This particular early November morning brought out a different type of competition in Roxy. Today marked the first Slytherin versus Gryffindor game. Although she wasn't playing, she painted her cheeks with messy Gs, to show her support for Gryffindor. She dipped her brush back into the red paint finishing out the curve of the final one.
"This is going to be so fun!" Roxy beamed as she paused her painting, "It's always a little more fun when you've got to check out the competition."
"Maybe you should reconsider the Gs and perhaps go for something vaguer?" Juniper suggested.
Roxy's hand dropped from her cheek in a quick panic, "Why? They're Gryffindors and that starts with G, right?"
"But so does George." Magnolia bit back a grin as she braided a few red ribbons into her pigtails. The red ribbon stood out vibrantly against Magnolia's dark hair.
"Ugh," Roxy groaned, rolling her eyes, "All we talk about is Quidditch."
"That's also all he knows, quidditch and pranks." Juniper giggled.
"Yes and that's all we ever talk about, nothing else of importance." Roxy rolled her eyes.
Magnolia licked her thumb, wiping away the smudged Gs from Roxy's cheek. Picking the brush up from her loose grip Magnolia dipped the tip of the brush back in the deep red paint. She drew a small banner shape, filling half with red before swapping the brush out for a clean one. Magnolia dipped it in gold paint finishing out the simple red and gold banner on one cheek. On the other side, Magnolia painted a simple number 7.
"There, now it just looks like blind support for Harry." Magnolia smiled, handing her the brush back, "Everyone's all obsessed with the kid anyway, most people won't question it."
"Thanks," Behind her painted cheeks, Roxy's blush was still visible as she thanked Magnolia.
Magnolia nodded, finishing off her hair with a pair of gold ribbons wrapped around the base of her pigtails. She worried if there'd be any point in attempting anything nice at all with her hair. Magnolia spent the next few weeks after the mud incident creeping around corners and walking on eggshells waiting for Fred's vengeance.
"Maggie, do you want to paint anything?" Roxy asked as she cleaned up the handles of her brushes.
"Maybe the number 5 or perhaps the letter F?" Juniper teased with a smirk,
Magnolia gave her a small look of confusion, "And why would I pick either of those?" She arched a brow.
"Since you'll be married to Fred one day."Juniper quipped with a giggle.
Magnolia groaned rolling her eyes, "Not this again, I can promise you not a single one of us in this room will marry a Weasley twin. If I do, shoot me dead at the altar," She laughed.
"It's just a suggestion, but suit yourself." She grinned in response, pleased with herself as usual.
Juniper bounced to her feet, "Where are you going so early?" Roxy asked.
"I'm going to get a head start down there, I'm meeting with Lee." Juniper blushed, before grabbing her coat and leaving without many other words.
Roxy stared off at Juniper as she departed, once the door had clicked shut, her head spun around to Magnolia.
Roxy furrowed her brows in confusion "When did they start hanging out alone?"
Magnolia shrugged, "I've got no idea."
Magnolia truthfully hadn't seen or noticed much of Lee or Juniper in the passing days. Though she was exactly looking for them in what little passing free time she had. Along with the running threat of being pranked at any moment, the rumor mill had taken over at Hogwarts. After the word of the Chamber of Secrets reopening hit the halls, most students were walking on eggshells. Huddled in a clustered system unsure of what everything meant. No one really knew who were enemies of the heir, if there was a real one at all. Magnolia hoped it was a prank taken too far and things may fizzle out soon.
Demi filled the younger girls' heads with blurred stories about the last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened. It was hard for Magnolia to believe one of the school's founders was mad enough to have a secret dungeon in a school already filled with so many secret passageways and hidden rooms. Magnolia wondered if this so-called Chamber of Secrets was even labeled on the Marauders Map.
It wasn't long before Roxy and Magnolia were skipping to the quidditch pitch, huddled between the other students as everyone flooded to the stands. The sky was dark and had been full of storm clouds all morning. There was a steady rainfall tapping against the windows of Hogwarts. Magnolia wrapped her coat around her shoulders as it got colder as they got closer outside.
