home (reader at hogwarts)

sixty eight

"y/n!"

two voices shout your names from separate direction. merlin, you've only just walked into the great hall.

to your right, harry stands with ron. the gangly ginger rests his elbow on harry's head as he grins at you, and harry's eyes shine in the christmas lights draped between the floating candles up above.

you smile, before turning your head in the opposite direction to see where the other voice had come from.

blaise stands with serena, the two of them looking just as happy. you notice serena is wearing blaise's scarf and let out a laugh.

you hold a finger up to them, urging them to just give you a minute before you headed over. looking back at the gryffindors, you tilt your head very subtly and make a move for the exit.

they wait just a minute or so before following you out behind a group of hufflepuffs. you lean against a pillar as the pair walk up to you bursting with brimming joy.

"oh, have you seen the feast? it looks bloody brilliant!" says ron, his eyes eager and hand jittery with excitement.

you don't get enough time to answer.

harry leans forward a bit before saying in a hushed tone. "i'm going to go check something out under my invisibility cloak after dinner, y/n."

"can i come?" you ask straight away. you know he wants you to, so there's no harm in asking.

"sure, if you want." harry fiddles with the sleeve of his weasley jumper. you notice it's a bit too big for him. "you can't tell anyone though."

"yeah, your other friends especially. they don't like us-"

"i know that, weasley." you smile, pushing him slightly. "i wouldn't either."

"shut up." he grumbles.

"it's fine, honestly." with a sigh, you push off the wall and begin walking back to the great hall. "my lips are sealed."

harry looks behind him for just a second before turning back to you. "listen, meet me when the prefects leave for their christmas briefing in the evening- just outside the first floor stairs on the left wing of the castle. we'll slip under the cloak there, alright?"

"okay, harry. i'll see you boys around."

ron and harry wave at you before letting you walk back into the great hall alone.

"where'd you go?" asks theo as you sit down beside serena.

"i dropped this." you say, holding up a chocolate coin. it's one you stole from the cabinets of severus' chambers. he's surprisingly a chocolate kind of person, with all sorts tucked away for moderate snacking.

you start unwrapping it and break off a piece for serena. she takes it gladly. who would say no to chocolate?

"you been practicing recently?" she asks you. your knuckles are less red than usual, and she's probably realised.

"no. i'm slacking." you say, reaching for some mash potato to dump onto your plate. the turkey seems to be calling out your name too, so you help yourself to some of that.

"winter depression." blaise teases, sniffling. you whack him with the end of your fork.

"you give me depression."

serena giggles. "maybe you should keep flying. if they're going to put you on the team, it'll be hard to keep up with the more experienced fliers."

"nothings hard for me." you joke, biting into the food. "i'm a snape."

"that you are," adds theodore nott.

you realise he constantly talks with his mouth full.

that's also because theo is constantly eating.

"blaise, how are things with draco?" theo asks out of the blue, adjusting his brown locks out the way of his dark green eyes.

"you need a hair cut." you tell him and he waves a hand at you dismissively.

"things with draco.." blaise repeats, twirling his fork. "we spoke a bit before bed."

"what happened?" asks serena, laying her head on your shoulder.

"it was minor." he tells you all, shrugging. "he asked if i'd like the curtains closed because he wanted to leave them open."

"oh." you say.

"thoughtful." theo notes, picking at a pastry.

"yeah, it was nothing." blaise says. "we don't hate each other."

"good." serena reaches over to touch his hand briefly. she's easily the sweetest one sat at the table, and she looks out for blaise the most.

he hums in agreement.

dinner goes by fast, and for once you don't eat till your belly swells with warm, heavy food. you are far too excited to eat, far too nervous to get under a cloak, to become invisible.

you wonder why ron's not coming. it seems like something he'd want to do.

"harry." you whisper in the evening light. your wand in your grasp, you tiptoe around to the the first floor stairs on the left wing of the castle- just as harry had said.

"here," you hear.

your eyebrows furrow into a confused squint in the dark. "where-?"

harry's head, then chest and body appear several feet in front of you. he extends the invisibility clock and you reach out to touch it.

"it's so slippery." you say, running the fabric between ur fingers. "like, like.."

"like water." he finishes. you nod.

harry moves closer to you and grabs the invisibility cloak with both hands. he lifts it and drapes it back over his head, holding part of it up for you to get underneath.

"thanks." you say. you've never been this close to him before.

"that's okay." harry speaks faster now, and you feel his arm against yours. he's wearing his weasley jumper, and you're wearing just a normal black long-sleeve shirt.

"you okay?" you ask and he nods, clearing his throat.

"come on, then."

the potter boy leads you down the corridor and to the large gate towards the back of the library. a broken, rotten sign reads 'restricted section' and you feel a chill run up the nape of your neck as it sways and creaks up on the gate.

you and harry step awkwardly through the gate, opening it very slightly so that it doesn't look like it's been tampered with.

"we're in." you breathe into the dark. you turn to look at harry, about an inch away from his face. the poor boy looks scared.

"now what?" you ask.