morals

iii

The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw duo laid on the soft couch in the Baker manor. Speaking of spells, potions, and the most exciting topic, crushes.
"So Gem. How's pretty boy Diggory doing this summer?" Olive smirked.
The blonde wiggled her eyebrows at her best friend, making a stifled laugh fall from the Hufflepuff's mouth.
"Liv I don't like him!"
"Whatever you say Gem."
The duo was now laughing over the nickname Olive had given the third-now fourth-year-Hufflepuff boy in their dada class. Gemma veered from the topic of the older boy and brought the attention back to her friend.
"Malfoy huh?"
"Oh, bloody hell Gem as if."
Olive fake gagged at the thought of dating Draco Malfoy. Yes, she thought he was attractive and he was kind to her but she couldn't see him as anything but her best guy friend. He would grow to become a brother figure to her. She just hadn't noticed yet.
"So who."
Gemma tried to pull out any answer but failed. Olive stayed silent, laying her head on the sofa.
"Come on Liv." She whined, "I'll tell you how I really feel about Diggory."
The blonde sprung up with a huge smirk on her lips.
"Fine. I think I fancy Percy Weasley."
Gemma's eyes met her best friend's, looking for a glint that told her she was joking. Olive's face stayed stern for a moment until a laugh she had suppressed became present.
"You bloody idiot." Gemma chuckled, placing her small hand on Olive's shoulder and shoving her off the couch.
The blonde, still laughing, gasped for air as the joke slowly came to a close. Not that the two had anything against the Gryffindor prefect, but they did. He never stopped boasting about being one of many prefects of the courageous house. Olive was always one to find herself befriending people who were described as quiet or shy. Draco Malfoy is the exception of course. When she liked a guy, she was the same way, always intrigued by the secrecy and hidden personality of a shy boy. A boy who, unlike Percy Weasley, wouldn't boast about their achievements in life to any person that walks by. Although she'd never fancied a guy before, she knew her standards and wouldn't drop them for a boy no matter what.
"Merlin it's getting late." Gemma frowned, checking the wristwatch her muggle mother had given her.
The girls laid out blankets onto the cool ground and made places for each of them to sleep. Gemma's cat bolted over to the duo, laying in between the two comfortably.
"Gemma I hate to say it but I love that bloody cat of yours."
Silent giggles were the last of the sounds before the house was engulfed in silence.

