Your heart and my heart are very old friends –Rumi

Susan stares at the decorated piece of parchment for an inordinately long amount of time, while the barn owl waits by her windowsill. The words on the invitation engrave themselves into her mind as she reads them over and over again. The letters and shapes twist into voices, mocking her, chiding her for her foolishness. She suddenly looks up, staring at the blank wall in front of her that seems to be reflecting long lost memories into her glazed eyes.

"Hufflepuff!" The Hat intoned loudly. She clapped along with all the members of her house as the dark haired boy made his way over to the large table.
He smiled and sat down on the seat beside her.
"Justin." He said, offering her his hand.
"I know." She smiled, taking it.
"You look like you already know a lot about Magic." He said, tilting his head slightly.
"Not everything." She defended. "I've simply grown up with all of it."
"My parents aren't wizards. They were going to send me to Eton, you know. Until they got the letter from Hogwarts."
"Oh." She replied, unsure of how to reply.
"I think we'll be very good friends. You'll have to tell me everything about Magic and Magicals, of course." He continued.
"Welcome to Wizarding Britain." She said, not sure if she meant it. "Enjoy your stay."

"Mr Finch-Fletchley!"
Susan turned her head, having heard the urgency in the Professor's voice, despite the distance.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked, running across the rubble, towards the Arithmancy professor. Her breath caught when she noticed her friend had collapsed and was bleeding profusely. Amycus Carrow had moved over to other victims, not caring to see if he was still alive. A short scream escaped her at the thought.
Realising that Professor Vector was doing her best to heal him, Susan quickly cast a simple Protego over both of them, and walked determinedly towards the Death Eater who had hurt her friend.
"You!" She accused, glaring at the woman who was busy dueling a Ravenclaw. Carrow turned around, only to be hit by a powerful Stupefy.
"I've had enough of you!" Susan added, a whole year of pent up frustration against the Death Eater siblings building up into pure rage.
A few spells later, she walked away from a barely breathing Amycus Carrie, as some of the other students looked on, surprised at the Hufflepuff's actions.
None of them dared to talk to her as she returned to the Great Hall.
Hannah held her as she sobbed quietly by Justin's bedside. Her friend no doubt assumed it was the War, and the duel with Carrow that had her in such a state. She had made Professor Vector take an oath to not tell anyone about how close they had come to losing a third of their trio.

Some of the students, three Hufflepuffs among them, chose to return and repeat a year after the War, given the general consensus that they had learned little in their 7th Year, amidst the chaos.
And so it came to be that in the Yule Ball held that year, which was indeed another celebration of victory in the War, Justin Finch-Fletchley found himself growing more than a little jealous at the number of admirers that a rather radiantly decked out Susan Bones seemed to have.
In the midst of the dance, he had confessed as much.
He was snubbed harshly in her reply.
He didn't speak to her after that, and she returned the favour, not even caring to smile at each other in the hallways. Initially, some of their friends had attempted to ease the tension, but they soon gave up on the fruitless endeavour.

The chilly atmosphere between them lasted until they found themselves working together in the Department of Magical Artifacts in the Ministry.
After months of glares and frowns, she surprised him by apologising. Slowly, but surely they rebuilt their friendship.
It was when she was invited to his house that she realised she would never be as close to Hannah as she was in Hogwarts. Years of estrangement had changed them both far too much. Susan had to settle for basic civility, with her once best friend.

A sharp rapping on the window pane brings her back to the present. The owl is waiting for a reply and it is getting impatient. She picks up the red quill, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.