Magnolia couldn't help but worry about the status of the mud puddles at the bottom of the quidditch pitch, she fell victim to just a few weeks past. There was still a looming concern swirling around her head, it'd been an awkward and silent week spent tip-toeing around Fred and George as she waited for the worst.
"You don't think Fred and George would bother to go out of their way to prank me if they've got a game to worry about right?" Magnolia let her concern slip through her lips.
"When was the last time you talked to them?" Roxy pulled her hood over her head, as the two stepped into the rain.
"Yesterday," Magnolia replied weakly.
"Have you considered just asking them what their plan is?" Roxy suggested.
"Like those two would ever give me a clear answer for anything. You and I both know they love watching me squirm." Magnolia shook her head, this was far from over. She'd be avoiding another night of restful sleep, as she worried what they'd rig up in the morning.
Roxy stopped her in her tracks, gripping Magnolia's shoulder, "Fred and George are smart enough to know not to prank you too badly, you need to just get a grip and move on with your life. Now, let's go watch them dodge bludgers flying right at them for the next few hours. Just let the rain wash away your concerns."
••••••
Magnolia's POV:
Even the rain couldn't slow the excitement in the stands. It didn't matter who was playing, Hogwarts students loved to watch Quidditch. The air felt so different in the quidditch stands, the rain had only cleared enough from a drizzle to more of a pesky mist that was annoying more than anything else. Roxy stood at the front shouting excitedly at the passing players.
"Oi Nott! Did you learn to fly from a Pygmy puff?" Roxy called out with a wide grin, as Sam flew past on his broomstick.
His head flipped back to shoot Roxy a glare as Angelina flew past him, just in time for her to steal the quaffle away from Sam. With empty hands, he shot Roxy a nasty look before quickly turning himself back around on his broom. She giggled to herself pleased with herself.
"Do you like him or something?" I asked Roxy, who wore a pleased grin as she watched Sam fly away.
She turned to me in disgust, her smile falling instantly, "Oh fuck no!" Roxy faked a loud gag, causing a few older Hufflepuffs to turn their head in concern.
I raised my hand dismissively, "She's fine, just caught her breath weird." I laughed awkwardly, turning back to Roxy I shook my head, "You're always teasing him so I just had to ask."
"I can't believe you'd ask me that," Roxy shook her head, "He's absolutely disgusting." She added muttering.
I laughed at her disgust, glancing over to the Gryffindor goal post. Oliver sat back on his broom, seemingly bored with the game playing out on the opposite side, as he waited for the game to flip sides again. George was posted more watchfully as one of the Slytherin chasers weaved around Katie Bell, heading straight for the goal. Fred wasn't too far away watching the field himself.
I was sure I caught his eye, waving my hand with a wide smile. His eyes lit up as he brought his hand up in a swift wave before diving his focus back in.
It was impressive how much attention they both put into the game. Studying hadn't been a priority of theirs, but it was nice to see them put their focus into something aside from tormenting their housemates and Filch for a laugh.
"Do you see that?" Roxy pointed down at Harry and Draco weaving in and out between each other.
"It looks like they're playing the game." I shrugged.
"No Maggie, look." She pointed her finger at a bludger that seemed to be on their tail.
The two boys flew upwards following behind the golden snitch. I felt my stomach twist up in knots, the bludger seemed to be moving in a different way than usual, as if it were diving behind the boys. The stands erupted with more cheers as they continued behind the snitch.
Fred noticed the bludger, diving in front of it trying to force it away with his bat. When Harry and Draco flew in between the stands weaving around the beams holding the stands together, even with Fred and George taking turns on fighting it off, it was like it had this unbreakable attraction to Harry.
"That's not good," I mumbled as the bludger left the pitch, flying through the side of the Ravenclaw stands beside ours. Ripping the banners to shreds.
The students standing at the top seemed unfazed by the impact as they continued cheering for the game in front of them. I could feel my anxiety spike as I lost sight of Harry and the Golden Snitch. The bludger barreled past the twins viciously, George flew over it trying to dodge it, as Fred struggled to control it from better beside him. I'd never seen them fight that hard with a bludger before, as it whipped around. Slipping it through Fred's grip, the bludger flew out of George's reach as he tried to recover it again.
