sister of the wolf | s. snape

four | hogsmeade

The next couple weeks passed quicky. The weather was getting crisp with autumn air, the earth beginning to turn into various shades of orange and brown with small patches of green trying to cling onto summer.

Elise was doing well in classes; well, about average, as usual. But that was good enough for her.

She hadn't spoken with Severus since their small argument in the corridor. When partnered up in Potions, they would simply work in silence. Elise had the feeling he wasn't truly angry at her, they both just knew they were very different and being friends simply wasn't going to happen, so why push it? She gave him his space and tried to ignore how sorry she felt for the way he had always been treated.

Today was Saturday, and Lily had come to her earlier that week, saying she'd like to have a nice girl's day in Hogsmeade that weekend. They'd all so been involved in studies that they'd hardly gotten the chance to just hang out.

So Elise, Evelyn, and Willow all headed down to Hogsmeade. All dressed in more comfortable, muggle attire; jeans, t-shirts, and jackets. Though Elise wore a yellow and black flannel instead.

They spotted the long red hair inside The Three Broomsticks easily and plopped down at the table. Across from the three were Alice Fortescue, Lily, and Molly Prewett. All happily greeted each other and ordered drinks.

"So," Willow began with a big smirk, taking a sip of her butterbeer. "Boys, anyone?"

Elise rolled her eyes at her friend, gulping her pumpkin juice. Evelyn scowled. The other girls giggled a little.

"Well, you all know I've been dating Arthur for a little bit now." Molly said with a smile.

"How's that going?"

"Oh, just brilliant!" She beamed. "I could listen to him talk about muggle items for ages."

Elise laughed, as did the others. She envied Molly and Arthur's relationship a little. They were young, still, but they seemed like they would really last. Arthur was kind and smart, Molly the absolute sweetest. She got the feeling she'd make a good mother some day.

"Alice?" Willow nodded to her. "How 'bout you?"

Alice flushed, running her fingers through her short mousey brown hair nervously. "Oh, I don't know..."

"Oh, really?" Lily spoke up, raising an eyebrow at her friend beside her. "Not even a certain, oh I don't know, Frank Longbottom interests you?"

Alice almost choked on her butterbeer, her eyes wide. "Well, I mean..." She said softly, regaining her composure. "He's alright."

"Alice," Willow began, putting a hand on the girl's atop the table. "He's adorable and so are you! Snog that boy!"

The girls burst into laughter, Alice too, beneath her bright red blush.

"Now, Lily, you spend an awful amount of time with that weird boy. What's his name?" Willow questioned.

Now it was Lily's turn to choke on her drink. "Severus?!" She coughed. "No, no, no. He's my best friend. We basically grew up together. Nothing more, nothing less."

Elise felt her heart tug a little. Everyone saw how Severus looked at Lily, and it made her feel sad for him that she didn't feel the same. Not that she blamed Lily at all for simply not sharing those feelings, but it was still unfortunate.

Then Elise spoke up. "But what about Mr. James Potter?" She waggled her eyebrows at Lily, mimicking what she saw Prongs to to her at dinner frequently.

"That toerag?" Lily scoffed, but the little bit of pink on her cheeks gave her away.

"That toerag is pretty cute," Elise stated. "And head over heels for you. I know he's annoying - "

"And immature," Evelyn threw in.

"Well, yeah, a little. But I'm decently close with him and he's a sweet guy. He'd probably hand his life over for you," Elise continued.

Lily smiled a little, fumbling with her own fingers. "I don't know. Maybe I'll end up giving him a chance. Don't you dare tell him though, El!"

Elise laughed and threw up her hands innocently at the warning.

"Speaking of immature boys," Evelyn began, turning to Elise. "When are you going to give it up and get with Sirius already?"

"Oh, not this again," Elise pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"He likes you! Everyone knows it!"

"He acts like that with every girl, Ev. Besides, I've told you a thousand times, we're just friends. Dating one of my brother's best friends is just a no-no."

Evelyn looked unconvinced, and ready to defend her stance more, until Molly interrupted.

"You should get with Lockhart, then," she teased with a mischievous grin. "I mean, he likes you." She mocked Evelyn's statement from before.

Evelyn made gagging noises, to which they all laughed hysterically. The conversation morphed into wondering how in the Hell that boy made it into Ravenclaw for a few minutes.

"Oh, but don't think we've forgotten about you, Miss Davies," Elise looked to Willow. "My beautiful, amazing fellow Hufflepuff, who do you fancy?"

Willow tensed up, all eyes on her with playful grins on their faces.

"N-nobody," she said quickly, taking a drink.

"Come on, Will," Elise nudged her. "We're all friends here and it won't leave this table. We promise... Right?" She looked to the other girls, who nodded and agreed supportingly.

"Well, um," Willow had never looked so nervous before, Elise thought. "It's a... Girl, actually."

Everyone's mouth gaped a little in surprise. But it quickly turned into the girls reassuring her.

"Oh, Will, that's great!"

"We wouldn't ever judge you for that!"

"I'm so proud of you, Willow!"

"Who is it, though?!"

Willow was flushed red and her eyes a little watery, a gigantic smile on her face at the support from her friends. A giant weight was off her shoulders, Elise could tell.

"Uh, a Slytherin," she admitted. "She's in a few of my classes. Name is Freya."

"A Slytherin?" Evelyn remarked, laughing. "Now that, I'm judging you for."

All the girls broke into laughs once again, Willow included.

The six girls spent awhile more in The Three Broomsticks, sipping their drinks and talking. After, they all made their way into the chilly air outside and ventured around Hogsmeade, doing some shopping and goofing off along the way.