Colin sat down to breakfast the next morning, still a little bit groggy. He
yawned widely and Dennis immediately plopped down next to him, coming over
from the Hufflepuff table where he'd been saying good-morning to a few
friends. "Hiya, Colin," Dennis said cheerily. "How come you were out so
late yesterday? Get some nice shots, eh?"
"Er, yeah," said Colin, helping himself to some sausage. He was very close with his brother, and usually they told each other everything, but Colin suddenly didn't feel like starting in about the blonde girl. Besides, he thought, considering her reaction to having Colin walk in on her, he didn't think she'd be too happy if she thought he was spreading the news of her nightly dances all over the school. And Dennis had never exactly been discreet—but then, Colin hadn't either. The only time he'd ever been silent in his life had probably been during his first year when he'd been petrified for a great deal of time.
"Great, I can't wait to see them!" Dennis said before starting in about a particularly nasty homework assignment—Snape, of course, being the teacher who had assigned it—and Colin was glad for the change of pace. He dove into the conversation with his usual zeal.
Well, until he was distracted by the Ravenclaw table. The blonde girl had come in, and chosen a seat right next to Colin's friend Luna. She had her hair down today, and it hung halfway down her back. Luna smiled brightly and greeted her, and they began talking.
Colin tried to appear as if he was looking down at his plate, when he was really watching Luna and the ballerina talking. The ballerina was telling Luna some sort of story, gesturing her hands as she spoke and taking bites of egg in between sentences. Colin's suspicions on the topic were confirmed when the ballerina gave him a pointed look, and Luna followed her gaze. Colin looked away hurriedly, but didn't miss the smile and wink that Luna gave him.
Dennis waved happily at Luna. "Hey, Colin, you and Luna ought to go out. Go on, I bet she'd spend the next Hogsmeade weekend with you."
"She has a boyfriend, Dennis."
"Oh, yeah, that's right, her and Harry."
Luna had the same first class as Colin, and she caught up with him as he was leaving the Great Hall. He and Luna had become friends in their fourth year at Hogwarts. They'd both been members of the DA—Dumbledore's Army, a group of students who were uniting against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the more resident evil of their toad-like Professor Umbridge.
"Morning," she said amicably, sticking a half-eaten biscuit in her mouth as she hauled her bag further up her shoulder with one hand and fastened on her radish earrings with the other.
"Morning," replied Colin.
"So I hear you've been spying on Susannah," Luna said, grinning at him.
"I—was—not!" Colin cried. "I just... happened upon her."
"And took her picture without asking."
"I wasn't spying on her," he insisted again. Then, after a pause, he added, "so, her name's Susannah?"
"No, that's the name of my new crumple-horned snorkack."
"Oh, so you've another imaginary pet?" Colin said, sniggering, then quickly he added, "don't start in about the snorkacks, they're real, they're real. What do I know anyway, I'm a muggle born." This was generally the only way to appease Luna if he accidentally insulted her beloved snorkacks, or any of the other creatures she went on about that more sensible folk insisted didn't exist.
"So is she," said Luna stealthily.
"Well, I suppose that explains the ballet," Colin said, trying to sound disinterested. "It's not exactly huge in the wizarding world, eh?" Luna shrugged. There was a pause, and then Colin said, "So, does she really and truly hate me then?"
"No, Colin, she doesn't really and truly hate you," said Luna, who clearly felt that her purpose had been accomplished. "She thought you were spying on her and were going to post that picture around the school to make fun of her or blackmail her or something."
"What's so bad about it? She looked lovely, she's really good."
"Even with You-Know-Who gone, there's still people at this school and out of it who look down on Muggles and Muggle-borns, Colin. And considering some of the Slytherins, if they found out that she'd rather dance in Muggle ballet than do wizarding things after school, they'd make it a living hell for her. She might have to stop practicing at night, and trust me, that would really kill Susannah."
"Oh," Colin said, feeling rather sorry about the whole thing.
"But don't worry. I set her straight about everything. I mean, she's still pissed you took her picture without her permission and, really, you were spying on her just standing there, you could've asked."
"Shut up."
"Oh, I think you're blushing," said Luna, laughing.
"Shut up!"
"You fancy her."
"I do not!"
"Yes you do, it's completely obvious."
"Do not. I hardly know her," Colin said stubbornly.
"So?" Luna said with a grin. They had arrived at their class and sat down together at a table near the back of the class. Both began pulling out parchment, quills and ink. "Well," said Luna pleasantly, "here's to not paying attention in class and daydreaming about certain someones instead." She held up her inkbottle as if she was giving a toast. Then, as the professor entered and started chalk sailing across the blackboard with a wave of his wand, Luna started in on one of her long letters beginning "Dear Harry," and that was Colin's cue to leave her alone for a bit.
