Part Two / Chapter Fifty-Six
The fact that Harry Potter was going out with Venus Rosario seemed to interest a great number of people, most of them girls, yet Venus found herself newly and happily impervious to gossip over the next few weeks. After all, it made a very nice change to be talked about because of something that was making her happier than she could remember being for a very long time, rather than being reminded an archangel had a target painted on her back.
"You'd think people had better things to gossip about," said Venus, as she sat on the common room floor, leaning against Harry's legs and reading the Daily Prophet. "Three dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it's true you've got a hippogriff tattooed across your chest."
Ron and Hermione both roared with laughter. Harry ignored them.
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her it's a picture of me," said Venus, turning a page of the newspaper idly. "Much more romantic."
"Wonderful," said Harry, grinning. "And what did you tell her Ron's got?"
"A purple Pygmy Puff, but I didn't say where."
Ron scowled as Hermione rolled around laughing. "Watch it," he said, pointing warningly at Harry and Venus. "Just because I've given Harry the permission to date you—"
"Your permission?" scoffed Venus. "Since when you were my brother, besides it's nineteen ninety-seven not eighteen thirty-one."
"I might as well be your brother," said Ron protectively.
"Does Ronniekins care about me?" said Venus cooingly. Ron scowled, and Venus jumped at him and hugged him. Now, he was laughing.
End of the year examinations were coming soon and Venus was Constance's tutor. Just as she got with Harry, she felt like she barely even saw him. That particular night, her and Constance were in the library reviewing Transfiguration notes, as it wasn't one of Constance's strongest subjects.
"I'm sorry but I have to say it," said Constance, looking up from her notes. "You and Harry are the cutest."
"Constance," Venus groaned, throwing her head back.
"I'm sorry! I know that's all anyone talks about but I had to let it out!"
Venus sighed and smiled at her best friend.
"I'm happy for you, Venus."
Her lightheartedness was short-lived when the doors to grab library were swung open. Venus turned around to see Romilda Vane. "Venus!" she said, plopping down in the seat across from her and Constance.
"Hi Romilda," said Venus awkwardly. Constance said nothing.
"I cannot believe you're dating Harry James Potter, what do you guys do? If I were dating him—"
Venus fake-smiled, nodding her head along while her fingernails drug through the desk.
"I mean, does he have any piercings?"
"No." Venus said, her hands shaking uncontrollably.
"If I was dating him—"
With no intention to do so, Venus broke a chunk of the wood from the table with her hand and Romilda Vane shrieked. Constance waved her wand to repair the table and grabbed her best friend by her arms. "Okay, bye Romilda!" she said snappily, dashing out of the library before Venus socked Romilda Vane in her face. "Venus!"
Venus said nothing, she only glared at the library doors.
"You can't be going all Angel in public," Constance whispered to her urgently.
Venus' face softened as realization hit her. "You're right, I'm sorry."
"Don't be," smiled Constance, throwing her arm over Venus' shoulder. "Did you see how I repaired that table?"
Somehow, Romilda Vane had already gotten to the common room before Constance and Venus had. Once the girl caught sight of Venus, she dashed straight up to the girl's dormitories without hesitation. A great deal of guilt struck Venus but knowing she wouldn't try asking her anymore questions about Harry relieved her incredibly.
Speaking of the devil, she heard him say, "Yeah, very ingenious, Hermione . . ."
Hermione was sat between Ron and Harry looking very disgruntled at him.
"But it would! Maybe she was proud of being half a Prince!"
"Are we still talking about that bloody book?" said Venus, taking a seat on the other side of Harry while Constance sat beside Ron.
"Yes, and Harry isn't being very liberal about what I just found out." said Hermione frustratedly.
"Listen, Hermione, I can tell it's not a girl. I can just tell." he said before turning to Venus and planting a kiss on her lips. "Hi."
Venus grinned. "Hi."
"The truth is that you don't think a girl would have been clever enough," said Hermione angrily.
Venus and Constance gave Harry suspecting looks.
