Meeting in Hogsmeade
"Where would you like to go first?", Ted asked Annie.
He wanted to give her a chance to decide, since he didn't care anyway.
"I don't know... Maybe to the Three Broomsticks," she replied cheerfully and Ted nodded.
It was quite a chilly day and almost all the students who had decided to go to Hogsmeade were wearing thick winter robes.
Ted opened Annie the door to the Three Broomsticks and they entered the pub a little chilled.
At an empty table in the corner, Ted pulled out a chair and offered her a seat on it, which she gratefully accepted.
"I'll just go and get two butterbeers, shall I?" he asked and she just nodded again, as if agreeing with him on everything.
So far, though, the date hadn't been too bad; in fact, it had been surprisingly pleasant. On the way down to the village Annie had talked the whole time and Ted didn't know why, but he liked it when she talked and he just had to listen.
"I need a new pen. Do you want to come with me to the little shop on the corner in a minute?" asked Annie as Ted came back to the table with two cups.
"Yes, of course," he replied with a smile.
Suddenly the door of the pub swung open and Toby stepped in with Victoire. Victoire smiled briefly at Ted when she saw him sitting in the corner, but it quickly faded and then she had turned her attention back to Toby. Ted, too, tried to focus on Annie again and even succeeded a little, even if it was extremely difficult for him, since he always had Victoire and Toby in his sights and had to watch how they were courting each other in love.
"What do you think? Which one should I take?" asked Annie.
The two of them had left the Three Broomsticks and strolled further down the streets of Hogsmeade. Now they were standing in front of a shelf of quills, of which Annie held up one white and one dark red.
"I'm for the dark red one," Ted explained, "You know I like colours."
He let his hair turn scarlet for emphasis. Annie laughed and put the white feather back.
"I suppose I'll buy some green ink to go with it then?" she asked.
"No, no green, it's too reminiscent of Slytherin. Go for purple!" he advised her with a wink and Annie obeyed with a grin, so that some time later they left the shop satisfied as it was gradually getting time to make their way back.
"That was a really nice day out with you Annie," Ted said as they stood outside the castle gates, "If you fancy it, we can do it again sometime."
"I enjoyed it too and yes, I'd really like to," Annie said with a smile.
"Good."
Suddenly Ted smiled mischievously.
"I'll see you then."
And, before turning away, he winked at her again.
A little later in the dormitory, he reconsidered whether he should have kissed her, but dismissed the thought a moment later when Victoire appeared to him, wearing an amorous look.
Furious, Ted fluffed up his pillow again and punched it once before turning to his other side.