"Three OWLs each?" Ella said as she looked at Fred and George's exam results. "Oi, your mum's going to actually kill you guys."
Fred shrugged. "What do we care?" He was scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment, as was George. "We have more important things to worry about than stupid OWLs."
"Like what?" Ella said, leaning over and trying to read what George was writing.
"None of your business, nosy!" George said and yanked the parchment out of her view. "You'll find out in due time."
Ella rolled her eyes fondly. "Yeah, alright. Well," she got up from the sofa that the three of them were sitting on, "I'm cold. I'm going to grab a jumper."
"Here, take mine," George said, standing up and scrambling to pull his off of his body so that Ella could wear it, quite clumsily too.
Ella covered her mouth to stifle her giggling. "Down, boy," she said and placed her hand on George's head, which was still tangled in his sweater, and pushed him back onto the sofa. "You're way too tall, I'd be swimming in that thing. Besides, I'm very capable of getting my own jumper."
As Ella was walked up to her dormitory, still chortling, Fred was trying to hold in his own laughter. "What's so funny?" George snapped at him after he successfully got his head out of the woolen material of his jumper.
"Oh, nothing," Fred side, his lips twitching into a smile. "I just can't believe that you're still trying to deny that you like her when you just did that ."
"I was being nice !"
Fred was still laughing. "Yeah, whatever you say. Just get back to the order forms, Romeo."
When Ella got to her dorm, Hermione was sitting on her bed, staring seemingly into an endless vortex that only she could see. "'Mione, you all right there, pal?" Ella asked as she rifled through her wardrobe to find a sweater.
"Huh?" Hermione said, shaking her head slightly to knock herself out of the daze.
"I asked if you were all right," Ella said as she pulled an oversized Nirvana jumper off of its hanger.
Hermione nodded absentmindedly and gnawed at her bottom lip. Her hair seemed even frizzier than it normally did. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."
"You sure?" Ella asked, sitting next to Hermione on the four postered bed.
"Yeah," Hermione said, even though she was shaking her head no.
Ella wasn't really certain on what to do, it was obvious that Hermione wanted to tell her something, but she wasn't sure if she should press her on it. "I mean, okay, but if you ever need someone to talk to who isn't Harry or Ron, then —"
"Oh, I do need someone to talk to, thank you!" Hermione raved, cutting Ella off, and Ella had to suppress another laugh. The fact that Hermione had been wanting to talk to Ella but didn't say so until Ella herself brought it up amused her greatly. "My life is so crazy now, Ella. I don't even know how it happened."
Ella snorted and reclined against her pillows, pulling the sweater over her head. "Tell me about it." When Hermione sat there quietly Ella said, "No, seriously, tell me about it."
"Oh!" Hermione said, apparently frazzled that Ella was actually willing to listen to all of the drivel that Hermione needed to spill. "Well, where do I even begin? Okay, so this year I've been using a Time Turner that Professor McGonagall gave me — please, Ella, keep that to yourself — I've been using it to get to all of my extra classes.
It's honestly been driving me mad, I don't think I can do this for another year. I'm probably going to give it back to her after the feast, I just can't handle all of this work, I hate to say. And — wait, I'm not finished — last week I used it to help Harry help Sirius Black escape by helping Hagrid by helping Buckbeak escape."
Ella stared at her for a few minutes, silent and completely stunned by all the information that Hermione had just unleashed upon her. "You — I don't — how did you —" she drew in a deep breath to gather her thoughts and compose herself. "Well, you're gonna have to help me to understand what in the hell you just told me. You helped Sirius Black escape? The murderer ?"
"No no no!" Hermione assured her rapidly. "He's not a murderer, I swear!" She got in really close to Ella and hushed her voice, even though no one else was in the room with them. "He's innocent, Ella, it wasn't him. It was this man named Peter Pettigrew —"
"Who's Peter Pettigrew?"
Hermione put her head in her hands and sighed, "Ugh, it's such a long story and it's not going to make sense unless I tell you the whole thing."
"Well, in that case," Ella said and pointed her wand at her bed and said, "Engorgio," causing the bed to almost double in size. Ella patted the spot on the mattress next to her, indicating to Hermione to sit down next to her. "C'mon, get comfy and tell me the whole story."
"Okay. . ." Hermione said hesitantly, "But you have to promise that you won't tell anyone anything I'm about to tell you. Not Juni. Not Fred and George. Not Katie. Not anyone."
"I swear on me ma's grave, I will not," Ella said, crossing her heart with her fingers.
So Hermione divulged every secret that had been weighing her down for the past three years to Ella, her most trusted friend, besides Harry or Ron. Ella could barely wrap her head around everything that she was hearing. Sirius being wrongly accused, Pettigrew escaping by turning into a rat, Professor Lupin being a werewolf. It all seemed so unreal. And it didn't stop there either. Hermione told Ella the truth about everything. Everything from Professor Quirrell and the Philosopher's Stone to what happened down in the Chamber of Secrets. Obviously, Hermione wasn't present, she and Ella were both petrified, but Harry and Ron filled her in on every little detail. Roughly two hours had passed before Hermione had exhausted every detail that she could tell Ella.
