Missing
Harry strode back and forth in the Gryffindor locker room, facing his Quidditch team. "We've been training two months for this. We know their players, we know their moves, we know what to do. Slytherin is going down."
The three chasers were in the middle. "Katie, Demelza, and Ginny: remember your formations. Share the Quaffle equally but don't fall into a routine; I don't want you to become predictable." The girls grinned confidently.
He moved on to Jimmy and Ritchie, both of whom were looking peaky. "Mark your bludger from the start and stay on it. Don't let their beaters touch them." They nodded, still nervous.
Harry forced himself to swallow his pride and speak to Ron like any other player, ignoring their falling out. Nevertheless, he couldn't quite look him in the eye, focusing instead on a spot over his head. "Ron, just play like you did in the final last year and we'll be fine. If you weren't good enough to play, you wouldn't be on the team. Forget the bludgers and the other players and focus on the Quaffle. And try to remember not to drift." Ron lifted his head, and for a moment Harry thought he would speak, but after a second he simply jerked his head in a nod.
Stifling a jab of frustration, Harry moved to the door, hearing his team assemble behind him. "If anyone needs to be sick, do it now," he called over his shoulder, but no one moved. Harry thought about taking his own advice; captaining a team was much different than just playing, and his stomach was doing a tango. Shaking his head to regain his confidence, he pushed open the door, took a few steps to mount his broom, and kicked off hard.
As always, his nerves dispelled as he shot through the air. He led them for a lap around the field as Harry's Hufflepuff classmate and former DA member Zacharias Smith, the new commentator, introduced them. After that each player headed for his or her spot as Slytherin made their entrance. Harry flew high above the rest, waiting for Madam Hooch to throw the Quaffle. He spotted Hermione and Parvati waving from the Gryffindor stands and returned the greeting. As he made his way around the pitch a second time, he glanced at the staff section, looking for Tonks.
She had promised to be there, cheering him on, but no head of brightly colored hair was to be found. He glanced back at Hermione, wondering if the Auror had chosen to sit there and he had missed her, but she wasn't there, either. Harry felt a strange sense of disappointment at her absence, but he mentally waved it away as he resumed his starting spot. He needed a clear head. The Slytherin seeker took his spot opposite Harry, and he glanced at the silver-blond head of Draco Malfoy. Except it wasn't. Instead he faced the dark-haired reserve seeker, whom Harry dimly thought to be something like Harley or Harper or Harden. His name didn't matter. What mattered was that it wasn't Malfoy.
"Where's Malfoy?" Harry called bluntly.
The other boy shot him an annoyed look. "I don't know. He quit the team."
Harry was so stunned by this he nearly missed the beginning of the match. Draco Malfoy loved to play Quidditch, and he particularly loved playing opposite Harry in hopes of beating him. Katie caught the Quaffle and sped down the pitch, chased by all three Slytherin chasers. Harry quickly glanced at the Slytherin stands but couldn't find Malfoy. Furious at missing an opportunity to catch him in the act, Harry shook his head. Nothing for it but to concentrate on the match. Katie scored, and now the Quaffle was in Slytherin possession. Harry drifted high above the other players, wishing for once the derogative term 'four-eyes' was literal, as he was trying to keep an eye on the progress of the match, each of his players, and the occasional stray bludger while searching for the Snitch all at the same time. He caught a glimpse of gold and was speeding toward the Hufflepuff stands when a collective groan rose from the crowd. Distracted, Harry lost sight of the Snitch and turned around. Ron's head hung; he had just missed his first shot at a save.
Slytherin struck up a chorus of "Weasley Is Our King", and Harry swore. Ron's confidence was as shaky in Quidditch as anything else. True to form, Ron missed the next five Slytherin goals, and though both Katie and Ginny scored, Harry knew he needed to stop the streak or catch the Snitch soon. Harper (which Harry had decided was his name) was checking him fairly closely, so Harry decided to buy some time.