At least he knew that Susannah didn't despise him—and he knew her name. That was something. Although he did owe her an apology for—he had to admit it, sighing—spying on her. Perhaps she'd even let him watch her dance again. And that, he thought, taking Luna's advice and not paying attention, would be really lovely....
"Er, yeah," said Colin, helping himself to some sausage. He was very close with his brother, and usually they told each other everything, but Colin suddenly didn't feel like starting in about the blonde girl. Besides, he thought, considering her reaction to having Colin walk in on her, he didn't think she'd be too happy if she thought he was spreading the news of her nightly dances all over the school. And Dennis had never exactly been discreet—but then, Colin hadn't either. The only time he'd ever been silent in his life had probably been during his first year when he'd been petrified for a great deal of time.
"Great, I can't wait to see them!" Dennis said before starting in about a particularly nasty homework assignment—Snape, of course, being the teacher who had assigned it—and Colin was glad for the change of pace. He dove into the conversation with his usual zeal.
Well, until he was distracted by the Ravenclaw table. The blonde girl had come in, and chosen a seat right next to Colin's friend Luna. She had her hair down today, and it hung halfway down her back. Luna smiled brightly and greeted her, and they began talking.
Colin tried to appear as if he was looking down at his plate, when he was really watching Luna and the ballerina talking. The ballerina was telling Luna some sort of story, gesturing her hands as she spoke and taking bites of egg in between sentences. Colin's suspicions on the topic were confirmed when the ballerina gave him a pointed look, and Luna followed her gaze. Colin looked away hurriedly, but didn't miss the smile and wink that Luna gave him.
Dennis waved happily at Luna. "Hey, Colin, you and Luna ought to go out. Go on, I bet she'd spend the next Hogsmeade weekend with you."
"She has a boyfriend, Dennis."
"Oh, yeah, that's right, her and Harry."
Luna had the same first class as Colin, and she caught up with him as he was leaving the Great Hall. He and Luna had become friends in their fourth year at Hogwarts. They'd both been members of the DA—Dumbledore's Army, a group of students who were uniting against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the more resident evil of their toad-like Professor Umbridge.
"Morning," she said amicably, sticking a half-eaten biscuit in her mouth as she hauled her bag further up her shoulder with one hand and fastened on her radish earrings with the other.
"Morning," replied Colin.
"So I hear you've been spying on Susannah," Luna said, grinning at him.
"I—was—not!" Colin cried. "I just... happened upon her."
"And took her picture without asking."
"I wasn't spying on her," he insisted again. Then, after a pause, he added, "so, her name's Susannah?"
"No, that's the name of my new crumple-horned snorkack."
"Oh, so you've another imaginary pet?" Colin said, sniggering, then quickly he added, "don't start in about the snorkacks, they're real, they're real. What do I know anyway, I'm a muggle born." This was generally the only way to appease Luna if he accidentally insulted her beloved snorkacks, or any of the other creatures she went on about that more sensible folk insisted didn't exist.
"So is she," said Luna stealthily.
"Well, I suppose that explains the ballet," Colin said, trying to sound disinterested. "It's not exactly huge in the wizarding world, eh?" Luna shrugged. There was a pause, and then Colin said, "So, does she really and truly hate me then?"
"No, Colin, she doesn't really and truly hate you," said Luna, who clearly felt that her purpose had been accomplished. "She thought you were spying on her and were going to post that picture around the school to make fun of her or blackmail her or something."
"What's so bad about it? She looked lovely, she's really good."
"Even with You-Know-Who gone, there's still people at this school and out of it who look down on Muggles and Muggle-borns, Colin. And considering some of the Slytherins, if they found out that she'd rather dance in Muggle ballet than do wizarding things after school, they'd make it a living hell for her. She might have to stop practicing at night, and trust me, that would really kill Susannah."
"Oh," Colin said, feeling rather sorry about the whole thing.
"But don't worry. I set her straight about everything. I mean, she's still pissed you took her picture without her permission and, really, you were spying on her just standing there, you could've asked."
"Shut up."
"Oh, I think you're blushing," said Luna, laughing.
"Shut up!"
"You fancy her."
"I do not!"
"Yes you do, it's completely obvious."
"Do not. I hardly know her," Colin said stubbornly.
"So?" Luna said with a grin. They had arrived at their class and sat down together at a table near the back of the class. Both began pulling out parchment, quills and ink. "Well," said Luna pleasantly, "here's to not paying attention in class and daydreaming about certain someones instead." She held up her inkbottle as if she was giving a toast. Then, as the professor entered and started chalk sailing across the blackboard with a wave of his wand, Luna started in on one of her long letters beginning "Dear Harry," and that was Colin's cue to leave her alone for a bit.
At least he knew that Susannah didn't despise him—and he knew her name. That was something. Although he did owe her an apology for—he had to admit it, sighing—spying on her. Perhaps she'd even let him watch her dance again. And that, he thought, taking Luna's advice and not paying attention, would be really lovely....