"You look like a retard," I muttered, flipping through the pages of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. Potions homework was the worst, in my opinion, but it still needed to be finished. NEWTs were coming up, and I wanted to pass.

"I what?" Lauren asked, looking at me with raised eyebrows. Her blue blouse had cap sleeves. No one would take her seriously in cap sleeves and a patterned pencil skirt. She had a job interview in Hogsmeade today, and we were planning on heading down there at noon. Everyone else had gone earlier, but Lauren wanted to make sure she looked alright.

"You look nice," I lied, shutting the heavy book with my homework squished between the pages. It, along with my quill and ink bottle, was shoved haphazardly into my bag. In turn, my bag was thrown rudely under my bed.

"You think?" she asked unsurely, looking over my chosen outfit – a pair of faded jeans and a grey long-sleeve tee shirt. "Maybe I should pick something else. What about that black and white striped sweater dress I got for Christmas?"

"Go for it," I agreed, although Lauren was too busy overdosing her backcombed chestnut brown bun with hairspray to listen to me. Personally I thought she was overdoing it for a job interview at Gladrags, but she wanted it bad. Graduation was in three weeks, and she was in a frenzy to get a job secured. Lauren wanted to move into a flat on the outskirts of Hogsmeade and become a Muggle clothing designer. Yeah, good luck.

"You're so helpful Lena," Lauren complimented honestly, grabbing the dress from her wardrobe and changing into it behind her bed hangings.

"Right," I mumbled, pulling on my cloak. Lauren followed close behind, much more presentable without cap sleeves.

*

While Lauren was in the back room going through the interview, I wandered aimlessly through the store. There were a few girls from Hogwarts – mostly ones who didn't like me – shopping, but most of the customers were middle-aged ladies looking for new, fancy cloaks and robes, and new shoes. I glanced at some ridiculous high heels for a bit, but got bored quickly and switched to examining myself in a store mirror instead.

I was never a big fan of the way I look, but I accepted it anyway because there was nothing I could do to change it. My eyes were bottle green and big, which I called buggy and Lauren called inviting, but I think she just likes them because hers are a lovely, regular size. Her hair is also a lovely, regular brown and wavy, like normal hair should be. Mine was a very light yellowy blonde, wispy, and pin straight. My nose was straight and not too big though, and my chin was nice and didn't make my cheeks look chubby or make my face look round and fat. I was as tall as Lauren, around five foot five or something and skinnier than her in a borderline anorexic-looking way. I couldn't help it, but compared to Lauren (which I always think of) I was very plain and sort of sickly looking. Lauren was the prettiest girl in our year; her last name is Fortune, for Merlin's sake! That's got to mean something.

Which it obviously did, because when she came out of the back room she was smiling like she'd won a million Galleons, and nearly shouted, "I got the job!" and hugged me. I hugged her back half-heartedly, honestly a little jealous. I wasn't thinking at all about life outside of Hogwarts, even though I was graduating way too soon for comfort. I'd tried to be more outgoing in my last year, to make it count; I put my name in for the Triwizard Tournament (and after seeing the first two tasks, I was ever so glad I didn't make it); I made friends with notorious pranksters Fred and George Weasley (who are actually pleasant people); I spent less time and effort on homework (stopped getting top marks, but also had tons more free time); I even learned how to swim (and I'm petrified of water)!

"Congrats Lauren," I praised, following her out of Gladrags and into the chilly June afternoon. It was cold for a summer day, but seeing as the sky was caked with dark clouds and a pretty fierce wind was brewing, I wasn't surprised. Nor was anyone else, it appeared, as any Hogwarts student we passed had their cloaks and scarves wrapped warmly around their bodies. It was a picturesque scene, with all the boys fresh-faced, the girls' hair blowing almost artistically, and green leaves twisting and turning across the stone-flagged streets; well, it would have been picturesque if it was autumn.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks," Lauren suggested, half smiling and half pouting with full, red-lipstick lips. Not that it was a question or anything; you just didn't disagree with Lauren. If you were a boy on a date with her, and she asked you to strip down to your shorts and jump into the lake with the giant squid, you did it. And you didn't ask any questions. You could, it was totally allowed, but you just didn't.

So I said, "Sure" and we went. I was craving a Butterbeer anyway, and Lauren (being Lauren) would want to have some Firewhisky to celebrate her new job. I didn't drink, even though I was seventeen and could therefore legally drink in the Wizarding world. It just wasn't my 'thing'; Lauren was a party girl though. I'm sure you know the type.

We secured a table near the back, and took off our cloaks. Where outside was chilly, inside the Three Broomsticks was comfortably warm; add the internal-heating drink, and the cloaks just needed to come off. "You know, I didn't think I'd get that job," Lauren admitted to me. "I thought for sure they'd tell me no way, because I can't start for at least three weeks. But the guy loved me! And he was pretty cute, too." She winked mischievously. "He told me to call him River. Isn't that just the cutest!"

"He looked like he was in his thirties, Laur. That's sort of gross." I took a long sip of Butterbeer as Lauren rolled her eyes.

"Maybe I want an older, more mature guy, huh?"

"Maybe you're just a whore," I retorted, and Lauren giggled like it was a joke. I laughed too, but I wasn't joking.

"We should head back to school," I said, finishing off the bottle.

"Why? We just got here," Lauren asked, but she put on her cloak anyway, and followed me out the door.