Chapter 212: Start of Term (1)
# Professor Lupin
"Sirius!"
Lupin shouted, his voice a mix of anger and shock. However, Orli acted faster.
## Orli
"Expelliarmus!"
Her Disarming Charm flew out instantly. Sirius, completely unprepared, had his wand knocked out of his hand.
## Orli
"Mr. Black, Harry has already made it clear to you—there's nothing between him and me beyond friendship."
She stared coldly at Sirius as she spoke.
## Orli
"Now, I believe it's time for you to leave."
Sirius bent down to retrieve his wand, his gaze fixed on Orli. His face was a mixture of shock, hurt, and disappointment. Without another word, he Disapparated from just outside the Waters Family House.
# Professor Lupin
"Your new potion—if it truly works—could mean a great deal to werewolves."
Lupin stepped forward, addressing them:
# Professor Lupin
"I'll give it a try."
His eyes flickered between Orli and Snape, as though he had something on his mind but hesitated to voice it. In the end, he too disappeared into the spot where Sirius had just Disapparated.
With their departure, an eerie silence descended upon the entrance of the old Waters residence. Just as Orli was about to speak, Snape's voice broke the stillness beside her.
# Snape
"Waters, pack your things."
## Orli
"Professor?"
Orli asked, confusion evident in her tone.
# Snape
"Now that the modifications to the Wolfsbane Potion are complete, there's no reason for me to remain here."
Snape turned and began ascending the stairs.
# Snape
"I have other matters to attend to. Before I leave, I'll drop you off near the Weasleys' house."
## Orli
"Professor!"
Orli called out urgently, though she wasn't sure how to convince him to stay.
# Snape
"It's decided."
Snape quickened his pace, disappearing around the corner of the staircase.
——————
When Orli knocked on the door of The Burrow, Mrs. Weasley opened it and was visibly startled.
# Mrs. Weasley
"Orli? What brings you here so suddenly?!"
She hurriedly reached out to take the cage of Dryncorpse from Orli's hands, not even bothering to set down the pot she was holding.
# Mrs. Weasley
"Ron! Harry! Orli's here!!"
She turned and called into the house, but the first to come down was Fred.
# Fred
"Orli?!"
He looked equally surprised.
# Fred
"I thought you weren't coming."
## Orli
"Yeah… Plans changed a bit."
Orli forced a weak smile. She leaned slightly to peek inside and whispered to Fred:
## Orli
"…Is Black here?"
# Fred
"Who? Sirius? No, he's not. He's been spending time with Lupin at a pub in Hogsmeade lately. Seems like they've got something important going on. It's just Harry and Hermione here."
Fred replied casually.
Orli exhaled a small sigh of relief. She had no intention of making things awkward for the Weasleys with her arrival.
# Harry
"Orli?"
Harry and Ron came bounding down the stairs, with Hermione close behind. Ginny and George followed after them.
# Ron
"You're only showing up on the last day of the holiday?!"
Ron exclaimed, clearly exasperated:
# Ron
"You missed the most amazing Quidditch World Cup! Krum caught the Snitch, but Bulgaria still lost by ten points! And the Veela!"
# Mrs. Weasley
"Yes, and the Dark Wizards' gathering!"
Mrs. Weasley shot Ron a stern look:
# Mrs. Weasley
"I was worried sick, and thank goodness Orli didn't go!"
# George
"Alright, Mum. Let's show Orli around the house. She hasn't seen the new rooms yet!"
George gave Mrs. Weasley a quick hug and used his free hand to gently nudge Orli toward the stairs.
Only then did Orli realize that, while the exterior of The Burrow looked the same, the interior had undergone a complete transformation.
——————
Author's Note:
Don't blame me; blame Sirius and his big mouth.
Thanks to the stabs he directed at the professor, the romantic subplot will take a slightly angsty turn for a while. But don't worry—it won't last too long (hopefully), not more than half a term, maybe?
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Discover 10 Amazing Fanfics on My Patreon!Unlock 400+ Advance Chapters and Dive into the Story Early! 👉 [patreon.com/DarkGolds]