"How can I have hung round with you and Venus and not think girls are clever?" said Harry, obviously stung by what she'd said. "It's the way he writes, I just know the Prince was a bloke, I can tell. This girl hasn't got anything to do with it. Where did you get this anyway?"
"The library," said Hermione predictably. "There's a whole collection of old Prophets up there. Well, I'm going to find out more about Eileen Prince if I can."
"Enjoy yourself," said Harry irritably.
"I will," said Hermione. "And the first place I'll look," she shot at him, as she reached the portrait hole, "is records of old Potions awards!"
Harry scowled after her for a moment, then wrapped an arm around Venus as he continued his contemplation of the darkening sky.
"She's just never got over you outperforming her in Potions," said Ron, returning to his copy of A Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.
"You don't think I'm mad, wanting that book back, do you?"
"I think you are," said Constance triumphantly, passing Venus her Charms homework for revision.
"I, your best friend, certainly don't," said Ron robustly. "He was a genius, the Prince. Anyway . . . without his bezoar tip . . ." He drew his finger significantly across his own throat. "I wouldn't be here to discuss it, would I? I mean, I'm not saying that spell you used on Malfoy was great —"
"Nor am I," said Harry quickly.
"But he healed all right, didn't he? Back on his feet in no time. Lesson for shoving Venus, innit?"
"He didn't mean to..." said Venus quietly, hidden behind Constance's homework. Ron and Harry stared at her. "I'm not defending him or anything, but he didn't mean to push me, I'm sure of it."
"Yeah," said Harry, his tone contradicting his response. "He's fine. Thanks to Snape . . ."
"You still got detention with Snape this Saturday?" Ron continued.
"Yeah, and the Saturday after that, and the Saturday after that," sighed Harry. "And he's hinting now that if I don't get all the boxes done by the end of term, we'll carry on next year."
Venus was finding these detentions particularly irksome because they cut into the already limited time she could have been spending with Harry. The appearance of Jimmy Peakes, who was holding out a scroll of parchment, snapped Harry out of his own thoughts.
"Thanks, Jimmy . . . Hey, it's from Dumbledore!" said Harry excitedly, unrolling the parchment and scanning it. "He wants me to go to his office as quick as I can!"
The four Gryffindors stared at each other.
"Blimey," whispered Ron. "You don't reckon . . . he hasn't found . . . ?"
"Better go and see, hadn't I?" said Harry, jumping to his feet. He gave Venus a hasty kiss on the forehead before hurrying out of the portrait hole.
"Ah, young love," said Ron, putting a hand over his heart. Venus punched his shoulder. Constance chuckled and Ron scowled, holding his arm in pain.
An hour had passed already, Ron and Venus were now the only ones in the common room while Constance had went up to the dormitory to write to her aunt and Hermione hadn't returned to the library.
"Venus," piped up Ron. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How do you decipher mixed signals?" Ron asked. Venus furrowed her eyebrows. "Like from a girl."
"Well, depends." Venus said, sitting up and facing him to show her attentiveness. "What're her signals?"
"Always helping me, kind, always been my friend, but stopped talking to me when I dated Lavender, now that I'm not with her anymore, she's started talking to me, but just as a friend."
Venus smiled. "Well, maybe she's nervous."
"Yeah," Ron nodded. "But I always get the impression she likes someone else."
Just then, Hermione climbed through the portrait hole into the common room. Ron's ears went bright red and he stopped talking, grabbing his Potions textbook and pretending to read it.
"Your book is upside down." Venus said.
Ron scowled and turned the book around.
"How was the library, Hermione? What did you read about Eileen Prince?"
The girl only sighed and tossed her books in the coffee table. "No luck. Just awards. Harry's never going to let this one down."
"Doesn't mean have to tell him." Venus winked.
Ron looked flabbergasted. "I'll tell him!"
"I'll chop your fingers off." said Venus sternly. The lack of emotion on her face made Ron cower behind his book again.
Hermione was scanning the common room. "Um— where's Constance?"
Before Venus could answer her, the portrait hole swung open again. It was Harry.
