Ernie sat back against the half-wall, looking over at Arabella. He seemed to be restraining himself, but when she met his eyes, he excitedly told her what was on his mind.

"I got a letter today." He gauged her expression before continuing. "From Hogwarts." No one in Ernie's family had gone to Hogwarts before, he was the first wizard in the Prang family (at least, in a very long time). He'd been introduced to magic before, from Arabella's family. Ernie caught sight of the Figgs using magic to move in, years ago. He promised them he wouldn't tell anyone, but from then on, they had taken to doing magic in front of him.

"That's great, Ern," she said, breaking eye contact with him, looking down to her feet.

"What's wrong?"

"I—I didn't get my letter."

"Oh…"

"It's fine." The two of them had looked forward to getting their Hogwarts letters together, talking about they'd do when they got to the school. "Mum said it may have just gotten lost in the mail," she continued, with no real conviction in her voice.

"I'm sure that's it." Ernie put on a fake smile, trying to sympathize. If it hadn't been for Arabella, he wouldn't have known about Hogwarts in the first place; it didn't seem fair that he would get to go and she wouldn't.

Trying and failing to come up with a new topic of conversation, Arabella decided it would be best for her to head home for the night. She walked alone, her path dimly lit by the old streetlights. Ernie watched her go, torn between letting her have time to think alone and walking her home like he would do under any other circumstance. He kicked at the pebbles beneath his feet, turning in the direction of his home.

Once inside, his mother sprang upon him with question after question: "Did you have any idea you would be a wizard?", "I do hope this isn't some sort of practical joke… The professor from the school seemed serious and official. Then again, it's not every day you find out your son's magical."

"Mum, I think I'm going to go up to bed early. 'Night."

"Goodnight, love. Sleep well," she replied, preoccupied with re-reading the acceptance letter that had arrived earlier that day.

.

Arabella, he wrote.

I'm positive you're a witch, there was obviously some sort of mistake. I'm sure your parents could write to the school and try to sort it all out.

I don't want to go to Hogwarts without you, it wouldn't be the same.

-Ern.

He read over the note, crumpling it up and throwing it away. She was unhappy enough with the lack of a letter, and he was sure this wouldn't improve her mood in any way. Ernie resolved to ask the Figgs the next morning whether it was even possible for someone who had an all-magic family to not be magical. His mind still turning over all the new information in his mind, he fell asleep, dreaming of witches and wizards, Arabella swimming in and out of focus and looking thoroughly displeased with him, leaving Ernie hoping the day itself had all just been a bad dream.

x

This was for the Ten Day Competition, where I had to write about an OTP, and for the Represent that Character Challenge. I've been meaning to write FiggPrang for ages now, and finally had a chance to get something started. This is obviously pre-relationship, but I'll be writing more on them in the (hopefully near) future. Let me know what you thought!