Chapter Two
-Julie's POV-
Julie tucked a piece of blond hair behind my ear as Professor Sprout continued with her speech. Not that anyone was really listening. We have all heard this speech a million times and it was always the same. Even the first years were blanking out but then again they were first years. When she finished her speech the food appeared and I almost died. It all looked delicious and she couldn't wait to dig in and fill her plate with meat.
"Juliet you can't be seriously thinking of eating all that!"
"Er- Why not?"
"It's so…fatty."
Julie took a deep breath as her fingers twitched towards her fork. Louis smirked at her from across the table as she tried to calm herself down. She took her fork and shoved the food down her throat all while ignoring the looks of horror that her female housemates all possessed.
"Are you being a non-conformist," asked Louis.
"If I was a non-conformist I would be standing here naked. Or possible standing naked in the Forbidden Forest," Julie replied as she made her way to the gravy. Louis simply stared as he raised a blond eyebrow in interest.
"Never mind," continued Julie, "How was your summer holiday?"
"It was fun. I got to spend time in Egypt with the family. You wouldn't believe the things I saw while I was in some of the pyramids. What about you?"
"I spent most of my time at a muggle sports camp. It was nice and I got to meet some good coaches."
Louis looked interested but before he could comment on anything two bodies were at his side. The black mop was a dead giveaway as well as the sandy blond curls, Albus and Lysander had finally made their appearance.
"Hi," said Julie.
"Hey Julie," said Albus.
"Hello," said Lysander as he took a seat on Louis' right.
"Where is the final member of your delightful quartet?"
"You wouldn't be talking about me would you?"
"Hello Scorpius," Julie said pleasantly as Scorpius waved back in response.
"Why aren't you with the girls?" asked Scorpius.
"Apparently I'm too fat," she grumbled.
"No really, why are you not with the girls?"
"She was being serious Scorp," said Louis. Julie nodded as she swallowed another bite of her dinner. The boys started at her incredulously as they tried to comprehend how a twig like Julie could be considered fat.
"Don't beat yourselves up. I couldn't understand what the big deal was either. I guess Cornelia just set up some new standards," said Julie. But only the word Cornelia seemed to register because those words made those boys go crazy.
"Stop! If I have to sit through another Cornelia love fest I'm going to puke my chicken all over your handsome faces. Holy Pele, one normal conversation is all I'm asking for. Just one."
"Who is Pele?" asked Louis as Julie felt her jaw drop.
"Pele? You seriously do not know who Pele is?"
"No," replied all four boys.
"Pele is only the greatest football player who ever lived. How could you not know who he is?" demanded Julie.
"We are not all muggle sport extremist like you," replied Albus. Julie shrugged as she took another bite of dinner, listening to the boys exchange details of their summer adventure.
"What about you Julie? Did you do anything exciting this summer?" asked Lysander.
"Compared to all of you? No. But I did spend a few weeks at a sports camp. I got to play football with a bunch of real talented people. A few coaches even said they would put in a good word for me in for a summer football camp," said Julie.
"That sounds nice," said Lysander.
"Yeah. Hopefully I'll get in. It would really help my skills."
"Did you play any other sports," said Albus as he was fairly knowledgeable in things concerning muggles.
"A bit of everything, well not everything, but there was a lot of variety," said Julie.
"Think sports will be the topic for Muggle Studies this year?" said Scorpius.
"Doubt it," said Louis.
"I would go to class everyday and then some if it was," said Julie as she watched as Albus finished his plate and stood off the table.
"Well I guess we better go. See you tomorrow. Maybe we'll even be in the same Muggle Studies class," said Albus.
"See you," said Julie as she too made her way from the table and towards the Common Room. She had forgotten all about Muggle Studies. Part of the new Hogwarts program was a mandatory seventh year Muggle Studies elective. It was not like the traditional Muggle Studies class but rather a specific topic muggles studied. In a way it was like a high school muggle elective only Hogwarts had a wider range of topics.
The stairs were quiet and were surprisingly lacking people so she got to the Common Room quicker than she thought was possible. The door opened and she was welcomed with the sight of an empty common room—or so she thought. Those moans could only indicate one thing; snogging. Julie would rather scratch her eyes out than to witness a random exchange of saliva and she was half way across the common room when she heard a name.
"Louis," said a blond girl stopping Julie in her tracks. She turned around ready to tell Louis to go to his room when she recognized the blond hair—Scarlett. She was so girly why would a guy like Louis even go out with her? He loves Quidditch and pranks while Scarlett just likes pink. If a guy like Louis fell for The Pinkies charm then did Julie have any chance with Lysander?