It went after Harry again, catching his arm with a loud crack. He used his limp arm weakly holding himself up on his broom, reaching his good hand out to the snitch. There was a crash at the bottom of the field, as Harry fell to the ground, clutching his arms to his chest tightly.
The stands fell silent as Madame Hooch and a few Professors flooded to the field, where Harry laid staring up at the grey storm clouds above him. Roxy dragged me by my wrist down the stands, forcing me down to the pitch. There was a small crowd forming around Harry quickly, Roxy and I joining at the side.
"What can you see?" I asked, standing on the top of my toes trying to get a clearer look.
"He's got a broken arm, looks like," Roxy mumbled as she peered her head around the crowd. She groaned, "Lockhart thinks he can fix it." She scoffed.
I slipped between the Gryffindor Chasers trying to get a better look, as Professor Lockhart lifted his wand.
There was a chorus of mixed emotions, as Harry held up his limp arm that looked like a cooked spaghetti noodle.
"So much for a broken bone, now he hasn't got any in that arm at all." I felt a nudge at my side, glancing at a red-faced, and sweaty Fred.
His hair clung to his forehead, and his cheeks were flushed. His chest heaved tiredly as he stood beside me.
"I'm sure Madam Pomfrey can manage something." I shrugged, "You look tired." I pointed out with a smirk, his chest was still moving pretty quickly.
"Thank you for the riveting update, as if the burning in my chest wasn't enough of a clue for me." He quipped, playful punching my shoulder with a smirk of his own.
"It's good for you, it's how you know you're alive." I chuckled, pushing him away. I could feel his heart beating rapidly under my hand.
There was a slight drop in my stomach as Fred's honey-toned eyes shifted from mine to my lips. My hand was still on his chest, resting on the top of his worn-out, and damp quidditch robes. Adrenaline had to be the answer for the pick-up in both of our hearts, he'd fought off a clearly tampered bludger, and I had just watched an exciting quidditch game. That had to be the real reason my heart was picking up speed as I looked at Fred, it was the comedown from an adrenaline rush.
"You're not planning on pranking me too badly for the thing with the mud, right?" I found myself asking.
Fred laughed, I could feel it through his chest, "You're just going to have to wait and see."
Roxy hooked on my arm, pulling my attention from Fred's eyes, "Come on, let's go find June." She encouraged pulling me away.
"You should make sure the Kid is okay," I suggested, glancing back at Fred.
I dropped my hand to my side, letting Roxy pull me towards the stands again. Fred lifted his hand in a weak wave, before dropping his head and turning towards the crowd around Harry. I tried to swallow down the dryness growing in my throat. Roxy tugged on my arm to keep me grounded as we trudged towards Juniper standing with a few other Hufflepuff students from our year.
"Everything okay?" Roxy's voice echoed around my head, I nodded.
I couldn't help but notice the fluttering in my stomach as we inched farther away. It was just left over adrenaline.
••••••
When Professor Snape and Professor Lockhart had formed a dueling club to decrease fear in some students. Magnolia, however, found no interest in going at all but Roxy had gotten excited and insisted someone join her. She was particularly persistent one day while the three Hufflepuff girls sat in their Divination classroom.
"I'm sure Fred and George will be there, you can tag along with them," Magnolia suggested in an attempt to get out of going, "Then you're not alone."
Truthfully she just didn't want to spend much more of her time with the two professors she had the hardest time getting along with. Magnolia worried Professor Snape would find another reason to pick on her and Lockhart simply annoyed her to no avail. Much to her dismay following one of Lockhart's pop quizzes, in which every question was a useless fact about him and nothing about the Defense Against the Dark Art, she scored the highest amount of points. It was embarrassing that she had collected all that pointless knowledge from a handful of books, while he went on to praise her in front of her entire class, earning snickers from other students.
"I'm not going to be stuck partnering up with George. Besides, it sounds like all the more reason for you to come along also," Roxy argued, "You go along with everything they do anyway."
Magnolia shook her head, "After the quiz, I'm not entirely sure I want to be around Lockhart anymore than I'm required." She finally admitted. "He might get the idea that I'm a fan."
Roxy's shoulders slumped in disappointment, staring off into her cup of tea, she let out a dramatic sigh swirling her cup around.
