Paige had to wake up Willow the next morning at half past seven. Willow was trudging sleepily through the hallways five minutes later, completely disoriented and confused as to why she had slept so long. Normally, her body didn't care when she went to bed, forcing her to get up at early hours even when she needed the rest. Paige found it quite amusing.
"I thought I was the meanest anyone could get in the morning."
"Shut up."
"You still owe me."
Willow cracked a smile. "I'm aware."
"You know I can make you do anything I want."
"And I'm willing to do it."
Paige smirked. "You better be. I'd watch out if I were you."
"Okay."
The two girls reached the Great Hall. It was so empty compared to usual, the tables only housing a handful of students each. Willow recognized a few girls at the Ravenclaw table.
"Mandy, Lisa!" she called. "You're staying on for the Holidays?"
"I'd rather stay here than go to my Godawful house," Mandy said, as if it were a plain, cheerful, everyday thing to say, catching Willow off guard.
"Do you want to come sit with us?" Willow invited, noticing that they were the only first years at their table.
"Sure. Come on, Lisa."
Mandy and Lisa got up and situated themselves to the left of Willow. Harry, Ron, and the Smith twins were across from her, shyly trying not to make fools of themselves in front of the pretty new girls.
"Oh, come off it, you two," Paige snorted. "I will give you two something to turn red about."
Lisa, Mandy, and Willow giggled while the boys gawked at Paige. She simply ignored them and pulled out a book, laying down with her head on George's lap, who didn't even seem fazed by it. The other pair of twins stared expectantly at Willow.
"Sally and Samuel Smith, this is Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin," Willow introduced.
"Nice to meet you guys," Mandy greeted, shaking their hands from across the table. Lisa, being her usual skittish self, simply nodded in the twins' direction, a shy smile spreading across her face. It didn't seem to bother the Smith twins.
Willow, Mandy, Lisa, and her fellow Gryffindor friends chatted and made small talk throughout breakfast, mainly getting to know a few things about one another. Ron and Harry never lost that red tint to their cheeks, however. Willow helped the conversation along by changing the subject constantly, being used to smalltalk and trying to turn it into conversations. Lisa even spoke a few times. By the end of breakfast, everyone's spirits were a bit higher. Willow was about to walk out of the Great Hall with her friends when she realized that Lisa hadn't eaten a bite the entire time. She quickly grabbed an apple and caught up with the dark-haired girl.
"Lisa, did you forget to eat?" Willow asked.
A momentary expression of panic flitted across Lisa's face, but she covered it well. "Oh, silly me! I might have."
"Here," Willow said, tossing her the apple. "I forget every once in a while, too."
Lisa caught the fruit in her hand and gazed up at Willow with warm, watery brown eyes. "Thank you, Willow."
"Anytime."
"Hey, Turnip!" Mandy called. "You coming?"
Lisa gave Willow one last glance of appreciation and flew down the corridor. Willow sighed, staring after her new friends, almost hearing the page turn. She had a good feeling about what these new friendships would mean.
Willow suddenly found herself staring at the ceiling, her body suspended in mid-air. She gasped but soon was looking up at a familiar face.
"Top of the morning to you, Paige," Willow joked.
"Oh my God. No. No more puns. My brain is on vacation. Do you want me to drop you?" Paige threatened.
"Please, don't!" Willow squealed.
"Oh, well, in that case, I'll be going," Paige said, dipping Willow even further back.
"No, no, don't let me fall!" Willow begged.
"What's that? Let you fall?"
Paige pretended to drop Willow, removing her hands for a millisecond before putting them back under Willow.
"Did you lose the ability to walk, Willow? Oh no, I guess I'll have to carry you. What a shame."
Willow giggled while Paige carried the first year through the corridors. She kicked and squirmed a little bit, but remained in Paige's strong, safe arms. They passed the boys, who snickered at the sight of their friend. Willow let her body go limp and gazed up at the boys with longing, sad eyes, prompting more laughter. She didn't notice the corner of Paige's mouth twitch. When they arrived back at the Gryffindor common room, Willow was surprised when she was almost thrown at Fred.
"Here, take this for a second," Paige ordered.
Fred stumbled backwards and almost dropped an incredulous Willow.
"I'm 'this' now? Not even a witch?" she scoffed.
"Yep."
Fred glanced once at Willow before setting her on the ground, knowing that Willow wasn't capable of close contact for too long. In fact, Willow surprised herself by how she naturally let Paige handle her like she had all year, not being one for hugs or even crowds, for that matter. What was it about that grumpy third year that was different?
Whatever it was, Willow was glad that she had a friend like Paige. She appreciated the thought that her group of friends from Gryffindor would not be complete without the short but feisty goalkeeper.
"Have you ever watched a movie, Weasleys?" Paige asked, leaning out of her door frame.
"What's that?" Ron said.
Paige face palmed. "Seriously, I thought you had at least gone to a theater. Help me get this down there, will you?"
Willow watched Paige and the the twins carry down a few familiar muggle things. Harry got a bit excited, also recognizing the semi-common muggle items. Ron was completely confused.
"Will someone explain to me what this 'movie' is?"
"It's similar to a photograph- a wizarding one, that is- but multiple ones that extend several seconds," Willow informed. "I wish I could describe it better, but it's much easier if you just watch."