-Beth's POV-
"I wish Sprout would hurry up," said Beth as she gazed around the Hufflepuff table.
"Thinking with your stomach again," teased Hugo Weasley, "One would think you were my long-lost sister. You certainly have the right priorities."
"Red would clash horribly with my skin. The Pinkies would never let me live it down," Beth said in mock seriousness.
"And Louis would also never date you," said Hugo.
"Ah. Yes, that would be cousin-cest. Unless he was born out of sea foam which would describe his unusually good looks"
"That or his mother is part veela and the Weasleys are one good looking family."
"You know Hugo, if it wasn't totally weird and a bit creepy I would totally go out with you. I mean I know you are only a bit younger than me but I've known you for your entire Hogwarts career and you're like a brother I never had so yeah…" Beth trailed off as Hugo laughed at her.
"If you weren't a total loud mouth and pervy girl I would have taken offense to that. But I see you as a sister too and in your famous train of thought, 'Ew! Incest!'" said Hugo.
"You should have been a girl," said Beth.
"What!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Just that you are a great person to talk to and it would be nice if we could have girl moments and stuff. But I guess you being a guy does have its perks. I get awesome guy advice, free of charge," said Beth.
"With all your boy problems I would have caused you bankruptcy. Twice!" said Hugo.
Sticking her tongue out Beth turned back to the table and found it already filled with food. Both she and Hugo stuffed their plates and conversation ceased as Hugo was too busy eating his weight in food. Beth really did like Hugo and if it wasn't for the fact that they acted like siblings she would have liked being able to go with him. He was one of the few Weasley males not under The Pinkies charm and had a killer sense of humor to boot.
She never really talked to Louis Weasley but he was nice to look at. Maybe nothing would ever happen, after all he could turn out to be a total turn off, but she wanted a decent chance to find out. So far Louis Weasley along with his band of merry friends had escaped the clutches of The Pinkies so maybe all hope was not lost.
"So where is Lysander," Beth asked after a few minutes.
"Probably with the rest of the guys. I swear those four act like they are attached at the hip," said Hugo.
"But that has saved them from becoming Pinkies' cronies. They tend to choose guys that have never talked to each other," said Beth.
"Which means that you have a chance with Louis," Hugo pointed out, "I can try and put in a good word for you over the Hols. Nothing too over the top but just let him know you exist and stuff."
"Gee, thanks. It's nice to know he doesn't even know I exist," said Beth.
"Lysander might have mentioned you. You do tend to act a bit ridiculous and gossip worthy" said Hugo.
"So all he knows is that I'm a nut," Beth said seriously.
"Pretty much, yeah. But he knows you exist so that's a start," said Hugo.
"I take it back. You would have been a really tack less girl. Boyhood suits you."
"Well if you're done eating this boy will walk with you to the Common Room. You'll end up stalking Louis if you were left by yourself," joked Hugo.
"Hey! I have a strict 'no-stalking' policy when it comes to boy watching. You can ogle in class or across the table or even in the hallway but following a guy is a bit pathetic," said Beth.
Hugo only shook his head as he made his way down the table. Beth stared at him and quickly followed suit, not wishing to be left alone. Honestly she really liked Louis and if the rest of his friends were single then he probably was too. They didn't always date at the same time but they did date in pairs, it tended to make the group less awkward I suppose. Albus and Scorpius tended to have relationships at the same since they were friends first and Louis and Lysander tended to be stick together as well. So as long as her house mate was single there was a chance Louis was too.
Speaking of which there was Lysander talking to some pretty Gryffindor girl. Well Lysander and the other three guys were talking to her. Beth didn't think they are dating because she has seen them talk to the girl before. That and all of Hogwarts would have found out if one of the four golden boys was dating. But the girl was pretty and was even in the same house as Louis, you can see the Gryffindor tie even from across the Great Hall. She could always ask Lysander when she sees him. They might even have the same Muggle Studies class and she can ask him there.
She didn't even notice we were already at the foot of the dorms when Hugo turned around.
"Did you hear that?"
Beth looked around stupidly. She was having a nice chat with herself so sue her if she's a little out there.
"No…wait I think I do. Think it might be a mouse?"
"I think it's coming from around the corner," Hugo said slowly.
Beth whipped around only to find Lysander being pushed to the wall by some curly brunette. A curly brunette with pink heels and as soon as Beth saw that she wanted to die.