"Wow," Ella said, staring blankly up at her ceiling. "You three've done all that in just three years?"
"Yup," Hermione sighed. "It's been a long three years, and I don't expect the other four to get any easier."
"Yeah, you're probably right. But hey, if you ever need anything you know that you always have me, right?"
"Of course," Hermione said, a smile spreading across her face. "But I really don't think I'd ever be able to ask you for help, Ron and Harry would be furious if they knew I blabbed all this to you. I can't believe I even told you all of that, it's all supposed to be very hush-hush, but I just needed to tell someone."
"Hmm," Ella hummed, stilling mulling all the information over in her head. A couple minutes of comfortable silence passed before Ella said quietly, ". . .Do you really think he's gonna come back, 'Mione? You-Know-Who, that is."
"Yeah, I really do. I trust Harry, and Harry thinks so too," Hermione said just as quietly.
"Let's not think about that right now!" Ella said, suddenly very eager to change the subject. "The feast'll be starting soon, so let's get going!" Before they could walk out of the dormitory Ella pulled Hermione into a hug and said, "I mean it, 'Mione, I'm here for anything you ever need."
"Thank you," Hermione replied, her face buried in Ella's shoulder. "And you promise you won't tell anyone?"
"I wouldn't dream of it," Ella said and ruffled Hermione's bushy hair. "Besides, how could I betray my little sister like that?"
"I'm not your little sister."
"Yeah, well, you're as good as," Ella said as her and Hermione started making their way towards the feast.
"George, can I please have my book back? I was enjoying it!" Ella whined as he tried to reach her copy of So, You Want to Create Spells? that George was holding high above her. She was failing greatly due to their massive height difference and the rocking of the train car.
"No!" George said. "You've been ignoring us all for the whole ride with your head in this book! Be a little social, Ellie."
"Fine," Ella huffed and sat down, pouting. "I swear, you're so infuriating! I'm gonna throw this damned necklace out the window," she said, clutching the Rose Quartz around her neck.
"Ha!" Juni snorted. "You'd rather kiss a Dementor than give that necklace up. Remember what happened on New Year's when Katie found it in your bag and you —"
"Alright!" Ella cut in, blushing profusely. "That's enough of that! Let's change the subject, shall we?"
"Oh no, I think I want to hear this story in very vivid detail. Juni, please, continue," Fred said, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.
Ella narrowed her eyes at him. "Y'know, Fred, I have plenty of dirt on you that I would be more than happy to share with your mum over the summer if you keep it up. Think very hard. How well do you see that going?"
"Touché, Donella Stirling, you are a worthy opponent," Fred said dramatically. "Although, you do realize that I have plenty of dirt on you as well, right?"
"There really wouldn't be any point in ratting her out," Angelina interjected. "Her mum thinks Ella's an absolute angel, she'd never believe a word of it."
"Anyways," Ella said impatiently, "like I said, let's change the subject. Fred, George, a little birdie told me that you're going to the World Cup this summer?"
"Most likely," George said. "Why? You want us to bring you along?"
"No need," Ella said excitedly, "Ma's already getting tickets from work."
"Wait," said Katie, setting her copy of Witch Weekly as her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, "wait, Ella, do you mean the Quidditch World Cup?"
"Yes! Why? Are you going too?"
"No," Katie groaned. "Mum and Dad said we probably won't be able to get tickets because we've waited so long. And neither of them work for the Ministry so we don't really have any ties." Katie sank into her seat and sulked.
"Ella, give her the ticket that your ma got for me, I don't mind," Juni offered.
"What?" Katie and Ella bellowed as if Juni had just suggested that they assassinate the Minister of Magic.
"Juni, are you sure? Ella's mum got that ticket for you, not me."
"Yeah, think long and hard about this, man," Fred chimed in. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Juni shrugged. "I couldn't give a rat's arse about Quidditch, honestly. I mean, yeah, I love watching you guys play because you're my friends, but Katie loves Quidditch. She should be the one to go, not me."
"What a noble man," Lee said, clapping Juni on the shoulder.
"Are you sure, Junes?" Ella asked.
"Yeah, it's honestly fine. Take the ticket, Katie. You and Ella are probably going to talk about it enough that it'll feel like I actually went."
"Oh my god, thank you so much, Juni!" Katie gushed happily. "I'll repay you for this, I swear!"
"Katie, calm down, it's really fine," Juni said, chuckling a returning to his own book.
"Does anyone know if Alicia's going?" Katie asked, suddenly very excited.
"Yeah," said Angelina, "her family's had tickets reserved for months. She comes from a total Quidditch family. Y'know, Ella, I'm surprised Jackson never played. With the build he has I'm sure he —"
"Okay," Ella cut in once again, "Jackson's 'build' is definitely not something I need to hear about!" The entire burst out laughing as Ella slapped both of her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.
A couple hours passed and Alicia returned from hanging out with one of her other friends, Arianna, who she had been spending gratuitous amounts of time with, and they all enjoyed their train ride home immensely. Despite losing her boyfriend during the term, this had probably been one of the best endings to a year that Ella had ever had. Even the ride home was splendid, considering that she fell asleep with her head resting on George's shoulder for the last bit of it.