𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨 (𝖽𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖿𝗈𝗒 𝗑 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋)

two

"Why were you in the Prefect's bathroom?" I curiously asked Cedric Diggory, my friend.

"Oh, uh, well, I'm a Prefect."

"You have your golden egg."

"I was trying to figure out what it was," Cedric said, eager to escape the conversation. "So I took a bath with it."

"Oh, okay. That's cool."

He nodded slowly before we both burst into a fit of laughter.

"This tournament is making you do some weird stuff," I commented, trying to contain my laughter.

"Definitely. Next, they're probably going to have us tied up on the bottom of the Black Lake," Cedric joked.

"Oh, my Lord, and they'll have the merfolk guarding you," I added to the joke.

Cedric laughed. "Hey, who are you planning on taking to the Yule Ball?"

"Oh, uh . . . no one."

"Yet."

I laughed at his response. No one would want to go with me. "Who are you taking?"

"I'm going to ask Cho," Cedric answered.

"The Ravenclaw?"

"Yep."

"Okay, but I suggest that you do it quickly. Fawn said something about Potter crushing on her."

"Oh?" Cedric nodded. "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem. Good luck with your quest."

"Hey, thanks!"

I smiled and started walking back to the Hufflepuff House area.

~~~

"Fawn, must you drag me in here too? You know I don't like shopping for dress robes that I can't even afford."

"Oh, come on, Y/n. It's fun, and it's a good bonding exercise."

"Uh-huh. Because watching you look at overpriced dress robes is helping us be even closer friends," I said, looking down at my friend. Her dark brown (almost black) hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and her black glasses were perched on her nose. Her brown skin was beautiful in the cold weather.

"It will! Just trust me. Does this colour look good on me?"

"It looks fine."

"Are you sure? What about this colour?"

"They both look great. Can we please go now?"

"Fine, just let me pay and then we can go. What about you, aren't you getting your outfit too?"

"I already have my dress robes."

"Oh, okay. Merlin, I got scared, I thought you were going with someone else."

"Fawn," I said, looking at her. "You know that you and Courtney are my best friends and I would never do something like that, right?"

"I mean, you never know. You're a very likeable human. Everyone wants to be friends with you."

I thought back to first-year. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Oh, come on! You know you're the sweetest kid in our year. Literally like three kids have already come up to me and asked if you wanted to be friends with them. I said that they would have to talk to you, but that you were open. Okay, come on. I want to stop by The Three Broomsticks and Honeydukes. Courtney wanted some sugar skulls."

"Oh, uh, okay?"

Fawn paid for her dress robes and put a spell on them to keep them clean, dry, and wrinkle-free right before we stepped into the winter wind. My scarf was flying everywhere, and it almost smacked a Slytherin right in the face.

"Hey! Watch where your scarf is blowing," the blond boy snapped, scowling as he faced me. His hair was so white I thought the snow had come early and dropped some on his head.

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't really paying attention--"

"It's a scarf! A bright, ugly yellow thing on your neck! How could you not--"

"Hey, that's enough, Malfoy. Leave Y/n alone. She didn't mean to hit you with her scarf, it was an accident."

"Ugh. I'll let it slide this time. However, the next time an incident like this happens--"

"Oh, shove off! Why are you such an arse to Y/n? She literally has not done anything against you. Go take out your anger on Potter or something. Maybe go kick a rock, or have Professor Moody turn you into a ferret again so you can run around and knaw on people's fingers?" Fawn stepped in front of me.

I tried to stand my ground, as it seemed odd that someone shorter than me was protecting me more than I was myself. "Hey, Malfoy, uh, can you please leave us alone? We just want to go get some butterbeer."

He scowled and turned away.

"What an arse. Come on, let's go get butterbeer and then we can get candy!"

~~~

"Awwh, thank you guys so much! You really didn't need to get me butterbeer, a croissant, and candy. You guys are so sweet," Courtney said, smiling as we sat down across from her on the two chairs facing the couch. She was sick and had been unable to go to Hogsmeade with us, so we got her some of her favourite desserts and treats. A pile of candy now sat on the small table in front of us: Chocolate Frogs, Sugar Quills and Sugar Skulls, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocoballs, and Acid Pops. Three glasses of butterbeer were standing next to it, one for each of us. Fawn also had a croissant and we had gotten her a bagel.

"You guys know that I won't be able to eat this all, so I want you to help me!"

I looked at Fawn, who smirked, knowing this would happen. She grabbed two butterbeers, handed one to me, and opened hers. Courtney and I repeated her action, and she tilted her bottle just slightly into the middle of us.

"Cheers, to enjoyable winters, delicious snacks, and great friends."

We clinked our cups and said, "Cheers," in unison, then took a sip of our foamy drinks.

"Bon appétit!"