The Girl Who Fought | h.p |

Hagrid's Lessons

Hermione, Ron, and Harry went to Hagrid's Hut. Nova, who already knew the tale he was going to tell, opted out of going.

She already knew about Dumbledore's plan with the Giants. She already knew they were trying to get the Giants on their side, nearly succeeding. Unfortunately, they're siding with the Death Eaters. 

Besides, she didn't want to look Harry in the eyes. 

The next few days, the tension would break a knife in half if one were to cut it. 

"Hello, Nova," Harry said politely, catching her eye as the Golden Quartet walked to Hagrid's lesson. His heart skipped a beat as her honey eyes gazed into his. However, his stomach dropped to the floor as she looked away.

"'Ello, Harry," Nova replied, pulling the ends of her Pa's sweater over her hands. She needed to cast the cloaking spell on her hand, but with Harry being less than a foot to her left, she didn't want him hearing. 

"How is your hand?" Harry asked as his eyes drifted from her lips to her hands that were hidden beneath the sweater. 

"Alright," Nova stated. 

A blind man could see the tension in the air. Both yearned for the other to say something else, but neither did. 

"So . . ." Harry trailed off awkwardly, the tension nearly suffocating him. 

Ron and Hermione walked behind them in hopes of escaping the awkward air. 

"What?" Nova asked as her black converses hit the ground. 

"How have you been?" Harry asked. 

Behind him, Hermione facepalmed and Ron groaned. 

Luckily, Hagrid saved Harry from further embarrassment as class began. 

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him. A dead cow was thrown over his shoulder. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark. . . ."

"What prefers the dark?" Nova heard Malfoy say sharply to Crabbe and Goyle, a trace of panic in his voice. "What did he say prefers the dark — did you hear?"

"Monsters," Nova said in a dark voice, scaring the living daylights out of Draco. "They lurk in the shadows, waiting for their prey. Much like a rapist."

Nova walked away from Hermione, Ron, and more specifically, Harry. 

"Wassup, boys?" Nova called as she stood between Blaise and Theo. 

"Why aren't you with Saint Potter?" Theo questioned. 

"Well, hello to you too, Theodore," Nova grumbled. 

"But seriously, what's going on with you two?" Blaise whispered. 

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Theor raised an eyebrow. "He is literally staring at you like a lost puppy."

Nova turned her head to look at Harry. 

Sure enough, he was staring at her. His emerald green eyes held a sad and longing look. Nova held his gaze for a moment before turning back to the boys. 

"How unfortunate for him." Nova shrugged. 

"That was not nothing!" Blaise hissed. "Normally you would wink at him, causing Saint Potter to become a stuttering mess."

"Things change, I guess."

"You guess?" Theo asked, affronted. "You're in love with him. What the bloody hell happened?"