!"

"She's alive!"

"I really do wish people would stop thinking I'm dead." she says brazenly, trying to hide the embarrassment she's actually feeling. "It's kind of insulting."

"Well..." Hermione falters, looking at Ron for support. But he stays silent, keeping his eyes trained on the ground.

"When you disappeared... the Prophet... well, they weren't the kindest, shall we say..."

"They said that you were killed by Death Eaters...they, of course, didn't listen to us when we told them you might be alive and they should try looking for you, but when weeks passed and we heard nothing... we even wrote to Dean... we assumed the worse." Hermione looks down, a ghost of sadness passing her face.

She grimaces.

"Dean told me as much, but hey, Granger, I'm fine." She smiles lightly at Hermione, her voice soft. "Glad to know how much you all missed me though," she winks, only to have Hermione's usual stony expression appear, and for her to roll her eyes at Thea for the third time in ten minutes.

Eventually, they find a large space at the Gryffindor table, but just before they sit down, a familiar laugh fills her ears, and the person throws an arm over her shoulders.

"Thea! I missed you so much!"

"Dean!" she exclaims, leaning into his side and grinning widely.

Even though she had seen him a few weeks ago, the fact he doesn't remember it makes it feel like a dream.

"Are you alright? What happened?" he asks, his brow furrowing and concern gracing his features.

"I'll talk to you later," she says, pulling back and patting him on the shoulder.