Hiya people! This is a reply to El Besto's Next Gen challenge on HPFC. It's a short piece about Lucy Weasley one of lesser acknowledged Next Generation characters. She's the youngest daughter of Percy Weasley and his wife Audrey. I hope you enjoy it and please read my little note at the bottom of the story. Enjoy xxx
Pieces of Parchment
As I sat in Transfiguration class I sighed heavily as another tiny piece of parchment was magically flicked into my medium length auburn hair. Being the daughter and sister of notorious bookworms and being one myself made me the target of many of the practical jokes which took place in my year group. Shifting slightly in my seat I peaked round and spotted the culprit. Unsurprisingly it was Britney Parkinson, the meanest and by far ugliest Slytherin girl to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts. My Aunt Hermione told me she went to school with Britney's mother Pansy and she had been exactly the same. I roll my eyes at her and turn back to listen to the lesson and as I mentally predicted the magic flying parchment started again.
"You've got a little bit right…there," my best friend Shannon Peoples says as she picks the last bit of parchment out of my hair. I'd met her on the train to Hogwarts in my very first year and since then we'd been inseparable, even now in sixth year she was taking the exact same N.E.W.T's as me.
"I wish I could get her back," I mumble as we walk towards our next class. Arithmancy was our favourite class because Britney wasn't in it. Instead she'd chosen Divination, a class which Shannon and I didn't really rate as a proper academic subject.
"Someday you will," Shannon reassured me and I believed her, she was always right about everything. Her jewel blue eyes always sparkled when she was telling the truth and right now they were dazzling. I chuckled and nudged her with my elbow as we reached the classroom.
"When do you think that will be?" I ask as we walk through the door and take our seats in the middle of the room.
"I don't know, soon hopefully. She deserves whatever she gets."
My time in Arithmancy flew past as it always does and so did lunch and before I know it I'm in Charms class with magic parchment balls flying into my hair again.
"How original," I grumble as I shake my head free of the parchment menace. Shannon giggles, her gaze fixed on the Professor. As soon as I go back to my notes a piece of parchment that has been folded into a very loose triangle is placed in front of me. I look around and Britney sneers at me and when I open the note I find out why.
BOOKWORM was written untidily in bold capital letters. I nudge Shannon and she looks at the parchment and rolls her eyes. The expression on my face asked her the question of whether I should reply back or not and when she nodded her head I grabbed my quill and discreetly wrote one word and sent it back to her. For the next 5 minutes the note was passed between us and the conversation went like this before the parchment barrage started back up again. Both Shannon and I were surprised at my boldness.
BOOKWORM
And?
You'll never get a boyfriend because of it you freak!
Tough words coming from someone as ugly as you.
Freak!
Original, your intelligence shocks me.
You and your pathetic friend better watch your backs.
I would tell you to watch your front as it might offend somebody but I'm afraid I'm 16 years too late.
You cheeky bitch.
Once again your intelligence shocks me. Can you not say sentences that are over 10 words long?
That was where the conversation stopped as the Charms professor gave Britney, Shannon and I a sharp glare. Soon after my hair was full of parchment pieces and for some reason the professor failed to see this. As the class progressed and the parchment balls continued to fly we began to practice our new charm.
"Think she'll stop?" I murmur as I make my cupcake grow legs and try to do the tango with Shannon's cupcake. Shannon shook her head as she concentrated, her cupcake having grown a pair of ears instead of the legs it needed to dance with my cupcake.
"You're going to need to help me pick it all out after class," I say as my best friend successfully performs the charm and our cupcakes start a very sultry tango.
"You know I will," she says with a sly grin. I chuckle and shake my head, some of the looser pieces flying out and hitting several people. I innocently stare at my cupcake as those people turn around to see who'd attacked them with parchment and when I know I'm in the clear I turn and glance at Britney who is focusing so hard on the task at hand her tongue is poking out and her brow is furrowed and sweaty. The sense of satisfaction I receive at her frustration is so immense I feel slightly guilty.
