┏ ೋღ : 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂. : ღೋ ┓

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓:
𝔰𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔶 𝔮𝔲𝔦𝔡𝔡𝔦𝔱𝔠𝔥 𝔭𝔩𝔞𝔶𝔢𝔯𝔰

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𝖄OU CROSSED YOUR ARMS OVER YOUR CHEST, trying to warm up your arms from the mildly cool air that breezed through Hogsmeade. The blue flannel worn over your black long-sleeves did well enough in the fair weather, paired with your baggy blue jeans and black boots.

You strolled the streets of Hogsmeade alongside Kyra, who had Cho and Marietta on the other side of her. The four of you wandered about the village until you reached the familiar sweets shop — Honeydukes.

As per usual, the store was packed with other students once you had opened the door. Holding the door for your friends, you followed in behind them and let the door shut behind you.

Cho made a beeline toward the chocolate section of the shop, her eyes set on a box of Wizochoc. Following behind, you watched Kyra's face pull into a grimace. "Ew, Wizochoc's gross."

"Is not!" You and Cho protested simultaneously. When you wandered into the spot beside Cho, she handed you a box of Wizochoc from off the shelf before taking one for herself.

"You two are weird," Marietta muttered, taking a box of Choco-Loco off the shelf. "Choco-loco is better."

"Yes!" Kyra exclaimed in agreement and Marietta handed the girl a box of Choco-loco. "Choco-loco for the win!"

"Nope," Cho said shortly.

"Nuh-uh," you hummed, shaking your head childishly.

"Yuh-huh," Kyra counted, sounding just as childish.

Laughing, the four of you left the chocolate section of the shop with one box in each of your guys' hands. Just as you four were walking out of the aisle, Alexia Gardner and her pack of minions wandered in. Despite the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin, her friend group consisted of mostly those two houses, save for two of her friends from Ravenclaw. You wondered how someone like Alexia Gardner even had such a big friend group when she was such a bitch, but you figured birds of a feather flocked together.

There was Flora and Hestia Carrow, and Terence Higgs from Slytherin, where Terence shot Kyra a nasty look with prejudice filled in her eyes. There was Kenneth Towler, Nick Alas, and Sally Birchgrove from Gryffindor, and Sally roughly shoved her shoulder against Cho's. The two Ravenclaws were Marcus Belby and Mandy Brocklehurst, and upon seeing Marietta and Mandy glare at each other, you weren't surprised to find that Marietta had some bad blood with Mandy since Marietta could be... a little intense at times.

"Stay out of our way, Mudblood Murray," Alexia sneered, avoiding Kyra like she had some disease. The small chocolate aisle of Honeydukes quickly felt tiny as eight of Alexia's friends followed behind her, their smirks and whispers adding to the tension. The rich scent of cocoa and caramel in the air seemed tainted by the animosity crackling between the two girls.

"Don't you have some Hufflepuff ass to kiss?" Kyra remarked, her eyes narrowed into a glare. "Go be Diggory's dog." Her voice was steady, but her knuckles whitened as she gripped her box of Choco-loco.

Alexia's frown deepened, her fingers curling into tight fists. "Watch your mouth, mudblood, before I wire it shut." Her voice was low and menacing, a stark contrast to the cheerful ambiance of the candy shop.

Kyra tauntingly mocked Alexia's frown with one of her own. "I don't think Diggory's gonna like that kind of talk. I doubt your mother would approve either." Her words were a deliberate, sharp jab as she mentioned Alexia's muggle mother — someone everyone knew Alexia badmouthed and hated.

Alexia's eyes narrowed, almost lunging at Kyra for her remark. The tension in the air was palpable, and you instinctively reached for your wand tucked into your pocket. Terence, one of Alexia's taller friends, placed a restraining hand on her shoulder, holding her back with a firm grip. His presence loomed, a silent warning as he stared down at Alexia with his green eyes.

Before the situation could escalate further, a voice cut through the air like a spell. "No fighting in my shop!" Ambrosius Flume, the owner of Honeydukes, exclaimed over the loud chatter of students. His usually warm, jovial demeanor was replaced by a stern expression. "If you're gonna fight, do it outside!"

Despite the tension in the chocolate aisle, the other students in the shop seemed completely unaware of the ongoing issue. The vivid colors of the sweets and the cheerful decorations seemed almost out of place amid the confrontation. The magical ambiance of Honeydukes, filled with floating candied bats and enchanted toffee, felt strained under the weight of the hostility.

Rolling her eyes, Alexia tore her shoulder out of Terence's hold and glared at Kyra, who taunted her with a lopsided grin. "We better get out of here before Gardner stinks the place up with her mommy issues." With those parting words, Kyra turned around and continued to leave toward the counter with you, Cho, and Marietta following closely behind.

After the four of you gathered more sweets and bought your candy, you wandered out of the store and made sure to steer clear of Alexia and her group, knowing the four of you wouldn't be able to fight the nine of them. The village of Hogsmeade was bustling with students enjoying their weekend, the cheerful chatter and the aroma of freshly baked goods wafting from the nearby shops creating a lively atmosphere.

