"So, Lavender, we're all just dying to hear about you and Ron!" Parvati exclaimed. She leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and chin resting in her palms, looking expectantly at Lavender.
Well, I thought, not all of us.
Tonight (as I realized now was unofficially named gossip night in the Gryffindor girl's dormitory) I was in a particularly bad mood. After a rough day of classes and social catastrophes, I was in no shape to endure the constant squabble of boy talk and nasty rumors fly around the room without a filter. On calmer terms, I would whole-heartedly participate... but not tonight.
Lavender was sitting cross-legged on a bed beside Romilda Vane; she was smiling from ear to ear, looking rather giddy. Lavender and Ron? This is the first I'd heard of such thing! My eyes flickered towards those of Hermione, who sat alone on her bed, finishing homework. She glanced up at the mention of Ron's name. I made a face.
"Lavender and Ron?" Hermione voiced my thoughts, "I didn't know there wasa Lavender and Ron?" She finished, rather sharply.
Lavender giggled, "Not yet,Hermione! But he is just so handsome and charming, I'm sure I can snap him up!"
I scoffed. Lavender thinks Ron is charming? This is certainly a first. Last year, Lavender would have been the first to call Ron Weasley 'gross and awkward'. She must have had a decent sized change of heart. I've caught Lavender paying an ungodly amount of attention to Ron recently, and she'd even attended the Gryffindor Quidditch Trials today. Strange, indeed.
"Handsome and charming? Ron Weasley? Are you sure we're talking about the same person?" Hermione breathed, staring dumbfounded at Lavender. Lavender only responded with an eye roll, turning back to face Parvati.
"Yes, Hermione! We all know you've fancied Ron too, don't act so surprised!"
I exchanged a look with Ginny, who was sitting quietly beside me, listening to these girls rage on about her brother. Ginny, looking fairly uncomfortable, met my gaze. I raised a brow, and nodded towards Hermione. Ginny, clever as she is, was quick to catch the idea.
Before Hermione could defend herself, Ginny popped in: "Can we please stop talking about my brother? I'd rather not think about any of you snogging him!" She commented, humorously. I smiled.
Parvati sighed, rolling her eyes "Fine, of course. I guess you'll have to tell me everything later, Lav." She said to her friend, before turning on the rest of us, "Now, let's see, we all know about Ginny and Dean, they're snogging every time I turn around… Hmm, what about you Romilda? Who have you got your eyes on, then?"
Hermione gritted her teeth and looked away, uncomfortably settling back to her studying.
Romilda perked up at this question, she smiled, "No one really. Well, I mean, Harry is dashing as always" She replied, with certain slyness in her voice. Everyone giggled at this, even Katie Bell who hadn't said a word since the conversation began.
Ginny, on the other hand, tensed.
Oh great, not that old crush on Harry again! Now that Ginny was dating Dean, her feelings for Harry have died down, but I'm sure they hadn't disappeared. I cast a strict glare in Ginny's direction, though she was far too intrigued to notice. "Potter?" Ginny asked, obliviously.
Romilda nodded.
I scoffed.
"You're only interested in him because he's the Chosen One!" Accused Fay Dunbar, one of the more tolerable Gryffindor girls. She was one of the few who actually shared my dormitory. Katie, Romilda and Ginny weren't exactly supposed to be in here at all.
Katie piped up, "And the Quidditch captain!" she added, still on the subject of Harry.
Romilda was blushing like a fool, as Parvati and Lavender giggled vigorously. "So?!" Romilda retorted, not bothering to deny it. We all knew it was true. Romilda barely even noticed Harry until this year, I'd be surprised if she'd known he existed. Now, she was offering him her undying love every time they spoke (which was rarely since Harry is far too busy trying to get himself killed).
It was all too much for me. Elodie Flacari does not suffer fools.
I narrowed my eyes, "So maybe you shouldn't be such a superficial twat…" I muttered under my breath. Ginny whipped her head towards me, and I even noticed Hermione, on the other side of the room, look up the second I said it.
Uh oh, maybe I'd said it louder than I thought…
Sure enough, all of the girls had their eyes pinned on me. Oh shit. I bit my lip, thinking up some sort of clever joke to save my ass. Romilda was glaring at me, along with Lavender and Parvati. None of them had ever been my biggest fans, so I guess they weren't all thrilled to hear my rather unkind opinion. I cringed.
"You're just mad because you don't have anybody!" Spat Romilda, obviously insulted by my comment. She had a right to be, even though it was true, she was, in fact, a superficial twat.
"Maybe not, Rom" Parvati remarked, slyly "I happened to catch Elodie here with Draco Malfoy a few weeks ago, they were sneaking off into Knockturn Alley together… "
This earned a few 'Oohs' from around the room. Even Ginny, shot me a surprised look. Hermione was the first to glare me down, even though I had already told her this story a million times. I clenched my jaw, looking away. I didn't have time to argue with Parvati, I stayed quiet.
Lavender scoffed, "Probably going off to meet her Death Eater parents… You and Draco really have a lot in common, don't you?" She snapped, taunting me on. I turned my scowl to Lavender, who knew well, I wasn't going to sit and stay quiet with that said. I narrowed my eyes, staring her down.
"Those were precisely my intentions, Lavender. Now, why don't you shut your bellowing trap before I call my parent's fellows to remove your voice box?" I suggested, calmly. The entire room silenced, and I took this chance to continue. Lavender looked horrified. "Now, to all of you who do not belong in this room, I suggest you leave before I bring in some more of my colleges to personally escort you from my bloody dormitory!"
If it wasn't already apparent, I absolutely despised when anyone accused my parents of working under Voldemort. I mean, they certainly weren't innocent when it came to the Dark Arts. But the second they found out the Dark Lord had returned, they distanced themselves from the darker areas of the magical world.
It was a very personal matter.
You see, I was the misplaced Slytherin girl. I was the child who was supposed to be Slytherin's best and brightest witch. It was a family tradition. It was Slytherin or die. Well, I guess they had to make an exception for me because here I am, still alive. Though, my parents certainly were not impressed when they got word of the Sorting Hat's decision, I guess Gryffindor wasn't a death sentence.
After a moment's hesitation, Romlida, Katie and Ginny stood. I mouthed a quick 'sorry' to Ginny, before all three exited the room. This left me, Lavender, Parvati, Hermione and Fay in a thick, awkward silence. Nobody dare speak, I had managed to scare them into the quiet.
I sighed, deciding to break this conversation off "If you must know... No, Lavender, I was not going to meet my Death Eater parents. They are not Death Eaters, never were, never will be"
With this said and clarity regained, I turned my back on the rest of the girls and crawled into bed.
As you can see, I was not in a good mood.