#cause the alarm went off in the astronomy wing

[enbylucy]

nalu au where lucy’s a museum curator for the astronomy wing and natsu’s a firefighter and they meet cause a kid thought it would be funny to pull the fire alarm at a field trip.

like they meet and they’re both in full uniform. natsu’s got the entire firefighter getup, even has the face mask on and is wearing the breathing apparatus. he’s got a badge that says fire captain. lucy’s in a lab coat that has dr. heartfilia embroidered on the left in dark blue and she’s got her museum badge clipped to the breast pocket.

[tommiruewrites]

⌜↳ enemies ˖⁺⌟

✩ pairing(s) - Harry Potter x slytherin!reader ✩ status - enemies to lovers (tame version bc i wrote this ages ago) ✩ requested? - no ✩ prompt(s) - none ✩ summary - you and Harry have been enemies for years, why are you suddenly helping him? ✩ tw/cw - like one curse word, angst, ends with fluff (this seems to be a trend) ✩ word count - 1.4k ✩ a/n - I wrote this one a long time ago so im not a huge fan of it but i never published it so i figured eh why not

you can also read this on ao3 ₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚ ♡₊˚·˚

"Twenty house points from Gryffindor" Snape hollered, glaring at Harry who'd just now opened a folded note I passed him that I had enchanted to scream loud Slipknot music for two hours with no way to stop it even if you ripped it into shreds.

From the corners of my eyes, I could see his knuckles turning white as he gripped the desk, steam practically pouring out of his nostrils with the amount of sheer rage he was holding in.

I smirked to myself at the sight, knowing it was another win for me.

Harry and I have somewhat of a reputation around Hogwarts, and not the good kind. If you ask anyone in the castle they'll scoff and give you a three-page essay on how much we despise each other with countless stories to prove it.  For example, one time he pushed me into the black lake for no reason when I was studying astronomy with my friends, so I jinxed him and sent him to the hospital wing which cost Slytherin fifteen house points and caused me to get three weeks detention. What nobody tells is that I didn't mean to actually hit him with the jinx, it was supposed to be more of a threat than anything, but my wet hands caused the wand to slip. I tried apologizing the next day, but it seemed that he'd already made up his mind against me, so I didn't bother. Thats when the war really started. Another time, Harry tripped me when I was walking into potions, so I fell on my face in front of everyone, causing students to laugh and me to curse from the harsh impact. It cost me three house points. So, I slipped some extra ingredients into his cauldron to make it blow up in his face. It cost him ten house points. This time it wasn't a total accident, but I had only meant to make his potion change colors, I didn't expect it to explode. He was usually the one to start it, so I didn't feel guilty for returning the same treatment. Especially because I did it better. Now it's kind of turned into a free for all and things only escalated. Honestly, I don't even remember disliking him before all of it started. In fact, I thought he was a pretty nice boy. Oh, how wrong I clearly was. I see him walking down the hall as I'm headed to class with my friends, and I ignore him so I don't have to deal with an argument. Today had been a long day and I really wasn't in the mood to deal with him right now.

The next thing I know, the blonde boy beside me opens his mouth. "Oi Potter! Fan of metal, are we?"

You little shit.

Harry and his friends turned towards us groaning. I reluctantly turned to face them as well, hoping to not have to speak.

"Your house points are dropping like wildfire, Potter. Wonder if your little girlfriend can save your winning streak this time?" he said stupidly.

Pansy was about to speak up, but before I could process what was happening words were pouring out of my mouth with an alarming level of volume.

"Would you lay off him?"

My own eyes went wide as I processed what I'd just said. Harry and his friends snapped their heads in my direction, confusion written all over their faces. I had never been the one to start it, but I had also never been the one to stop it before. Even I was shocked at my actions.

My friends stared at me with pure confusion but didn't say another word as my feet quickly carried me away.

__________

A week had passed since then and nobody had brought it up, nor have either of us taunted each other. Everyone in the school seemed to be skeptical of the sudden lack of chaos as if it were some kind of elaborate trick. Harry avoided me at all costs, and I was grateful that he was sparing me the embarrassment.

It's not like I ever really hated him, or even disliked him in the first place. I just couldn't bring myself let him win the stupid little competition we had created for ourselves. In fact, I actually had always found him quite cute but that had all gone out the window once my pride was brought into it. Now looking back on it, it all seems sort of silly.

As I was walking to my next class, I heard familiar laughter coming from outside. As I made my way towards the noise I saw that it was Draco and Harry bickering, per usual. They had a much more intense rivalry than he and I ever did.

Without thinking, I felt myself moving towards them. I started being able to hear what the argument was about.

"I don't have time for this today, Malfoy." Harry said, clearly irritated and tired

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you were such a busy man Mr. Potter! You probably have interviews lined up all evening."