He threw his Firebolt into a dive, heading straight for the Slytherin keeper, who grew increasingly startled. Just before he reached the left-hand hoop, he pulled away and shot up into the air, taking the time to search the pitch uninterrupted while Harper, whose broom and reflexes were slower, recovered from the dive. He didn't see the Snitch, but he did catch a Slytherin chaser crash into Demelza in an attempt to dislodge the Quaffle from her grasp, a clear example of blatching. Dropping the Quaffle into another chaser's waiting arms, Demelza nearly fell off her broom, and Harry was furious. Madam Hooch's whistle stopped him from committing a foul himself.
"Foul to Gryffindor!" she called. "Deliberate collision with the Gryffindor chaser!"
"Time-out!" Harry shouted, flying toward her. She allowed the time-out, and Harry's team gathered around Ron at the end of the pitch.
"Demelza, are you okay?"
She grimaced and rubbed her arm. "Yeah, I'm fine. Give the foul to someone else, though. My shoulder hurts."
"Katie, you take it," Harry decided. "What's the score? I can't hear up there."
"40-70, Slytherin," Ginny said darkly, shooting Ron a look.
"We'll be fine," Harry said, quelling her with a look of his own. "Jimmy, Ritchie, you're doing great. I haven't seen a bludger all day. Alright, let's go win this." He waited for the other players to drift away before he maneuvered closer to Ron. "Ron, don't listen to that stupid song. It's a few missed saves. Don't worry about it."
"I'm pathetic," Ron mumbled.
Harry restrained from rolling his eyes impatiently. "You won the Cup last year. Remember? That was you. Find that Ron."
Ginny had hung around while they were talking. "I was the one who caught the Snitch last year,"
she muttered to Harry. "I think I was the one who won."
Harry stared at her. "Come off it, Ginny. He just needs some confidence."
He flew off, annoyed at both Weasleys on his team. One with too much confidence, the other with not enough. Why couldn't they share? Katie easily scored for the foul, and when play resumed Ginny immediately seized the Quaffle and scored again within a few minutes. Harry crisscrossed the pitch searching for the Snitch, keeping an eye on Harper in case he spotted it before Harry. When a great cheer rose from the Slytherin stands, he looked down.
One of the green chasers hurtled down the pitch, Quaffle in possession and all Gryffindor chasers far behind. Ron waited in front of the goal posts, eyes locked onto his opponent. At the last moment, the chaser threw to the right, and Harry tensed. Ron dove, and Harry held his breath. Just a little bit farther, only a few more inches, catch it, Ron, he urged. It was too far, Ron was going to miss, his arms weren't long enough, he wasn't going to catch it.
And then, suddenly, he did. The Quaffle was in his hands, and he raised them in triumph before tossing it to Demelza.
As Harry had predicted, one save was all Ron needed. He and the three girls ruled the pitch, and as long as Harry caught the Snitch, the game was in the bag. He threw his search into overdrive, eyes roving constantly, darting toward any flash of light. Despite the cool November air, the sun was shining, and sweat dripped down Harry's back as the match went on.
Harry's head snapped around. Was that a hint of gold behind Ritchie? It was, and Harry threw himself forward on the Firebolt, abandoning any pretense of a feint. In the back of his mind he heard the crowd roar, heard Smith's commentary on the possibly-seen Snitch, heard Harper behind him as he chased his fellow seeker. But Harry focused on one thing and one thing only: the Snitch. He blew past Ritchie and underneath a Slytherin chaser, tore around the Ravenclaw stands, and threw himself into a dive in the middle of the pitch. A bludger appeared out of nowhere, and Harry quickly rolled to narrowly avoid it. He heard a cry of pain behind him and suspected Harper hadn't been so lucky, but he was past caring. Almost within reach… and his hand closed around the tiny gold ball, wings beating fruitlessly against his palm. He had caught the Snitch, and Gryffindor won,
220-80.
His teammates rushed him as he descended to the ground, all hugging and slapping hands.
"Party in the common room!" Seamus, who was running onto the pitch with the rest of the Gryffindors, shouted.
Harry felt a pair of arms around his neck. "That was fantastic, Harry!" Parvati exclaimed.
He grinned as she kissed his cheek. "Thanks." Harry looked around. "Where's Hermione?"
Parvati loosened her grip. "Oh, she left at the beginning of the match. I don't know why. She took Neville with her." She gasped. "Do you think something is going on between them?"
