Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 71: The Enemy of my Enemy

"Who?"

"Ava Fountaine, you dim wit," Pansy snapped, going restless. "And she's right over there you know," she added to Tracey, nodding across the hall, as Ava and Sam made their way to the open classroom, deep in conversation.

They looked completely oblivious to us.

"So I say during lunch period later, we follow Ava on her way out of the great hall. She has a habit of walking alone during her free time between classes. We get her into the girls lavatory again."

"I don't know Pansy..." Tracey complained but it was Astoria who tsked, making Pansy turn her way.

"What?"

"I won't be able to make it during my lunch period."

"Why not?"

She shrugged, her eyes still following the endless crowd of students going back and forth between the classrooms and the door to the stairs.

"I'll be busy."

"With what? Nott?"

But before Pansy could hear a reply, Astoria was off, through the crowd of students and through the classroom door.

"I don't know where she gets the audacity!" Pansy snapped, turning away from the doorway with an aggressive turn. "And to think that she'd be that thick to go after Nott."

"What's so wrong about Nott?" Daphne asked, through glassy eyes.

Tracey rolled her eyes and shared the first knowing look between Pansy.

"He's no good is what he is," Pansy said. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Her friends turned to follow her as was usual, and for a moment Pansy thought all was right with the world again.

Except, with her back turned, Tracey and Daphne exchanged silent glances that told a different story.

Ava took one look at Astoria as she made herself comfortable on the stands in the choir before snorting.

"What was that?" Sam asked, looking quickly from Ava to those in the stands around her.

They were nicely seated in chairs on bleachers at the very back on the right hand side. Students were finding random seats for their first day of practice without much logic so Ava and Sam followed suit.

"Little Greengrass," I said, nodding ahead of me to where the slender dark-haired Slytherin made herself comfortable in a chair at the lowest level near the front. She sat alone and didn't start in on any of the conversations happening around her.

"Oh," Sam said, regarding the Slytherin with an unreadable glance. "She looks... made up."

"She looks great," I clarified, eyeing Sam knowingly.

"And that's a problem?" Sam frowned but I quickly shook my head, dropping the topic. "You didn't join choir just to snoop on her, did you?"

"Oh please," I quipped. "Absolutely not. I just missed singing from Beauxbatons and wanted another go at it."

"Sure," Sam said, unconvinced. "And I came to enjoy just another class with Flitwick."

"He isn't the worst of our instructors," I egged on with a grin but Sam's blank stare remained the same.

"Whatever this is about, best keep me out of it. I'm already stressed about OWLs and it's week one."

"I can brew you a calming drought whenever you need it. Just say the word."

"I think it's a bit early to jump straight to a calming drought but I appreciate the offer."

We heard Flitwick clearing his throat before we actually saw him, and that was saying something given he was standing dead center at the bottom of the bleachers.