Pyrrhic Victory

four.

Year One
four. Initiation

While Lucille was eating slowly at the Hufflepuff table, Magnolia was having the time of her life with Daphne and all of her new friends. Theodore Nott kept trying to impress the eleven year old girls who would blush, Pansy was all over Draco, Daphne and Magnolia were talking with Blaise. Draco, Vincent, and Gregory were stuffing as much food as they could into their mouth. When Pansy wasn't messing with Draco she was talking with Millicent.

"This is going to be the best year ever Mags!" Daphne squealed as she hugged her cousin, Magnolia laughed as Theodore swooped in trying to charm the girls.

"Yeah, because you'll girls be with me."

"Shove off Theo! We are only eleven!" Magnolia stuck out her tongue at the brown haired boy.

"Call me in three years Theo!" Daphne winked at the boy who blushed a pink before he hid his face. Daphne and Magnolia bursted into laughter, Magnolia then looked over at Lucille who looked a bit sad. She wanted to go over to the Hufflepuff table, but realized it wouldn't be a good idea.

———

Lucille stared at her friend who was laughing, and having a grand ole' time with her newly best friends. Lucille stared down at her plate as she stabbed her food.

"What's wrong Lucille?" Lucille turns her head to be faced with Hannah Abbott. The blonde was a little taller than her, and she looked very worried for Lucille's well being.

"Nothing," Lucille mumbled as she lifted her head towards the group of laughing Slytherins. It seemed like they were having staring contests with each other.
"You can call me Lucy though."

"You're friend got sorted into Slytherin?" She basically read Lucille mind, Lucille couldn't lie, she nodded and Hannah laughed as she looked over to the Slytherin group.

"You know people from other houses become friends right?" Hannah tells Lucille, Lucille sighs and nods again.
'They are Slytherin's though?' Lucille thought as she kept her eye on the group.

"You don't need them Lucille, you have me! There's also all these other people in Hufflepuff who would be glad to be your friend!" Hannah joyed, Hannah then continued to talk to another girl who she'd believe was Susan Bones.

"Yeah..." Lucille mumbled quietly, she decided not to continue observing the Slytherin friend group. She decided to talk to the kid across from her, Ernie Macmillan. He was talking about how excited he was to start Hogwarts, then another Hufflepuff, Justin Finch-Fletchley joined in the conversation. The two boys were really good at cheering Lucille up, and she appreciated that.

Soon it was time for the students to head back to their dorms for the night. Lucille kept her eye on Magnolia and her friend group. Lucille stayed a little bit behind the Hufflepuff crowd waiting to see if Magnolia would talk to her, and as Lucille predicted Magnolia did.

"Lucy!" The dirty-blonde girl skipped to Lucille's side, Lucille noticed how happy Magnolia was, and that made Lucille happy.

"Maggie, hey." Lucille said as the two girls walked in sync. Even though the two girls were in two different houses, and had two different personalities they clicked. Magnolia's prided in everything she did, and was self absorbed. Lucille would describe Magnolia as 'if she wanted something she would make sure she gets it'. Lucille would always put other people before herself, and could always be trusted. Magnolia would describe Lucille as 'someone I would trust my deepest secret with.'

"Initiate with anyone?" Magnolia asks the girl, Lucille raises her eyebrow at the word 'initiate' she had heard it like maybe once or twice. Magnolia immediately caught on her confusion.

"Did you meet anyone?" Magnolia rephrased her sentence, and Lucille nodded before speaking.

"Yeah, Hannah Abbott, and these two boys Ernie Macmillan, and Justin Finch-Fletchley, you?" Lucille realizes she probably made a mistake by asking 'you' since Magnolia would probably go on and on about her new bestfriends.

"Well Daphne, but she's my cousin. Draco, Vincent, and Gregory. Theo- well er Theodore Nott, and Blaise Zabini, and then Pansy and Millicent." She finally stops her name of friends, four of them Lucille already knew from the train. Magnolia goes on to explaining that Pansy was a little annoying, but she didn't mind too much, and how big a flirt Theodore Nott is.

"You should meet them! Yes! At the end of this week you can hang out with all of us!" Magnolia smile widely, Lucille happy Magnolia was including her, but she immediately started overthinking about how they may not like her.

"Okay then." Lucille nodded agreeing to Magnolia's proposal. Lucille had heard from her brother, William, that the Hufflepuff common rooms are in the basement near the kitchen, and the Slytherin common rooms are in the dungeons.

"Well this were we part Maggie." Lucille gives her a half-smile, Magnolia brings Lucille into a hug before Magnolia heard down stairs that lead to the dungeons. Lucille had turned the corner, looking back until she had bumped into someone, great.

"I'm so sorry!" She started apologizing immediately, but she looked up to see someone older, he has brown hair, and had dreamy eyes.

"It's fine, I'm Cedric Diggory, I'm a third year." The boy smiled, and it could've made Lucille become weak at her knees.

"Lucille Vagabonde, I'm a first year." He laughs, and it makes Lucille unconscious.

"Yeah I could tell." Cedric tells her, her and Cedric start heading towards the entrance of their common room. She watched as he enter the rythme, and the door opened for the two. They both stepped in, and were greeted by a warm yellow room with plants in almost every corner.

"Vagabonde... you couldn't possibly be related to Melody Vagabonde?" Cedric asked, and Lucille immediately sighed, of course he had to know Melody. Lucille slowly nodded, and Cedric could read her uncomfortableness.

"I've had some complications with her here and there, but I doubt your anything like her." That sentence made Lucille perk up, everyone always guessed Lucille was exactly like Melody which was terribly wrong.

"Well goodnight Lucille, hope you enjoyed your first night at Hogwarts." Cedric winks at her before heading to the boys dormitories. Lucille makes her way towards hers, and find her dorm with her name on it.

Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Megan Jones, Lucille Vagabonde.

She entered the dorm, and noticed Hannah who was talking to Susan, and a brown-headed girl to which she assumed was Megan Jones.

"Glad you could make it Lucy, we were just getting ready for bed." Hannah smiles as she makes her way over to show Lucille her bed. Lucille immediately notices because of her belongings on the bed. She walked over, and places her suitcase of her bed as well as her other treasures.

"We have a big day tomorrow, better get some rest!" Hannah announces, and the three girls make their way to the bathroom connected to their dormitory. Lucille starts going through her stuff, and grabs her pajamas, and heads to the bathroom. They each had their own stalls which had their own toilet, shower, and changing area.
'Luxurious.' Lucille thought as she entered the one that had 'Lucille Estelle Vagabonde' on the front.

———

Once Magnolia arrived to the Slytherin common room she noticed everyone she knew must've gone to their dorms. She headed through the girls corridor, and found the dorm which had the girls names on it.

Millicent Bulstrode, Daphne Greengrass, Magnolia Malvorseve, Pansy Parkinson.

Magnolia entered the dorm to see Daphne checking out the dorm which was decked out in a beautiful green colour. Daphne immediately showed Magnolia their own bathroom stalls, to her bed. Magnolia also offered to show the girls her crabs, everyone was enjoying them except Pansy who was a little grossed out. Millicent's cat was also very interested in Magnolia's crabs.

The four girls had gotten dressed into their pajamas, and they were all pretty tired, so they immediately had gone straight to bed.