Chapter 4 – The Encounters
Neville Longbotton stared across the atrium, to where Hannah Abbott was standing.
He'd pined for her so long!
He remembered watching her during Herbology, her blonde hair, her rosy skin. She reminded him of a picture in his childhood story book of a milkmaid standing in a meadow of wild flowers.
He wished he'd had the courage to get to know her before it was too late…before that Goblet had decided she was meant for Theodore Nott!
Hannah was talking with her best friend, Susan Bones. Neville's future wife.
Neville sighed. He liked Susan, she was so pleasant and nice. He also thought her very attractive, with her red hair, brown eyes, and curvy figure.
Just then Susan looked up, spotted him, smiled and waved.
Neville took a deep breath, gathered his Gryffindor courage, and headed towards her.
Ron Weasley hunched his shoulders and scowled. "I remember you. The traitor who sold us out to Umbitch…" he stressed the pejorative…"during fifth year."
"I never meant too! But she said my mother would loose her job at the Ministry if I didn't tell her everything! My father was so sick, and if my mother was fired, then we'd have nothing!"
"Umbitch threatened to do that?" Ron couldn't believe anyone would sink so low.
Marietta jerked her head, tears spilling over.
"You have to believe me, I never thought she'd torture anyone. But I didn't know what else to do."
"Did your father get better?"
Marietta mopped her face with her handkerchief. "He died. And when I went back to school everybody hated me. I'm so sorry!"
"I can understand why you did it," Ron said slowly. "I don't condone it, mind, but when it's a question of family, well…like I said, I can understand."
Marietta gave him a wavery smile. "Thank you."
She wasn't bad looking when she smiled, Ron decided. She was tall, with an athletic figure and curly reddish hair.
He forced himself to let go of his resentment and tried to establish a rapport.
"So, what are you doing, now that school is over?"
Her eyes lit up. "I'm in a muggle culinary school in London! I want to be a pastry chef."
Ron's face took on an expression of intense interest. "Tell me more."
Draco held himself stiffly as he issued a formal invitation to Katie Bell for tea at Malfoy Manor.
"Is ..that where we will live, after we're married?" Katie asked hesitantly.
"Yes. But we will have an entire wing to ourselves, so it will be just as if we have a separate house."
Katie looked happier, and Draco was encouraged to continue.
"The Manor is in Wiltshire, and has extensive grounds. There's even a Quidditch pitch."
"There is?" Katie 's excitement was contagious. "That's great! Can we play pick-up games there?"
"I suppose." Draco relaxed. He'd sometimes invited his friends to play, though they'd never been able to field an entire team. But Katie knew other players…perhaps it would be possible?
"I don't see why not."
Daphne was amazed to realize how late it had gotten.
'I'd better check on Astoria," she said anxiously.
"She's over there, with Lee Jordan." Harry indicated the direction, and Daphne's eyes widened.
"She…she…is laughing! Astoria is laughing!" She couldn't believe her sister, who'd complained and pouted for days, appeared to be having the time of her life!
"Lee's a funny guy," Harry remarked. "Don't worry, he'll take good care of her."
"I guess this isn't what you had in mind for your future." Tracey Davis, so joyous a minute ago, was thoroughly deflated.
George Weasley studied the girl: her vivid freckled face, her spiky cinnamon hair, her bright smile that had vanished when she'd seen him with Angelina.
He felt regretful that her sparkle had dimmed.
"I haven't thought a lot about the future since my brother died," he confessed. "Fred was the better part of me, and without him, I somehow feel half-alive."
"I understand that," Tracey said softly. "My father died when I was young, so for years it was just my mother and me. When I lost her a year ago, I felt so alone! Like there was a gaping hole inside…I have some good friends, but…"
"I know," George nodded. "There's that one person that nobody can replace, that you'll miss forever. That's what hurts."
Astrid Greengrass sat alone in the dark, clutching a glass of firewhisky and wondering how her life had imploded so fast.
Her girls, both once promised to proper pureblood mates, now to be thrown away on halfbloods and mudbloods!
It was bad enough for Daphne, but at least Potter, or Black-Potter as he was now calling himself, was rich and famous.
But her own baby, her Astoria! Handed over to some mudblood with neither money nor notable family!
What's worse, both girls had returned from that Ministry soiree whispering and giggling like…like vulgar muggles!
Surely there must be something she could do?