Paige moved one of the high tables a little ways behind the couch, set a projector on it, and hooked up a few wires, Fred and George stepping back and mentally taking notes.
"I've got it," Paige puffed. "There. All set up to the power source. Now all I need is to insert this..."
Paige put in the tape, then jumped over the backrest of the couch, flopping into all the cushions. A square, moving image flickered to life above the fireplace. Paige motioned for everyone to join her.
"My nanny sent me this when it finally came out on VHS," Paige explained. "I love football movies."
"Soccer movies?" Harry asked.
"No, American football. You'll see."
The movie began, and everyone's eyes were transfixed on the scene. Willow quickly realized this was a comedy, having had the privilege to see a few of these in theaters before. She soon figured out why Paige loved these so much. The guys bickered and bantered, the story unfolding into a series of hilarious occurrence after hilarious occurrence. There couldn't have been a better choice to introduce the star-struck Weasleys into the world of motion pictures.
Somewhere around halfway through the movie, Willow was relaxing on her side of the couch when Paige laid herself on Willow's lap. Surprised, Willow raised her eyebrows, but Paige simply stared at the screen as if nothing had happened. She was slightly confused by this new closeness thing Paige was doing with her. Since when had either of them, especially Paige, been one to like touching another person? It was all very different to Willow. She had yet to decide whether it was an improvement or a setback in their friendship.
Whatever she would decide, Willow was uncharacteristically more comfortable with the third year lounging on her than without. She decided to just go with it. A few parts of the movie caused some laughter around the room, one time even making them all have tears leaking out of their eyes it was so funny. By the end, they were all in high spirits, barely containing themselves from clapping for the actors' performances.
"That was bloody brilliant!" George remarked.
"You have got to show us more of those."
"But don't let our dad get a hold of them!"
"He's obsessed with every somewhat interesting Muggle thing."
"Glad you liked it," Paige acknowledged.
"How did you manage to get that in your trunk along with all your other things?" Willow wondered. "I need to take note for next year! There's so many Muggle things I wish I could have brought with me..."
"A nice charm I learned from nowhere," Paige replied coyly.
There was a bit of a conversation concerning the movie and a few Muggle odds and ends, and it was nearly lunch time. Willow was lounging on the couch, her cheeks burning red from laughing too hard, when Paige asked a question that threw her off guard.
"Do you have a nickname, Willow?"
Eyebrows shooting up, Willow thought back to her childhood. Her father had several names for her, but none of them nicknames, and Draco's name for her was more an insult just between them than anything. She decided to reply, "No, I've never had one."
"What would you say if I called you Will?"
Willow shrugged, her heart warming as if it had been waiting for someone to call her that for a long time. "It's fine with me."
"Will it is, then."
Willow smiled, internally cursing at herself for the fluttery feeling. The boys finished their side conversation and got themselves up from the couches and chairs.
"I'm already hungry again!" Ron exclaimed.
"When are you not?" the twins teased in unison.
The six were back in the Great Hall, where yet another meal took place. Willow found Mandy and Lisa again. By the time their conversations ended, along with lunch, Willow's mouth hurt from smiling so much more than usual. She was about to head back for a nap in the common room when Oliver caught her attention and pulled her aside.
"Hey, I was wondering where you where!" he greeted.
"Hello, Oliver!" Willow said. "I thought that all the Hufflepuffs had gone home when I didn't see you at breakfast this morning!"
"Sorry, I overslept."
Lisa and Mandy appeared on either side of Willow. Oliver's face fell slightly, his shyness getting the best of him.
"Oh, I don't think you've met these two yet," Willow said. "This is Mandy and Lisa, first year Ravenclaws."
"Hi, Oliver, right?" Mandy said.
Oliver nodded, his green swimming with conflicting interests. Mandy grinned.
"You and Lisa are going to get along just fine. Lisa's quite shy, too. Do you want to hang out in the Ravenclaw common room for the afternoon?"
"Sure!" Willow accepted.
Oliver willingly trailed behind Willow, his curiosity outrruling his reservedness. The girls lead them past the Weasleys and Paige, Willow promising that she'd be back for dinner, and up to the very top of a tall tower. Willow marveled at how high up the Ravenclaw common room was. She was way past the Forbidden Forest's highest trees, closer to the clouds more than anything. It was a very cool feeling for even Oliver, whose common room was underground.
Willow's eyes adjusted as the light dimmed slightly. A grand door with no knobs stood twice Willow's height, polished to perfection with a dark mahogany color. A bronze eagle's eyes pierced straight through Willow when she glanced at the knocker. Lisa stepped up to it, tapped the door three times, and the eagle sprang to life, spreading its wings and taking up an authoritarian position.
"I travel as fast as lighting, am brighter than the sun, and I'm always shining somewhere."
"Wow, they must go easy on us during the Holidays," Mandy remarked. "Light."
The eagle nodded, shrunk down to its former still form, and the door slowly swung open. Oliver's eyes went wide.
"You have to answer a riddle to get into your own common room?"
"Yeah, but normally they're much more difficult than that," Mandy said.
"What if you can't get it?"
"Well, you're kind of stuck outside."
"I'd be stuck out here forever."
The three girls laughed light-heartedly and entered the common room, Oliver following their lead. Willow gasped when she first laid eyes on the beautiful place.
