19: BETH

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Beth met Fred and George by the gates, also, naturally, being met with their greetings and happy grins. Beth simply turned her mouth to the side and joined them at Fred's hip, silent, as she listened to them passively argue back and forth about their Charms. 

"What d'you think Beth?" said George. "Who do you think is right, him or me?"

"I think I'm rather fascinated at the idea of you two arguing about something irrelevant to pranks or jokes, or whatever else it is you two are known for doing," Beth said in a plain voice, staring at the ground as she walked and talked.  

George scoffed, amused. "We do have a life outside of pranking people, Black."

Fred blinked a couple times before looking at his twin. "We do?"

The trio passed by a couple stores before the twins raced inside Zonko's Joke Shop, their literal home in Hogsmeade Village. Beth didn't know why she felt so...awkward today. More awkward than usual. She let out a small, shaky breath before following them into the shop, where a couple people were already by the counter purchasing a bundle of items and others were looking around. 

Beth didn't even scan the items on the shelves, simply stood behind the two redheaded twins leaning over a bottom shelf and poking something. Their butts were sticking out in the air. Beth snorted.

"Well, this is a particularly delightful view, if I say so myself," Beth said teasingly, watching as George jumped around and Fred looked over his shoulder with a smirk. 

"Bethy's got jokes," Fred said, grinning, his arms full of...whatever it was he was holding. Beth squinted but couldn't quite figure out what it was but it looked...slimy. 

"Don't call me that," Beth said sternly, inhaling. 

"Okay, okay," Fred said in a high voice. He gestured towards the items in his arms with his head. "Look. Living slime."

Beth scrunched her face up. "Why on earth would anyone want that? What would you possibly do with it? Who comes up with these ideas?"

"Sooo many questions, little Black," said George. "Well, I would want it because it's something to fidget with."

"What could we do with it? Throw it at people. Leave it by their feet in class or on their desks without them realising and watch them stain their pants," Fred shrugged.

"And," said George, "Zonko did of course."

"So stupid," Beth said, walking towards the counter with the twins at her heels. She waited patiently as they purchased their meaningless living, breathing slime, watched them grin and chuckle as they pocketed some and put some in their bags. 

As the trio slipped out of the store, Fred slung an arm smoothly over Beth's shoulder, ignoring the glare as she looked up at him and said, "So, where would you like to go? You've got to have a soft spot for a store close by, and --"

But he was cut off at the icky sound of mud being splattered all over Beth's cheek, and another splat on her robes, and then another on the side of her head. Beth gasped in horror and threw Fred's arm off, unable to brush off the loud laughter nearby as a couple fourth-years high-fived each other and laughed even harder as Beth gave them a nasty look. 

The gesture hurt. A lot. Much more than Beth liked to show, so she threw them an even dirtier look. 

Fred and George were conversing, but Beth didn't care to listen. Next thing she knew, George's wand was pointed at the group of fourth-years and they began to complain about their feet being stuck to the ground. And then the twins' wands were aimed at the mud, and Beth raised her eyebrows at the enchanted mud flying towards the fourth-years, the twins bursting into laughter at their shrieks and sulking. Fred and George even threw some of their slime.

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