Jon froze.
"Are you here to see my sister, Mr. Patrick?" Daphne Greengrass had to ask again.
"That's right…" Jon snapped back to himself and gave a small nod.
"Follow me, then." Daphne motioned for him to come along and ducked into Madam Puddifoot's Tea Parlor first.
Because it was Valentine's Day, the place was far more crowded than usual. Many familiar faces were there: Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff with his girlfriend Cho Chang, Ginny Weasley of Gryffindor with her boyfriend Michael Corner, and Ravenclaw's Quidditch captain Roger Davies with his girlfriend…
As Daphne Greengrass walked in with Jon, a wave of whispers spread through the room.
"Greengrass and Patrick? They're actually together…"
"Never would've guessed!"
Ignoring the gossip, Daphne led Jon to a small table tucked near the fireplace.
"What can I get for you two?" Madam Puddifoot—stout, middle-aged, her glossy black hair twisted into a bun—squeezed herself between two tables with effort.
"Two cups of black tea, please," Daphne said calmly.
Madam Puddifoot shuffled off.
Above their round little table, golden cherubs fluttered about, sprinkling pink confetti… a small Valentine's Day touch.
To one side, Ginny Weasley had begun kissing her boyfriend Michael Corner; to the other, Cho Chang was already wrapped up with Cedric Diggory.
The atmosphere grew awkward. Daphne, sitting across from him, kept her head down, lost in thought.
To be honest, neither of Jon's identities had crossed with hers much. In his original identity, his only vivid memory of her was an argument back in first year. With his new identity, aside from asking her for directions long ago, they hadn't interacted at all.
He stared out the window in boredom, but the fogged-up glass made it impossible to see the street outside…
Jon was about to speak plainly when Daphne beat him to it.
"How long have you been seeing my sister, Mr. Patrick?"
"Not long," Jon answered vaguely. "A few months, I guess."
From her tone, it seemed Astoria hadn't revealed his true identity… But why would Astoria send her sister instead of coming herself? Jon couldn't quite understand it.
"So you really kept it quiet, then!" Daphne's lips curled in a mocking smile. "I hadn't heard a single rumor about you two."
"Yes… we've been keeping it quiet…" Jon nodded, still evasive.
"Mr. Patrick, although I don't have the best impression of you, I'm glad Astoria managed to move on from her previous relationship…" Daphne's voice took on that same lofty edge Jon remembered from their first train ride in first year.
"Previous relationship?"
"To be honest, he was much more exceptional than you. The youngest champion in the history of the Triwizard Tournament…" Daphne bit her lip subconsciously, her voice sinking. "But he died eight months ago…"
"I see… Jon forced his expression to remain neutral.
…
Just then, Madam Puddifoot returned.
Their conversation stopped instantly.
Balancing the two cups of tea, she set them on the table. She glanced between them with a warm smile.
"My dears… would you like the little angel to help set the mood?"
She snapped her fingers lightly.
Jon glanced around. Every other couple in the room was holding hands or sitting close together; only the space between him and Daphne felt stiff and awkward…
A few golden cherubs fluttered toward them, scattering a cloud of confetti. Jon had to shield his face, but still ended up covered.
"No need to be so stiff, sweethearts!" Madam Puddifoot teased before heading off again.
Daphne brushed confetti off her clothes, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Scourgify!" Jon quickly drew his wand and cast a Cleaning Charm on her, then on himself.
"Thanks," Daphne said casually.
While Madam Puddifoot busied herself at the counter, Jon lowered his voice.
"Miss Greengrass… I wanted to ask—Astoria. What happened to her?"
He added, "And why are you here instead of her?"
"She's ill," Daphne said, her tone steady but unusually subdued.
"Ill… Is it serious? Where is she… the Hospital Wing?" Jon frowned.
"No—St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries."
…
"You're not joking, are you?" Jon's expression turned sharply serious.
"Of course not…" Daphne shook her head. "Why else would I be here? My sister is sick. I helped her ask Professor Snape for a two-week leave last night… Luckily, our mother has time to stay with her."
"So she will be able to return to school?"
"Of course. What did you think—that she had some terminal illness?" Daphne let out a cold snort. "Astoria's health has always been fragile… She spends half a month at St. Mungo's every year. Normally it's during the summer, but this year it came several months early."
"Alright, I understand." The tension in Jon's chest eased a little.
Judging from her tone, she wasn't lying… Ever since learning Legilimens, Jon had become extremely sensitive to emotions. A girl like Daphne Greengrass couldn't fool him easily.
Still, Jon suspected Daphne didn't fully understand her sister's condition either.
"Thank you, Miss Greengrass," Jon said sincerely.
"No need to thank me. It's obvious my sister still cares a lot about you!" Daphne shook her head. "Before she passed out, she made me promise I'd tell you not to worry about her… She hoped you wouldn't disappoint her the way her ex did."
With that, Daphne stood up, ignoring her untouched tea.
"I'll be going now, Mr. Patrick!"
Leaving those words behind, she hurried out of the tea parlor.
Jon didn't rush after her. He stayed where he was and took a small sip of his tea.