Juniper leaned closer to Magnolia, setting her cup down, "How long will she be doing this?" She mumbled under her breath.
Roxy let out another exaggerated sigh, sipping her tea loudly. "I'll just go by myself, I wouldn't want either one of you to feel obligated to come if you don't want to." She huffed.
"I know what you're doing, and it's not going to work." Magnolia shook her head again.
Unfortunately enough, Magnolia and Juniper were now spending the majority of their days leading up to the first meeting of the club listening to Roxy sigh every time it was mentioned. Whether it was by one of the organizing Professors or simply another student showing excitement, they had to listen to Roxy gripe about going alone.
Magnolia sat in her bed the night before the first meeting as Roxy started up her begging one more time, "I just think it'd be a good idea for us, think about it, everyday people think because of what house we're in, that we're useless." Roxy explained.
"I'm not useless!" Juniper quipped as she had only been tuning in and out of Magnolia and Roxy's conversation as she scribbled in her journal.
"No shit, I said people think we are." Roxy rolled her eyes, "Until you got here you didn't even know magic existed, how do you expect to know how to defend yourself if something happens?" She turned back to Magnolia.
"They'll hire a DADA professor who actually can teach their class and not need extra time like a dueling club to actually teach other than just boasting about his own adventures?" Magnolia arched a brow. "Or perhaps they just get better security than another one of Hagrid's pets."
Roxy groaned, letting her head fall to her pillow, "I wish one of you'd just agree to do this with me," Turning her head towards Magnolia, "If Fred and George asked, you wouldn't have thought twice before going."
Magnolia glanced at Roxy as she wiped away a tear from her eye before turning away from her and Juniper. Magnolia felt her heart drop, she didn't want to admit it or even believe it herself but she knew Roxy was right. Magnolia had to do this for her, it was all she was asking for.
"Fine. I'll go with you." Magnolia mumbles.
Roxy sat up quickly wiping her eyes again, but with a mischievous smirk across her lips. She skipped across to her, pressing a wet kiss to Magnolia's cheek. She wiped away her cheek disgustedly.
"If you do that again, I'll change my mind," Magnolia warned. Roxy nodded quickly, understanding, and promised to control her excitement.
The next day, alongside Roxy, Magnolia went to the Dueling Club. Far more students than she expected filled the Great Hall after classes had finished up. Lockhart and Snape stood at the center of the room on a table, raising them above the flock of Hogwarts students. Second years like Harry and Ron mixed in the group alongside older students like Demi and her ex-boyfriend, Malone.
Magnolia was nervous as to what to expect. She wiped her palms against her robes, as she felt someone bump into her.
"Surprised you came." Fred's voice made her turn her head. He grinned back at her, nudging her hand with his.
"Roxy dragged me here." Magnolia admitted, "I didn't want to be here."
"Ouch," Fred clutched his chest dramatically, "Here I thought you were coming to support us." He smirked, pointing back at George and Lee behind him.
"She pretended to cry and wouldn't shut up about it until I agreed." She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.
Roxy stared ahead more focused on what was going on in front of her. She stood with her back straightened, stood behind Justin Finch-Fletchley, another boy from our house who was in Harry and Ron's year. Professor Snape and Professor Lockhart stood in front of each other with their wands drawn, explaining the actions they were taking as they went.
"Well, it gives George someone to practice with." Fred laughed, "Can't believe it, but after she picked his brain about quidditch, she's all he's been going on about again." He whispered.
Magnolia bit her cheek fighting back a laugh, as Lockhart was shot backward, before looking back at Fred. "I'm not sure why, when I've already told you both she doesn't like either one of you." She reminded him.
"People always want what they can't have." He shrugged his eyes not breaking from Magnolia's, glancing away he added, "He'll probably move past it soon enough. Angelina was chatting him up yesterday."
"Much like you were chatting up Cami not too long ago?" Magnolia found herself asking as she waited for something more than just a few examples from either professor at the center of the room.
Fred let out a light-hearted laugh, waving Magnolia off, "Cami is just a friend. You haven't got to worry about anyone stealing me away just yet."