Bookshelves were tucked into every nook and cranny possible, every single one of them overflowing with books of varying ages. Some were falling apart and barely had any attached pages, while others were brand new and filled the room with that new book smell that Willow loved. They rose high towards the domed ceilings, magically-moving ladders providing a way to reach them. The ceiling itself was more expansive than Willow could ever imagine, her eyes not able to take in the reality of it all. It was painted by what must have been a very talented artist. Intricate patterns and tiny details told countless stories of bravery, rags-to-riches, opportunity, war, peace, and many other tales that Willow hoped to learn one day. The whole circular room was washed in bright, natural light, and the walls were pure white. Only the carpeting gave way to a new color, which was a mixture of brown, red, and gray. Willow had no idea where to begin.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Mandy breathed, shaking Willow from her thoughts.
"I wish my library back at home was this amazing," Willow replied.
"You have a library in your house?" Lisa squeaked.
"Yes, actually," Willow replied, her cheeks slightly reddening.
"Wow!"
Mandy and Lisa lead Willow and Oliver to the opposite side of the room, where a single door stood sealed tightly. Lisa tapped it in a fancy pattern and it swung open to reveal two symmetrical spiraling staircases that ascended far above their heads. Willow blinked a few times, thinking her eyes were deceiving her. But they weren't. Mandy and Lisa giggled at the expressions of shock on Willow and Oliver's faces.
"Cool, isn't it?" Mandy remarked.
"Beyond that," Willow breathed.
The Ravenclaw girls took the two visitors up and up and up, as the first-year dorms were at the very top. Girls were on the left, boys on the right, same as the Gryffindor arrangement. An enormous panel of glass showered light into the staircase, taking up the whole side of the tower across from the common room entrance. Every single door was decorated with Ravenclaw colors and other banners that let the world know what year the inhabitants were. At the top platform, the four stopped in front of a door that proudly proclaimed Fearless First Year Girls. Mandy opened the door and let the other three in before shutting it behind them.
Willow was quite possibly even more amazed by the dormitory than the common room. Even more bookshelves lined the walls, and expansive windows separated the beds. These were fancier four-poster beds that reminded Willow of some architecture within her own home. Quotes from famous witches, wizards, authors, scholars, Muggles, and others scrawled here and there across the walls in looping cursive wherever there was room. The walls were sky blue and contained moving fluffy clouds. A trail of unlit candles floated above the beds, Willow guessing that they were for reading late into the night. Random artifacts and maps were scattered about the room, levitating, splaying across the bookshelves and night stands, or even storing themselves away on the ceiling. Willow had no doubts that this was definitely a place of learning.
"Wow!" Oliver exclaimed. "It's beautiful!"
"Thanks," Mandy said. "You can sit on any of the beds. We figured out a spell that makes the beds make themselves."
Willow felt like the luckiest girl on Earth sitting on the beautiful bed, Oliver placing himself across from her. Mandy and Lisa lounged on what must have been their own beds.
"Consider yourself lucky, Oliver, because you're the first and only boy to enter this room without a globe heavily damaging your skull," Mandy said. Upon seeing Willow and Oliver's confused faces, she elaborated, "We have a defense mechanism just in case."
Oliver's cheeks went pink and he smiled shyly at the taller girl. Mandy clapped her hands together to bring down the atmosphere.
"So, we obviously don't know much about each other," Mandy began. "I know a few games that Muggles play to introduce themselves. Are either of you aware of any?" Oliver and Willow nodded. "That will makes things much easier. Alright, here's the game: I tell you something about myself, and you have to determine whether it's a truth or a lie. If you guess correctly, you get a point. If you guess wrong, you lose one. Also, if you're not too scared, please elaborate on the truth if you lie. I'll go first."
Oliver, Lisa and Willow listened in while Mandy gave her first statement.
"I was born in London."
"Lie!" Oliver and Lisa said.
"Truth?" Willow guessed.
Mandy smirked. "Truth. I was born in London, but moved to Scotland shortly after."
"Really? Then how do you speak English so well?" Willow questioned.
Mandy shrugged. "My parents spoke both English and Gaelic in both accents. I can do either one at will."
"Do it!"
Mandy cleared her throat, then spoke in a Scottish accent, "I am Mandy Brocklehurst, and according to my last name, I should be a badger that lives in a log, so I should actually be Hufflepuff. Can you believe that old hat placed me in Ravenclaw when my destiny was so obviously written in my birth certificate? I totally don't value learning, wisdom, and wit."
Oliver, Lisa, and Willow exploded into hysterical laughter. Mandy stood up, did a bow, and flopped back on her bed. Willow sensed that she was quite the entertainer.
"Alright, your turn, Willow," Mandy urged.
Willow paused for a moment, then said, "I live with my mother."
"True!" the Ravenclaw girls attempted.
"False!" Oliver declared, already knowing the answer.
"Oliver's right," Willow revealed, nodding at the boy. "My parents are divorced, and I live with my dad, not my mum."
"And you still live in a mansion?"
"Yep."
"Next person! Oliver, you're up."
Stuttering at first, then having an idea, Oliver said, "I live with my grandparents."
"Wow, so original, Oliver," Willow teased.
"False!" Mandy and Lisa declared in unison.
Oliver's cheeks deepened into a darker shade of pink, bringing out his freckles. "Actually, it's true. My- my parents are dead."
"Aw, Oliver, I'm sorry to hear that," Lisa nearly whispered. "I don't know what that's like, but it sounds like a horrible thing to go through."