"No, I don't," Harry said definitively. Something was going on, but it wasn't between Hermione and Neville. He'd bet his Firebolt that she had noticed Malfoy's absence and, being somewhat smarter than Harry, taken Neville for backup. He needed to find her as quickly as possible.
"Coming to the party?" Parvati asked.
"As soon as I shower."
Harry glanced at the staff stands one last time. He spotted McGonagall, who gave him a nod of approval, and Snape, glowering, but still no Tonks. Perhaps she, too, had taken the opportunity to seek out Malfoy.
In the locker rooms, Harry congratulated his tired but exhilarated team before they separated for their showers. He lingered until Ron, Ritchie, and Jimmy had parted and walked back to the castle by himself, lost in his thoughts.
"Harry!"
Hermione, Neville, and Parvati were waiting outside the portrait of the Fat Lady. "What's going on? Why aren't you inside?"
Hermione made a disgruntled noise. "It was a bit, er, busy."
"She means that Ron and Lavender are making out in the middle of the common room," Neville supplied helpfully.
"They are?" Parvati squealed. "Finally! I have to see this." She held out her hand. "Coming, Harry?"
"In a minute," he told her. "I want to talk to Hermione about something."
"Oh. Okay. I'll save you a butterbeer," she said, walking away slowly.
As soon as the Fat Lady swung shut, Harry looked at his two friends expectantly. "Why did you leave the match?"
"When I saw that Malfoy wasn't playing, I had a hunch," Hermione explained. "I asked Neville to come with me because I didn't want to go alone."
"That's a good idea," Harry said firmly. He didn't want Death Eaters to hurt any more of his friends.
"I guess you know everything, Neville?"
"That Malfoy is a Death Eater and he's up to something," Neville said. "But we couldn't find him anywhere in the castle."
"Did you—"
"Yes, I had Neville take the Marauder's Map from your trunk," Hermione interrupted. "I hope you don't mind."
"No, it's fine." Though he didn't mind her using it, Harry made a mental note to find a better way to lock up his belongings. Broom or map, apparently anyone could get at his things, and that could be dangerous. "Are you sure you didn't just miss him?"
Hermione shook her head. "Everyone else was at the match, Harry. He wasn't in the castle. Do you think he took one of the tunnels?"
"No, Tonks assured me they were inaccessible." Harry paced back and forth with frustration. They were so close.
"What about leaving the castle another way, apparition or the Floo Network?" Neville suggested.
"You can't apparate in Hogwarts," Hermione said with a touch of exasperation. "The Floo Network has been shut off, and there are enchantments on the gates. No student can leave the castle." The three stood silently for a moment, stumped. How could Malfoy be in the castle yet not be on the map? Finally Harry ran a hand over his hair. "We must have missed something. Thanks anyway."
"We'll catch him, Harry," Neville said confidently. "I'm going to get some food before McLaggen eats it all. Oh by the way, congratulations on winning."
"Thanks, Nev," Harry said. When Hermione didn't follow, he waited until Neville disappeared inside the portrait hole. "Alright, Hermione?"
"Fine. I just don't have any urge to see Ron and Lavender. I don't know what's more disgusting, Harry: the two of them kissing right in the middle of the room, or everyone else milling around like it's nothing."
"Does it bother you, Ron and Lavender?" Harry asked.
She took a long moment to respond. "Some, but not as much as I thought it would. I mean, I did think Ron fancied me, but like I said, I'm more bothered by having it shoved in my face." She glanced at Harry slyly. "At least you and Parvati have the decency to disappear when you want to snog. Speaking of which, she's waiting for you, probably to do just that."
Harry ducked his head. "She won't miss me. Want me to stay with you?"
Hermione didn't answer; instead, she studied him. "Is everything okay between you and Parvati?"
"Well I didn't know that asking her to Hogsmeade meant she was my girlfriend. I thought we would have a date and see where it went from there."
"Oh. Well, I'm sure you'll have fun in Hogsmeade," Hermione said awkwardly. "Come on, let's go inside. If the Ron show is still on, I'm going to my room."
"Thanks for looking for Malfoy, Hermione."