She nodded, ignoring the small pang in her chest. It sort of hurt to think either one of them would be stolen away, it wasn't a thought that she was worried about. Magnolia watched as Harry stepped up to where Lockhart had been standing. The Malfoy boy stood across from him with an ugly sneer. His blonde hair was slicked back and looked greasy. Both boys had determined looks on their faces as they stared off.
,
"Wouldn't it be easier to have an older pair of students who understand magic better to go first?" Magnolia asked worriedly.
"They've gotta learn somehow I guess." Fred shrugged.
Roxy moved closer, abandoning Magnolia back with Fred. Even George and Lee flooded to the front. Magnolia stood on her tiptoes trying to see what caused the commotion. Her eyes widened as she saw a large black snake slither across the table towards Harry.
"Is that a snake?" She mumbled nervously, it moved quicker. "It's kind of…" Her voice trailing as she watched it fly above them.
"Wicked!" Fred finished her sentence with an excited clap.
Magnolia suddenly felt light-headed and her skin grew cold. Fred turned to her with a crooked smile, as her face drained of color. She felt her face get hotter and it felt like something was pressed against her chest. His grin fell as Magnolia's knees weakened.
"Maggie, you don't look so good." His voice came out like echoes around her head.
She could hear a high-pitched ringing in her ear. The snake slithered closer to Harry and Magnolia felt her limbs grow weak, then she saw spots until it all faded to black. Fred caught her as her legs gave out. Magnolia's body was quickly becoming dead weight in Fred's arms. Quickly he waved Roxy back over who helped bring Magnolia to the infirmary.
••••••
Magnolia's POV:
I couldn't see anything at first, my head was pounding and my skin felt clammy. My eyelids were heavy as I tried lifting them. As I adjusted to the light, all I could see were blurred images of familiar colors, blinking away the weights I was able to put together faces. Juniper and Demi sat at the foot of my bed. Roxy at the head, holding one of my hands, while her other was chewing her fingernails nervously, her head turned away towards Juniper as they went on about something.
"Well if I'd have known do you really think I'd have dragged her there?" Roxy's voice was cracked and dry like she'd been crying.
I weakly turned my head to see George sat beside Lee, and Fred held onto my other hand up at the head of the bed opposite of Roxy. I noticed his other hand was holding a cold, damp rag to my forehead. I was in the infirmary, I was finally able to gather as everything came into clarity. My memory is a blurred haze, all I could remember was going to the dueling club, and then nothing really faded up in my memory aside from black scales.
"What happened?" I croaked.
Fred's face lit up, his hand tightening its grip on mine, "George, go get Madam Pomfrey. She's finally waking up." He called out to George. I watched George run to grab her.
Roxy tugged my hand that was held in hers, "I'm so sorry I made you go with me." She sputtered in an apology. "If I had known you weren't feeling well I'd never have made you go." Her hand wiped away a tear as she looked at me with tearful eyes.
"You fainted," Fred finally explained, "I didn't know what was happening, you just got sort of pale, and the next thing I knew I was trying to catch you from falling."
"On the bright side with the snake and all the Harry Potter hoopla, I don't think that many people could've seen your spill," Juniper added with a grin from the foot of the bed.
I tried to let out a sympathetic laugh but my chest was too dry. I needed water so bad, my mouth was so dry.
"Can I get some water?" I try sitting up more in the bed. A blanket was draped over my legs lazily.
Roxy reaches from behind her pulling a glass of water from the table beside her. I tilted it back letting the cool liquid run down my throat. With every drink, I could already feel the dryness disappear. There was still a consistent pounding in the back of my head.
Once I had been checked on by Madam Pomfrey, she cleared me to go back to the dorms with Juniper and Roxy. There weren't any external injuries to heal, just this splitting headache that'd hopefully fade soon. Madam Pomfrey shooed the boys away shortly after she came over, claiming that they were going to be a distraction in my healing process. I think she was more annoyed by Fred and George's questions on what kind of care I needed after I left. I drank a glass of Pepper-Up Potion and was sent off to bed for the night.
"I had no idea you were that scared of snakes," Roxy pondered aloud, as she climbed under her covers.
"I've never really been around them, so I didn't really know either." I shrugged.
