Penelope didn't know how she managed to find her way back to the tavern. The surrounding village seemed to swim around her in a misty haze that had no connection whatsoever with time. All she could think about was Percy and that kiss, an event that replayed itself over and over again in her mind till she found herself opening the door of the tavern.
Pearl was on her in moments, eyes burning with mischief and a desire to scold. "Where have you been?!" The outburst drew the other students to the front room. "I mean, I waited up for you till about 3 AM. You have a story to tell me."
"Gathering herbs?" came a sharp voice. Asa Cortez pushed her way through. "Mentirosa."
She had to be blushing terribly. Penelope, smiling sheepishly, managed to lift her eyes to Asa's. The Healer's old face was gentle, a more mature version of Pearl's. "You're probably wondering where the basket is."
"Si, but it can be replaced." She took Penelope's arm and dragged her to the side. "I take it you made up with the boy? Soy muy feliz para usted, mi muchacha."
She felt the kiss again on her lips, and reddened further. "I suppose. I'm not really sure what happened, Asa."
Asa smiled, a quick, warm smile that vanished almost immediately as she glanced back at the other students. "¿Usted significa a comedor de la muerte?" she whispered.
Death-Eater. A sick feeling sunk into Penelope's stomach. She had told Asa the story of Percy's betrayal. But the incident hadn't been what she had thought it was. And yet she didn't need her trainer thinking her in league with the Dark Lord. She had just gained a reputation as a slut; what more would ruin her? She bit back a dirty taste in her mouth and forced a smile. "No, no, Asa. This boy. . . it's not the one I mentioned. It's a completely different boy. He works for Mr. Dormand. His name is. . . his name is John Ignatius."
"I see," Asa replied slowly, unwilling to remove her eyes from Penelope. "I'm sorry for the confusion. At least you have forgotten the other one."
Pearl stood a distance away, trying to listen. Penelope gave her a wink, hoping it would be interrupted as a promise for later conversation.
"The other one is far from my hand, I assure you."
"Mm." The Healer didn't appear to even blink. "Well, I'm muy happy for you, Miss Clearwater. Just don't stay out all night again. And go take a shower before the next lesson."
A shower would be very nice. She gave a small curtsey. "Yes, Healer Cortez." She turned to follow Pearl up the stairs.
"Miss Clearwater."
"Yes?"
"Por favor reloj hacia fuera para se."
A warning to be careful. Pearl understood as much, and gazed at Penelope with fear. Penelope gave her a reassuring smile and ushered her friend up the stairs.
The room they shared was almost overpoweringly welcoming. Penelope had forgotten how tired she was. The little sleep she had wasn't the ideal of comfort. Her own bed seemed to call for her, neat and waiting for a sleeper. Unlike Pearl's, still unmade. Pearl let out a shrill giggle and hopped on her bed.
"So," she said with a grin. "Spill."
"Pearl, you have no respect for privacy," Penelope replied, sitting down next to her. But she herself was grinning like some idiotic teenager-no, pre-teen-only interested in a kiss because it made for a juicy and bragging story. She had done that before, back at Hogwarts, in her dorm room in the Ravenclaw tower after a moonlight stroll and kiss with Percy. Some of her fellow students had thought him cute; it was a compliment to herself to be dating a cute older prefect, later Head-boy. "We just. . . kissed."
"Just kissed?" Pearl studied her. "Not the excitement I expected, but knowing you. . .hell, I'm surprised you actually stayed out all night. And kissing is lovely, don't get me wrong. Was it that boy from Dormand's office? John or something like that?"
John simply didn't suit Percy. "Yeah."
Pearl gave a shrill giggle. "I knew it. He kept coming over here, looking for you."
"Good grief, he did that twice." When had Penelope's life become the soap opera devotion of the entire group? Was no one else having a fling of any sort?
"He's cute. How did you meet him?"
She rolled her eyes. "I walked into the office looking for Dormand a week ago. This guy was there instead."
Her face twisted with a grin, Pearl batted a pillow. "One week is very fast for someone like you."
Yes, one week was fast, especially compared to the awkward month they had originally spent simply trying to speak to one another. Everything had been so different then.
"Penelope?" The humor slipped from Pearl's face, and the pillow fell to the floor. "Are you okay?"
"Okay?" She put her fingers to her face and with a surprise felt tears, warm and salty. "Oh. I'm. . . yes, I'm fine. I just. . ."
"What was Asa talking to you about?" The gossipy attitude had completely vanished. "She warned you about something. Penelope, are you sure you were someone? Romantically?"
The tears that had been barely enough to wet her eyes pushed themselves out as she gave a choking sob. It felt as if something cold had grabbed her heart. "Pearl, I can't."
"Asa was dead serious. I can tell that much. She was more than serious; she was worried." Pearl took her hand. "I'm worried, too."
Penelope shook her head and choked back another sob. "It's nothing."
"Nothing?"
"I mean, it's nothing for anyone to worry about. Just me."
Pearl's face relaxed somewhat, but she gave her friend's hand another squeeze.
Penelope wouldn't be left alone until Pearl was satisfied. But what was she supposed to say? Pearl, she knew, was against Voldemort; everyone was. But she wasn't in the Order; she was just a girl who wanted to become a Healer and wait patiently for everything to go back to peaceful oblivion. She didn't need or want to know about the true identity of John Ignatius and his Death Eater connections. She didn't need to know about the true nature of Brown and the danger of Matthias Dormand. And yet she was clearly worried about Penelope. But would Pearl panic at the truth? In spite of everything, Penelope did not want Percy's identity and whereabouts revealed. She stared at her lap, feeling the tears rush freely down her face, mingling with her rat nest hair. "I'm . . I'm in love."
Whatever Pearl had expected, it hadn't been that. All sign of shock was apparent and any breathing was not. "In love? With a guy you met a week ago?"
In love? Penelope was more shocked than Pearl. Had she just said that? Had she just drawn the conversation back to a giggly girl-talk fest? Mortified, she found herself nodding.
Pearl was torn between excitement and horror. "A week? No wonder Asa warned you."
"It hasn't been a week. I've known him for years. I used to date him, back at Hogwarts?"
"At Hogwarts? I don't remember a John Ignatius. Then again, I don't remember you. I was a Hufflepuff, and I think. . " They had discussed Hogwarts days before. "I was two years below you. But you were Head-girl your 7th year." She frowned. "I don't remember anyone called Ignatius."
"That's because it's not his real name." Damn. Everything was coming out.
"Not his real name? Then what is it? Maybe then I'll know him."
"I can't say. But. . . he doesn't look any familiar?" Chances were that Pearl had been aware of at least one of the Weasleys.
Pearl shook her head. "I have yet to see him without that silly hood."
Thank heaven for that hood. "He's amazing. Incredibly sweet, once you break him down. And a perfect gentleman. We were prefects together. That's how we met."
"And you've met up with him again?" Pearl shivered. "That's incredibly romantic."
"And he's even better now." Penelope was gushing, very unlike her. But she found that she couldn't stop and didn't even want to. "I didn't think so at first, but he's changed. Changed for the best. And I'm completely in love with him. Again."
And it was true. Percy had changed and changed again. The scars on his arm proved it. He didn't support Voldemort; he was against him. Every horrible thing she had thought of him was completely false. And she couldn't be more thrilled.
"I'm in love," she repeated, letting the words echo through her head.
Pearl laughed, care-free again. "I'm glad."
"I'm in love!" She jumped from the bed and slipped on the pillow Pearl had dropped. "Ouch. I think I'll go take that shower."
