As promised, Hanna and Emily interaction! Enjoy! Same disclaimers as always!
"Where did Alison go?" asked Hanna, looking around behind her and clutching her black and yellow scarf as Alison abruptly left her and Emily in the Quidditch stands.
"I think she said she was going to look for Spencer and Aria," Emily said, looking toward the direction that Ali went.
"Oh." Hanna reached up to grab her yellow beanie that had slowly been slipping off her head. It was an unusually windy day – a day she would've much rather spent indoors next to the warm fire in the Hufflepuff common room, snacking on chocolate frogs and spending time with Hannah, Ernie, Justin, and Susan.
Hanna took a big bite into a giant chocolate chip cookie that she had snuck from the kitchen. One of her favorite things about the Hufflepuff basement was how close it was to the kitchen; she could get food practically whenever she wanted.
"Could I have a piece?" Emily asked timidly.
"Sure." Hanna let Emily break off a piece of the cookie.
"Thanks. My mom made the best chocolate chip cookies. I miss her," Emily looked wistfully to the ground.
"Me too," Hanna agreed. "My mom, I mean."
"I know," Emily smiled.
"Except, um, she didn't cook," the chubby blonde added, laughing awkwardly. "My dad did that."
"I see," Emily nodded. "I don't get to see my dad much. He works a lot."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"So, um, did I ask you how you met Ali yet?"
"Yeah, but I don't think I told you what happened," Hanna said distantly, trying not to remember her first experience throwing up in the abandoned loo.
"Did something bad happen?" she asked curiously.
"I wouldn't say bad, but…"
"Hanna," a familiar, commanding voice interrupted their conversation. Alison, Aria and Spencer joined them on the Gryffindors' side of the bleachers as some Gryffindors glared at Alison. "Want to share that cookie with us? That's rather large for one person."
Alison looked down expectantly at the other blonde, who hunched over slightly in embarrassment.
"I…guess you can have some," she mumbled.
"Alison!" Spencer stepped forward in Hanna's defense. "What if she hasn't had breakfast!"
"Believe me, she has," Alison assured her in a seemingly sweet tone, similar to that of Melissa. "She's had more than enough, now that you mention it." She proceeded to snatch the cookie from Hanna's hands, breaking it into four parts and giving the smallest piece back to Hanna.
"Here," Aria gave her piece back to Hanna. "I'm not too hungry."
"Same," Spencer followed suit. "You can have mine, too."
Hanna smiled gratefully at them as Alison's nostrils flared disapprovingly.
Emily, uncomfortable with the rising tension among them, reverted their attention to the field. "Ugh, Slytherin scored a goal…now we're only up by 10…"
This successfully distracted Alison, who stood up on the bench, cupped her hands, and yelled, "NICE ONE, IAN!"
"What are you doing?" Spencer whispered. "My sister will definitely find out now. It's hard enough lying for you as it is!"
"And I appreciate it, Spence," Alison smiled. "More than you know." She turned to Aria. "You've been awfully quiet, Aria."
"Quidditch isn't really my thing," she shrugged. "I just came to be with everyone."
"You and Noel," she rolled her eyes with a smile. "He told me the same thing, too, you know."
Hanna and Spencer suddenly focused their attention on Aria. "Noel Kahn?" they said in unison.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Hanna said excitedly. "Hannah and Susan talk about him all the time!"
Aria fought to stay composed as she silently cursed Alison for revealing her secret. "He's just a friend." And as far as Aria was concerned, that was the truth. Like most of the girls in their year, she did have a crush on him at the beginning of the year, but after getting to know him better and spending more time with him, she only saw him as just that: a friend. As sweet and charming as he was, she just couldn't see him as more than just that.
Although Spencer had only affirmed her friendship with Aria minutes ago, she sensed that there was more to it, and sure enough, Aria added, "But if he were a little older, maybe."
"Am I rubbing off on you already, Aria?" Alison gave her a cheeky smile.
"You like older guys?" Emily asked, suddenly feeling bummed that she wouldn't have a chance with her.
"I do," she nodded. "They're just more mature, you know?"
But upon seeing Emily's disappointed face, she leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry Em, you're still my favorite."
This caused a wide grin to spread on Emily's face. The timing was perfect, because apparently Harry Potter had finally regained control of his broom and was now in a mad race with the Slytherin Seeker toward the Snitch.
"Call it, Spence," Alison called over the loud cheers of the Gryffindors.
"I say Potter," Spencer said with utmost confidence. "He clearly flies better."
"Really?" the blonde Slytherin smirked. "Because he just fell off again."
Everyone gasped at the sight of the small, first-year standing in the middle of the field, with his Nimbus 2000 next to him.
"What's happening?" Ron Weasley asked worriedly. "Is he alright?"
"I think he's swallowed it!" Neville Longbottom's teeth chattered worriedly.
They all waited in anticipation for what seemed like an eternity when Lee Jordan, the commentator, announced, "He's caught the Snitch! Harry Potter has just received one-hundred and fifty points for Gryffindor. Gryffindor wins!"
Spencer smiled at her correct prediction, flashing Alison a look that said, "I told you so."
"Having fun with your group of freaks, Dilaurentis?" Pansy, Mona, and Jenna walked toward the five girls, all with their arms folded across their chests in a similar manner.
"At least I have better things to do than walk around and call people freaks," Alison's face was now inches from Pansy's. "And I'm not the one who sleeps with a unicorn."
"At least I don't tell other people's secrets," Pansy retorted. "I pity those little friends of yours." She turned to face Mona. "And you wanted to be her friend, Mona? Please." Pansy turned her pug-like face back to Alison, Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily. "You'll get what's coming to you some day. All of you."
So because Hanna and Emily have similar personalities (remember Hanna was shy while Alison was still alive), I imagined their first interaction as being a little more awkward than Aria and Spencer's. And Emily is naturally the most curious about how everyone met Ali since she has a secret crush on her! I have already decided I will write a sequel to this story, and there have been hints of possible storylines (that may or may not be introduced later in this current story) sprinkled throughout the story so far, so see if you can spot them! Thank you all for your continued support!
