Hufflepuff Dormitories

October 19th, 1991

It was half past midnight. Justin was finishing up a charms essay in the common room. He always tended to procrastinate.

All the other first year boys were asleep, until Ernie woke up.

His eyes only opened a crack at first, and he groaned to himself. He could feel the wetness underneath him. It was cold and uncomfortable, but it happened every other night, so it was really no surprise.

He sat up as usual, just as unhappy as the last time. Ernie looked around to see that Justin's bed was empty, and the other boys were sound asleep. It was pitch dark in the room, with the exception of the small light coming from under the door. All Ernie could see was the yellow curtains that gave off a dim glow over his bedframe.

Ernie slowly got out of bed and guided his hand toward his nightstand. He accidentally knocked over some parchment, but he was able to locate his wand.

Quickly, he cast a drying spell to the bed sheets. At least he was able to use magic. At home his mum always made him wear a nappy, which Ernie found simply mortifying. He knelt down carefully to grab a towel from underneath his bed. He would have to go into the shower and rinse off.

He peeked his head out into the hallway. Seeing that the cost was clear, he ran with his towel and wand to the loo.

Ernie did not pay much attention upon entering the loo. He threw open the door and started to walk toward one of the showers. He was stopped in shock after a few steps.

"Ernie?" Justin asked. He was still working on his essay, but had gone in to use the loo. He had just finished washing his hands when he saw his friend.

Ernie was speechless. He had not done a drying spell on his pajamas yet.

"Are you-?" Justin stopped mid-question and took notice of Ernie's pajamas.

Ernie was completely red in the face, and his caramel eyes were as wide as quaffles.

"I—" Ernie muttered. "I have to shower."

Justin nodded and left the loo as fast as he could. It was a bit of a shock, but even more so he felt bad for Ernie.

The Next Morning

Herbology Class

Ernie had not gone to breakfast. He pretended to be reading, and he told the other boys that he wasn't hungry. Most of all, he avoided Justin. He kept is eyes in the book until every one of his mates had left.

When the bell rang for Hufflepuff-Gryffindor double Herbology, Professor Sprout was not yet there. It was not a surprise for the students. She had a tendency for being late, usually due to too much chatting with fellow teachers at breakfast.

Ernie tried to avoid Justin as much as possible, so Justin took it upon himself to communicate.

"Ernie," Justin said from across the table.

Reluctantly, Ernie looked up. He attempted to keep his face as expressionless as possible, but it was obvious that he was very uncomfortable.

Justin gave his friend a small smile and reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. Justin then stretched his arm across the table and handed it to Ernie.

Just as Ernie grabbed the letter, Professor McGonagall entered the greenhouse.

"Everyone!" she announced, gaining full eye contact from the class. "Professor Sprout is rather indisposed, and this class has been cancelled!"

There were cheers from many of the students.

"Silence!" McGonagall exclaimed. "Professor Sprout has re-scheduled this class to be during your free period tomorrow evening!"

There were a few groans, and Professor McGonagall silenced them again.

"You may all go now," she instructed, "but do use this time wisely."

As soon as Professor McGonagall left, it was a firestorm for the door. Ernie attempted to squeeze past everyone to be the first one out. He wanted to read the note alone, and he made sure that none of his friends followed him. Quickly walking to the nearest loo, he looked behind him. Luckily, no one was heading in his direction.

Ernie reached the door and yanked it open. He began to read as soon as he stepped inside.

Hey Ernie-

I know you are trying to avoid me because of last night. Don't worry about it. I won't tell anyone. Please stop avoiding me though. Meet me in the common room before dinner tonight.

-Justin

That Evening

Hufflepuff Common Room

Ernie waited at a chess table against one of the walls, for it was the only sitting place that was empty. He did not want to meet Justin. Sure, he was glad that his friend was not going to tell, but it was still incredibly awkward.

Justin arrived within a few minutes.

"Hey Ernie," he greeted cheerfully.

"Oh hi," Ernie replied in a forced casual tone. Justin pulled out the chair and took a seat.

"Thanks for meeting me," Justin said, his voice slightly softer.

Ernie nodded. "So," he began. "What's up?"

"Just—" Justin answered. "You know…you are kind of my best friend here, and I don't want you to think that I would judge you or anything."

"Erm…thanks," Ernie mumbled. "But, do you mind if we just forget about this?"

"Of course not," Justin said, "but just know you can trust me, if something like this ever happens again."

"It happens all the time," Ernie muttered under his breath. He had not intended on saying it out loud, and he began to scold himself in his head afterward.

Justin frowned and whispered, "Have you seen Madame Pomfrey—"

"I said I don't want to talk about it," Ernie answered firmly. He was not angry, but uncomfortable. He squirmed a bit in his chair and looked down at the chess pieces.

Justin nodded and quickly began to complain about Professor Snape. It seemed as if he could take any topic and find conversation. Ernie was relieved that the awkwardness was dying down, but he was still angry. Even though Justin handled the situation incredibly well, Ernie would still be ashamed of himself every time it happened.