"Does he know you like him?" asked Kiaria.
"I don't know, and if you don't mind I'd rather not fail the quiz tomorrow because of your being a distraction" chided Demi. Her friends, not to mention other people who noticed what was going on between her and Gilderoy were beginning to pester her. Just on the way to Transfiguration two third year Hufflepuffs pulled the poor girl aside and interrogated Demi on her relationship with Lockhart. Remus noticed Demi's predicament and made it his duty to save her from probable embarrassment.
"Hey, Demi, I have your notes," Remus called out. He pushed his way through all the other students and nudged the two Hufflepuffs away.
"God bless you Remus John Lupin" said Demi, putting her face in her hands. "I can't even convey how much I love you right now," she said, giving him a hug. The door of the classroom swung open and the students poured in.
An hour and a half later, the class ended and they made their way up to the common room (they had an hour before dinner). They headed up to the common room to get a head start on the mountain of homework they'd been assigned in the afternoon. It was all quiet for about 10 minutes until Kiaria piped up.
"Okay, back to the question I asked before, do you like Lockhart?" Kiaria asked.
Demi slammed her quill down, "Okay that is it. This question has been after me like the bloody plague. If I answer the damn sentence, can you let it lie?" she said. The three girls and the five boys nodded their heads simultaneously. "Okay, I like him. I will ask him out, as long as you lot bugger off when it comes to the topic. Okay?"
"Okay" they responded. Demi sat back down at the table, picked up her quill, and acted as if the entire show hadn't occurred. They sat there until the rest of the Gyrffindor's began to leave. They packed away their stuff and joined the mass of students making their way to the Great Hall.
"So you actually like this guy?" asked Sirius for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day.
"Yes" said Demi with an air of finality in her voice. Sirius said no more on the matter and went to sit with James, Peter, Frank, and Remus.
"So Remus, the dates for tryouts for the Gryffindor Quidditch team are up, it's the seventeenth of September, so next Friday. What do you say, want to practice with Kiaria, Demi, Sirius, and I," asked James.
"Erm-no. I have to visit my mother that weekend," he said rather gloomily.
The others weren't sure whether to cheer Remus up. "Is your mum getting better? asked Demi timidly. She knew that Remus could get a bit upset when his mother and her illness was mentioned.
"Uh, yeah she's getting there, but it's a slow process," he said busying himself with the mashed potatoes.
They left it at that and continued eating dinner. About twenty minutes: before they were expected to go back to the common room, Professor Dumbledore stood up and made an announcement.
"Now, it has come to my attention that certain students have been attempting to touch the base of the Whomping Willow. Now I assure you that the tree will not get up and move as the rumors have suggested," he looked in the direction of the second year Gryffindors. "However, since some students have taken the game too far, we have decided that any student to come within a twenty meter radius of the Willow, will have an automatic detention with their head of house for two months." The entire hall groaned. "Furthermore, there have been a number of Death eater attacks within the past week and a half. The bodies of four wizards, seven witches, and a family of 5 muggles have been discovered. Let us take, not a moment of silence, but a moment to realize that united we stand, divided we fall. Now that is all, off you go. Pip pip."
The Gryffindors made their way up to bed, leaving the group of second years in the common room.
"So how is the war effort going?" asked Frank.
Everyone looked at him.
"Demi?" he asked.
"I don't even know. I'm stuck here aren't I?" she sighed.
"Well, look at it this way, when we graduate and are old enough, we can help," said James.
"If Voldyshorts hasn't killed everyone by then" she replied. The wizard-raised shuddered.
"Why do you feel so comfortable saying You-Know-Who's name?" asked Frank.
Demi burst out laughing, causing the others to jump. "Well, I never felt uncomfortable using the name. In fact, that's not even his real name. But that's beside the point. He's a person, fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."
"But still-" Lily began.
"It's unsafe? You think he'll get me? Again?" Demi threw her head back, laughing. But this time, she laughed bitterly. "He already got me once, and we saw how that played out. I'm here and, well, kind of unscathed. But really, how much worse could my life get?" she asked.
The others had nothing to say to this, and they made their way to bed, silently.