"Would you bugger off?" I said, again without thinking. I don't know what's gotten into me lately or why my friends seem to be getting especially on my nerves.

Draco's brows knitted together in confusion and Harry stared at me with a small smile and curious eyes. The blonde looked back and forth between us a few times before rolling his eyes so hard is whole head lolled back dramatically with the action.

He then started shuffling off towards the castle muttering things along the lines of, "She's mad, that one." and, "If I have to start hanging around Potter I might just pitch myself off the astronomy tower."

I couldn't quite make out what that meant at the time since I was still frozen in place after my little outburst. Harry caught my attention with a small cough. I looked over at him to see him still smiling at me, scratching the back of his neck.

"That was quite unexpected, coming from you." He started, almost anxious

I scoffed slightly, "You could say a 'thank you'." I quipped back, not really knowing why I felt the need.

He laughed a little, "That's more like it." he smiled, hands playing with the hem of his robes.

"Thank you."

My eyes snapped up to meet his smiling ones, not expecting him to actually say it. I was actually expecting something much less civil. I never noticed how pretty his eyes were until then, or how good he looked when his hair was all messy like that. I forced myself to look back down at the grass to avoid the slowly rising blush on my face.

What the hell is going on. This is Potter. Pull yourself together, I thought.

"I was just headed down to Hagrid's to meet my friends. You should come." he offered kindly

I looked back up to him, my face scrunched up in confusion.

"I don't know if that such a good idea."

"Why not?" he asked as if it wasn't obvious

"Well for starters, your friends don't like me very much-" I started before he cut in, "They don't know you yet, and to be fair, you didn't make the best first impression." he joked, and I laughed. I actually laughed.

That was the first time I hadn't gotten angry at him interrupting me or even speaking in my general direction.

"-and besides, I didn't think you liked me very much either." I finished quietly

He softly smiled at me again, "Well, I don't really know you yet either, but considering you've decided not to jinx me the past few times we've run into each other, I think maybe I'd like to."

I chuckled as smile crept up onto my face as I felt my stomach do a little flip. "Well in that case, I don't see why not." I said, following him down the hill to Hagrid's Hut.

_____________

That was the start of our friendship, and the beginning of what would be many more years together.  I soon found out that our whole rivalry was based off of a misunderstanding in the first place. He had never meant to push me into the black lake or trip me on my way into class at all, they were all just accidents that I had mistaken for cruel tricks. Draco did end up having to hang around Harry since I refused to choose between my friends and my boyfriend (because that would be pathetic), and he did not pitch himself off the astronomy tower.

[itsyourchoice-hp]

Year 2: Intruder in the Castle

The sound of a door being closed very suddenly caused Cath to wake up with a start. For a moment she was very confused as she realized she was wearing her school robes.

“Cath!” Ginny said urgently stood over her bed, panting.

As she rolled over, she saw a textbook lying open beside her and the crumpling of parchment under her. Cath sat up, remembering that she had stayed up until around 2:30 trying to finish a Charms essay that was due the next morning. Then panic hit her like a jolt of electricity.

“What time is it?” she asked, her voice hoarse from lack of sleep.

“You’re late!” Ginny replied.

“Bollocks!” Cath cursed, leaping out of bed. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Well, I thought you were just going to sleep past breakfast! When you didn’t come to class, I realized you probably hadn’t set an alarm or heard the bell… I told Professor Flitwick that I left my wand in the dorm so I could come to wake you up,” she explained as Cath threw on a spare school blouse and her shoes.

“I can’t believe I slept in!” Cath moaned, gathering her bag and collecting the crumpled papers on her bed. “Ugh, my essay is probably ruined.”

“As long as you’ve got all the papers, let’s go! You can sort it out once we’re in the classroom,” Ginny said.

Cath tried to comb through her hair as they hurried down the staircase. She groaned in misery, and her stomach groaned right back. All the work she had put into her essay last night was certainly not paying off.

Luckily, the Charms class was the closest to the Gryffindor Common Room, and just before they arrived at the closed door of the classroom Ginny stopped her.

“Go in a minute after me, or else we’ll look suspicious,” Ginny instructed in a whisper. Cath nodded, and watched from around the corner as Ginny opened the door and entered the classroom.

“Welcome back Ms. Granger,” Professor Flitwick said in his squeaky voice. “Did you manage to find your wand?”

“Ah — well, I think it actually might be in my bag after all,” Ginny replied. A few classmates snickered. “Silly me.”

“Well, anyhow, please take your seat so that I may continue the lesson,” he told her.

Cath heard the scraping of a chair on the ground and then Professor Flitwick continued the lecture. She waited for a few beats, dreading walking into the classroom and interrupting him. She hadn’t even gotten a chance to look in the mirror before she left, or even brush her teeth.

