"Have you ever noticed the ghosts tend to steer clear of the third floor? Sometimes I see Peeves there but even he doesn't stay for long."

-Lee Jordan

Chapter 33: Don't Concern Yourself With Hufflepuff

"Look a them. All throwing themselves at him," Seamus sneered from their seats in the stands. He stood and cupped his hands around his mouth. "He doesn't need to be distracted you know!"

The group of girls either didn't hear him or didn't mind him. They waited giggling behind their hands for the moment practice was over so they could shower Oliver Wood with their valentines.

There was no getting away from it, was there?

The Gryffindor girls, Mary and Daphne, and now the older girls here. Everyone was in a Valentine's craze.

I wish the day would just end already.

Neville gasped in excitement at a maneuver pulled by one of the beaters, drawing our attention back to their practice. Seamus seated himself again, though he still seemed disgruntled. "Isn't it crazy that Harry Potter made the team?"

Neville shrugged. "He's a celebrity, isn't he? That's what happens to exceptional people."

"He's just a regular bloke. What did he even do so special anyway? He just happened to get attacked by You-know-who. Your parents got attacked too Neville. What makes Harry Potter any better than you?"

Neville looked uncomfortable at Seamus' new direction in conversation, so I redirected. He was too polite to tell Seamus himself. "Have either of you gotten Valentines today?"

Neville shrugged. "Professor Sprout gave me a chocolate frog. She said it's a shame I wasn't Hufflepuff material."

Seamus snorted at that. "Who wants to be a stinking Hufflepuff? All the rest. They're the wastebin House."

"That's a little harsh," I admonished but I knew it would fall on deaf ears. Seamus, I found, is always very decided in his opinions. "Mary's a Hufflepuff."

"Well Mary's right where she's meant to be, isn't she?" Seamus shrugged. Neville shot me a quick look before focusing back on the Gryffindor practice match. Sometimes it was difficult to tell if Seamus liked Mary much. At times he almost seemed to worry about her. Other times he couldn't stand to hear about her. "Did you get anything, Dean?" I shook my head no. "Not even from Mary?"

My face grew hot. "Sod off." Was I that obvious to everyone except her? "She and Daphne are too busy talking about the different ways to tie her hair. And trying to figure out who left Mary that anonymous valentine-"

"My slow Yankee cousin got a valentine before you did?!"

"Don't call her that!"

Seamus held his hands in the air but he could stop himself from laughing. Arse. "I got a chocolate bunny from Eloise Midgen."

"Eloise?" Neville looked up in surprise. "That's a surprise. She's so shy."

I nodded in agreement. "The only boy I've ever seen her talk to was…was…well- Neville actually."

"We share Herbology notes sometimes."

Something told me to ask. "Which one is Eloise, Seamus?"

My best mate kicked his feet up, using one trainer to scrape a bit of earth off the bottom of the other. "Well she wasn't too shy. Maybe a little. Blonde hair. Kind of wide face. Huge bow-"

Neville and I replied in unison. "That's Lavender Brown."

"I could have sworn-"

I clapped Seamus on the back. "Mate, there has to be something in your whole How to be a mans man code that says you should remember a girl's name at least. Especially if she confesses to you."

"Why should I?!" Seamus at least had the nerve to be embarrassed. "And what confession? All she said was that she thought I was a cool guy."

Dear Mary, You're the coolest. That stupid anonymous valentine. Who gave it to her anyway? As if Viktor Krum and Cedric Diggory weren't enough. The only other boys she interacted with were myself, her cousin, and Neville. And Neville would have told if he fancied Mary at all. Wouldn't he? I gave him a quick look. A bit pudgy, but tall. Cheeks red for seemingly no reason. The cold maybe. Strong I guess but he was mostly, well, cowardly. How Neville was even a Gryffindor at all was still confusing enough but I'm sure there was something about him under all of that. Now that I think about it, an anonymous valentine would be exactly the kind of thing he would do. I turned my attention back to Seamus, wanting to be rid of the thought of my friend and Mary. Why did she have to be so pretty? "What did you say to her? When she gave it to you?"

Seamus shrugged again, now picking at the calluses on his palms. "I said thank you."

"…That's all?"

"Well I am a cool guy. Can I blame her? What else should I have said?"

"That's cold."

Neville rested his hands on his fists. "Do you reckon you could fancy her back?"

Seamus' face winced in disgust. "A girl like Eloise-err Lavender? Never. She's too..too…ruffly."

"…Ruffly?"

"Yes ruffles. Ruffles and ribbons and bows. And lipstick. She's too ridiculous. I like a girl like…like…I don't know. Just not her."

There was a silence for a bit and then Neville asked. "Well did you eat it the bunny?"

"Well I tried. As soon as I opened the package, it hopped off."

Another long silence and Neville spoke up again. "I heard Lee Jordan suddenly really fancies Lavender. I wonder if he's had any chocolate lately."

I snorted out a laugh. We watched practice and played cards on the pitch for almost the entire day. We watched Oliver Wood politely turn down valentines from five different girls. Soon the night came, and it was time for dinner. We all filed into the Great Hall where we were treated with floating hearts and themed desserts. My eyes traveled to the Hufflepuff dinner table. I couldn't spot Mary there, but I couldn't see Cedric either. They were probably together somewhere doing…well…I don't really know what they do. I hoped it had nothing to do with the Cerberus. I didn't want May anywhere near that thing alone. Not that she was alone if Cedric was with her. I would just prefer to be there too. To keep her safe.

