"They asked you to be their girlfriend with a plastic ring?" Marietta fumed. "Did you accept?!"
"Isn't that obvious?" Padma said, holding up (Y/n)'s hand, where a plastic ring sat.
"You accepted their proposal after a first date?" Chija cried.
"It wasn't our first date!" (Y/n) seethed. "Well, it was, but we've been alone together before!"
"Alone together... Are they a prefect?" Chija asked, staring suspiciously around.
"Yes," (Y/n) smiled.
"That narrows things down to twenty-three... Twenty-five including the Head Boy and Girl..."
"You accepted a proposal over a plastic ring?!" Marietta bellowed.
"Quiet!" (Y/n) hissed. "I would've accepted a genuine proposal with a plastic ring if I truly thought they're the person I want to marry." She smiled fondly down at her hand.
"(Y/n)!" Marietta said, her disappointment showing. "They're cheap! I would've asked with an actual ring!"
"And I would've said 'no' because I'm about as deep in the friend zone as the bottom of the Black Lake," (Y/n) said. Marietta snorted.
"Yes, that's true... But come on! How low are your standards?"
"Low enough that she finds a plastic ring romantic," Padma said.
"It was an in-the-moment sort of thing!" (Y/n) cried. "I'm not even sure I want a relationship... I more in things for the chase and flirt..." she admitted, twisting the ring around with a present frown.
"That's not good... Maybe it's better to break up. For both of you," Marietta coaxed.
"But I like this person, Mari," (Y/n) said. "Don't get me wrong. I'm just not sure I'm ready for a relationship, but maybe I'll warm up to the idea..."
"Putting a relationship on hold is all right, you know?"
"I don't want to hurt their feelings."
"Gosh, you do that a lot."
"Do what a lot?"
"Putting others' feelings before your own."
"What're you guys being for Halloween?" (Y/n) asked, changing the subject.
"Group costume of Strawberry Shortcake," Marietta said. "I'm Strawberry Shortcake, Chija's Blueberry Muffin... The others are Angel Cake, Orange Blossom, Lemon Meringue, Raspberry Torte, Peppermint Fizz, and Ginger Snap."
"Cute," Padma dragged out. "Lavender, Parvati, Dean, Seamus, and I are going as the Mystery Gang."
"Aw. That's also cute," Chija mused. "You, (Y/n)." (Y/n) looked ecstatic.
"Spider-man!" she squealed. "I made web-shooters and everything!" The girls oohed.
"Spider Gwen or Spider-girl, you mean?"
"I guess. It was a unisex costume that I made... Black Cat would've been fun, though... I just wanted to actually put in use the web substance I made for the web-shooters."
"...what was the substance originally for?" Cho asked at length. Padma and Marietta stifled their laughter.
"I was going to use it in replacement to staples or thumbtacks," (Y/n) said with a shrug. "For the bulletin board, I mean. Not the wall collage, obviously..."
"I'm excited for that," Chija beamed.
"I'm excited for your costumes. 70s fashion and... what's Strawberry Shortcake? 2000s? Y2k? Which era are you going for?"