Drawing in a deep breath and trying to muster as much confidence as she could, Cath opened the door. All heads turned to her. She quickly took the nearest empty seat, beside a Hufflepuff boy named Winston McCarthy.

“Ms. Malfoy,” Professor Flitwick addressed her from atop his stack of books, looking slightly put off that he had to pause his lesson once again. “I see you’ve decided to join us this morning.”

“I’m so sorry, Professor,” Cath began. “I was up so late finishing my essay, and I—”

“I don’t need an excuse, Ms. Malfoy, but I do need your essay,” he interrupted, gesturing to the stack of completed essays on his desk.

Cath, feeling quite embarrassed, opened her school bag and pulled out her wrinkled essay, trying to quickly put them in order. Her face went very red as she felt the student’s eyes on her.

“We’ll sort this out after class,” Professor Flitwick said. “Now, where were we?”

Cath sighed, pulling her textbook and wand out of her bag as he resumed the lecture. She made eyes with Ginny, who gave her a sympathetic smile.

“At least it’s not Potions class,” Winston whispered to her with a wry smile.

She nodded in reply. Winston had a point; if she had shown up late to Professor Snape’s class with a crumpled-up essay she would have been embarrassed in front of the class and most likely given detention.

After the class was over, Cath stayed behind, smoothing out her essay and putting it in order. There were a few splats of smudged ink on the last page and an unfinished concluding paragraph, presumably where she had fallen asleep.

“Here’s my essay,” she said to Professor Flitwick, handing him the parchment. She could see him flip through it and pause at the last page where the ink smudges were. “Again, I’m… really sorry.”

“Did you complete it?” he asked her.

“No, Professor,” she replied, picking nervously at a loose thread on the sleeve of her white blouse. She noticed as she looked down that she had a run in her stockings. Could this day get any worse? she thought, groaning inwardly.

“Well, if you spent so much time on it, I’m sure it will be an excellent essay,” he said, placing it on the stack on his desk. “Now I suggest you don’t be late for your next class.”

“Thank you, Professor,” she said gratefully before collecting her things and leaving the classroom. Ginny was waiting for her outside.

“Cheer up,” she said to Cath. “At least we’ve got Defence next. And you won’t believe what happened at breakfast.”

“What?” Cath asked, perking up as she remembered that they were about to see Professor Lupin.

“Harry got a Firebolt in the mail!” she replied.

Cath’s eyes widened. The Firebolt was the newest and fastest racing broom in the world. Draco had been begging their father all summer for one who had in return told him that his only chance of getting one was if Draco could get top marks in their year.

“Who sent it to him?” she asked Ginny eagerly. “Has he tried it yet?”

“That’s the thing — there was no letter, or tag, or anything! We’ve got no idea who could have sent it to him,” Ginny said.

“That’s odd,” Cath frowned.

“Hermione insisted he turn it in to get it tested for curses or hexes,” Ginny continued. “But he obviously wasn’t too keen on that.”

“But who would want to curse Harry?” Cath asked.

“Besides You-Know-Who?” Ginny pointed out in a low voice.

“You don’t think he’s back, do you? I mean I thought after what happened last year…” Cath trailed off, noticing that Ginny was beginning to look a bit uncomfortable.

Both entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, expecting to see Professor Lupin smiling at them. Instead, they were faced with the sour glare of Professor Snape who loomed over them as they took the remaining seats, conveniently at the very front of the classroom.

“What are you doing here?” Ginny blurted out.

Cath elbowed her in the side.

“Take your seat, Weasley,” Snape replied sharply.

Ginny obliged, not bothering to hide her unhappy expression. Cath sat down beside her, feeling thoroughly disappointed that their lesson wouldn’t be taught by Professor Lupin.

“Where’s Professor Lupin?” asked Colin Creevey from the back of the classroom.

“Professor Lupin is… ill for the time being,” Professor Snape replied. Cath thought she saw his lips curl in what looked like a sneer. “Take out your textbooks.”

The sound of students shuffling around in their schoolbags filled the classroom, which was thick with disappointment and dismay.

“Wonder what’s wrong with him,” Cath heard Penelope Dawson whisper to Dan Hadfield from behind her.

“I sure hope he gets better soon,” Dan muttered in reply.

The whack of Snape’s measuring stick against the blackboard caused everyone to jump. “Silence,” he snapped. “I don’t know what kind of a classroom Professor Lupin keeps, but I do not tolerate students talking out of turn when I’m about to begin a lesson.”

Nobody made a sound.

“I see that your content for the year is very… simple,” he continued. “The curses you are to learn about this year are ones that I would teach first year students. Were it up to me, you would be studying more advanced things, such as dark creatures. Vampires, werewolves… the like. But since Professor Lupin seems to have such low expectations of you, we will pick up today on chapter 4.”

