Chapter Twenty-Seven
"Hey Louise," called Ronnie as the trio walked across the smooth green lawns towards the castle.
"Hey!" replied Louise, bounding over towards the group. "What's up?"
"Not much," said Harry, "you?"
Louise held up an old tin watering can proudly.
Draco eyed it suspiciously.
"Are you feeling ok, Louise?"
"Yup," she nodded, "this is for Arthur."
"My dad?" asked Ronnie in confusion.
"I pose my question once more," said Draco.
Louise grinned.
"I forgot! You guys don't know Arthur!"
"It's not my dad, then?" said Ronnie.
"Fred, George and I met him in the Friendly Forest that night," explained the black-hair girl. "He's been off Earth for a while, and he's obsessed with tea. That's what this is for," she continued, gesturing with the watering can, "he's created a small tea plantation in the old Transfiguration classroom."
"Right," said Draco.
"You should come and meet him," said Louise, "he's got heaps of interesting theories about the meaning of life and stuff."
"Harry,"
The boy in question looked up from his Charms homework in surprise.
"Yes, Professor?"
"Would you mind accompanying me to my office?" said Dumbledore quietly. "There is a matter of great importance to be discussed with yourself and Ms. Grey."
"Hey," said Rachel, from where she was leaning against a couch.
"Er, sure," said Harry.
"Very good," replied Dumbledore, and with a subtle nod, gestured for Harry to lead the way from the Gryffindor Common Room, "shall we?"
"What's the matter, Professor?" asked Harry, sitting in one of the comfortable chairs that where arranged on the other side of Dumbledore's desk.
"I trust you both remember the Death Eater you captured in the Friendly Forest?" said the Headmaster, steepleing his fingers.
"Yeah," replied Rachel, as Harry nodded.
"I'm sorry to inform you that he has escaped custody,"
"Say what?" cried Harry.
"Indeed," said Dumbledore sagely, "from the accounts I have retrieved, I have been able to concur that he was, in fact, set looser by a young female and neither of them have been seen since."
"Typical," said Rachel, "they never do hang around after they've been set free, do they?"
"It's an unfortunate fact," nodded Dumbledore, "now, would either of you like a sherbet lemon?"
"Hey, Harry," said Ronnie as she watched the customary influx of owls entering the Great Hall, "have you found out who's been sending you all those presents yet?'
Harry shook his head.
"Nope, but they sent me a Siberian Tiger for Christmas,"
"And bags of sweets almost every day since then," added Draco, "it's bizarre."
Ronnie shook her head.
"I'll tell you what's bizarre," she said, "watching Rachel hit on Professor Snape."
"You have a good point," agreed Draco.
"As long as she never starts wearing hotpants, it's within my un-bizarre range," interjected Harry.
"Hopefully there's not much chance of that happening," commented Ronnie as she reached for another slice of toast.
Draco opened his mouth to comment, but was cut off my Professor Dumbledore standing and clearing his throat.
"Don't forget the Talent Show tonight!" he called happily. "Seven o'clock sharp!"
"Do you think the Hufflepuffs will win this one as well?" mused Ronnie.
"I hope not," muttered Draco, "that McMillan is becoming unbearable."
"I think Blaise has got a good chance," said Harry, "his impressions are defiantly something."
"A result of genetic mutation?" suggested Louise, slipping into a nearby seat.
"Well," said Harry, "yeah …"
"Did you enter?" asked Draco.
"Nope," replied Louise, "Fred, George, and I have much more pressing issues to attend to …"
"Enough information," added Ronnie hastily.
"How's things with Jarred, by the way?"
Ronnie grinned.
"Really great! We've been taking dancing lessons and we've really connected through them. I think he's The OneTM …"
"That's awesome," said Louise, reaching for the raspberry jam.
Fred and George bounded into the Hall.
"Louise!" called George.
"You have got to see this spider we charmed…"
Fred trailed off as he caught sight of Ronnie's face.
"You alright?" he asked, taking in her rapidly paling complexion.
"No!" sobbed Ronnie. "Jarred's leaving me for the Loch Ness Monster!"
"It could be worse," said Harry tentatively, "he could have left you for Sasquatch …"
Ronnie continued to cry both loudly and messily.
Draco sighed.
'Desperate times,' he thought to himself.
Standing, he strode over to Ronnie and gripped her firmly by the shoulders.
"Girlfriend," he stated confidently, "you don't need no man to make you whole – especially not some fresh-water bottom-dwelling moron who doesn't appreciate what a beautiful soul you are!"
Ronnie gaped at him.
"You're right!" she cried. "I don't need no man!"
As she stomped from the dormitory, Harry stared at Draco in shock.
"What was that?" he finally asked.
Draco shrugged.
"Just challenging my inner Oprah,"