"Why... do you smell like Selwyn's perfume?" Astoria Greengrass asked bitterly.
The question caught Jon completely off guard.
Why would I smell like Selwyn's perfume? That's not magic...
"Ahem... You must be mistaken?" Jon coughed lightly, trying to recall what had happened earlier.
"How could I be mistaken..." Astoria shook her head sadly. "Selwyn's my friend. I know her scent better than anyone..."
Jon suddenly remembered—at the Knights of Walpurgis' gathering earlier, Selwyn had been sitting right beside him. And during the welcoming ceremony, he'd hugged her once...
That must be when it happened!
Still, how could Astoria's sense of smell be that keen?
"Well... ahem..." Jon scratched his head awkwardly. "I was with her just now, actually..."
Seeing Astoria's unpleasant expression, Jon hurried to explain, "But it wasn't just her—Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, and the others were there too. Just a small get-together... you know, with my new Slytherin 'friends'..."
"...I probably picked it up by accident!" Jon added quickly. He couldn't tell her the truth—that he'd just officially joined a quasi–Death Eater group, gone undercover as their supposed leader, and hugged everyone as part of the initiation.
Thankfully, the odd look on Astoria's face eased a little.
"Is that so?" she nodded softly. "Then it's fine."
...
The air in the cramped private room of the teahouse had grown rather cold.
On the rough wooden table, a few candles flickered weakly, while wisps of mist curled from the corners of the room.
Jon and Astoria sat face-to-face, neither knowing quite what to say.
At Hogwarts, to avoid suspicion, they'd always acted like distant acquaintances, rarely speaking to each other. The few times they'd met in the Forbidden Forest never lasted long.
Considering the summer break and everything else, it had been nearly half a year since they'd last sat together like this, quietly sharing a moment.
After a long silence, Astoria finally spoke.
"Selwyn isn't a good girl."
"Huh?" Jon blurted, startled.
He spoke quickly, "I really have nothing to do with her—I swear—"
"I know." Astoria leaned closer, pressing a finger gently to his lips and shaking her head. "If there's something you can't tell me, then don't. I trust you."
Looking into her clear eyes, Jon could only nod and fall silent.
"But Selwyn really isn't a good girl... I've known her for over three years," Astoria continued. "She's deeply prejudiced against non–pure-bloods and wizards from ordinary families."
"She's far worse than my sister. My sister doesn't actually despise your kind," Astoria murmured, resting her chin in her hands. "She just... she just..."
"She just slipped up once?" Jon teased.
Astoria burst out laughing. "You actually remember that? You were so annoying back then."
Jon stuck out his tongue playfully.
"I really hated you then. No one had ever spoken to me like that before," Astoria said, pouting. "If Professor Snape hadn't assigned you to sit beside me in Potions, I'd probably still be ignoring you. Hmph."
"Then I suppose I should thank Professor Snape, shouldn't I?" Jon grinned.
"Thank Snape?" Astoria gave him a mocking look. "He probably doesn't even know you're still alive."
"Uh..." Jon admitted with an awkward nod. "That's... true."
"Then that means only Professor Dumbledore and I know. What an honor," Astoria said with a faintly sarcastic smile, though her lips curved upward all the same.
Their laughter soon washed away the earlier awkwardness.
Still, Jon couldn't help feeling that Astoria was acting a little strange today.
He just couldn't figure out why.
...
The heart-shaped clock on the wall showed 11:45.
If they didn't get back to Hogwarts before noon, caretaker Argus Filch would never let them off easily.
In the small, narrow room, Astoria asked, "Will you go first, or should I?"
"Why don't we go together?" Jon suggested, glancing at her as he prepared to slip on the iron ring.
"No," Astoria said firmly, shaking her head. "What if someone starts suspecting you?"
"Alright, whatever you say," Jon replied casually. "You go first."
"Mhm." Astoria stood up and put on her coat.
"Next time we come to Hogsmeade, should we meet here again?" Jon asked.
Astoria hesitated briefly, then nodded.
"Sure," she said with a faint smile, leaning close to whisper in his ear. "But next time, don't come wearing another girl's scent. Otherwise, it won't be as easy as today."
Then she turned and left the teahouse.
Jon stayed in the booth, watching through the window as Astoria's figure disappeared from Madam Puddifoot's, heading back toward Hogwarts.
For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that something about her had been off tonight.
Was she still suspicious about Selwyn? No... judging from her tone, it didn't seem like it.
"Must be my imagination."
When Astoria's silhouette vanished completely, Jon stood up, slipped on the iron ring, and stepped out of Madam Puddifoot's Tea Parlor.
...
Outside, the sun shone brightly as Jon stretched lazily.
"Chris!" someone called his name—it was one of his new "friends" from earlier.
Blais Zabini approached, arms full of sweets. "You haven't gone back yet either? I just stopped by Honeydukes to grab some candy."
"Yeah, I was just having tea nearby," Jon nodded. "Let's head back together."
"Sure thing," Zabini said.