As the words Chapter 4: Basic Curses and Countercurses appeared on the blackboard, Cath and Ginny exchanged grim looks.

For the remainder of the class, Cath was distracted both by the thought that the lesson would be far more interesting if Professor Lupin were teaching it, and by Ginny drawing rather rude doodles of Professor Snape on the corners of her parchment paper when he had his back turned to them and then quickly scribbling over them before he noticed.

***

Cath and Ginny were studying in the Great Hall, trying to get a head start on the essay that Professor Snape had assigned to them. Ginny, who had become bored quite quickly, had made a paper airplane out of a spare piece of parchment and had levitated it into the air, making it fly in circles around Cath’s head.

Cath heard the sound of running coming towards them and saw Hermione approaching them, her wild hair bouncing at her shoulders.

“Cath,” she said, looking concerned. “Draco is in the hospital wing.”

Cath frowned. “Is he alright? What happened?”

“He’s fine… he was injured in Care of Magical Creatures. Class was dismissed early. I just thought you’d want to know,” she explained.

“Thanks,” Cath replied. “I suppose I’ll go check on him. We weren’t getting that much done anyway.”

“It’s just so boring,” Ginny complained. “I know Snape’s been after the Defence position for years, but he’d be horrible at it.”

“Our lesson was strange too,” Hermione replied. “He skipped past what Professor Lupin was teaching us and went way ahead to our second term curriculum. He taught us about werewolves today…”

“He must have an obsession with them,” Ginny snickered. “because he mentioned them in our class, too.”

“I hope Professor Lupin gets well soon,” Cath said, standing up from the table.

“So do I,” Hermione replied, though she was frowning slightly as if in thought. “Anyways, I’ve got to get started on my essay. See you both later.”

Cath saw her pull an astronomy textbook out of her bag and flip to a diagram of the moon cycle as she walked away. “Well,” she said to Ginny. “I suppose I should visit my brother and see what happened to him. I’m sure he’s making quite a fuss about whatever it is.”

“I’ll be here,” Ginny sighed, sending the paper airplane zooming around the Great Hall.

Cath walked over to the Hospital Wing. It was empty, save for the bed where Draco lay. His arm was bandaged up and in a sling. “Draco,” she called, hurrying over.

He looked over and gave a wave with his other hand. “I guess you heard then news,” he said weakly, as though he were quite sick.

Cath raised an eyebrow. “They’re amputating your arm?” she asked sarcastically. Draco was known to be overdramatic about nearly everything, especially injuries. Cath suspected it was how he got attention from their parents.

“Hope not,” Draco replied, looking mournfully out the window.

“Well? What happened, then?” she prompted.

“That stupid oaf Hagrid,” Draco said. “He thought it would be a good idea to bring Hippogriffs to our first class.”

“Hippogriffs?” Cath said in surprise.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Harry made a big show of how easy it was for him to gain its respect. I thought I could do it too. But when I approached it, it just attacked me!”

Cath suspected that Draco wasn’t telling her the full truth, but she couldn’t ignore the fact that it would be extremely painful to be attacked by the razor-sharp claws of a Hippogriff. “Well, it could have been a lot worse.”

“It nearly killed me!” Draco snapped.

“I’m glad your alive,” Cath said, feeling frustration and annoyance toward her brother. She didn’t understand how they could be so different.

“I’ve already written a letter to Father and Mother,” he said. “He’ll be furious when he finds out that Dumbledore let that giant teach at Hogwarts.”

Cath felt slightly defensive. Although she didn’t know Hagrid very well, she could tell from their one visit that he had a heart of gold and extensive knowledge about magical creatures.

“I’m sure it wasn’t Hagrid’s fault that the Hippogriff scratched you,” she said reasonably. “It’s not like he set it on you or anything.”

“Who’s side are you on?” he snapped.

“Well, if you weren’t constantly trying to one-up Harry maybe you wouldn’t have been scratched at all. You know it could have been a lot worse,” she replied angrily.

“I see,” he said coldly. “You’re taking his side. You just want the Chosen One to notice you, don’t you?”

“Draco,” she said. Part of her felt embarrassed, but most of all she was angry at Draco for being so selfish. It seemed that every year he found some reason to let his jealousy of Harry get in the way.

“Pathetic,” he shook his head.

“Why are you so jealous of him?” Cath asked. “You’re his friend.”

“Did you come here to visit me or to rub it in your face that you like Harry more than me?” he asked.

“For Merlin’s sake, Draco! That’s not what any of this is about,” Cath was almost at a loss for words.

“Get out,” he said.

“Come on—”

“Leave!” Draco nearly yelled.

Cath sighed in frustration. Draco turned his head away and refused to look at him. She knew he’d come around, as always, but she wished that he didn’t have to be so jealous all the time. Knowing that there was no chance of Draco speaking to her, she turned around to leave without a single feeling of sympathy towards him.

