"So what are you going to do about Max and Olive?"
James sat in the Gryffindor common room, finishing off his Transfiguration homework with his friend, Felicity Matthews. Felicity was James' confidante. Well, not really. That was Poppy, after all she was his best friend. But whenever the problem involved Poppy he always went to Felicity.
"I have no idea," he replied. He yawned loudly. It was half past eleven at night and he and Felicity were the only ones left in the common room, apart from Rachel Jenkins and Andrew O' Connor in fifth year, who were snuggled up in an armchair.
"It's just really weird and complicated," James went on. "I mean, Poppy is my best friend and Olive is a really good family friend. And if I help Max go out with Poppy's little sister, she will break me. But Max is like my guy best friend, and I want to help him out. But he is also a complete player and he will hurt Olive like he's hurt the rest. And I don't want him to. I don't know what to do." He sighed in frustration and stress.
"I think you should just stay out of it," Felicity said for the thousandth time.
"I know, Felicity," James muttered. "You've already said. But I can't. Poppy would decapitate me if I didn't do something anyway."
"Why are you so scared of a girl anyway? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all for feminism. But, at the end of the day, you could take Poppy down with your little finger."
"Oh, Poppy's no ordinary girl, Felicity. So anyway, what are you going to do about James?" Beaton was Felicity's boyfriend who was in third year. and Felicity were going through a rough stage because Felicity had gotten wind of a story that James spent most of his time flirting with Jenna McCarthy, a tall, pretty blond haired girl in third year.
"I don't know," Felicity sighed. "There's nothing I can do really. I'll just have to trust him."
"And do you?"
"I trust him. I do not trust her."
"Don't worry about it. adores you. You have nothing to worry about." Felicity merely sighed. James fell back onto the armchair, exhausted.
The next day, at two o' clock in the afternoon, Olive, Albus, Gemma, Allison and Louis sat playing Exploding Snap in the Gryffindor common room.
"You know my name means 'peaceful'," Olive said, conversationally.
"Olive, you are probably the least peaceful person I know!" Albus answered in hysterics.
"I know," Olive agreed, quietly. "And Poppy's means 'red flower'. Cos, you know, it's so hard to figure that out for ourselves! Allie, yours means 'truthful warrior'."
"Ooh!" Allison replied, her cards singeing a few strands of her with an exploding snap. "I like that one!"
"Gem, you're 'precious stone'."
"I know, I looked it up on Google at home."
"What the hell's Google?" Allison asked, dealing out a new pack of cards.
"It's search engine on what we Muggles call the 'internet'," Gemma explained. "You can find anything on Google."
"What's internet?" Louis asked.
"It's a global network. It's basically multiple lines where you can access sites to find things out or for your entertainment, just from interconnected computers."
"What are computers?" Albus asked.
"Wow!" Gemma breathed. "It's hard being a Muggle born! You have to explain everything!
A computer is a machine that controls information according to a list of instructions."
Albus, Olive, Louis and Allison all stared at her.
"Way too complicated for my liking," Olive said, eventually.
"It's not really," Gemma said. "Not if you're around it all the time. It's just difficult to explain."
"Max's name mean 'greatest'," Olive said, becoming dissinterested with the internet/computer talk. "He is definitely the greatest!"
"Why don't you just go up and talk to him?" Gemma asked.
"Because I just can't!"
"What does my name mean?" Louis asked.
"Meaningful warrior," Olive replied, after a little think.
"I thought that was mine!" Allison shrieked, indignantly.
"No," Olive said, patiently. "You're truthful warrior."
"Where did you get these name meanings anyway?" Allison asked.
"A book that my mum gave me for my birthday once. I'll show it to you later."
"What does my name mean?" Albus asked, a little cautiously.
"Noble, I think. What time is it?"
"Quarter past two," Albus replied.
"Oh no! I was supposed to meet Rose in the library at two! She's going to kill me!"
"Why do you have to meet her in the library?" Louis asked, his cards exploding too.
"I don't know! She needs to talk to me about something! I'll see you later!" Olive sprinted her way out of Gryffindor common room and to the library.
There weren't very many people in the library. There were two sixth years, browsing in the Restricted Section, Ella and a Hufflepuff boy who's name she didn't know, Violet looking at a book on Herbology, Victoire talking animatedly to a Ravenclaw boy called Hugh Mitchell (wasn't she supposed to be going out with Teddy?) and finally, she spotted Rose. She was sitting in the corner of the library reading a book titled "Pride and Prejudice." She was just about to go over to her, when she saw something that surprised her. Scorpius Malfoy made his way over to Rose and started talking. And, what was even more surprising, was that Rose started chatting to him dynamically. It was very strange.
Olive hid behind a pillar on watched the two of them. Olive was an expert on flirting. She could pick out all the signs.
OK, so far so good, she thought. But then, Rose suddenly laughed a little too enthusiastically. And then- Olive gasped. Was that her hand on his shoulder just now? Suddenly, Rose did the most classic sign of flirting. She flicked her hair back with her right hand, her wrist displayed obviously.
"She is so flirting!" Olive whispered to herself. Suddenly, she heard a shout from behind her which almost made her scream out loud.
"Finnegan!"
She wheeled around and groaned loudly. Katie Wilson was standing behind her.
Katie Wilson and Olive Finnegan did not see eye to eye. Katie was everything Olive hated. She was self centered, rude, selfish, snobby and inconsiderate to everyone's feelings except her own. She latched onto Scorpius Malfoy like a puppy dog. It was rather sickening as well as pathetic. But, as much as Olive hated her, nobody hated her more than Mat did. Katie and Mat were sworn enemies from day one, and since Mat was her best friend, that added another reason why Olive hated her.
"What do you want Wilson?" Olive asked in a cutting voice.
"Nothing from you!" Katie replied, scathingly. "But what I do want to know is what is she doing near Scorpius?"
"She has a name!" She wanted to add that her name meant 'of the rose blossom' but she decided against this.
"Whatever. What's your sister doing with him?"
"Rose isn't my sister!"
"Fine whatever! Your cousin!"
"She's not my cousin either! She's my family friend!"
"Whatever! I didn't come here to get roped into this weird family tree of yours! What's she doing with him?"
"Talking. Why, is that against the law or something?" Katie, fed up with Olive, barged past her and strutted towards Rose and Scorpius. Scorpius didn't look too delighted to see her. Rose, even less so.
"Scorpius," Katie said, impatiently. "Let's go." Scorpius reluctantly got up, gave Rose a very apologetic look and went away with her. Olive took Scorpius's place beside Rose.
"Don't worry, Rose," she said. "She's just a cow! I can't believe her name means 'pure maiden'! Whatever!" Rose laughed, but she still looked upset.
"Are they not going out?" Olive asked.
"Not really," Rose replied. "She wants to go out with him but he doesn't like her."
"So, you like Scorpius then?" Rose looked like she was about to deny it, but then decided she couldn't be bothered, and nodded.
"Well, then you should get him," Olive replied, simply. She smiled. Rose knew that smile very well.
"Are you planning something?" she asked, excitedly.
"Two things," Olive replied. "And their names are Millie Brooks and Daphne Weasley!" Rose laughed, thinking of the wild possibilities of these two girls combined.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"You'll just have to wait and see!"
"Livs, don't go overboard, OK? I don't like Katie, but don't do anything too crazy and terrible!"
"Me?" Olive asked, as innocently as she could. "Rose, I'm the peaceful one!" The two girls laughed loudly, until Madam Pince came in and made violent shushing noises, making more noise than they were. They bit the inside of their mouths to stop themselves from snorting ferociously with laughter.