Oliver shrugged. "It's really okay. I was pretty young, anyway, so it wasn't nearly as hard as if they had died more recently."
Willow noticed Mandy tense, swapping her joyful face for a guarded, melancholy one. But the moment was fleeting, and she hid it almost instantly.
"Alright, Lisa, you're up."
Lisa's eyes were thoughtful for a moment, then the girl said, "I play sports."
"True?"
"False?"
"True," Lisa giggled. "I used to play futbol and run cross country, but I gave them up a year ago."
"Hey, I play soccer!" Willow exclaimed. "Sorry, I mean futbol. American background. Why did you quit?"
Lisa glanced at her feet and quietly said, "Uh...heart condition."
"That's too bad," Oliver said.
The three went back and forth a bit about the sports they play/played, and Willow's mind drifted off to a very different topic. She was getting the idea that each person here was hiding something. Although she knew it wasn't her business, Willow had a strong desire to figure out every last bit of her new friends' pasts and current lives. She bit her lip in worry, though, when she remembered the last time she had done that, back in Muggle school. Willow had promised herself never to stick her nose into everyone's lives ever again, but this was critical. She was older now. They all were. Her friendships with other students would only continue to get stronger and more personal than she had ever dreamed was possible, and if they couldn't unload their worries onto her soon, would they ever?
Willow was an expert at listening to sob stories and real-life problems from other children. She had basically become the personal counselor of her Muggle friends, lending a hand to those who had fallen hard, giving those with a tough life a shoulder to lean on- or even cry on. Willow couldn't have cared less whether they turned around and stabbed her in the back afterwards; all she wanted was to never see someone suffer like she did after her family crisis. Lots of children only had minor friendship problems, but a few were at serious risk of descending down a dark path from which there was no return. Willow had saved them through much gritting of teeth, tough love, and gentle comforting when necessary. It had worked rather well. She didn't know how she knew just what to say or where she had learned the art from. It was kind of natural to her, second nature, almost.
Now, she was presented with a difficult task: her brand new friends, all of which could easily shut her out and never speak to her again, all were holding onto a secret that was itching to bust out. Willow wasn't about to let them drown in keeping those horrible things. Their stories were meant to be told. She desperately wanted to hear them and at least be there for her new friends when they needed her most.
Willow blinked hard, surprise shooting electricity through her veins. Since when do I care about people I hardly know so much? she asked herself. She barely knew Oliver, Lisa, Mandy, and Sue. Why did she care so much about them? It was almost like the voice in her head was screaming at her to get to know these people, that they were old friends waiting to be reunited with her. Willow knew with absolute certainty that she had never met these children before. Why did it feel like she had known them all her life?
"Uh, Willow? Willow? WILLOW!" Mandy shouted.
Willow's attention was snapped back into reality. "Sorry, I daydream quite a bit. Who's turn is it?"
"Mine again." Mandy stood up. "I have published my own song."
"False!"
"Ha! Losers. You're all wrong. It's true."
Willow's mouth hung open. "You've published your own song?"
"Indeed I have. Just last year, actually. But I haven't been able to get anything else in since- " Mandy cut herself off, waving her hand dismissively. "It's nothing."
"That's awesome!" Oliver said. "Do you play an instrument and everything?"
"One could say I'm decent with a guitar..."
"Play us the song, then! I'd love to hear it!"
"If you insist..."
Mandy reached under her bed and pulled out a beautiful white guitar, decorated with intricate designs and floral patterns. Taking a deep breath, Mandy started strumming a melodic, soft tune that entranced the three first-years within milliseconds.
"I don't know, I'm sorry, I can't answer that," Mandy sang in the most beautiful voice Willow had ever heard. "You've gone away, far beyond the horizon with the sun. I lay on the soft grass, crying my heart out, wondering, 'Where have the good times gone?'"
Mandy descended into the chorus, her voice filling the room with an atmosphere Willow always returned to when listening to a deep, heart-filled song. Her voice was as silky smooth as Swiss chocolate, the beautiful sound trickling into Willow's ears like a gentle stream, but with all the power of Niagara Falls. By the end of the song, everyone's eyes were misty, especially Oliver's.
"Wow, that was beautiful," Oliver choked out. "You better keep making songs."
"I will," Mandy promised. "On that happy note, who's next?"
The room lightened with a few giggles, Willow trying to scrape together her thoughts. A last-minute idea popped into her head.
"I am considered fluent in Spanish."
"False!" all three of her friends said.
"Ha! It's true!" Willow proclaimed. "Yo gano! Vosotros pierden!"
"Wow, you really do speak Spanish, because I don't understand a word you're saying, but it sounds close enough to me!" Mandy laughed. "Is your family Hispanic, or are you just some amazing genius that understands languages way better and faster than the rest of us?"
"My grandparents lived in Mexico, moved to America, and super long story short my parents moved to Britain."
"Cool!" Lisa said.
"Oliver, can you beat that level of cool?" Mandy challenged.
"Probably not," Oliver admitted, "but I'll try!"