Merlin’s beard, he can be stubborn, Cath thought angrily. Draco could sulk all he wanted, but Cath knew that if she didn’t give him the reaction he wanted, he would come around and act as if nothing had happened. Draco loved being the center of attention, and he loved to be able to influence people who listened to him. If he wasn’t, he acted out like he’d just done to Cath.

As she walked through the doors of the Great Hall, she scanned the table for where she’d left Ginny. She had moved a little further down the table and seemed to be talking to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. Ginny saw Cath approaching them and waved.

“Well?” she asked as Cath sat down next to her. “How is he?”

Seamus and Dean, sitting on the other side of the table, exchanged looks as Cath heaved a frustrated sigh. “He’s fine,” she replied. “It’s not as bad as he made it look.”

“Gave everyone a right scare, that’s for sure,” Seamus commented. “Hagrid tried to warn everyone to be careful around Hippogriffs.”

“He just went right for it,” Dean said.

“I guess he underestimated how dangerous they are,” Cath said, firmer than she intended. As soon as she said it, she wondered why she was defending her brother when she was so upset with him.

Seamus and Dean became very quiet, and Ginny awkwardly cleared her throat. “Well… at least he’ll be okay, I suppose,” she said, clearly trying to help diffuse the tension.

“Yeah,” Cath replied. “I think I’m going to go back to the dorm. I need my Transfiguration textbook.” Before anyone could reply, she stood up and collected the homework that she had left a few seats down. 

Cath had always assumed from what Draco had said in his first year that he was well-liked and popular. She’d never considered the fact that some people might think poorly of him, or dislike him. She’d certainly never had to come to his defence, or feel that she needed to prove him to other people. For what felt like the hundredth time, Cath wondered why her and Draco were so different, and why she was the only Gryffindor in her family when the rest were Slytherins in every sense of the word.

***

The Great Hall was lined with thick, plush sleeping bags, and without the long tables and chairs, it suddenly looked so cavernous and empty. Cath and Ginny huddled close together, as the murmuring students made their way to where their House usually sat at meals. There seemed to be a collective sense of fear and worry, for what had happened earlier that day had nearly sent the school into a panic. 

From what Cath had pieced together from different students, the portrait of the Fat Lady had been slashed to bits earlier that evening. When she was found, she had claimed that Sirius Black had attacked her when she had refused him entry into the Gryffindor Common Room.

“You don’t think he’s really here, do you?” Ginny whispered uncomfortably.

“I don’t know… but I think we have a good reason to think so, if we’re all sleeping in here,” Cath replied. She felt nervous, despite the fact that teachers were keeping watch over them. “What I want to know is why he tried to get into our Common Room.”

“It’s strange, you know,” Ginny said slowly as if putting pieces together. “Dumbledore ordered Dementors, of all creatures, to protect Hogwarts. The same creatures that guard Azkaban. And then Sirius Black breaks into the castle… How did Dumbledore know that he would come here?”

“Maybe there’s something inside the castle that he wants,” Cath suggested.

Both fell silent. Thinking about it would only frighten Cath more, so she turned her focus to the ceiling of the Great Hall, reflecting the dark, swirling skies outside. Now that it was mid-October, the sun set much earlier and although it was only eight o’clock, it was pitch dark out. Cath stared up at the stars, and the nearly-full moon as she drifted off to sleep.

She slept rather restlessly, partly because she wasn’t used to sleeping on the hard ground of the Great Hall with the entire student body around her, and partly because she didn’t want to be caught unaware by a mass murderer.

Cath felt as though she had only just closed her eyes when she awoke to the chatter of students and the rustling of sleeping bags. She had to blink for a moment as she looked up at the sunlight streaming through the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall. Students were beginning to wake up and gather with their houses.

“Gryffindor students, please gather around me!” Percy Weasley called loud and clear, waving his hand in the air.

“Shut up Perce,” Ginny muttered from beside Cath, sitting up and yawning widely. She looked at Cath. “How’d you sleep?”

“Not great,” Cath replied. “I feel like I hardly got a wink.”

“Me too,” Ginny said.

They both got out of their sleeping bags and made their way over to the group of Gryffindor students. Chelsea Bingsley, the Gryffindor Prefect, waved them over.

“Morning girls,” she said with a bright smile. The blue smudges under her eyes betrayed her bright attitude; it looked as though she had hardly slept either. “Breakfast is in the Common Room today. Classes have been canceled.”

“Brilliant!” Ginny said.

Cath heard Ron a little ways off. “I’m starving.”

“How is it that you’re always hungry?” Hermione rolled her eyes.

Cath and Ginny both made their way over to the three of them as the Gryffindor students began to exit the Great Hall.