"It was worth a shot. Here's the Marauder's Map." She handed him the folded parchment. "I hope you don't mind that I told Neville."
"It's fine. Neville will be"
"Discreet," she finished, and he nodded.
"Exactly. One more brain won't hurt."
Fortunately Ron and Lavender had disappeared to a more private setting, and Harry saw Hermione sit next to Demelza before Parvati showed up and fulfilled Hermione's prediction.
When Harry sat at the Gryffindor table at breakfast Monday morning, he immediately noticed that something was off. Nearly every single girl was gazing up at the staff table like there was some sort
of veela that affected females. He quickly turned to look as well, hoping that perhaps it was Tonks sporting some new look, but she wasn't the Auror he recognized.
It was Cooper.
"Who is that?" Lavender sighed, sitting next to a visibly put-out Ron. On her other side, Parvati, too, was staring at Cooper, but to her credit she blushed and lowered her head when she spotted
Harry. Honestly, it didn't really bother him.
"A Greek god." For once Romilda Vane didn't even notice Harry.
Fay Dunbar leaned on one hand, wearing a dreamy smile. "Does it matter who he is? I just hope he stays forever."
"I know him," Harry said. About a dozen heads swiveled as one to face him, and he leaned backward from their intense stares. "He's an Auror."
"Maybe he's taking over for the other one," Demelza said excitedly.
"Oh, I hope so." Vicky Frobisher echoed Lavender's sigh.
"Why? What's wrong with Tonks?" Harry demanded.
"She doesn't look like that," Romilda retorted. This was worse than Lockhart. Harry shared a disgusted look with Ron before remembering they weren't speaking.
"She probably could if she wanted to," remarked Hermione, and Harry grinned.
Next to her Seamus shook his head. "Damn shame, if she's gone. She is one fine bird." Dean muttered an agreement that he tried to disguise as a cough when Ginny glared and elbowed him. Seamus laughed and continued. "If that's how they make Aurors, I might have to sign up, eh, Harry?"
"Join the club," Fay said fervently.
Harry had had enough. The girls' ogling and Seamus's leering was ruining his appetite. He stood up
and grabbed a handful of toast, shouldering his bag. "Let's go, Hermione."
After they left the Great Hall Harry heard his name being called, and when he turned, it was Cooper himself, thankfully not followed by a posse of teenage girls.
"Hello, Harry," he said with a friendly smile. "How are you?"
"Good." Harry shook his hand, then nodded his head at Hermione. "Coop, this is my friend Hermione."
"Hermione. That's an interesting name."
Harry noticed Hermione's cheeks color, and he made a mental note to take the piss later. Right now he had questions. "Why are you here? Where's Tonks? Is she okay?"
"One at a time." Cooper shook his hair out of his face, still wearing an easy smile. "She got called away, but she'll be back in a day or two. She was very adamant that someone covered for her. Jason wanted the spot, but I got the call, so here I am. Never fear, you're in good hands."
Why hadn't she told him she was going away? "Of course. Well, we have DADA, so we should go."
"Have fun. Good to see you, Harry."
"Yeah, you, too."
"Nice to meet you, Hermione." He gave her a charming smile and walked away.
"You, too," she said automatically, watching him leave with a small smile.
Once Cooper was out of earshot, Harry glanced at Hermione, eyebrows raised with a knowing expression. She caught his glance and huffed, leading the way to class while thoroughly ignoring his sniggers. They were the first ones to arrive and took seats next to each other.
"So, he works with Tonks?" Hermione asked after a few minutes of silence.
"Yeah, he's her partner. And her best mate, she says."
"He seems nice."
Harry grinned. "Oh, he does, does he? Nice looking?"
"Yes, he's good-looking, but that's not what I meant," she replied calmly. "I am a girl, I notice cute boys, but unlike some people I can acknowledge that someone is attractive without making a fool of myself."
Disappointed by his failure to get a rise out of her, Harry moved on. "He's really nice. He helped with my trial. So what do you think Tonks is doing?"
"Since she was pulled off her normal post, I assume it's something they specifically needed her to do with her Metamorphmagus abilities."
