Potions ended earlier that Janet have
expected and the temperature of the dungeons drooped back to its freezing level
when the cauldron fires were put off. Janet quickly cleared her cauldron hoping
to get out of the dungeon before she turns into a block of ice. She was stopped
by Ernie who was waiting for her at the end of her table when she was on her
way out.
“What?” Janet asked impatiently.
“You have not told me how you got yourself
into detention,” Ernie answered in a bossy tone demanding for Janet’s
explanation.
“Yes, I did,” Janet said defensively. “I
was late for class.”
“And how could you be late for class?”
Ernie questioned further with his eyebrows raised.
This was the first time Janet ever felt
annoyed with Ernie, she didn’t like that he kept bringing up an issue that she
was not proud to mention about, and he acts as though she was supposed to explain
everything to him.
“I forgot my book so I had to go back to
get it and hence, I was late. Are you happy now?” Janet answered impatiently.
“Oh,” Ernie nodded showing that he had
accepted Janet’s explanation.
Janet ignored his response and stormed pass
Ernie out of the dungeons. She stomped three hard steps out from the dungeons
out of annoyance from Ernie’s bossiness then something important struck her.
“Did he tell his parents, or worse, my parents, about this?” Janet thought and
stopped to hesitate whether she should turn back and clarify with Ernie. “On
second thought, I’ll just see how it goes when mom and dad asks about this.” As
she was still annoyed with Ernie, she decided not to talk to Ernie and stalked
off to her common room.
At dinner, Janet avoided eye contact with
Ernie although she noticed that Ernie was trying to get her attention since she
settled down at the Ravenclaw table.
“I think,” Lisa nudged Janet. “Ernie is
trying to talk to you.” Lisa told Janet as she too could not help not notice
that Ernie’s attention is at the Ravenclaw table.
“Not interested,” Janet mumbled while
munching her pasta and keeping her eyes on her pumpkin juice instead of looking
up at Ernie’s direction.
“What’s up with the both of you?” Lisa
asked as she looked at Ernie who has now switched his attention to Lisa since
Lisa has noticed him. He is now trying to get Lisa to help him get Janet’s
attention by pointing frantically at Janet’s direction. “I think he really
wants to talk to you,” Lisa said while nodding at Ernie as a signal that she
will help him.
“I have nothing to say to him,” Janet
replied coldly as she helped herself with some soup.
Lisa looked back at Ernie apologetically,
points to Janet and mouthed “She’s busy.” Then quickly look away before Ernie
requests anything else. “What did he do? The two of you were still talking
during Potions.” Lisa asked.
“He should be minding his own business.
What does my detention has anything to do with him?” Janet grumbled.
“Well, he cares about you.” Janet snorted.
“Hey, you can’t deny the fact that he cares about you. He is concern about
everything that is related to you.” Lisa argued.
“He is a tad overboard, don’t you think
so?” Janet complained.
“Oh? You are talking about Ernie?” Su could
not help overhearing Lisa and Janet’s conversation.
Janet did not respond, the mention of
Ernie’s name annoyed her. Lisa nodded on Janet’s behalf.
At the Hufflepuff table, Ernie was slightly
demotivated for dinner because Janet was ignoring him and he didn’t understand
why. Ernie slide deep into his thoughts thinking of the reason Janet was
ignoring him while absent mindedly stirring his soup.
Someone nudged Ernie’s shoulder, “Hey.”
Ernie looked up from his soup, “Oh, hi
Cedric.”
“I couldn’t help noticing that your attention
has been lingering…” Cedric pointed vaguely towards the Ravenclaw table and
stopped at Janet, “Over there?”
Ernie did not respond, his eyes followed
the direction Cedric was pointing at and watched Janet, hoping that she will
look back. However, Janet seems to be determined to look at any direction
except the Hufflepuff table.
“What happened between the two of you? You
were still talking after lunch.” Cedric asked curiously.
“I have no idea. All of a sudden, she is
ignoring me. I have not done anything that has upset her.” Ernie said sadly. He
obviously did not realise that forcing Janet to talk about her detention is not
a matter of concern; in fact, it was annoying, at least for Janet.
What did you do or said to her today? You
will never know that you might have upset her by accident.” Cedric prompted. As
much as Ernie looks up to Cedric as his older brother; Cedric cared about Ernie
too like his younger brother.
“Nothing special. I just asked her why she
was in detention yesterday. That was the only thing we talked about.” Ernie
said, thinking hard if he had said something wrong between the lines.
Cedric smiled, “I think I know the problem,”
he interrupted.
“Then we talked about you,” Ernie continued
before he realized what Cedric has pointed out. “Oh, you know?” Ernie eyed
Cedric thinking that Janet was unhappy because they talked about Cedric.
Cedric understood where Ernie is heading, “Oh
no, whatever you are thinking, it’s not me!” Cedric quickly corrected seeing
Ernie eying him suspiciously. “Grab a few slices of pie, I’ll tell you when we
are in the common room.”
Ernie quickly grabbed a few pieces of
chicken pie, wrapped them in a napkin and followed Cedric off the Hufflepuff
table.