“Have you heard anything?” Cath asked them.

Harry shook his head no. “Nothing.”

“I suspect the teachers are trying to keep things under wraps,” Hermione said in a low voice. “Just imagine how poorly it would affect their image if the whole school was in chaos. I don’t think we’ll be hearing any details.”

“I imagine Dumbledore’s under a lot of pressure to keep everything under control,” Ron speculated. “I don’t envy him, that’s for sure.”

“Do you think he was actually in the castle?” Ginny asked. “How could he have gotten past all the security measures and the Dementors?"

Cath realized the gravity of what Ginny had just said. If it was true that Sirius Black had entered the castle, gotten through the enchantments on the perimeter of the castle, and survived the Dementors, he had to be one of the most powerful wizards alive.

“You should have seen the Fat Lady,” Ron said. “We were there right after it happened. She was hysterical. I’ve never seen anyone so frightened.”

“That’s enough,” Percy interjected, appearing beside them. “I won’t have you spreading fear among the students.”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Lay off, Percy. I’m only telling them what happened yesterday.”

“What happened is none of your concern,” said Percy sternly.

Ron muttered something very rude under his breath as Percy pushed past them to get to the front of the group. They had arrived at the entrance to the Common Room. Cath and the others were too far back to see the portrait, but they could hear what was going on.

“Greetings, brave comrades!” came a voice from the portrait.

“Good morning, Sir Cadogan,” Percy said. “Everyone, we have decided to appoint Sir Cadogan to… guard the Fat Lady’s post while she is taking a much-needed rest.”

“It is my duty to serve and protect Gryffindor House until death,” the voice said again.

Cath craned her neck to see what was going on. She caught a glimpse of the new portrait and saw a knight in full armor, brandishing a sword and sitting on a very fat and tired-looking pony.

“If you wish entrance, you must present the password,” he said as though it were some sort of dangerous quest.

“Yes, we know,” Percy said shortly. “Oddsbodkins.”

“Bless you!” Fred said, handing Percy a handkerchief.

“The password is oddsbodkins,” Percy repeated.

“I grant you entrance, brave soldiers,” Sir Cadogan said, bowing and swinging open.

“They must have gotten him from the loony bin,” Ron muttered.

One by one, the students crawled through the portrait hole and into the warm Common Room. It was nice to be back in such a familiar place. The fire was roaring, and against one wall was a table full of food.

“Please form an orderly queue!” Percy instructed. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to form a line, as hungry students nearly knocked him over trying to get to the table.

Hermione shook her head in disappointment, giving disapproving looks to students who were trying to budge past each other.

“Cath, would you do me a favour?” Ginny asked. “I’m so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open. Do you think you could save me some food while I go take a nap?”

Cath nodded and Ginny thanked her before heading up the staircase towards the girl's dormitory.

Ron pushed through the crowd, holding his plate piled with food above his head so it didn’t get knocked over. When he saw Cath he walked over to her.

“I’m so glad classes are canceled,” he remarked. “I’ve got this stupid Divination assignment due today that I haven’t started on yet.”

“I was really dreading Potions today,” Cath agreed.

“Gryffindor is having a practice for the match tomorrow. Fancy coming to watch with Hermione and I?” he asked before taking a huge bite of toast and marmalade.

Cath nodded. “I’d love to.”

Despite last night’s events, the students seemed to be in good spirits. Having the day off of classes put nearly everyone in a pleasant mood, and much of the day was spent in the Common Room playing games, studying, and talking excitedly about the Quidditch match a few days away.

[lifelinerr]

Hogwarts AU

“Yo (Name) don’t step on my heart like that!”

You rolled your eyes as Taylor Varia called out to you.

“Varia, I will step on whoever’s heart I want.”

You heard him laugh as you rounded a corner and entered potions class, sitting down next to Arika and taking out a piece of parchment.

Arika smiled at you before turning back to Snape as he was babbling about how to bottle glory.

“So, uh we still going to Honeydukes this weekend?”

You both went silent as Snape’s eyes landed on the two of you, not daring to move until he moved to the next person.

“Yeah, but I also invited Wynn and Adams.”

Arika stopped writing, frowning at you.

“Wynn and Adams? What- I thought it was just the two of us!”

Her voice had gotten noticeably louder which caused you to shush her.

“Miss Lanphear what could possibly be so important to discuss at my class?”

Snape’s voice echoed through the classroom, making you and Arika jump.

“Er, nothing sir, we were just discussing potio-”

“Ten points from Ravenclaw.”

He turned around, walking to the center of the class and proceeded to explain the day’s lesson.

With one last glance at each other you and Arika turned back to taking notes.

*****

“Of course he would take points from Ravenclaw, why would he take points from his own house?”

You bit into an apple you had gotten from the kitchens, as Arika dismissed you with a wave of a hand.