The game continued on for a surprising two hours. All four of them shared embarrassing stories, learned fun facts about each other, and competed for who had the coolest attribute. Willow won by ranting in Spanish at them. She picked up a lot about her new friends, though. Lisa was actually very good at her sports before she gave them up, her parents were complete opposites of each other, and she was a completely nutty fan over Lord of the Rings. Willow and Lisa had quite the conversation about how awesome the elves were and how they wished that they would be real. Oliver and Mandy were decidedly lost after the first two sentences. Willow also figured out a ton about those two as well. Oliver's favorite color was pink, he did horribly in Muggle school except for English, and his favorite hobby was helping out with the musicals his high school that he would have went to as a Muggle put on. Mandy was a metamorphmagus, was the best runner in the area, and had confused an entire town one Halloween when she decided to change her appearance at every house to scare everyone.
"I think my brain is going to explode," Lisa complained.
"Too...much...information," Oliver dramatically puffed, flopping on a bed.
"Honestly, I'm surprised with you, Oliver," Willow said. "My roommates were telling me how shy you were and everything the other day. How come you aren't shy around us?"
Oliver's eyes shone with conflict for a moment, trying to decide whether to hide in his shell or not, then chose the latter. "I guess I only open up to certain people."
"Seriously?" Mandy raised her eyebrows. "I never thought I'd be one of those people.
"Me too," Willow chuckled. She returned her attention to Oliver. "One more question before you become a turtle again. Is it true that you literally didn't talk to anyone before you met me?"
Oliver smiled shyly. "Yeah."
"That makes me feel special."
"It better."
"Woah, someone's deciding to take a confident stride," Mandy observed.
Oliver blushed a little, a goofy grin on his face. Willow withheld her chortles for later.
"You're a lucky guy, just so you know. I've had to keep my obsessive roommates from showering you with love letters for months."
Oliver's eyes went wide. "R-really?"
"Really."
"I- I don't know why. I'm not any girl's type, really..." Oliver denied.
"Oh, shut it. You're adorable to pretty much every first year girl. They're practically fighting over you at this point."
Oliver opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it and quieted himself. A spark shot through Willow's brain that burned like fire. She cursed herself, wishing those random signals would stop. They'd been getting horrible lately, especially around Defense Against the Dark Arts, and for some odd reason, around Paige, too. She wondered if that was a part of her powers that she didn't understand yet.
"So, do you think we can officially call each other friends?" Mandy asked.
The four exchanged glances, shrugging their shoulders.
"I say yes," Lisa voted.
"I second that action," Willow agreed.
"Whatever Willow just said," Oliver chipped in.
"Friends it is, then!" Mandy declared. "I'm sorry that Sue had to miss this. She would have had fun sharing stories with us. In fact, Sue had this one story from back when she was in China that was so embarrassing..."
"We'll have to save it for another time," Willow said.
"Hey! I have an idea!" Mandy suddenly interjected.
"What?"
"We could all meet up during the weekends to study together, maybe even here and there during the week, when school resumes!"
"That's a great idea!" Willow said.
"I've been hoping someone could help me with my Transfiguration," Oliver admitted. "Like I noted earlier, I'm absolutely awful at school."
"Don't worry, we'll help you until you can't stand us anymore!" Mandy promised.
"I can't wait!" Lisa squealed.
There was a small space of silence as the four processed their excitement, slightly worn out from all the fun they'd had. Eventually, Oliver suggested, "We should go to the Hufflepuff common room. I'm the only one that stayed for the Holidays, and I'm rather lonely without the usual buzz of others around..."
"Let's do it! I've always wanted to explore the Hufflepuff common room ever since an acquaintance of mine described it to me," Mandy said.
"Follow me, then."
Oliver led the way out of the Ravenclaw tower. They descended through countless corridors, taking a few unfamiliar shortcuts. The evening sun cast lengthening shadows on the ground, toning down the atmosphere to a peaceful chill. It became increasingly colder as the four first years traveled into the lower levels until Mandy and Lisa were shivering. Oliver promised that they would warm up as soon as they got into the common room. Soon, they were passing by the kitchens, and they reached a group of barrels that Willow had previously paid no attention to on her trips down there. Oliver rapped on them in a pattern that was even more complicated than the one used for the Ravenclaw door. The barrels rolled to the side to reveal a wooden door, which Oliver opened, inviting the girls inside.
"Welcome to my humble- well, barren- abode."
Willow immediately fell in love with the common room. The entire thing was partially underground, some high-up windows letting light in. Not surprisingly, it reminded Willow of a badger's den. The whole room was a cross between a hobbit hole and an animal's den. Soil barriers served as magically supported walls, giving an earthy, warm feel to the room. The furniture was fitting for the setting, as they all looked as if they were handcrafted with love and care by Helga Hufflepuff herself. In the middle of each wall was a fireplace. The couches and armchairs were spread in such a way that they were inviting but separate from each other, creating welcoming but defined spaces for groups of friends to hang out and catch up in. Willow deeply wished everyone knew how to perfect that social art. If anyone dared to say they were friendlier than a Hufflepuff, she was now prepared to take them down.
"Wow, check this out!" Mandy called.
Willow's attention was drawn to a smaller but still rather large room that she hadn't noticed to her right. It contained three long tables, all centered in the room, with stoves and cooking supplies lining the perimeter. Oliver grinned warmly when his eyes shifted to this side of the common room.
"A little known fact about us Hufflepuffs is that we hold house dinners every once in a while. Anyone who wants to join in can, anyone who doesn't can choose to stay out of it. There's quite a few spectacular chefs in the making. I'm pretty sure I've gained a few pounds from the last one."