Snape's arrival prevented anymore conversation, and though still curious, Harry put it out of his mind while taking notes on the Imperius Curse. As a Death Eater disguised as Mad-Eye Moody had put it on him multiple times in class during Harry's fourth year, he had personal experience with the matter, but he found the ways to determine if someone was Imperiused very interesting, even when delivered by Snape.
In Potions Slughorn assigned them an Everlasting Elixir, and Harry bent over his modified copy of Advanced Potion-Making, eager to see what additions the Half-Blood Prince had made. Though he was as yet unable to discover who the former owner was, the modifications were, without exception, always helpful in producing a near-perfect potion. Slughorn regularly praised Harry, claiming he had inherited his mother's abilities, and Harry only felt a tiny hint of discomfort.
"Slow turns, MacMillan, slow turns," Slughorn instructed as he made his way around the classroom, checking on their progress. "Nott, how many castor beans did you put in? Er, keep working, Weasley excellent, Miss Granger."
Harry bent his head closer to his textbook, trying to decipher the cramped handwriting.
"Good heavens, Potter!" Slughorn exclaimed, and Harry jumped, unaware the teacher had been peering over his shoulder. "What in the name of Merlin have you done to your book?"
"I, uh, I, erm," Harry stuttered as Slughorn picked up the book, rifling through the pages with interest.
"Harry, m'boy, did you come up with these changes? Daring and more than a little foolish, but quite amazing, I must say, even for Lily Evans's boy."
Seeing a way out, Harry began to respond, but at the last second he caught Hermione's eye, and his conscience pricked. "No, Professor," he admitted with a heavy sigh. "That's the book I took from your cupboard at the start of term. It was already like that. I don't know who did it."
The entire class was watching. Slughorn flipped a few more pages before closing it with a snap.
"Very well. I'm going to have to confiscate this. It should prove to be a most interesting read. You can order a new textbook from Flourish and Blotts and look off Miss Granger's in the meantime." And that was that. Relieved to not receive any sort of punishment, Harry shrugged and followed the directions in Hermione's text. He was going to miss that book.
On Wednesday at dinner Harry did his now-automatic check of the staff table. Still no Tonks, just a frowning Cooper talking seriously to Professor McGonagall. In fact, Harry mused as he chewed his shepherd's pie, Cooper actually looked worried.
To his right Parvati nudged him. "You look like you're the one with the crush, Harry," she teased.
He smiled. "Not quite. I was just wondering" Sudden inspiration. "If he could help me with Snape's essay on the Imperius Curse. He's an Auror, he'd be a good source, right?" As if on cue, Cooper rose, and Harry quickly did the same, emptying his goblet of pumpkin juice so quickly he sloshed some on the table. "Sorry. I'll see you back at the common room."
"Handy coincidence to know all the Aurors stationed here," he heard Dean mutter. Neville said something hotly in response, but Harry couldn't make it out.
He waited until they were outside the Great Hall before approaching the tall Auror. "Coop?"
He turned around with an easy smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hey, Harry. What's up?"
"Everything alright?" Harry asked bluntly. No point in beating around the bush, and Cooper seemed like the type of person to prefer honesty. "You look upset. Is it Tonks?"
The older man regarded him for a long moment, and Harry knew he was debating how much to reveal. "She's fine, I'm sure," he finally began, and Harry's stomach sank at his phrasing. "But she was supposed to return today, and she hasn't shown."
"Why aren't you going after her?" Harry demanded.
Cooper raised a finger. "It's not as bad as it sounds. Although she was expected to be back today, it wasn't a command. This was the estimated length of time it would take for her to complete her mission. The specific order parameters were for her to exercise her best judgment."
"Is there a way for you to check on her?"
He shook his head. "Not without putting her in more danger. The last commo we received, late Monday night, said that she was going dark."
"What?"
"It means she cut off all communication. She's undercover; sometimes it's too dangerous for her to check in." Cooper patted him on the shoulder. "She'll be fine. She's very good at what she does. She can take care of herself."
He knew that very well, but still "You're worried," Harry stated.
Cooper brushed back some shaggy hair from his face. "Of course. She's my partner. I care about Tonks. But neither of us should be concerned. If she hasn't made contact in a few days, we'll say hell to the mission and charge in with wands ablaze. Alex had a contingency plan in place before she ever left on Friday. This is what we do, Harry. Trust me."