“Not that I’m complaining, I can’t stand Rand lecturing me over losing house points.”

You two were lounging next to the black lake, Arika’s head on your lap as you talked.

“What’s next period?”

“Lemme see, I think we have Transfiguration.”

You hummed in response before remembering that you two were in different houses.

“You mean you have Transfiguration? I still don’t know what I have.”

Arika’s head shot up as she blinked at you a few times.

“How the hell do you forget your classes? We’re in our third week of the new school year!”

You shrugged, as you stared ahead.

“But seriously, who are you gonna ask about this?”

You put your apple away.

“I know for sure Taylor doesn’t know our schedule, he only cares about Astronomy...”

Arika clicked her tongue while thinking.

“Why don’t you ask the other Varia then? T2 I mean, he’s cool and I’m sure he knows Ravenclaw’s schedule.”

You mulled the thought over in your head for a few seconds.

“Seems like a decent plan, you’d know where to find him right?”

Arika let out a short laugh, causing you to frown.

“What?” “It’s funny that you assume any of us really know where T2 is, he’s a mystery unlike his brother.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Fine, then I’m going to have to find him myself.”

With that you got up, dusting yourself off and strutted over to the castle, thinking of places this mysterious boy could be.

*****

After a long and useless search you ended up in the kitchens, your last hope being that one of the house elves knew where he was.

“Sniffy.”

You crouched down at the house elf’s level, addressing him as kindly as you could.

“Do you by any chance know where T2 Varia is?”

The house elf in front of you squirmed slightly, quickly offering you a plate of cookies which you refused with a smile.

“Sniffy, focus, do you know where this boy is?”

“Master Varia the eldest is usually in the forbidden forest at this time of day.”

You cursed under your breath getting up, thanking the house elves once more and dismissing their plates of food before walking out.

You had a new destination now.

The forbidden forest.

*****

Every sound you heard made your head snap in its direction, even twigs you yourself stepped on made you flinch.

“This is pointless.”

You sighed, slumping down on a lodge and holding your head in your hands.

Then you heard it.

The sound of something moving.

Your head snapped up immediately, your eyes searching the space in front of you but nothing came into view.

You wet your lips, standing up as quietly as you could eyeing the clearing once more, before stepping backwards and hitting something.

The scream that escaped your lips was sure to wake every living creature in the area up.

Warm hands were placed on your shoulder.

“Shhh.”

The voice was right beside your ear, you gulped looking up and seeing none other than T2 Varia.

“T2! I was looking for you!”

He looked around before settling his eyes on you.

“Why?”

“What? Oh yeah, so your brother is in Ravenclaw right? Do you know what his schedule for today is? I forgot mine.”

T2 heaved a sigh, muttering something under his breath before responding.

“He- You have Herbology in thirty minutes, then Transfiguration, then lunch.”

He looked directly into your eyes as you nodded.

“Thank you, I’ll definitely return the favor.”

You winked at him before starting to walk past him.

“Wait.”

You turned around, surprised at the tone of his voice. He cleared his throat once.

“These woods are dangerous as I’m sure you’ve heard, I’ll come with you.”

You muttered another ‘Thank you’ before proceeding to walk beside him, struggling a bit to match his long strides.

*****

“Psst (Last Name), what’s uppppp?”

“The sky Varia, what else?”

Taylor huffed beside you, not even bothering to take notes.

“Whenever unearthed, the root screams. The scream of a mature Mandrake when it is unearthed will kill any person who hears it, but a young Mandrake's screams will usually only knock a person out for several hours.”

Professor Sprout kept explaining about Mandrakes, but it was hard taking notes with Varia bugging you.

“Now each of you find a partner and take an empty pot and replant the Mandrake in it.”

You turned towards Taylor, raising an eyebrow as he nervously picked up a pot.

“So, (Name) what do you wanna do this weekend?”

You adjusted your earmuffs, pulling the pot with the mandrake in it closer.

“I’m going out with Arika, why?”

He said something which you didn’t hear. You frowned at him mouthing that you didn’t hear him.

‘What?’

Taylor mouthed back at you, taking off his earmuffs.

“No Taylor put them back on!”

“And transfer them to the other pot!”

Student all around you pulled their Mandrakes out of the pot, you could barely hear baby screams.

You winced as Taylor hit the ground with a thud. You crouched down next to him but he seemed to be unconscious.

“Miss (Last Name), would you please take Mister Varia to the hospital wing?”

You sighed, asking for help and carrying the boy out of the greenhouse.

*****

“Psst, Esposito, you awake?”

It was probably not a good idea to sneak into the Gryffindor tower, but Alex gave you the password himself, so you considered it acceptable.

“Not now (Name).”

He turned in his bed, causing you to have a mini heart attack. You didn’t know what would happen if you got caught but you didn’t want to find out.

