The next morning, Harry’s mind was still whirring from Siobhan’s parting actions and words “ enough that it almost distracted him from the row that had unsurprisingly blazed in the common room between Ron and Hermione.
Luckily, they had gotten up rather early to deal with Head Duties, so most of the students in Gryffindor Tower had not witnessed the argument. Unfortunately, the few who were up could not have possibly avoided it.
“I’m not your property, Ronald! Going to the ball with Blaise was my choice “ and I had every right to make that choice. We’re not together anymore. “ and that was your choice.”
“Hermione, I’m not trying to control you here. Have you even considered why Blaise asked you to the ball?”
“I suppose you think he has ulterior motives…”
“He’s a Slytherin, for Godric’s sake! They all have ulterior motives…”
“That’s not true.”
“Name one Slytherin we've known who’s never operated their own agenda,” Ron challenged.
“Siobhan.”
“We don’t know that.”
Hermione looked to Harry, who shifted uncomfortably on the spot.
“Er…”
“Aren’t you going to defend her?”
“Siobhan’s not a bad person,” Harry reasoned. “But… I can’t pretend she’s been completely honest with me about her… objectives.”
Hermione mouthed wordlessly at him.
“We’ll discuss it later,” Harry mumbled.
“See “ even Siobhan has her own selfish intentions,” Ron remarked.
“That’s a bit harsh,” Harry said warningly.
“I don’t care,” Ron said, turning back to Hermione. “The truth is that it’s in a Slytherin’s nature to do what’s necessary to get what they want. You can’t trust Blaise.”
Hermione narrowed her eyes and stepped so close to Ron that she probably could have counted his freckles.
“And what if he wants me?”
Ron blinked unresponsively, and stepped back from Hermione’s defeating presence.
“I’m not naïve Ron. I understand that not everyone can be trusted, and I can take care of myself.”
With that final statement, she turned on her heel and walked determinedly out of the common room, leaving Ron and Harry in a stony silence. The former took a seat in the nearest armchair and put his head in his hands, while the latter watched him feeling utterly helpless.
“We have lesson with Alex in ten minutes,” he said quietly.
“S’pose we should get going then…” Ron answered tonelessly.
“Right…” Harry responded, and the two young men stood to leave for Alex’s classroom.
“So…” Ron ventured. “How are things with you?”
“Siobhan kissed me.”
“Women,” Ron sighed. “Well, good luck breaking that news to Katie.”
“Hadn’t even thought about that,” Harry groaned. “Damnit.”
A few minutes later found Harry and Ron in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom along with Neville, Luna and Hermione. The last two were sitting off to the side, discussing Seamus, Hermione obviously doing her best to pretend Ron was not in the room.
Alex greeted them all with her usual friendly ‘good morning’ and set them off to work on a new offensive spell, before approaching Harry quietly.
“A word in my office, Harry?” she requested.
Not finding this to be anything out of the usual, Harry acquiesced and followed Alex to her office.
“Draco’s trial is coming up in just over a week,” she explained promptly. “The tenth of November to be exact.”
“Already?”
“Yes, and you will be leaving school for London to attend the trial. You are going to be one of the key witnesses.”
“I’m going to London?” Harry repeated, ignoring the rest of the statement as he happily realised he would be able to see Katie.
“Yes, and you’ll, of course, be staying at Grimmauld Place. The question is “ are you emotionally prepared for what you might be asked at this trial?”
“I think I’ve been through more difficult situations, emotionally, to tell the truth…”
“I suppose that is true,” Alex agreed with a sigh. “I just don’t want this to be any more difficult than it has to be for you.”
“I appreciate that, but I’ll be fine,” he replied gratefully.
“Though you will be under magical oath, Dumbledore as insured that any confidential information you are privy to will not be revealed, as well as any personal information that you prefer to keep quiet.”
“That’s quite a relief, actually,” Harry said, thinking of many territories of questioning the trial could lead to, and deciding he’d much rather not talk about many of them.
“Well, that’s settled. You’ll leave school next Saturday “ the trial is Monday, and you’ll return on Tuesday,” Alex explained.
“How am I getting there?” Harry asked.
“By Portkey,” she elaborated. “Instead of coming to my classroom on Saturday morning, you’re to report to Dumbledore’s office and you’ll be transported from there.”
“Is that it then?” Harry asked, standing to leave.
“Yes,” Alex said with a smile. “Oh, except “ perhaps you’d like to read this morning’s paper?”
She handed him a fresh copy of the Daily Prophet, gesturing to the front page as the two of them left her office. Harry quickly read the cover story, titled: “Gringotts Makes Adaptations to House Prisoners.”
The Ministry of Magic has finally released information concerning the planned location and security measures for holding criminals, including suspected Death Eaters awaiting the upcoming trials.
“We have been in talks with the goblins of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and everything has finally been settled,” Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Kingsley Shacklebolt said. “An agreement has been reached that a section of specially adapted vaults will be used to contain prisoners.”
Despite some protests that this kind of measure is inhumane, the Ministry stands firm by its decision.
“Ever since the loss of the dementors and Azkaban, we have had much difficulty devising magical security measures that provided considerable assurance against escapes. This is the safest way to keep criminals imprisoned. It will be virtually impossible for outside help get in and out of the vault system and the bank.”
Adaptations made inside the vaults include air circulation, as well as access to all the basic human necessities.
“Though they will be less accessible and penetrable, as well as more solitary, they will actually be more comfortable than the cells of Azkaban,” Shacklebolt concluded.