Even with the Pepper-Up Potion, I felt so drained I felt like all my energy had been drained from my body. I needed a good night's sleep and time to recover. I laid my head down, trying to get comfortable. My pillow felt lumpy and awkward which was unusual, I fluffed my pillow trying to work out the lumps. As Juniper and Roxy fell asleep I continued to fight the lumps in my pillow.
I finally sat back up in bed when I heard a knock on our door. By now it was threatening curfew, and most of not all of Hogwarts's students were to be in bed, but one I guess. Demi stood behind the door with a note in her hand, she wore a tired expression. Her curls were braided back away from her face, slimming her face without her wild curls flying around.
"I don't know how they've managed to get me to deliver for them again but they left this for you and then ran off when I was getting back from the Prefect bathroom." Demi groaned, as I opened my mouth to thank her she waved me away, squeezing past me and climbing into the empty bed beside mine casually.
"What were you doing in the Prefect bathroom?" I asked.
"Meeting with a friend before bed, now hush Mags. I'm exhausted." She yawned.
I wonder how she could always just stay with us without any of the prefects coming to shoo her back to her assigned dorm. I closed the door and moved back to my bed. Once I'd settled back under the covers I lit the candle by my bed, so I could read their note.
Mags,
How's your head feeling? George and I will walk you to class tomorrow to make sure you don't have another spill since we don't know what caused it today. Not that you have many choices about it, but if you must argue before morning the parchment is enchanted. If you write back here, we'll see what you've written and we can respond back, as long as you keep it for a while we won't have to pass notes through your housemates anymore. Just send a reply whenever you get this.
Freddie.
I almost wanted to shake my head in disbelief. I didn't need escorts to my every class again first of all. Secondly, there was no way parchment could even work that way. Demi turned on her side, falling asleep, she let out soft snores that sounded just like Juniper's. I moved my candle away so I could set the parchment down. I tiptoed to my bag for a quill, I pressed the quill to the paper trying to think of a response. I didn't even believe it was actually going to work so I figured anything I wrote would be good enough.
Snickerdoodle.
My handwriting was neat, all the letters swooping and joining together, it was a mixed blend of cursive and an easily read print. I liked how my handwriting looked, I took quite a bit of pride in it too.
Of all the things to respond with, you've chosen snickerdoodle…
I almost couldn't believe my eyes as I watched Fred's scratched writing fill up an empty corner of the parchment. It worked, it actually works.
Didn't know if you were just trying to screw with me...
I wrote back as the previous message faded.
Don't underestimate our abilities. You never answered me about your head. How is it?
I glanced around the room, the girls all slept peacefully,
I'm fine, and so is my head. By the way, you and George don't have to escort me anywhere. I'm a big girl now. We can meet after dinner tomorrow night, though.
I set my quill down waiting for a response. I hoped the quill wasn't too loud on the parchment. It was getting late, I had class tomorrow, and I felt so groggy from fainting still.
Something could be arranged.
I fought a yawn as I picked my quill back up.
Thank you for taking care of me. Sorry, you had to carry me down to the infirmary. I should probably rest though, Goodnight Freddie.
I tossed my quill back down and laid back in bed, taking one last look at the parchment as Fred's message appeared.
Carrying you down was nearly the highlight of the term. It was the quietest you've ever been! Just teasing of course.
I bit my lip fighting a laugh reading it, he still attempted to tease through parchment. The final words appearing slowly as the others faded,
I didn't mind it at all. I'll always take care of you. Goodnight Maggie.
I folded the parchment in half, and half again before opening my pillowcase and slipping it under my pillow. I did not doubt that this enchanted parchment would be on the list of prohibited items in dorms, for several reasons. I leaned forward blowing the candle beside my bed out.
As I laid my head down I sunk into my bed comfortably. It felt like the first night at Hogwarts all over again, the warm bed welcomed me with open arms. The pounding in my head would fade with time, and maybe it'd fade with the swirling feeling growing in my stomach.
A/N: So... how's everyone feeling? Maggie's got some conflicting feelings brewing. Juniper and Demi finally have face casting, still trying to find the perfect Maggie and Roxy! Once I've gotten everyone's figured out I do plan on making edits and things like that, so if you want to see those follow me on TikTok strawberrycake98._ Thank you for all the love so far and 200 followers on TikTok!