Chapter Text
I try to stay impassible, to look sad, even – inside me, though, I’m laughing out loud.
I lay a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly.
I pretend to rummage through my shelves, despite knowing perfectly well where I left the book I want to lend him.
I put on a gruff expression and I give it to him brusquely – inside, I’m sneering.
If they’d told me, I would have not believed it – I would have never imagined I’d find myself consoling the Longbottoms’ son, troubled by his parents horrifying fate.
For a split second, it’s bloody hard to fight the temptation to tell him how much I enjoyed torturing them into insanity.