Author's notes: Hello all, sorry for the slight delay in getting this chapter online. I was struck with a bad dose of writer's block and an urge to get a start on my next project. I haven't forgotten Heather and I do apologize for briefly leaving the story where I did. I promise I'm going to complete this project and won't abandon it.
Harry Potter does not belong to me, but to JK Rowling.
Chapter Fourteen
Heather wasn't to be seen the next day, preferring to stay in bed. She didn't show up for any meals, or even come down to the common room. Sometime in the midafternoon, Ron was finally dispatched by Hermione to go check on him.
"Harry, c'mon mate. You need to get up." Ron said, pulling back the curtains of Heather's bed.
"Go away." Was the response he got from the mess of pillows and blankets.
"Hermione says you need to come down." Ron persisted.
"I said, Go – Away". These last two words were punctuated with the tip of a wand emerging from the jumble.
Ron wheeled around and hurried from the room without another word. If his friend was upset enough to draw his wand, Ron wanted nothing to do with him right now. No one else bothered Heather for the rest of the day, although she could hear her roommates muttering about her quietly as they came upstairs for bed.
Because she had classes on Monday, Heather wasn't able to stay secluded as she wished. Instead, she opted to use the invisibility cloak, allowing her to eat breakfast in the kitchens and emerge just as class was about to begin. During Potions she avoided the table she usually sat at, choosing instead to sit alone at an empty table near the back of the dungeon. Justin didn't look at her the entire lesson, but both Ernie and Hermione kept shooting surreptitious glances at both of them.
As she hurried from the dungeon after the lesson ended, Heather heard Hermione calling for her. Ignoring the repeated calls, she ducked into an alcove and pulled her cloak back on. Even though she knew what Heather had done, Hermione still couldn't know where she had gone, and so gave up after a few moments of searching.
Heather stayed in the alcove until she was sure Hermione had gone before feeling it was safe to move. Not wanting to surround herself with people, she considered going back to the kitchens, but Dobby's crestfallen face at the sight of her this morning was more than she could bear to see again. Her feet moved without her brain giving them direction, until she found herself in the back of the library, near the restricted section. She wasn't paying too much attention to her surroundings, at least not until she heard her name. It wasn't a voice she recognized, but it was speaking intently to someone else.
"How are you going to get Harry to go with you?" one girl asked.
"Oh, I have a plan for that, don't you worry." A second girl answered, her voice sounded familiar but Heather couldn't place it.
"What are you planning on wearing?" the first girl continued.
They were talking about Slughorn's party. That was no real surprise, the entire school had been talking about nothing else since the invitations had gone out to "The Slug Club." The second girl told her friend all about her outfit, but Heather stopped listening. So, someone was intent on going to the party with her, and she sounded like she had a plan to make sure that happened. Her last two lessons that day, Herbology and Transfiguration, were easier as she didn't have to face Justin.
Out in the corridor after Transfiguration, Hermione didn't give Heather the chance to vanish. With a surprising amount of strength, her hand closed on Heather's arm as she attempted to break away from the crowd. Down the Marble staircase into the Entrance Hall, she dragged Heather, who didn't have the energy to put up much resistance. Turning quickly at the foot of the staircase, Hermione led Heather down the cool steps to the kitchens, checking first to make sure that no one was coming from the Hufflepuff Common Room.
"We need to talk" Hermione said, pushing Heather into a chair against the wall.
"Yeah, I guess so" said Heather dejectedly.
"What's going on with you and Justin?"
"Nothing. Not anymore" Mumbled Heather
"Oh, Heather, I'm so sorry. What happened?" Hermione asked kneeling in front of her so that she could see Heather's downcast eyes.
Quietly at first, Heather started talking about her last date. When she got to what Justin had said to her, the memory of his face in those last few minutes imprinted itself on her brain and she lost control. Loud sobs that she had been holding in since her return to Gryffindor tower that night broke through the numbness. Around them the house elves watched with sad eyes. Hermione let her friend cry without saying anything. All she did was tightly grip Heather's hand to reassure her that she was still there.
It took close to twenty minutes for Heather to bring herself back under control enough to get a clear word out. Eyes red and puffy, her nose running incessantly, she knew she looked quite a sight. Hermione conjured a hankie for her and she blew her nose.
"Sorry. I know I'm being stupid" she muttered through her sniffs.
"I'm so sorry this happened." Hermione repeated.
"What do I do now, Hermione?" Heather asked, a fresh wave of sobs threatening to overtake her.
"You look out for yourself, Heather. If that's how Justin is then that's how he is."
"I guess" mumbled Heather.
Hermione gave her a stern look, "No, not I guess. It's going to hurt for a while but it will get better.
Heather didn't respond, just kept looking at her knees.
"There's something else you need to know about." Hermione broke the silence.
"What?"
"I overheard a group of girls in a bathroom the other day. Apparently one of them, a girl named Romilda Vane, is planning on dosing you with love potion in order to get you to take her to Slughorn's party."
"So that's who that was." Heather said, and told Hermione about the conversation she had overheard. "But, why didn't you confiscate the potion? They're against the rules?" She asked.
"They didn't have them on them, of course. But you need to be careful."
Heather thought for a moment, "But, will a love potion from a girl work on me?"