"Wow, Oliver," Willow breathed. "That's the most I've heard you say at once in a long time, maybe ever."
Oliver blushed and fumbled with his words for a moment. "Well- I...I have a lot of house pride, though it may not seem like that's the truth all the time."
"I'm almost regretting telling the Sorting Hat I want Gryffindor instead of Hufflepuff!"
Oliver blushed even deeper, his cheeks now bright red. "Well, I can show you the rooms, if you want."
"Yes, please!" Lisa squealed.
Willow, Mandy, and Lisa followed Oliver into an tunnel that almost appeared freshly dug. Moisture hung in the air despite the dry cement walkway underneath their feet. The tunnel split off so many times that Willow lost count, but Oliver knew the way well and got them to the first year boy's dormitories in record time. Willow's normally stellar sense of direction was being challenged to the max.
"I thought I had a great sense of direction, then this," Willow remarked.
"Don't worry, it took us several weeks into the term until we didn't need help from the older students," Oliver comforted. "My sense of direction is actually average outside of this place."
"Noted."
"Well, welcome to our home!" Oliver announced, opening the door and holding it for his friends.
"Wow, this is cozy!" Lisa exclaimed.
The beds were all bunks, allowing fourteen instead of seven to be able to sleep. Hufflepuff did have a considerable amount of students, after all. The dorm was bigger than Willow's and much cozier, with one big window stretching across half the room, staying close to the ceiling. Being partially underground, the smell of fresh-growing life and pleasant herbs filled the air. Willow noticed how the room was mostly picked up, but still a slight mess. There were fourteen dressers hastily shoved against the wall opposite the window, all fourteen having at least one drawer ajar with clothes messily hanging out of it.. A large bathroom was off to her left. Oliver climbed into one of the top bunk beds and flopped down, sighing and staring out the window, his green eyes alight in the honey-gold light filtering through.
"This is quite the humble home, Oliver," Mandy commented. "I kind of like it."
Oliver turned to face her, raising his eyebrows. "Kind of?"
"Are you fishing for compliments now?"
Oliver smiled coyly. "No, it's just really cool to have friends from other houses in here that approve of it."
"Let me guess, other houses have higher standards?" Willow sighed.
"That, and they have too much house pride to see what's right beyond their noses."
The three girls burst into laughter, Oliver joining in.
"You know," Willow puffed, "if I were any other Gryffindor- God forbid Paige- you'd be dead right now, or trampled, or something absolutely horrific would happen to you. I don't even want to guess what a Ravenclaw would dream up for you."
"I'm well aware, and I say it's worth the risk," Oliver chortled.
"All I'm saying is watch your back!" Willow warned.
"Don't worry, I've been doing that since the first day of term just in case a Slytherin or someone else tries to pull something on me."
"Haven't we all?" Mandy said.
Their laughter descended into sighs, their ribs hurting from the bout. Willow liked to think that the entire Hufflepuff dwelling was laced with happiness that seeped into all that entered it. She was beginning to understand why every single Hufflepuff student she had ever met was the definition of compassionate.
"Are there really thirteen other boys that sleep in this room, Oliver?" Mandy wondered.
"Yes."
"And you've never said a single word to all thirteen?"
"Yep."
"That's hard to believe."
"It is for me, too, but every time I try to talk to them, I get scared and end up running away."
"Hey, that happens to me every time I try and talk to someone new," Willow said, smirking playfully. "You're not special or anything."
"Now I know why," Oliver teased. "You insult everyone you know."
"Ay dios mio," Willow groaned.
"What?"
"It's Spanish."
"Of course, what else should I expect?"
"Nothing but the most annoying first year Gryffindor girl possible as a ridiculous friend."
"What have I gotten myself into?" Oliver muttered to himself.
The boy's words had an unexpected impact on Willow. Discretely biting her lip, Willow felt worry well up like an icy river in the pit of her stomach.
More than you know, Oliver, a lot more than either one of us knows.
"Willow, how can you not do twenty push-ups?"
Panting hard, Willow fell face-first into the soft snow. Its cold, crisp, clean texture reinvigorated her just enough to supply her with an adequate amount of energy to finish the workout session Paige had designed for her. Ever since Willow had learned that the older girl worked out, she had been dying to ask her what she did to get so strong. She was paying the price for it.
"Come on! Get that butt down! Straighten out! Give me fifteen more and you're done!"
Willow's arms burned, her entire body aching. She completed five, then ten, and almost toppled over during her eleventh. Her chest was ready to explode from the strain.
"Four more, Guerrero! Don't make me force you to do them correctly!"
Willow counted down the last few agonizing repetitions.
Four...three...two...
Dizzy and disoriented, Willow did her final push-up and collapsed to the ground, rolling over and putting her hands above her head, her lungs screaming for air. Paige tried not to laugh and how quickly Willow had gone from excited to dying after only three sets of push-ups.
"Alright, that's enough!" Paige declared. "You're done for the day."
"Thank...you," Willow panted.
"God, you're such a weakling. I won't go so easy on you next time."
Willow let out a nervous chuckle, knowing that Paige was definitely capable of kicking her butt much worse than she had that morning. She grunted as she got to her feet, her chest still in pain, and stumbled for a few paces before straitening up. When she glanced at Paige, the older girl shook her head in mock disappointment.