•••

Summer was over. Students new and old piled into the scarlet train, anxiously awaiting their arrival at the magical school. Gemma and Olive sat in a compartment with Draco Malfoy and Cedric Diggory. A friendship nobody would've ever guessed to have begun. Yet because of the day the tall Hufflepuff helped his closest friend, they'd found common ground between the duo and befriended one another rather quickly. So there sat the four of them, talking about their summers and other utter nonsense that came to mind. It was a strange sight to see. Three of the four houses rekindled as one friend group. Some people would stare a little too long into the compartment, creating tension as the Slytherin spat rude remarks at them.
"Anyone want something off the trolley?" Olive questioned, grasping for her galleons and looking back at her friends.
"Chocolate frogs."
"Licorice wands."
"Cauldron cakes!"
The blonde dramatically let out a scoff and stormed out of the compartment. Three distinct giggles were heard from behind her, making her stifle a short laugh as she walked off. She made her way to the trolley woman and ordered their snacks, including some for herself.
"Wow, how kind of you Baker." A familiar voice joked from behind her.
"Potter. Good try golden boy."
A shared smile radiated from the duo as she began walking off with her sweets. A soft hand grasped onto her arm as another took some candy out of her jumper.
"Thanks again, Baker." He smirked, triumphantly leaving the blonde Ravenclaw.
"Accio sugar quills."
She waved her wand with her free hand, bringing the stolen candy back into her jumper and leaving a very confused Harry Potter.
"Hey!"
"Clever Potter. But I'm better." She teased, flinging her long hair past him and sliding back into her compartment.
"Finally! We're almost there!" Her best friend whined as she handed out the candy.
"Sorry. Candy stealer."
The boys gave her a confused look as the girls laughed loudly.
"He really is just like his father."
"Out of our two interactions. I'd say true."
Their conversation was quickly switched up by the confused boys who weren't included. Although Olive didn't speak to the Gryffindor much if at all, he always had the nerve to joke around with her just like he did with his two best friends. Thinking on it, he did it to almost everyone. So much that the teacher's whispers were saying how much he was like James, his father. She had positioned herself comfortably on the long chair, her head on Draco's thigh as they all quietly munched on their sweets. Pure joy raging in her veins as each of them spoke to one another. Sadly, their conversations were cut short when the train screeched to a halt, bringing Olive to go from her comfortable position to connect with the hard floor. Laughter engulfed the compartment.
"Liv you alright?"
"Just fine Gem. Someone, please help me up!" She whined, looking at the boy in green for assistance.
He looked behind himself and at the other two before giving in.
"Okay, fine Ollie. Only because you're my favorite."
The boy grinned, lifting her slowly and wrapping his arms around her as the two Hufflepuff's stared at him with frowns plastered on their faces.
"Yeah, Diggory I'm his favorite, not you." The Ravenclaw cheered, sticking her tongue out.
They all grabbed their small bags and filed out of the compartment onto the windy platform which led to Hogwarts. The cold air pierced through Olive's blue robes, giving her goosebumps and small shivers from time to time. A warm arm wrapped around her shoulders. That arm belonging to Draco Malfoy. The duo skipped up to the castle, gaining some stares since most never saw a smile on Malfoy's face much less him having fun.
"Draco don't leave me." The short blonde whined.
"Maybe if you weren't so bright you could've been in my house." He sneered.
She stifled a laugh, engulfing him in a tight hug.
"What about me!" Gemma growled.
"And me!"
"Oh shut it Diggory."
Olive giggled at the two Hufflepuff's arguing. Her smile slowly fell as they walked upon the yellow table, and the friends noticed.
"You know Ollie." The brunette boy started, "I have a yellow scarf I could spare. Sit with us?"
His eyes gleamed with hope. The blonde shot him a sorry smile.
"You know I can't Ced."
"Right. Ravenclaw Ollie always following the rules." He joked.
She chuckled at his statement, shoving him back slightly before bidding the duo a goodbye. Making her way to the blue table, she saw a head of long white hair facing her. The ginger caught her gaze and greeted her friend with a warm smile. Running over to the girls, Olive jumped into the seat next to Luna, startling her a bit.
"Ollie! Welcome back!"
"We missed you! Over summer." The ginger added.
"How was it by the way?"
Olive's gaze swapped rapidly between the girls speaking to her. She told the girls about her adventures over the summer. Going back to the Netherlands to see her grandparents, visiting Denmark with Gemma, and even running into Hufflepuff golden boy once or twice throughout the break. Their conversing was halted by a loud screech erupting from behind them.
"Merlin's beard." Marietta gasped.
"Mari, what is it?" Olive questioned, spinning around to look at the source of the sound.
Her gaze moved to the Hufflepuff table where she saw her best friend with bright yellow hair standing straight up. She quickly got up and met the older boy who was beside Gemma.
"What the bloody hell happened to you?" She questioned, attempting to stifle in a laugh.
Gemma started pointing at random foods, mumbling her sentences. Both Cedric and Olive looked at her with confused looks. That was until two kids walked up behind them.
"She's saying she ate one of those muffins," A ginger began speaking on her left.
"and then her hair turned yellow!" The second one smirked, coming up to the right of the Ravenclaw.
While Cedric calmed down his fellow Hufflepuff, Olive turned around to now face the two ginger Gryffindors. She realized the two were twins, knowing they were older than her by how worn out their robes had been.
"The masterminds behind this I see. And you two are?"
"Fred"
"And George Weasley."
"Fourth years."
"What about you Ravenclaw?" George smirked.
"Oh, I'm Olive Baker."
"A Baker?"
"No way!"
"Yes, way George."
"But how-" He began.
She playfully shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips as she stood up from the Hufflepuff table. The two gingers followed suit in amazement. Olive made her way back to her table as chattering in the great hall continued, not realizing the twins followed behind her like lost dogs. They were amazed at the playfulness and calm personality of the blonde Ravenclaw. Most had hated their pranks and although they didn't mind, someone praising them for a prank was a new sight, especially from a Ravenclaw. As Olive went to sit down, Marietta spat out a small cough, motioning behind the two blondes to the boys behind them.
"Blimey just won't leave me alone will you?" Olive joked.
"Well, Viv we are more than impressed with you."
"Viv? Hmm never heard that one before Fred." She chuckled, "It was lovely meeting you two but I've got to start practicing for Quidditch tryouts."
"Quidditch?"
"We play Quidditch!"
"Beaters. Georgie and I."
Olive looked up at the two, "Well then I shall see the two of you on the field. That is if I make the team."
She smirked, spinning in her robes and making her way to the fields, leaving the two boys in amazement. Her small steps drug her to the quidditch pitch where madame hooch was setting up for tryouts.
"Madame Hooch."
"Oh, good afternoon Miss Baker. What are you doing out here?"
"I was just curious if I could borrow some gear and a broom to practice before tryouts next week."
"Of course dear. Which position are you looking at?"
The second-year shrugged, "Maybe a chaser?"
Madame Hooch looked at her. Studied her. She knew her family. Her mother being a bookworm and her father a former Slytherin chaser.
"I'll get everything out for you. Go grab a broom and some gear."
The blonde nodded. Her feet led her to the lockers where she threw on the blue uniform before making her way out to the pitch where the professor was waiting on her.
"So your father was-"
"A chaser." She cut the older woman off, "Sorry."
"Yes, he was a chaser. So we will start you out with some drills in the air and then see how your beater, keeper, and seeker skills are."
Practice with Madame Hooch was anything but easy. She couldn't catch the quaffle at speeds she needed to be a chaser, and couldn't stop it from going in the hoops which crossed the keeper off her list. While she could hit the bludger on the ground, aiming at the professor in the air was much harder. Madame Hooch just said with practice she could make tryouts as a beater. Next was a seeker. The golden snitch was released, rising into the air and disappearing quickly.
"You try and find the golden snitch. I'm going to release the bludgers again. Good luck." She gave the blonde a smile as the young girl mounted her broom and flew into the air.
The wind blew her hair as she searched for any sparkle in the sky. Bludgers flew past her, barely missing her many times. She sat perfectly still other than dodging bludgers now and then as if waiting for something to happen. Almost as if on queue, a glare shot into her green eyes. She found the snitch. Olive flew around quickly, shooting her broom straight into the sky, chasing the golden ball as it spun around staying out of her reach. Then it happened. She kicked off of her broom and flew into the air, wrapping her small hand around the flying snitch and landing back on her broom. She found it. Her calling at Hogwarts. Once her feet touched the ground, she ran over to the professor, holding the golden snitch in hand.
"I'm trying out for seeker."