"What does he want?" Hermione said at once. "Harry, are you okay?" she added anxiously.
"I'm fine," said Harry shortly, racing past them. He dashed up the stairs and into the boys dormitories.
The trio all shared concerned looks.
Then Harry sped back down the stairs and into the common room, skidding to a halt where they all sat, looking stunned.
"I've got to be quick," Harry panted. "Dumbledore thinks I'm getting my Invisibility Cloak. Listen. . . ."
Quickly he told them where he was going and why. He did not pause either for Hermione's gasps of horror or for Ron's hasty questions or Venus' protests; he continued explaining over their chatter.
". . . so you see what this means?" Harry finished at a gallop. "Dumbledore won't be here tonight, so Malfoy's going to have another clear shot at whatever he's up to. No, listen to me!" he hissed angrily, as Venus, Ron and Hermione showed every sign of interrupting. "I know it was Malfoy celebrating in the Room of Requirement. Here —"
He shoved the Marauder's Map into Hermione's hands.
"You've got to watch him and you've got to watch Snape too. Use anyone else who you can rustle up from the D.A., Venus, those contact Galleons will still work, right? Dumbledore says he's put extra protection in the school, but if Snape's involved, he'll know what Dumbledore's protection is, and how to avoid it — but he won't be expecting you lot to be on the watch, will he?"
"Harry —" began Hermione, her eyes huge with fear.
"I haven't got time to argue," said Harry curtly.
"Take this as well —"
He thrust the socks into Ron's hands.
"Thanks," said Ron. "Er — why do I need socks?"
"You need what's wrapped in them, it's the Felix Felicis. Share it between yourselves and Constance too. I'd better go, Dumbledore's waiting —"
"No!" said Hermione, as Ron unwrapped the tiny little bottle of golden potion, looking awestruck. "We don't want it, you take it, who knows what you're going to be facing?"
"I'll be fine, I'll be with Dumbledore," said Harry. "I want to know you lot are okay. . . . Don't look like that, Hermione, I'll see you later. . . ."
Venus grabbed his hand, trembling in fear. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes," he said softly. "As long as I know you're here safe."
"You're the one who has to be safe," said Venus, absentmindedly looking down at her forearm and back up at Harry. "This might hurt—" she took his arm and he hissed in pain. A matching warding was etched onto his arm. "Angel warding, just in case, y'know."
"Thanks," he said, grinning. He took her face into his hands and kissed her. "I'll see you soon." And he was off, hurrying back through the portrait hole and toward the entrance hall.
Venus stared at the portrait hole, trying to ignore the familiar feeling in her stomach. "See you soon. . ."
It felt like Constance, Ron, Venus and Hermione were staring at the Marauders Map for hours, just watching Draco's movements. Harry hadn't returned, and the feeling in Venus' stomach only worsened. Something bad was going to happen. Soon. But without the voice, she knew nothing of it, only tortured by the feeling of death.
"This is boring," Constance complained, "wait... he's moving!" she rejoiced, pointing frantically at a moving dot on the map.
"Where's he headed?" asked Ron, his view of the map covered by Constance and Hermione.
"It looks like he's leaving the castle," said Hermione, carefully watching the map.
Venus was staring outside of the window when a flash of green illuminated the starry sky.
"Guys..."
"Maybe he's meeting someone at the entrance," suggested Ron.
"No of course not," Hermione said adamantly. "How would they get over the protective spells?"
"If Venus could, then maybe other angels can as well," Constance added.
"Guys!" Venus bellowed. They all fell silent. "He's not leaving." She turned back toward the window of Harry and Ron's dorm. Hanging in the sky above the Astronomy Tower: the blazing green skull with a serpent tongue. Hermione, Ron and Constance stared out of the window behind Venus, frozen in utter fear and complete silence.
Venus inhaled sharply. "He's bringing them here."
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【 AUTHORS NOTE! 】 :
For some reason The Night We Met makes me tear up and reminds me of Constance and Hermione. :') sorry Ron