Chapter 327 - Unpredictable Episode Ⅱ (1/2)
With some hesitation on her part, Quyen warily accepts Pettigrew's arm and begins to walk with him. There is an uncomfortable stretch of silence as the two don't know what to say to each other. Pettigrew finally breaks the ice and asks, ”Where's your crowd, Sicca, and Fowl?”
Quyen fidgets and murmurs, ”Hortense is off with her fiancé, Gil Goyle, and Gertrude with her soon to be betrothed suitor, Vern Crabbe.”
”Ah, so you're the third wheel,” Pettigrew wisely concluded. However, before he can stop himself, his mouth moves on its own. ”Well, in that case, would you like to sit with us during the match as well or will your parents be mightily peeved, if you do so?”
”They won't even notice that I'm gone,” Quyen sullenly muttered under her breath.
”What was that?” Pettigrew asked as he turned his head to the side to stare at her. Unable to still believe that he had invited Crowley to sit with them during the match! What was wrong with him? Did he drink some sort of unknown draught this morning?
”No, they won't mind,” Quyen grumbled.
”Right then,” Pettigrew somewhat downtrodden muttered. Well, bang, there goes that idea. Now, what was he supposed to do now?
With another stretch of heavy silence between them, Pettigrew clears his throat. ”Er, so, which team are you rooting for?”
”England, of course,” Quyen instantly answered. ”Is there any other?”
”Now, there isn't,” Pettigrew said with a cheeky grin that gave Quyen a strange fluttery feeling in her stomach. They both chatted on the safe topic of Quidditch all the way until they reached the Lupin's tent.
Hearing the rustle of the tent opening, Hope Lupin without even glancing up says, ”Oh, you've arrived just in time, Peter, lunch is ready to be served.”
Pettigrew uneasily shifts and says, ”Er, I brought a guest, Mrs. Lupin.”
Hope glances up from where she was preparing sandwiches to see Peter Pettigrew with a somewhat pale, dark-haired girl with thick curls. The girl seems rather uneasy as she tries not to appear as if she is glowering.
”Oh, and who is this?” Hope asked as she wiped her hands clean on her apron.
”This is Quyen Crowley, and she's all alone,” Pettigrew hurriedly mumbled.
”Oh, well, as I always say, the more the merrier,” Hope said with a welcoming smile. ”Please sit down, Miss Crowley. My husband, Lyall and my son, Remus will shortly be along. They went to fetch some water.”
”Thank you,” Quyen stiffly said as she sat down at the checkered cloth-covered table. She wrinkles her nose as she suspiciously eyed the muggle made sandwiches on the platter before her.
Hope chuckles and says, ”Go on, dear, I promise they're not poisoned, and they certainly won't bite.”
Quyen does not appear convinced because she does not take a sandwich until she sees Pettigrew safely chew down a mouthful or two down. With clear reluctance expressed on her face, Quyen nibbles warily on the sandwich in her hand. Her eyes widen surprise at finding that the sandwich, in fact, is rather tasty. Somewhat shocked and still conceived, she nibbled on the sandwich bit more, before slowly taking a bigger bite.
Thinking that the girl was worried about her appearance in front of Peter, Hope says, ”Go on and eat, dear, there's plenty of sandwiches to go around.”