"Stop feeling guilty she doesn't deserve it," Shannon states in a scolding tone, frightening me with her apparent ability to read my thoughts and feelings. I grin as the bell rings and we are told we can keep our tangoing cupcakes. While I pack my bag with my writing utensils several more flying pieces of parchment found my hair. I grit my teeth as I walk out of the room, Shannon removing the harder to get pieces and Britney hot on our tails.
"I wish she'd stop looking at me like that," I moan taking note of the evil sneer plastered on to the other girl's ugly features. Just as Shannon is about to say something I bang into a rather hard body fall to the floor and land very painfully on my bottom.
"Did I hurt your pride Weasley?" Immediately I freeze, the familiar voice sending hot and cold shivers up and down my spine. I can practically hear Shannon's mental 'squeeing' as I rub my lower back and stare directly into the coppery eyes of Saber Weston, possibly the hottest and suspiciously nicest Slytherin boy to ever exist. I'd admired him since I started Hogwarts, he was in second year and even then he was a gem to look at.
"Not at all," I whisper, taking the hand he offered me. His perfect muscles flexed under his shirt as he hoisted me to my feet and it took all my strength not to sigh in pleasure.
"Of course not, a strong Gryffindor like you," he said in a tone which was so charming I tried not to melt into a puddle at his feet. A childish giggle emitted from my lips without my conscious mind telling it to and I blush a furious crimson.
"You have something in your hair," he said as I felt his finger run through my auburn locks. I trembled at his touch, my heart thrumming a joyous tune against my ribcage and my breath coming out in short bursts. His glorious fingers lightly scratched my scalp once again and ran delicately down to the very tips and when he raised his hand to show me the tiny piece of parchment he held I barely noticed it.
"T-t-thanks," I mumble like a shy, naïve first year as he smiles a white toothed smile at me, nods his head at Shannon and heads off towards his common room. I stand completely immobile for several moments before Shannon's earthy Irish brogue brings me out of my paralysis.
"Well Britney's not looking at you like that anymore," she laughs, patting me on the shoulder and inclining her head toward the girl in question. I blink several times and then look to see Britney standing stock still, her eyes bulging out of her head and her mouth hanging wide open. Something inside me soars with joy and I know for a fact that what just occurred between Saber and myself was ten times better than getting her back in the way she deserved.
"What was that you were saying about me never being able to get a man Britney?" I said just loud enough to unfreeze her from her state of complete shock. Before she could say anything in retaliation Shannon and I walked swiftly down the corridor towards the magical staircase.
"That was the best moment of my life," Shannon giggled as we skipped up the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room.
"Of your life? What about my life?" I exclaimed still hardly believing what occurred with Saber.
"When are you going to make a move on him by the way?" she asked me whilst she wiggled her eyebrows up and down. The crimson blush returned to my face and I cleared my throat in embarrassment.
"I don't know what you mean," I say innocently as we reach the portrait of the Fat Lady, say the password and enter into the common room. Shannon laughs and nudges me in the ribs as we plop down onto the comfy sofa in front of the cosy fire.
"Is that an owl?" She asks moments later as she stares out the window which was flecked with the beginnings of rain. I get up and open the window for the poor thing and let it in, instantly noting that the owl belonged to none other than Saber.
"Sweet Merlin, that's Saber's owl," Shannon mutters, a hand over her heart as I take the tiny note from the pitch black owl. As I unfurl it my heart starts to bang against my ribs once again. I blink several times and take a deep breath before I read the elegantly written words and when I do my mouth goes dry and my palms sweat.
"Come on woman what does it say?" the eager Irish girl asks and instead of answering her I pass her the note and she reads it.
Hogsmeade?
S. x
Shannon squeaks in astonishment and looks up at me, blue eyes wide and sparkling. I stare back at her the corners of my mouth striving for a wider smile. She dives into her abandoned book bag and brought out a piece of parchment, a quill, and ink and extended them towards me.
"Honey I think you have a date," she chirps as I jog back to her, grab the utensils, set them aside and capture her hands.
"I've got a date! Take that Britney!"
A/N: Okay poopie ending but I know but how was the rest of it? As a note Pansy Parkinson got knocked up and never married the father of Britney which is why her last name is Parkinson. Thanks for reading and please REVIEW x x x