Soon, the Easter holidays arrived. Perhaps feeling guilty about her brief suspicions of Orli, Mrs. Weasley sent the children a massive batch of Easter eggs. Everyone else's was about the size of a goose egg, but Orli's was as large as a dragon egg, packed full of toffees and finger biscuits. Any lingering unhappiness Orli had felt instantly evaporated.
In previous years at this time, Harry and the others would be intensively training for the Quidditch final before summer break. But now there was no Quidditch, and with two whole months until the third task, everyone could only shut themselves in the common room or library, frantically catching up on assignments.
Orli was even busier. She spent nearly every moment carefully observing each student and professor, searching for any telltale signs of the Imperius Curse or Polyjuice Potion. At night, she still needed to search the Room of Requirement for Ravenclaw's diadem. Sometimes she stayed out so late that, to avoid the Fat Lady's nagging, she simply slept outside—though of course, she would silently think, "I need the room I shared with the professor before," and enter that very chamber Snape had conjured at Christmas, curling up on the double sofa. Those precious, beautiful memories wrapped around her like a blanket, allowing her to escape the nightmares for a while and actually get some decent sleep.
But her frequent nights away led to a small misunderstanding with Hermione. One morning, as she was sneaking back into the dormitory, she found Hermione sitting on her bed with arms crossed, looking deadly serious.
"Uh... morning?" Orli greeted her awkwardly. Though Hermione no longer minded their occasional nighttime wanderings, when she put on that stern expression, she really did look remarkably like Professor McGonagall.
"Orli, we need to talk." Hermione spoke with utmost seriousness but in hushed tones. She raised her wand and cast a Silencing Charm around them, then began hesitantly:
"Orli... I don't know exactly how far you two have progressed, but staying out all night... it's too early for you at this stage..."
Orli stood frozen, feeling her brain short-circuit.
"I mean, I don't really understand... him... but you're only fourteen... Couldn't he just wait another two years...?"
Hermione's cheeks flushed, but despite her embarrassment, she pressed on with determined resolve:
"Even if... perhaps... you two have already..."
Her face was now so red it looked ready to drip blood:
"Just don't forget to take the necessary precautions... That Witch Weekly mess was hard enough to sort out... If there's an 'accident'... what would you do..."
"Hermione..." Orli finally managed to follow her train of thought, but had no idea how to explain this. If she said she wasn't going to the dungeons, she'd have to mention the Room of Requirement... In those brief seconds, she couldn't think of any better excuse, so finally she could only say:
"We haven't... done what you're thinking..."
She felt like she could barely speak, each word seeming to burn her throat as it emerged.
"...That's good..." Hermione seemed to exhale in relief.
"Uh... how are things with you and Krum lately?..." Orli quickly changed the subject. Hermione's face immediately reddened again.
"He invited me to visit him this summer." She bit her lip, as if trying to suppress a smile:
"Right after the second task—the moment he pulled me from the lake, he asked me. And he said he's never felt this way about anyone else..."
Her face was blazing like fire.
"What about your summer plans? Is S—is he planning to visit your house again?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know yet..." Orli sank onto her bed. Yes, would she be spending this summer alone again?
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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