"I'll make a warrior out of you yet, Guerrero."
"That's ironic, because Guerrero roughly means 'warrior' in Spanish."
"How many times do I have to tell you that my brain doesn't do anything relatively close the thinking on the weekends?"
"Until the day I die."
Paige groaned. "How did I get stuck with you?"
"Only God knows."
The girls sauntered along the perimeter of Hogwarts, the snow crunching beneath their feet. Willow's breaths were heavy and formed small clouds in the chilly air. They passed through a courtyard with a frozen fountain, then found the Weasley twins waiting for them in a nearby corridor.
"Were you stalking me again, Weasley?" Paige teased.
"No," they said in unison.
"What are you doing here, then?"
"We came here to steal Willow from you," Fred explained.
"Okay. Return her in one piece, preferably," Paige said dismissively. "Later."
Willow remained with the twins while they watched Paige swagger off in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. When she was gone, the twins excitedly motioned for Willow to follow them around a corner.
"I know that look. What are you two planning?" she asked.
"You better keep this a secret!" Fred said.
"It's a very special Christmas gift for our dear Professor Snape."
"I like where this is going. Can you give me a hint?"
"Not even one until we get out of earshot," George whispered. "If someone catches us this time, we're done for."
"This gets better and better. I'm totally in."
Fred and George pulled Willow down the hallways until they suddenly veered into a large, empty classroom. She had absolutely no idea where in the castle she was at that point, but she didn't care. All her worries disappeared when she was with the twins. They would never let anything bad happen to her during one of their plots.
The classroom had the look of abandonment, with a cluster of worn desks shoved into the far corner and old textbooks lying in a crumpled heap nearby. There was even some half-used chalk sitting on the blackboard. Fred and George had put it to use, a few drawings scattered on its dusty surface depicting plans for past and future pranks, some of which Willow even recognized. There was some supplies of theirs organized into piles along one of the walls. She sensed that this was some sort of headquarters for the boys, maybe even a sort of second home.
"Freddy, throw me the eraser, will you?" George ordered. "We're going to need the whole blackboard for this one."
"Think fast!"
Fred pelted his brother with the eraser, and a cloud of chalk dust enveloped George's face. He stood there with his eyes closed for a second before wiping them off and half-glaring, half-grinning at his twin.
"Hey, you said to throw it," Fred defended, spreading his hands in a gesture of innocence.
"Right. Anyone, here's what's going to happen."
Willow watched in stunned silence as George's hand flew across the blackboard, detailing several scenes of action, ending with a rather funny picture of Snape yelling at the three of them. She distracted the giggles trying to force their way out of her throat by studying the now completed plan in front of her, spanning the length of the wall.
"Freddy, care to explain?" George asked.
"You're the genius that's going to get blamed if this goes wrong," Fred countered.
George rolled his eyes light-heartedly. "Of course, the one who comes up with the plan always crashes and burns with it." Turning to Willow with bright eyes, George said, "It all starts with you, Willow. You are going to lure Snape out of the dungeons and go far away. I mean far away. We're going to need some time for this one. You have our personal permission to do anything you want- heck, blow up a toilet if you want. Anything to get Snape away. Fred find you and get you in position for phase two."
"Got it."
"Once we're all in position, we'll get going with phase two. I can't tell you what we're doing yet because Snape might somehow read your mind."
"I get it. Let's get going, then!"
Fred and George were nearly skipping down the hallways. Willow struggled to keep up with their pace. They took a few shortcuts, then made it into the dungeons. Snape's office was only meters ahead.
"We're going to hide," Fred whispered. "Wait until we're out of sight, then do your thing, Willow."
Willow gave them the thumbs up. The twins disappeared around a corner farther down the hall. Taking a deep breath, she drew her wand and pointed it at the wall.
"Reducto!"
A jet of light blasted the wall to bits. Willow took off a ways down the corridor and stopped when she heard Professor Snape emerge from his office. He glanced between the wall and Willow, then drew his own wand and bolted towards her. Forcing nervous laughter, Willow sprinted for her life, getting out of the dungeons as quick as possible, then making a break for the Great Hall.
"Guerrero, stop this instant!" Snape roared.
"No thanks!"
Snape was on her heels as Willow blasted a knight. He cursed loudly when it toppled sideways, the helmet glancing off his shoulder. Willow giggled and kept running. Snape recovered quickly and kept the chase. Every so often, Willow would choose a random object and flick her wand at it, destroying countless artifacts that Snape would repair on the run. She flew up several flights of stairs and managed to flee into one of the girl's bathrooms. Professor Snape didn't dare go in.
"Guerrero! Get out here now!"
"I don't think that would be any fun, though!" Willow whined.
"You will be punished for using magic recklessly outside of class!"
"It wasn't reckless. You repaired it right away," Willow said smugly.
Snape growled. "Get. Out. Here."
"No!"
"Guerrero!
"Nah."
"Five points from Gryffindor!"
"Really? Who keeps track of those, anyway? Is there some magical counter that your voice activates or- ?"
"Guerrero! Five more points from Gryffindor!"
"Fine," Willow sighed. "Here I come, Professor."
Stepping noiselessly to the side of the entrance where Snape couldn't see her, Willow transformed into a cat, then lumbered into the hallway. He almost didn't notice her. When she was around the corner and out of sight once more, Willow changed back into a human and poked her head into the corridor where Snape was. He stumbled backwards in surprise when he saw her.