"So what'd Cedric have to do with Gardner?" you asked once you were a ways away from Honeydukes, the cobblestone path beneath your feet uneven but familiar.

"Gardner has a little crush on Mr. Perfect," Kyra chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she popped a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean into her mouth.

"Even broke up with her boyfriend over the summer 'cause she thought she had a chance," Marietta added, laughing as everyone knew Cedric Diggory, Mr. Perfect Golden Boy Hufflepuff, would never go for someone as rude as Alexia Gardner. The group shared a knowing look, the absurdity of Alexia's hopes clear to all of them.

"Who was her boyfriend?" you inquired curiously, intrigued with this newfound information. The winter wind rustled the leaves of the trees lining the street, carrying with it the distant sounds of laughter and merriment from The Three Broomsticks.

"Another fourth-year Slytherin," Kyra stated with a shrug as if it weren't important.

"I think he's in your fifth-year Charms class actually," Marietta mentioned, her brows furrowing in thought as she recalled the details. "He skipped a Charms level last year."

"Who?" you questioned, trying to piece together the puzzle in your mind.

Cho shrugged, her dark hair swaying with the movement. "Adrian Pucey."

Sitting on the thick, stone railings of the Clock Tower Courtyard, you diligently worked away at your classwork for Herbology. The chatter of students surrounded you, but you ignored it to listen to the music that blasted through your headphones. 'Money, Money, Money' by ABBA echoed in your mind as you answered questions on your worksheet.

Feeling a presence approach you as the twins had taught you to be more vigilant, you looked up from your schoolwork to be met with the sight of Harry Potter standing in front of you, donning a dark blue sweatshirt and some black cargo pants.

"Hi, uhm, (Y/n)?" He greeted a bit awkwardly. Your name came out like a mystery to him, like he wasn't even sure he was right.

"Oh, hello..." You said in confusion, a bit tense at the appearance of a boy you'd never spoken to before. You glanced behind him to see Hermione and Ron waiting for the boy, but Hermione stood with her arms crossed as if she had been the one to force the boy to talk to you in the first place.

"Uhm, I wanted to say sorry for falling on you during that Quidditch match..." Harry trailed off, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck as he felt Hermione's gaze piercing his skull. "And to thank you for your help with the Patronus Charm."

"Oh, yeah, no worries..." You responded hesitantly with a slight shrug of your shoulders. "I mean, the whole falling thing wasn't really your fault. You were unconscious..."

"Thank you," Harry sighed exasperatedly as if someone finally understood him. He blinked before clearing his throat. "Well, uhm, sorry anyway." With a tight-lipped smile, he muttered, "Well, bye."

"Bye?" You replied quietly, watching the boy wander away to his friends. Returning your attention to your Herbology work, you shoved the weird interaction to the back of your mind.

Snores filled the dormitory, the soft hum of the wind brushing against the window going unnoticed. The speakers, connected to your walkman, played Whitney Houston's 'I Have Nothing' at a quiet volume as three of the five girls were asleep.

Kyra's and Marietta's pillows were a mess from the pillow fight they just had five minutes prior. Handmade necklaces and bracelets were scattered across the floor as you all had been making jewelry as Luna had suggested. The said three girls were now fast asleep in their respective beds while you and Cho were the last ones awake.

Cho sat on the window sill, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the blue curtains. Her canvas and easel were set up before her, capturing the previous scene of teenage girlhood with floating pillow feathers and sparkling beads of bracelets. The flickering light of a nearby candle added a warm hue to the room, casting gentle shadows on the walls. You lay in your bed, a textbook splayed out next to you while you jotted down notes for the Charms project you were just assigned. The quiet rustling of pages and the soft scratching of a quill were the only sounds breaking the peaceful silence.

"Are you seriously working on Charms right now?" Cho quietly asked, chuckling under her breath, her brush dancing delicately across the canvas.

"We were just assigned this project and I wanna get it done already so I don't have to be with my partner for too long," you muttered with a slight shrug. Upon glancing up at her, you found her dark brown eyes trained on her canvas in concentration, her expression serene yet focused.

"Who's your partner?" Cho inquired, her brush gently gliding across her canvas, adding intricate details to her painting.

"Adrian Pucey," you answered, slightly groaning as you thought about the awkwardness of working with him.

As she shrugged, Cho mentioned, "There could be worse people in the world to partner with." With a hum, she continued, "We used to be partners for Transfiguration in our first year. He was nice. Way nicer than he is now, but he still isn't terrible now." The room's ambient light caught the glint of her brush as she dipped it into a vibrant color on her palette.

"I don't know..." You sighed, tiredly dragging a hand down your face. "I'm still not comfortable talking to him yet. He's still some stranger. Besides, Quidditch players are usually scarier to talk to."