The first transfers of criminals to the new section of vaults, which are being named the ‘Gringotts Prison System’, will begin later this week with already convicted criminals and will later continue with accused Death Eaters to holding cells as they await their trials. The entire process is expected to take three weeks.
He looked around the room at his friends who were practicing their newly learned spell, before his eyes rested on Luna.
“Looks like you were right,” he said with a grin.
I’m coming to London in a week for Malfoy’s trial, and I’ll be staying at Grimmauld Place from Saturday through Tuesday.
… and I have something to tell you, that I’d prefer to do in person.
Counting the days,
Harry
Harry sighed as he closed the notebook and sent his message to Katie. He was definitely looking forward to seeing her, but was deeply worried as to how she would respond to the news about Siobhan’s kiss the night before.
Not only that, but as he put away his things and headed to lunch, his stomach churned with the anxiety of the conversation he would be facing with his dance partner. Particularly how she would be explaining herself, and how she knew about his engagement to Katie.
Needless to say, Ron and Hermione’s new-born enmity was the last thing on his list of worries and concerns. He had conceded that this issue was their own to deal with, and though he would be there for either that needed him, it was something that needed to be worked out between the two.
“Lost in thought, Potter?” a familiar voice interrupted his contemplations.
“You might say that,” he said, looking up uncomfortably at Siobhan, who was slanted against the wall of a corridor outside the Great Hall where Harry had been heading.
“How’s your morning been?” she asked casually.
“Fine “ look. I think we need to discuss last night.”
“What about it?” Siobhan asked.
“You kissed me!” Harry said impatiently, though he knew she was only putting on another one of her acts. “Or do you not remember?”
“Oh, I remember, alright,” she said playfully.
“Well, would you like to explain it?”
“How thick can you be, Potter?” she asked. “Why do you think I kissed you?”
“I honestly don’t know,” he said in exasperation. “It’s a little difficult to know you’re reasons for anything…”
“Well, I won’t lie, Potter,” Siobhan confessed teasingly. “I might fancy you a bit.”
Though there was no trace of embarrassment in her voice or expression, this disclosure caused a slight blush to creep onto Harry’s cheeks.
“What?” he asked, feeling confused.
“I. Like. You,” Siobhan said slowly. “Of course… I understand that your heart belongs to another woman, so I decided to take what I could get. And that Potter, is why I kissed you.”
“Oh.” Harry said bashfully.
“You’re not going to go and get all shy on me now, Potter?” Siobhan said.
“No,” Harry said, clearing his throat mid-sentence. “Course not…”
“Good,” she said with satisfaction. “Because I’ve grown rather used to having you around. And who knows, perhaps one day I’ll finally get over my undying love for you, and we can be best of friends.”
Harry blushed more profusely and tried to stammer a response, which caused Siobhan to give a small laugh.
“Goodness, Potter, I’m just messing with you,” she said with amusement. “Well, about the ‘undying love’, that is. I wasn’t lying before…”
“Right, yeah…so….”
“If it’s not uncomfortable for me, it shouldn’t be for you…”
“You’re right. I’m being an idiot.”
“I won’t argue with that.”
Harry sighed, and prepared himself for his next line of interrogation.
“Anyway “ there was something else. Last night you said Katie was lucky, because…”
“She’s your fiancée?” Siobhan finished for him.
“Keep it down,” Harry hissed, looking around in paranoia.
“Sorry, forgot it was a secret…” Siobhan said as Harry moved closer to her to finish the conversation.
“How did you know?”
“I read between the lines,” she said simply. “Actually “ it was something Katie said when I spoke to her at Hogsmeade that made me… suspicious. And then with the way you go on about her, and are clearly hiding something from Ron and Hermione…”
“It’s that obvious?” Harry asked with worry.
“I’m very observant,” Siobhan reassured him. “I don’t often have anything better to do than watch other people and interpret their words and actions. It’s rather enjoyable actually… you’d be surprised what you’d learn about people if you just kept your eye on them.”
“That’s a little strange, Siobhan,” Harry joked, as he eased up finally.
“Thanks very much,” she said, raising her eyebrow.
“Listen,” Harry whispered. “Could you just… keep this quiet?”
“Well, I thought I’d have Luna ask her dad about putting it on the front page of the Quibbler…” Siobhan mused.
“I’m serious.”
“So am I! I mean, if it’s on that Quibbler, everyone will assume it’s not true. You’ll be perfectly safe.”
“Siobhan…” Harry pleaded desperately.
“Fine, fine. I won’t tell a soul. I promise.”
“Thanks,” Harry said with a grin. “And people do give the Quibbler credit you know “ and if this story shows up on the front page…”
“You’ll know it was me.”
“Katie’s liable to kill you, you know.”
“Whatever for?” Siobhan asked innocently.
“When I tell her that you kissed me…”
“She’ll get over it. Once you tell her that you love her and she’s the only one…”
“Do I sense bitterness?”
“Possibly.”
“It would mean a lot to me if you liked her.”
“Oh, really? And why is that?”
“I want you two to get along. I’ve come to consider you a friend… and it would be nice if you didn’t despise the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.”
Siobhan dropped her playful attitude and looked at him softly.
“Wow…you really do love her, don’t you?”
Harry felt his face grow hot again.
“Of course, I do,” he said quietly. “She eans everything to me.”
“Sorry “ it’s just… I’ve never really seen someone so in love before. Not with my family…”
Harry felt a pang of sympathy for her, and smiled sheepishly as she observed his enthralled state of being.
“I’ll try to put forth an effort to being her friend “ if she doesn’t, as you suggested, ‘kill me’ first,” Siobhan pledged. “And I’ll try to restrain myself from kissing you again.”
“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”