Bulla Aurea Puerorum

Waging War

Waging War

I woke up at around 5 in the morning, according to the watch on Ginny's bedside table. I had only slept for a couple of hours, but I figured I should make my way back to the Hufflepuff dorms. Ginny had rolled over at some point in the night, her back now to me as she lay, sleeping soundly. I carefully slipped off her fourposter and sneaked across the dorm. With one last look back at her sleeping form under her knitted quilt, I closed the door to her bedroom, my thoughts now tripping over themselves. I was glad that it was Saturday, giving me a couple of days to relax before classes started. With how I was panicking over the events of the night prior, I was sure that I would need those two days to stop the excitement that bubbled inside of me. I had to keep telling myself that She has a boyfriend. She has a boyfriend and you're just friends. But something had felt different. I waged war with my thoughts as I quickly made my way back to the common room, being sure to look 'round corners just in case Filch or Mrs. Norris were snooping about. In record time, I was standing in front of the entrance to the common room. I tapped one of the barrels that lined the wall, the second from the bottom and middle of the second row to be precise, to the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff'. It swung open, revealing the passageway that led into the coopery warmth that I called my home. As I stepped into the still dark, but somehow still yellow-tinged, room, I saw a sleeping figure on one of the floral couches. Eddie sat there, his arm splayed across the arm rest, and the other beside him on the cushion. His brown hair was mussed up, and the sleeves to his beige, cable knit sweater were scrunched up around his wrists. I smiled at how adorable he was. I was extra careful as I crossed the polished wood floors, keeping quiet so as not to wake him, and opening the door that led down yet another passageway and into my bedroom. I had just stepped over the threshold when I heard the snort of Eddie waking up.

"Ophelia?" I heard him ask. When I turned about, his head was crinked back awkwardly to look at me.

"Morning, Edwardimum."

He grinned and leapt up from his spot on the couch, clearing his throat and running his hand through his hair. He pulled the too-long sleeves of his jumper over his hands, and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"Morning. How was Ginny?" He asked.

"Fine." I answered simply, just wanting to jump into the blankets of my four poster, and snuggle up nicely thanks to the copper bed warmers. "Hey, listen Eddie. I'm really tired. I'll see you at breakfast, no?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Breakfast. Night. Or- morning I guess."

I bopped my head up and down a couple times and turned awkwardly back towards the passage. I paused for a second, and then shut the door behind me.

Eddie rubbed the back of his neck and walked back towards his dormitory.

I hopped into my bed, my thoughts still fighting against each other.

Little did I know, Eddie was having a similar war in his head as he made his way back to the boys dorms.

Eyes itching with tiredness, I stared up at the ceiling for a few moments until I quickly fell asleep, thinking of warm treacle tart and flowery perfumes.

I woke up to the force of a pillow being hit against my face.

"Get up, fucktard, its nearly 12." A voice said, the sound of curtains being drawn with a resulting stream of golden sunlight. I groaned and covered my face with my blankets.

But those were soon ripped from my grasp and I was left shivering in my pyjama pants and tank top.

"Up!" The voice commanded again, and I looked up into the honey-green eyes and disapproving glare of Lucy Silas, my closest Hufflepuff girl friend.

"Up yours too," I growled.

"You know, for a Hufflepuff, you aren't a very gentile morning person." Lucy snarked.

"Hey, just because I'm a Hufflepuff doesn't mean I can't be a bitch." I responded with a smirk over my shoulder and a wink.

"Hm, well. Two can play at that game." She said, and with that, she promptly dumped my glass of water that had sat on my bedside table over my face. I sat up quickly, gasping.

"Now- get up. Prefect, remember?" She pointed at her badge already pinned to her black Hufflepuff cardigan. "This year, no sleeping until noon."

I opened my mouth, about to protest but she cut me off.

"-And I don't care how late you stay up with Ginny!"

With that, she left, slamming the door shut in a dramatic fashion, her tightly wavy, dark golden-brown hair that hung to her chest whipping around the frame. I sat up, rubbing my eyes free of sleep dust and wringing out my now half-sopping hair onto the floor.
I hated wearing my uniform on days I didn't have to, unlike Lucy, and I instead pulled on my honey brown "mom" cut corduroy pants and square neck, spaghetti strap tank top. Taking a quick look in the mirror, I decided to apply a bit of mascara, (only enough to darken the roots of my already dark brown eyelashes), and a very faint golden shade of eyeshadow to my crease.
I was the last to leave the dorms, as usual, taking my sweet, sweet time making my bed. Soon though, I couldn't ignore the growling of my stomach and made my way out of the deserted common room and towards the Great Hall for lunch. As I walked in, I immediately saw Ginny sitting with Neville at the Gryffindor table, and they waved enthusiastically at me as I passed by on my way to the Hufflepuff table. I tried to catch Luna's attention as I walked down the isle between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, but she was in deep conversation with Terry Boot and did not look up.
Sitting in our usual spot, were Eddie and Lucy, with Hannah and Susan sitting not far down from Eddie's left. Hannah was watching the Gryffindor table, not paying attention to a single thing Susan said to her.

"Afternoon, sleepy head." Eddie sniggered.

"Haha, so funny, Edwardimum. How do you come up with these things?" I said as sarcastically as I could. Lucy snorted into her soup.

"Edwardimum??" She questioned, tears in her eyes from the soup that had almost come out of her nose.

"Oh, yeah," I grinned. "Edwardus has decided he no longer wants to be called by his given name, but I feel like 'Edwardimum' just has such a nicer ring to it than Eddie, don't you?"

"Shall we call you Hopeless and awkward and desperate for love then, instead of Ophelia?" Lucy laughed.
I frowned.

"No, no, she's onto something." Eddie pointed towards Lucy. Her eyes glowed.

"Let's stick with, Ophelia or hey you, if you please." I responded, ladeling some cauliflower soup into my bowl.

Lucy and Eddie sat snickering at me. I pretended not to notice, taking a gigantic bite out of a garlic bun. Even though we always teased each other, I loved my friends. Ginny, Neville and Luna of course, but also Lucy and Eddie. They were my best friends and I was so grateful for each one. I honestly had no idea how Lucy, Eddie and I ended up in Hufflepuff. Not that I didn't love being a Hufflepuff, but Lucy and Eddie at least seemed to reek of Gryffindor. I listened to them banter, smirking to myself. I had purposefully sat back-to the red and gold table, to stop the constant tension that had been in my head since last night. It didn't really work, but at least I wasn't constantly staring at Ginny this way. I could focus more on stopping Lucy and Eddie from flirting too hard. Of course, I was staring down at my soup while thinking all this, and missed Eddie's blue-grey eyes flitting towards me every few seconds.

"I've decided on what we're going to do today." I announced after a couple of minutes.

"We?" Lucy asked.

"Mhm," I nodded.

"Well, what is it then?" Eddie prompted.

I looked back over my shoulder, making eye contact with Ginny and smirking.

"We are going to help Ginny plan a party."