"What?" Cho laughed quietly so as to not disrupt the sleep that the other three girls were having. "I'm a Quidditch player. Am I scary to talk to?"

"What? No," you denied, though you internally admitted that you used to be somewhat intimidated when talking to Cho. "You're... I don't know. You're easy to talk to, I guess."

"Really?" Cho asked with a small smile, looking over the edge of her canvas to glance at you, her eyes softening at your statement.

"Yeah," you muttered, nodding slightly. "I gotta admit though, I used to be intimidated when talking to you."

"What? Why?" She laughed at your confession, the sound light and musical, blending perfectly with the cozy atmosphere of the dormitory.

With a shrug, you continued jotting down notes from your textbook and responded through slight laughter, "Well, you're literally the perfect student. Straight O's in every class, Quidditch seeker, outgoing? What can't you do? You're literally painting right now."

Cho's eyes glistened with amusement as she laughed, momentarily pausing her painting. "I can't whistle, actually."

"You can't whistle?" You repeated, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"I can't whistle," she confirmed, her tone playful. "So when you, Kyra, and Roger are making those plays, signaling to each other with whistling, I'm always like, 'Wow, wish I could do that'."

"I can't believe you can't whistle," you muttered, chuckling slightly. With a joking smile, you teased, "Guess you're not so perfect after all."

"Hey, I'm still pretty great," she countered, feigning a look of offense, but her smile quieted any thoughts that you might've had about her being serious. The candlelight danced in her eyes, adding a sparkle to her playful demeanor.

With a laugh, you started packing up your classwork and returned everything to their respective shelves, the room slowly returning to its tranquil state. Turning off the quiet music, you asked, "I'm gonna get some sleep. You staying up still?"

"Yeah, I'm almost done," Cho told you, cleaning her brush before dipping it in the blue paint on her palette. "Besides, didn't I say I'd keep a lookout for Sirius Black while you're asleep?" She winked, her teasing tone lightening the mood even further.

"Wow, a promise keeper. One of the many things to add to the long list of your great qualities," you joked, laying in your bed and snuggling yourself into your bedsheets. The comfort of your bed and the peaceful ambiance of the room began to lull you into a state of relaxation.

Cho laughed, her voice a soothing melody. "I know. I'm amazing."

As you drifted off to sleep, the sound of her gentle brushstrokes was the last thing you heard, blending seamlessly with the soft rustle of the wind outside.

Landing your feet on the grass of the pitch, Kyra landed next to you, followed by Isaac and Cho. The rest of the Quidditch team landed as well, a thin layer of sweat coating everyone's foreheads. "Good job everyone!" Roger exclaimed over the crowd. "Practice is the same time on Thursday! You're all good to go."

The crowd dispersed, some people going to clean up equipment while others made a beeline for the showers. You, Kyra, Cho, and Isaac wandered out of the pitch and walked toward the two tents for the boys' and girls' showers, but as soon as the tents were in sight, you spotted a figure obstructing the path.

"Is that... Oliver Wood?" Isaac asked, narrowing his gaze at the tall figure that donned a red tie that matched the warm sunset colors of the sky.

"What does he want?" Cho inquired in confusion.

When Oliver glanced up and noticed you, he immediately started walking to you. "Oh, no," you groaned, already knowing what he'd want to talk about. After that moment in the library, where you told him off, you had hoped that that'd be the end of it, but upon seeing him take heavy and purposeful strides toward you, you knew it wasn't over.

Standing in front of you, he immediately held out a piece of paper and you could almost make out the ink smudges that formed a new play against Slytherin. "I need your input."

Kyra's face pulled into one of confusion while Cho and Isaac glanced at each other with confusion pooling in their eyes. Slightly shaking your head, you muttered, "I really shouldn't be helping the opposing team. I only did it the first time 'cause I felt bad for what happened in our match."

"Well, continue feeling bad," Oliver told you and Kyra almost burst out laughing, but she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. "Gryffindor needs to beat Slytherin and win the cup this year."

"Quit harassing my teammates, Wood," Roger called out from behind you with his tone filled with amusement, his broom in one hand and the briefcase with the Quidditch equipment in the other. "Don't bother (Y/n)."

"Davies," Oliver greeted politely, but still rolled his eyes. "I just need (Y/n)'s input on a play." For some reason, the way he said your name told you that that'd been the first time he'd ever used it and he didn't even know your name prior to this conversation.

"Well, ask someone else, 'cause she's not gonna be helping the enemy," Roger stated, standing beside you, matching the Gryffindor in height. "She's got nerves of steel. You won't break her."

"Well..." Kyra trailed off and you jokingly shoved her shoulder.

"Shut up," you chuckled, jokingly glaring at her as well.

When Oliver heaved a sigh and began walking away, you thought that that'd truly be the end of it, but he was quick to shoot that idea down. "I'll see you in Charms, (Y/n)!"

You frowned, looking over to Cho. "What'd I tell you? Quidditch players are scary to talk to."

Shaking his head, Roger said, "Nah, that's just Oliver."

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