"So The Pinkies strike again," muttered Hugo as he dragged a shocked Beth into the Common Room.
She tried to move but the reality was just too shocking. She knew her chances with Louis were minimal but seeing Lysander pressed against the wall having a hot make out session made the curly-haired girl realize the true power The Pinkies had over her heart.
-Rose's POV-
A new professor? Well at least she now knew who would be teaching the new Muggle Studies class. The professor seemed young and she looked like she knew what she was doing. She turned around to ask Al what he thought about the new professor but he had already went off to eat with his friends at the Gryffindor table. It irked her that he ditched her without so much of a second thought.
They used to be close but soon after Hogwarts Al became friends with people in different Houses. She didn't mind terribly at first but after second year she found herself less welcomed with his gang of friends even if half of the group was her family. She blamed Scorpius because Lysander was almost family and family sticks together so it must have been at Scorpius' persuasion that they left her out of their games.
But she was a Slytherin and Slytherins do not sulk, they plan. And that is exactly what she was doing, planning. She needed to find a way that would not only expose Scorpius as someone that hated her but she needed to show the world that nobody messed with Rose Weasley. Taking down The Pinkies would be the ideal way to prove just that.
She needed to gather a group first. A group willing to take down The Pinkies and the perfect way was to set The Pinkies up with her cousins.
"Hello Cornelia," Rose said sweetly.
Cornelia turned around along with the rest of The Pinkies and nodded her head, beckoning her to speak.
"How was your summer?" said Rose. Well she didn't really care how her summer was but she knew Cornelia would say some one word answer and ask her how her summer was. Sometimes the rules of polite conversation really worked in her favor.
"Nice. What about you? Did you do anything exciting?"
Jack pot!
"I had to go to France this summer. I invited Al but he wanted to practice for the Quidditch thing he does with his friends. You know how boys can be," whined Rose.
"Albus is joining Quidditch?" asked Cornelia.
"I don't think so. He just likes to play with his friends. But every summer the Weasley-Potter families get together and Al and his friends play there. The sessions have gotten a bit infamous and some pictures might even make it on some magazine the family likes," said Rose in a bored tone.
She watched as Cornelia's eyes lit up, drinking up the vague information Rose was readily giving out.
"Does anyone besides family go to the events? If pictures are being taken I would guess some photographer is going," said Cornelia.
"Just family and significant others, I think. Last year James took a girl he dated but Al and his friends have never taken anyone. But I guess that could change this year if they all got girlfriends."
"They never dated before?"
"They have but they didn't want anyone from the group to feel left out so they didn't invite girlfriends. Sometimes they are a bit too noble," said Rose, "Ah, the speech is over. Enjoy your dinner. I have to go meet some people."
Rose stood slowly and watched as Cornelia began to inform her friends of the delightful gossip little Rose had just given away. She knew Cornelia would plan something now; a Slytherin always put information to good use. She walked out of the Great Hall making her way to the library. She needed Cornelia to make a move and if Rose was in the picture she would be more hesitant. Besides she could go back to the kitchens later and eat.
She strolled the aisles and found a nice table setting herself down. She needed to plan and make sure her planted seed did not wither. She knew for a fact that some Hufflepuff girl hated The Pinkies and fancied Louis. She had heard Hugo telling their mother earlier in the summer and she safely tucked away that piece of information. Hopefully Rose would find her and ask her to join her group and if not there are plenty of other girls that fancy the four boys.
Flipping through the book her eyes fell to a picture of the Norse deity, Fenrir. A wolf so big even the gods feared him. Perhaps not the best story to read on the day back to Hogwarts but she took the book anyways. Mythology had always been something she enjoyed even at a young age.
Instead of books on princess and grand adventures when she was a young girl she trotted down the path to Mount Olympus. When she was in later primary school classes she was reading Babylonian legends and just before Hogwarts she had went through an Arthurian phase. Yes, Rose loves the legends not because she was told the stories since childhood but because the characters were cunning. They saved the day because of some greater plan that was thought out if not by the hero but by others. Rose admired their knowledge and their initiative to do something applicable with that knowledge. Perhaps that is why Odysseus was always her favorite.
She walked out of the library and had made it to the dungeons when she saw Cornelia sweep into Al's face. Already she was making a move and Rose would be willing to bet that the rest of The Pinkies were working up the other guys. Rose carefully made her way to the dorms but it seemed that Al and Cornelia were too preoccupied that it didn't really matter if Rose made noise or not.