Not terribly reassured, Harry forced a smile anyway. "Thanks, Coop."
"Anytime. So, how are your classes?"
"Fine, I guess. Hard. Say, are you busy right now?" Harry asked.
"Free as a bird. Tonks wasn't kidding when she said this post was boring. What do you need?"
"What do you know about recognizing the Imperius Curse?"
Half an hour later, Harry pushed away from the desk in Tonks's room in the staff quarters and stretched. Cooper had suggested his temporary quarters in place of the library, as he was threatening to take over Harry's position as the most stalked person in the castle. As it turned out, he was a mine of information on Unforgivables, and not only did Harry have several more inches than Snape had asked for, he had another half foot of notes for future essays.
"Do they teach you all this in Auror training?" he asked, impressed.
Cooper nodded. "Yes, particularly the Cruciatus and the Imperius. Not much you can do about the Killing Curse, but we discuss the first two in length during our SERE training."
"What's that?"
"Survive, evade, resist, and escape. Basically what to do if we're captured. It's one of the roughest parts of our training."
"Can Aurors use Unforgivables?"
"No, it's just as illegal for me as you. For the time being, anyway. Back during You-Know-Who's first rise to power, they were authorized to use the Killing Curse, and some of the veterans are predicting the same legislation is coming. Things are getting worse, and Scrimgeour well, he's no Fudge. Personally I think all it will take is something big to happen. I almost thought they'd allow it when Amelia Bones was murdered; we don't take kindly to losing one of our own."
Harry nodded, gathering his things in his bag. "Makes sense. Have to fight fire with fire."
"Do you think so?" Cooper asked lightly.
"I don't think we can win with stunners while they're throwing Killing Curses," Harry replied honestly.
He gave Harry a wry grin. "Easier to say when it's not you."
How little you know, Harry thought darkly, but he just smiled politely. "Thanks for this. I might actually earn an O from Snape, though I'm sure he'll find some reason to fail me anyway." Cooper chucked dryly. "Good luck."
Harry glanced around the room as he headed for the door. It felt like an invasion of privacy, being in Tonks's room without her knowledge, particularly when it was still covered with her belongings. Trainers and boots were scattered on the floor, her training jacket hung on the back of a chair, and photographs were stuck all around the frame of a mirror. He paused as he passed, a few catching his eye.
One showed Tonks in a rather skimpy pink bikini (Harry lingered on that a little too long) and Cooper in a pair of long orange swim shorts, both waving at the camera before doing simultaneous back flips into a pool. Another was of Tonks bundled up on the side of a snowy mountain, her arm around an unfamiliar man.
"Her cousin Adam," Cooper said over Harry's shoulder. "On her father's side. A Muggle."
"You know her Muggle family?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Just a few. I dated one of her cousins very briefly a few years ago."
"Oh." Harry was rather cheered by this. "Well, thanks again. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."
"No problem. See you later. Oh, and Harry?" Cooper smiled reassuringly. "She's fine. I promise."
Before heading to the common room to meet Parvati for their date to Hogsmeade on Saturday, Harry ran a quick eye over the Marauder's Map. He first spotted Crabbe and Goyle in the Entrance Hall, presumably on their way to Hogsmeade themselves, and his pulse quickened when he realized Malfoy wasn't accompanying them. Perhaps he was taking advantage of the mostly empty castle again. However, a minute or so of scanning showed Malfoy with Professor McGonagall in her office.
They didn't seem to be going anywhere, and since Malfoy's lookouts had left, Harry gave up with a stab of annoyance. How was he supposed to catch him if he never went to that mysterious room? As he had all week, Harry searched the map again, this time for Tonks, but she was still nowhere to be found. He folded it up angrily. Where was she, and why hadn't she told him she was leaving? Harry went downstairs with a ball of anxiety in the pit of his stomach.
"Finally!" Parvati exclaimed impatiently. "Everyone else is gone."
"Sorry. Let's go."
After a very thorough search by Filch with a Secrecy Sensor (because apparently sneaking forbidden items out of the castle was undesirable), they set off on the long walk.