“Come on, you promised we’d practice flying today.”

He turned back towards you, sighing.

“You’re lucky you’re so cute.”

You rolled your eyes as you tiptoed your way out of the dormitory and the tower, waiting for him next to Fat Lady’s portrait.

“Waiting for your boyfriend?”

“No!”

“Then why is that boy always talking about you?”

You felt a blush creeping up your cheeks.

“Ready?”

You nearly jumped as Alex came through the portrait. You nodded and began your way towards the Quidditch pitch.

“So uh, just wanted to say you’ve definitely improved a lot! So good for you.”

ALex made small talk as you two tried your best to avoid Filch and Mrs. Norris.

“Why are you being so awkward? You’re usually not this awkward.”

You whispered as you two rounded a corner.

“Yeah well, there’s a first time for anything.”

You smirked devilishly.

“I never said it was your first time…”

Alex lightly punched your shoulder.

*****

“So, just remember to hold on tight.”

Alex guided your hands along the broom.

“Put your hands here and lift off with your feet.”

He gave you a smile as you pushed your feet off the ground and started soaring into the air.

“Okay, what now?”

“Now just let your body guide the broom.”

He waved his hands in the air bizarrely.

“You sound like a yoga instructor, quit it.”

You took a deep breath, trying to focus your attention and guide the broom upward.

Nothing happened. You let out a groan of frustration.

“Hey, just tilt the broom in the direction you want to go, and- don’t joke- try to feel it in your bones.”

You tried to suppress a scoff as you did as he instructed.

“Hey, it’s working, wait no! Not like this!”

You started to feel like the broom’s control was out of your hands, as you ascended upwards faster than you had intended.

“Wait there (Name) I’m coming to the rescue.”

“Wow, Alex Esposito, my knight in shining armor.”

“Can you stop that for a second!”

As you were floating in the air, Alex got onto his own broom, soared up and stopped next to you.

He reached his hand towards your broom.

“Hey buddy…”

“Are you talking to the broom? Please tell me you’re not talking to the broom.”

Alex glared at you as you took hold of the broom, guiding it downward as he descended alongside you.

You reached the ground and hopped off the broom.

“I’m never doing that again, to heck with improvements!”

Alex chuckled beside you, hiding the brooms somewhere safe.

He turned to you opening his mouth to say something.

“Who’s there?! Show yourself.”

Alex and you looked at each other, alarmed.

“Run!”

*****

“(Name), (Name)? Wake up, Mcgonagall will be pissed.”

Wynn shook you awake as you stirred from your sleep.

“I’m here, I’m awake, what did I miss?”

You sat up straight, adjusting your tie as you stared in front of you, not able to process much for a few seconds.

“Nothing much, except Varia kept tossing notes over.”

Adams handed a note to you and you groaned as you threw it to the ground.

“Hey, don’t litter!”

Wynn bent down and picked up the note, placing it next to your textbooks.

“Sorry, I’m not in a good mood.”

“Yeah I can tell.”

Adams closed his textbook, looking directly into your eyes.

“You’re tired.”

“And Adams the genius speaks again!”

You shook your head, letting out a sigh.

“Sorry, yeah, I am.”

Wynn placed her arms on the table in front of you.

“Why though? Your secret flying lessons again?”

You pinch the bridge of your nose.

“Yeah, I know it’s useless but I don’t want to be the only sixth year who doesn’t know how to fly.”

“I never said it was useless.”

Wynn’s eyes drift towards her quill.

“Whatever makes you happy must be important, after all isn’t that all that matters?”

You hum, and turn forward as professor Mcgonagall enters the class, beginning yet another lesson.

*****

“I can’t believe you invited all these people today.”

Arika huffed, walking towards the shop in front of you two.

“It’s just Wynn and Adams!”

Arika huffed again, opening the door for you. She walked in after you.

“(Name)!”

You head snapped in the direction of the voice and you waved at Alex who was across the room.

“Someone else? Seriously I thought this was going to be the two of us!”

“Hey (Name).”

You turned around and saw Taylor who waved at you nervously.

“(Name)! I thought it was just the two of us-”

“So many people, wow.”

Wynn and Adams came into view respectively.

And then everyone started talking at the same time.

“(Name) can I ask you a question?”

“Come on (Name)! I thought this was just the two of us!”

“Yeah, same thing here.”

“I don’t mind you bringing friends I’m just glad to be invited.”

“Um, I don’t really know what is going on… so what is going on?”

You groaned and held up a hand.

“Everyone just shut up!”

Everyone stopped talking all of a sudden, which surprised you enough for you to lose your train of thoughts. You didn’t expect them to actually listen to you.

“I- I’m gonna leave this place with one person…”

Everyone nodded at you, urging you to continue.

“And that person is…”