I looked to Slytherin hoping to catch Daphne's attention and to my relief she must have had the same idea. She was already looking at me. I silently mouthed to her "Where are they?" She shrugged back at me. Worry started to creep on me. I tried to shake it off. They would be here, maybe late. There was no way Mary was going to miss these heart shaped rolls.

It grew later. Dinner was almost over. Where was she?

"You alright, mate?" Seamus asked from around a mouthful of dragonfruit and strawberry chunk icecream.

"Yeah," I replied. I didn't want to alarm Seamus. There were things I did with Mary and Daphne that he really didn't need to know about. And drawing his attention to Mary's absence might unnecessarily involve him.

Moments later there was a commotion at the Hufflepuff supper table. All the first years were convulsing. Groaning and moaning, hunched over the table or fallen on their backs. "Oh Dear!" Professor Sprout stood with a huge laugh. "It seems the youngest in all the excitement might have over stuffed themselves again." She laughed her way over to her house table and waved away the attention of the other adults. "Don't you mind. You know how it is the second you take the children away from the watchful eye of their parents. They overstuff themselves on sweets. Hoho!" She placed a hand on the shoulder of one of the Hufflepuff prefects. "How about you gather a dew of the others and help them back to the dormitories early dear."

He nodded and himself, and a few…maybe third or fourth year students? They gathered the distressed students up and ushered them out of the Great Hall. Just as the doors closed behind them, you could hear Hannah Abbot and Meagan Jones scream bloody murder. Just a stomach ache?

"Hufflepuff," Another older Gryffindor student scoffed. "Such drama queens. That house is full of weirdos and Pamona babies them too much."

Anyone who might have looked confused as to what was going on settled and laughed or snorted in agreement. "They're always like that. It's always something with them right?"

"That's why they'll never win the House Cup."

"Who eats themselves into a stomach ache? Their sigil should be the dog, not the badger."

"Good one."

I could not eat dessert. I kept sneaking looks to Daphne who I could easily see was just as anxious. Dinner soon ended and we were released. There would be no talking to Daphne tonight. We were escorted to our dorms tonight. I would just have to hope that Cedric's additional absence meant nothing terrible had happened.

What in the hell was up with that House?

The next morning for breakfast I may have been up earlier than anyone else. I don't believe I slept really. Was Harry always so noisy in his sleep? I had never noticed before.

I found her the second I entered the room. Mary was hunched over the table. Her hair was tangled and fell loose in her face. Her fists were balled on the table, a fork in one hand and a butter knife in the other. "Mary!" She didn't seem to hear me. I approached her, giving her a tap on the shoulder, not expecting the attack that came next. Mary swung instantly, nearly stabbing me with her fork, then another near miss with the knife. "Whoa! Whoa, stop it!" I grasped at her wrists, even gave her a small shake for good measure. "Bloody hell, stop!" She had dark circles under her left eye, a black eye on the right. I could tell when clarity came back into her eyes. Her fists went slack, she dropped her utensils and threw herself onto me.

"Dean!" She cried. Her hold was air tight I instinctually hugged her back. It was awkward. Mary was a bit taller than me. I ignored the giggles of a couple of passing Ravenclaw girls. Her tears soaked into the shoulder of my robes.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I pulled her away just enough to look at her again. Some of her hair had come loose into my hand. Full strands. My first thought oddly was that Daphne wouldn't be happy about that. "Where were you last night?" I slowly helped her settle down on the table bench. "Who did this to you?"

"Sp-spiders," she choked around more cries though I could tell she was doing her best to settle down. The plate next to us rattled on its own. She closed here eyes tight and breathed deep, yanking her hands to her chest and gripping them until her knuckles turned white. The plate settled and I realized she had almost snapped. When she spoke again, it was in a quiet wheezing. "There were so many. So many I…I couldn't."

"Couldn't what Mary? Was this another thing you had to do? Like with the trolls? Daphne and I would have helped you. Where was Cedric-"

At the mention of Cedric's name, she bowed and cried again. "Cedric came. He saved me. He saved my life. But he was too late for…I was so sure he would be there. I promised her. And now she's gone. I was too stupid to save her myself and now she's gone."

Had she gone mad? I think I should take her to Madame Pomphrey. "Who's gone Mary? Who couldn't you help?"

"Leanne. I couldn't save Leanne. I ran after her and-and- and I was useless. I couldn't help her and then I couldn't even help myself!"

I wasn't sure what she was talking about or what happened last night but Mary could be very tight lipped about things I've found. I don't know why she had so many secrets but while she was talking, I planned to get everything from her that I could. Starting with, "Who's Leanne?"

She looked up at me. "Leanne. Leanne Merrymount." She must have read the confusion on my face. "LEEANNE. The girl we saved from the trolls. That Leanne."

She was definitely mad. "We should go see the nurse, Mary." I reached for her but this time she smacked my hand away.

"Leanne, Dean."

"Mary, there was just you, I, and Daphne that night. No one else was-"

"You carried her on your back. Because of her leg. You have to remember that." Her eyes were so wide. Now she looked afraid again, but of me.

I didn't like that.

"Mary, please." I put my hands in the air in front of me in case she thought to swing at me again. "I don't know who you're talking about."