As they moved out of the owlry and into comparatively more open space, as Angelina began to give her a little elbow room, the blind panic drained away, leaving Verity feeling very stupid and a little ashamed of herself. She followed Johnson almost meekly, like she was a stupid 3rd year again, caught climbing on the roof.
Even Johnson's drawn wand was clearly in Veritys defense. The older girl really was just trying to help.
Verity didn't come any closer, but as the rounded a bend, she cleared her throat a little. "Sorry," she tried, knowing how dumb it sounded. "Sorry about freaking on you up there." She attempted a smile.