Perfect. Her plan was falling into motion and all she needed to do was wait. Hogwarts may have a few broken hearts at the end of all this but Rose Weasley would have her army. After all there is always a cost to war.
-Cathy's POV-
Cathy prided herself on her upbringing. She was raised by her wealthy grandmother and she had no problem embracing the rules of the upper class. It may have sounded snotty and even rude but she had no problem showing people her true character; even if it was unpopular with the vast majority of people. Her Ravenclaw classmates rarely noticed her true nature as they were always buried deep in their quest for knowledge so she had no problem finding friends within her own house.
Scorpius was in her class and even if he was the picture of Ravenclaw he easily became friends with people outside of the Ravenclaw domain. Sometimes Cathy wished she had his charisma. He walked with an aristocratic air yet he still managed to become friends with all sorts of different people. But Cathy was prideful and it brought along horrible baggage. Scorpius may be her housemate but Cathy had marked him as an enemy. How dare he flaunt his social skills while she herself tried so hard to make friends?
"Cathy? Are you alright?" said her classmate.
"Ah, yes, I was thinking about something Professor Sprout mentioned in her speech," covered Cathy.
"The part about our new professor? I thought it was interesting too. She looks so young so I wonder what topic she will be teaching this year."
"Hopefully something interesting. Last year one of the topics was muggle medicine."
"I thought that was a very lucky topic. It was interesting and the research bled into a lot of magical properties."
"Are you talking about last years' Muggle Class?" a new voice came in.
"Hello Greg. Yes, we were just discussing what would make an interesting Muggle Class," said Samantha.
"Well my mother told me that this year the Muggle Class would be based on mythology," said Greg.
"Really? How did your mother figure this out?" asked Cathy.
"The new Professor—Professor Kane, is a friend of the family. My mother told me that she specializes in mythology and has spent the last year travelling abroad in order to learn local myths around the world. It stands to reason that the Muggle Class would be on mythology," said Greg.
"But that would only be one of the Muggle Classes. There are other options. We know Professor Curtis is teaching one class this year as well as Professor Helm," Samantha pointed out.
"But their topics are a sure thing. We know Professor Curtis will be teaching on something classic like muggle inventions and Professor Helm would be teaching something along the lines muggle literature. Only Professor Kane would be a wild card," said Greg.
"True…well I'm hoping for mythology then. Professor Curtis is very boring and muggle literature can be very interesting but mythology can be used in both the wizardry and human world," mused Cathy. Both Greg and Samantha nodded at her assessment and went back to their meals.
She could use this to her advantage. Scorpius may have charisma but Cathy had intelligence. She saw the way Rose glared at Scorpius and it was a well known fact among the Ravenclaws that Rose Weasley loved to spend her time at the library reading all sorts of myths. She could befriend Rose as to prove to Scorpius that she could do what he couldn't; befriend the distant Slytherin.
Cathy had been trained as a true lady meaning that friends were there for benefits if nothing more. Cathy knew that in pursuing a friendship towards Rose Weasley was risky as her family did have a tremendous amount of power but Rose was a Slytherin through and through so the offer of a beneficial friendship would not be disastrous.
"Samantha? Do you know where Rose might be right now? If the topic foe Muggle Studies is mythology it would be nice to know someone who is already familiar with the subject," said Cathy.
"She should be in the Slytherin table. She usually sits next to Cornelia," said Samantha.
"Already thinking about classes, eh? Well Rose is very intelligent and she is a good study partner so I don't blame you for wanting her help," said Greg.
"You've studied with her before? Is it true she has her mothers' brain?" said Samantha.
"She has her brain and more. We only studied together during the OWLS and you could tell she has enough brain and strategy to plan a takeover," said Greg.
"You only studied?" said Cathy with a raised eyebrow.
"It was a stressful time so we may have done more than study but it was nothing serious," said Greg.
"No wonder you refused to take part in our study group! I would too if it meant I would be getting a good snog," said Samantha.
Cathy watched as they continued to throw words at each other until finally she got their attention.
"Can you help me spot Rose? Whether or not there was tongue involved hardly seems like our business Samantha," said Cathy.
"Sorry. Well you can always just look for Isolde since she is always around Cornelia and Cornelia only sits at the Slytherin table."
Cathy looked around the Dining Hall and found her fellow Ravenclaw, Isolde, talking to Scorpius but not a trace of Rose. Only the sudden movement made Cathy look back because before she knew it she was gawking at them while they snogged.
"Enjoy it while you can Scorpius. You will rue the day when you decided to make a mockery out of me," said Cathy.