O, CURSED CHILD. ﹙ harry potter ﹚

LXXXIII ; we are young

            "anyways," said hermione, "we didn't hate his subject!"

            "speak for yourself, i haven't forgotten the skrewts," said ron darkly. "and i'm telling you now, we've had a narrow escape. you didn't hear him going on about his gormless brother — we'd have been teaching grawp how to tie his shoelaces if we'd stayed."

            "i hate not talking to hagrid," said hermione, looking upset.

            "we'll go down after quidditch," harry assured her. "but trials might take all morning, the number of people who have applied. i dunno why the team's this popular all of a sudden."

            "oh, come on, harry," said hermione, suddenly impatient. "it's not quidditch that's popular, it's you and lara! word got around that lara's manager. she's always been gorgeous and interesting, but it's tripled. also, you've never been more interesting, and frankly, you've never been more fanciable."

            ron had gagged on a large piece of kipper. hermione spared him one look of disdain before turning back to harry.

            "everyone knows you've been telling the truth now, don't they? the whole wizarding world has had to admit that you were right about voldemort being back and that you really have fought him twice in the last two years and escaped both times. they know you were in the graveyard lara, and that you fought off death eaters and the fake moody. and now they're calling you 'the chosen one' and 'the savior' — well, come on, can't you see why people are fascinated by you?"

            elara thought this was weird.

            "why me, though?" said elara.

            "oh come on," said ginny, who had plopped herself down next to ron, "you can't be that daft, lara. you're gorgeous as hell, you're mysterious, for awhile you seemed unattainable and you know how much boys love the chase, you're a seer and a metamorphagus, you're destined to be a savior, you're badass, you're independent, the list goes on."

            "and you both have been through all that persecution from the ministry when they were trying to make out you were unstable and a liar," piped up hermione, "you can still see the marks on the back of your hands where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you two stuck to your story anyway. . . ."

            "you can still see where those brains got hold of me in the ministry, look," said ron, shaking back his sleeves.

            "and it doesn't hurt that you've grown about a foot over the summer either, harry," hermione finished, ignoring ron.

            "i'm tall," said ron inconsequentially.

            "do people realize we're dating though?" said elara.

            "people have always found you two attractive," said ginny, "its just multiplied. you're famous believe it or not, and with fame comes attention, and with attention comes attention seekers."

            harry and elara looked at each other.

            the post owls arrived, swooping down through rain-flecked windows, scattering everyone with droplets of water. most people were receiving more post than usual; anxious parents were keen to hear from their children and to reassure them, in turn, that all was well at home. elara had received plenty of mail since the start of term; all from nymphie, andromeda, and ted. hedwig was circling amongst all the brown and gray owls. she landed in front of harry carrying a large, square package. a moment later, an identical package landed in front of ron, crushing beneath it his minuscule and exhausted owl, pigwidgeon.