"I don't know, and if I were you I'd recommend not finding out the hard way."
"Agreed."
They stayed in the kitchens for dinner that night. Dobby was more than happy to serve them as he had for Heather's many dates, and the food was wonderful. They talked about anything except Justin or Ron. Nether of them were too pleased with their male friend right now, though Heather less so than Hermione.
It took several more days for Heather to return to something she would call normal. She still avoided Justin whenever possible. Thankfully Hermione was willing to swap with her in Charms so that she could sit with Ron, Lavender, and Pavarti. Justin it seemed was ignoring Heather completely, which suited her fine. Slughorn's party was approaching quickly, and Heather knew she had no choice but to go, he had made sure to schedule it on a night that she had nothing else to do. Quidditch practices had stopped, the weather having reached a point where no one wanted to spend more than ten minutes on a broom if they didn't have too, and the next match taking place after they returned from break.
Despite Hermione's warning that several girls had less then above board plans for getting her to take them to the party, Heather still had not decided who to ask. She considered just going alone, but it felt like there was a clear expectation that she was required to have a date. Every time she thought of asking anyone, her mind always flashed to Justin and a fresh wave of anguish threatened to overtake her.
One evening as she returned to the common room from dinner, a girl detached herself from her friends and intercepted her. It was Romilda Vane, the rude girl that had insulted Luna and Neville on the Hogwarts Express, and who was reportedly intent on dosing Heather with love potion. Trying to sidestep her failed and Heather stopped short.
"Hi, Harry. I was just wondering if you'd like to share these" she purred, holding out a box of chocolate cauldrons. "They've got fire whiskey in them."
"Err-no, thanks though" Heather said, trying to get around the girl.
"Well, how about you just keep them then. I'm not planning on eating them." Romilda said, shoving the box into Heather's arms, giving her an exaggerated wink, and rejoining her friends. Up in her dormitory, Heather chucked the box into her trunk, making a mental note to get rid of them at the first opprotunity.
During their last week of lessons before break, Professor McGonagall started them on learning self transfiguration. This more than anything brought Heather's interest back to something other than her broken heart or asking out a date. She had wanted to learn how to magically modify her body for several years now, not that they were learning how to grow breasts or anything. For this lesson all they were supposed to attempt was to change the color of their eyebrows. Hermione had already managed several different colors, including a bright pink Tonks would have been proud of, but all Heather had done was to change her left eyebrow to a platinum blonde.
When Ron managed to give himself an impressive handlebar mustache, which was somehow lime green, Hermione let out a peel of laughter. Heather smirked, she couldn't help it. For the first time in weeks an uncontrollable urge to giggle took hold of her. Ron glared at both of them before retaliating with a mean, but accurate, imitation of Hermione jumping up and down to answer a question. Hermione's face went pink and she fled the classroom five minutes before the bell sounded. Heather gathered what Hermione had left behind and followed her. Several minutes later she found Hermione exiting a girl's bathroom one floor down, and being patted on the back by Luna Lovegood.
"Hi Luna. Hermione, you left your things…" Heather said, holding out her books.
"Oh yes" said Hermione, "I'd better get going."
Without another word she set off down the corridor, leaving Luna and Heather alone.
"She was crying," said Luna, "and muttering something about Ron Weasley."
"Yeah, they've had a fight." Heather replied.
"He can be very rude sometimes."
"Yeah, he can." An awkward silence fell, and Luna began humming to herself. It occurred to Heather that she probably didn't want the conversation to end.
"Have you had a good term?" she asked.
"Oh, it's alright I suppose. A bit dull without with D.A."
"Luna, would you like to come to Slughorn's party with me tonight?"
Luna blinked at him, "Me?" she said in a very confused voice.
"Yes, you." Heather said, affirming her decision.
"But, Harry I thought you…" Luna trailed off.
"I don't, but that doesn't mean we can't go as friends right…unless you don't want to."
"Oh, no!" said Luna excitedly. "I'd love to go as friends."
With a cackle from overhead, Peeves the poltergeist appeared, leering down at them. He had overheard everything, and with delight he started crooning "Potty loves Loony" at the top of his lungs. Mostly due to this, ten minutes later it seemed most of the castle knew that Heather was going with Luna.
An hour later, Heather was seated in the common room with Ron, Lavender, and Pavarti. After Ron's incredulity at who she had asked wore off, he returned to his usual pastime these days, snogging Lavender. Heather and Pavarti chatted, doing their best to ignore the noises emanating from their friends. Apparently her parents wanted to pull her and her sister out of school.
Suddenly the portrait hole opened and Hermione entered. She had what Heather could only describe as the most self satisfied smile she had ever seen on Hermione's face. Choosing a chair next to them, she beamed at Pavarti and Heather.
"Hi Pavarti, going to the party tonight?" she asked.
"I wish, no one asked me." Pavarti answered dejectedly, "You're going right?"
"Oh yes" said Hermione, the grin spreading. "I'm meeting Cormac at eight.
That bombshell had done exactly what she had wanted it to. Ron tore himself away from Lavender and gaped at her. Heather in turn looked dumbstruck. What in the name of sanity had made Hermione ask that prat out? One look at Ron's expression of disbelief tinged with sadness told her everything she needed to know about that.