"Where do you want to go?" Parvati asked brightly, entwining her fingers with Harry's.
"I don't know," he said absently, mind swirling with thoughts of an absent Auror and a suspicious Slytherin.
"What about Madam Puddifoot's?"
"Yeah, sure—wait. No, definitely not."
"Why not?"
"I went there last year with Cho. It was horrible." Parvati's face darkened, and Harry screwed up his face. Bad move. He tugged her to a stop. "Wait, Parvati. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Bringing up an ex-girlfriend isn't exactly a good start to a date, is it?"
"No, not really," she said candidly, though he spotted a glimmer of a smile.
"Honestly, I'm pants at these type of things," he admitted.
"It's not like I have much experience either, Harry," she said shyly. "What would you do if you were with Ro-, er, Hermione?"
"Um, well, it's cold, so we'd probably get a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. So. Parvati, do you want to get a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks?"
She laughed at his clumsy delivery. "I'd like that."
They settled into a mostly easy conversation for the rest of the walk, only occasionally lapsing into awkward silence before bursting out something random for the sake of speaking. He was pleased when Parvati thought his idea of becoming an Auror was "really cool." She was, rather to his dismay, just as enamored with Divination as she had been when they started the subject in third year, wishing to follow up on it after Hogwarts.
"But my parents aren't very keen on the idea," she said as they trudged down High Street, faces bent against the wind. "They think I should be a Healer, and it's hard to stand up to them. They're rather strict."
"Sometimes you have to. They didn't want you and Padma to return to school this year, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, but we convinced them it would be safe. I mean, Dumbledore is here."
"What about Padma? What does she want to do?"
Parvati furrowed her brow thoughtfully. "She hasn't decided. She really likes Transfiguration, so probably something with that. She's even less likely to go against Mum and Dad than I am."
When they reached the Three Broomsticks, it was packed; clearly the harsh weather was keeping people indoors. After Harry paid for two warm tankards of foaming butterbeer, they looked around for any open seat. At first he thought there were none to be found, but finally he spotted two next to Dean, Ginny, and an uncomfortable-looking Hermione. He started to say something, but remembering his ill-fated date with Cho, he hesitated.
Parvati followed his gaze. "I suppose we'll sit there, shall we?" she said with a laugh that seemed forced.
Relieved, Harry followed her, trying not to spill his drink as he slipped through the throng of students.
Hermione looked as relieved as him, possibly because Dean and Ginny were rather wrapped up in each other. "Hi, Harry. Hi, Parvati."
"Hey," Harry greeted them.
"Nasty weather for a Hogsmeade visit, isn't it?" Ginny asked, leaning into the arm Dean slung around her shoulders.
Harry felt Parvati's eyes on him. He tightened his hands around the warm mug. "Yeah. Have either of you seen Tonks?"
"Not since last week," Ginny answered while Hermione shook her head. "Why?"
He shrugged casually. "Just curious, thought she might be here."
"Do you reckon she knows where Dumbledore goes?"
"Maybe," Harry said vaguely. She didn't, actually; in fact she had asked him if he knew.
Parvati chimed in, "Strange, isn't it, him being gone all the time?"
"But he's Dumbledore," said Dean. "Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, so on and so forth. I bet he has a thousand people wanting his advice, especially these days."
Harry didn't particularly think that was the case for his absence, but he let the conversation go on without interruption, sipping his butterbeer and trying to think of what to do next. It was too cold to visit the Shrieking Shack, and Madam Puddifoot's was out of the question, but he supposed Zonko's or Honeydukes would work. There was also Tomes and Scrolls, though he didn't think Parvati was a big reader.
"Do you want to go somewhere else, Harry?" Parvati asked when she noticed he had finished his butterbeer.
"Sure. How about Zonko's?"
She wrinkled her nose. "It's kind of loud, isn't it? What about Gladrags?"
"I don't really need any clothes. Honeydukes?"
She smiled. "Sounds good."
Harry went to say his goodbyes to Ginny and Dean, but they were whispering to each other quietly, lost in their own world. "Want to come with, Hermione?"
"No, I'm going to get a new quill," she replied with a hard look that he failed to interpret.
Once outside, they parted ways with Hermione and went to the sweetshop, which was nearly as crowded as the Three Broomsticks. They had fun imagining the customers for some of the more exotic and sometimes lurid candies, and Harry bought her a box of Charm Choc. He grinned on the way out as they passed the exploding bonbons, resisting a strong urge to buy some.
Outdoors once again, Harry struggled to think of something else to do. It was still early, and he didn't suppose she was ready to return to the castle. However, Parvati beat him to it, pulling him into a nearby alleyway out of the wind.
"Harry, I think we need to talk," she began. He gave her his full attention, and she took a deep breath. "I don't think this is working out."
"You don't?"
"No, and I don't think you do, either."
"I like you, Parvati," he protested.
"Yes, but I don't think you like me enough. Don't you think there's something missing? When we're with other people or we're just talking, you're fine. But when it comes to the couple stuff, like holding hands or kissing or being alone, you get this panicked look on your face. It just doesn't feel right."
Harry was at a loss for words. He couldn't deny what she said, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. A bit late for that. "You're a really nice girl."
She smiled forlornly. "Thank you, and you're a great guy. I like you a lot, and I'm glad you gave it a go."
Harry was swept with a strange combination of sadness and relief. "I know this is really cliché, but can we still be friends?"
"Of course," she replied, though her smile wavered.
"I'm really sorry," he blurted out.
"Me, too, Harry." And with that, she leaned up, softly kissed his cheek, and started to walk away.
After a few steps she turned around. "Does she know?"
He frowned in confusion. "What?"
"The other girl. Does she know you like her?"
"Parvati, I swear, there's no one else. I would never—"
"I know you wouldn't. I'm not accusing you of being with another girl, but I know there's been someone else on your mind. I can tell." She bit her lip. "At least do me the favor of being honest."
Harry stared uncomprehendingly at his now ex-girlfriend, his mind in turmoil. He wasn't interested in anyone else. Was he? The only one on his mind was—oh. Harry took a deep breath as he was forced to come to a startling revelation. It was time to admit the truth, not only to her but to himself. "No," he finally admitted. "I don't think she does."
Parvati nodded, backing away. "Okay. Well, goodbye, Harry."
"Goodbye, Parvati."
Harry watched her until she was out of sight, feeling like the world's biggest prat. Not even Percy Weasley could top this. He had no business asking Parvati out when he knew he wasn't interested in her. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stalked away angrily, head bent against the wind and cold. Tonks. It was all her fault; she had practically forced him into this against his will. He fumed as he returned to the castle. As soon as she returned from wherever the hell she was, he was going to give her what for. She had no right to mess with his personal life, and now someone had gotten hurt because of it. And to top it all off, she up and disappeared when he needed her.
Harry was aware of the rise and fall of voices ahead of him, but it wasn't until he was right on top of them that he realized they'd stopped.
"Katie, please, will you at least tell me—ow!" The girl Harry crashed into rubbed her elbow and glared at him.
"Sorry," he muttered before noticing who accompanied her. It was his teammate Katie. "Oh, hi, Katie."
She glanced at him blankly, clutching a package to her chest. "Hi. Gotta go," she mumbled, turning around and rapidly walking away.
Harry stared uncomprehendingly. Katie had always been a friendly, outgoing person. What was with her? Her friend chased after her as well, pulling on her arm, demanding to know where the package came from.
"I have to go. It's nothing to do with you," Katie said in a stubborn tone Harry had never heard her use, not even in the worst Quidditch matches. "I have to deliver this."
A delivery for someone in the castle? What was going on? Harry ran after the girls, tapping Katie's shoulder. "Katie, who gave that to you?"
"Leave me alone. I have to deliver this," she repeated, detached. Harry caught a glimpse of her eyes, which although they looked right at him, were unfocused brown orbs, as if in a trance. In a trance It clicked so suddenly Harry expected an audible sound. Grabbing Katie's friend with one hand, he pulled his wand and waved it in the direction of the castle, casting a large white figure that quickly disappeared. Still holding the girl, who was struggling, Harry turned his wand to Katie, heart beating fast. I hope this works.
A flash of red light lit up the cloudy sky.