"Catch me if you can!"
"Guerrero!"
Willow dashed around another bend and scrambled up the nearest flight of stairs. She flashed by the Gryffindor common room and headed back the way she had come, aiming to go for the library. Snape was still on her tail. Willow pushed herself to run faster, tumbling down the next flight of stairs and destroying a few in the process with another flick of her wand. She was almost to the library when she very narrowly missed careening into Paige.
"Woah, Willow, what- ?"
"Follow me! No time!" Willow puffed.
Paige glanced to her right, saw an angry Professor Snape, and wisely followed Willow into the library. They made a beeline for the secret door on the far edge. Willow continued to randomly wave her wand and cause books to fly off the shelves, their pages fluttering everywhere, Professor Snape getting a face-full of them. Madam Prince shrilled at them from her circular desk in the center of the library but didn't make any move to stop them. The two girls reached the secret door and Willow almost started cracking it open when she realized she'd be making a mistake, revealing something so secret to Professor Snape like that.
"Paige, watch out!" Willow demanded. Paige jumped aside, giving Willow plenty of room to raise her wand and say, "Winguardium Leviosa!"
An entire bookshelf creaked and groaned, then levitated a few inches off the floor. Willow strained herself to move it enough to the right to block Snape from getting to them. With the walkway sealed, and Snape unable to get to them, Willow quietly slid the bookshelf-door to the side and slipped inside, beckoning Paige to do the same. The older girl's eyebrows were raised, the way of showing she was slightly impressed. Willow shut the door and quickly fled down the steps to the trophy room. But there was a problem.
"Oh no, the mirror's sealed again!" Willow cursed. "I forgot that Fred opened it with an unsealing charm...Do you know what it is?"
Paige was already pointing her wand at the door. "Alohamora."
The mirror slid open. Willow annoyingly had that jumpy feeling in her stomach again, but she was distracted quickly by a smug smile on Paige's face.
"I take it I just saved you from your plan going wrong?"
"Yes, now let's go!"
Willow led Paige out of the trophy room, then started down along the armory when Snape appeared at the other end.
"Guerrero! Paige! You will be serving detention for weeks!" he snarled.
"Run!" Paige and Willow chorused.
They shot off to the shortcut a little ways down the hallway, almost forgetting about the disappearing step. Paige took the lead this time, steering Willow towards the Gryffindor dormitory.
"How did he know where to find us so quickly?" Willow huffed.
"I think Professor Snape had some prior knowledge of that passage, but I may be wrong."
"What!"
"Hey, at least he doesn't tell other teachers."
They arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady, Paige threatening her when she started blabbering about what kind of trouble they were up to, then crawled through the tunnel and found Harry and Ron relaxing in the common room. Their eyebrows shot up in surprise when they saw how heavy the girls were breathing and heard the rather loud conversation between the Fat Lady and Snape outside.
"Woah! Hey! Slow down!" Ron exclaimed.
"What did you do this time?" Harry said.
"Another plan of Fred and George's," Paige explained. "Come on, Willow, they told me to meet at my window."
"I was wondering why they didn't specify where to go, let alone mention you! So you are part of their plan?"
"Of course I am! I wouldn't miss lighting up Snape with some holiday spirit for all the money in the world!"
Paige sprinted into her dorm and flung open the window, whistling loudly. Willow watched, amazed at how perfectly the twins had timed their plan. It was clockwork. Fred appeared outside Paige's window, two broomsticks in tow.
"Alright, Phase One is complete! Are you ready for Phase Two?"
"Personally, I'm ready for a break from sprinting all over the castle, but yeah, Phase Two sounds fine," Paige said.
Fred rolled his eyes. "Typical. Get out here, you two!"
Willow and Paige mounted their brooms, and minutes later they were positioned above the Great Hall. George was struggling to hold a contraption on his broom. Fred helped him set it in the correct window, then started assembling it with his twin.
"What is that?" Willow asked Paige.
"Only their latest and greatest invention to torment Snape. If you're wondering, it dumps its contents when it senses movement."
Willow's eyes lit up. "Are they doing what I think they're doing?"
Paige smirked. "They are."
"Willow, why are you smiling like that?" Samuel asked.
"Sorry, what was that?" Willow said, tearing her eyes away from the professors' table and shaking her head.
"Samuel asked you why you were grinning like an idiot," Sally rehashed.
"Oh, no reason," Willow lied. "I zone out a lot."
Finishing up her potatoes and rolls, Willow sat back and glanced at the ceiling. Snow trickled softly from it, the sky behind it a beautiful blue. Willow hoped that it would snow on Christmas again. It always made it so much more fun and spirited for her.
"Oi, Willow, look who showed up," George whispered.
Following his gaze, Willow's heart jumped when she saw Snape striding from the doors of the Great Hall towards the professors' table. She could barely hold in her excitement. Fred and Paige were also glancing in that direction, a hungry light in their eyes. Snape had almost reached the table when George said something to their entire table.
"Everyone, quick, look at Snape!"
Everyone's eyes turned just in time to see Snape sit down and suddenly disappear in a blanket of white. Snow cascaded from Fred and George's contraption, causing Snape to completely disappear under a cloud of white. An eruption of laughter filled the Great Hall, and some of the teachers had to turn aside to cover up their laughter. Dumbledore seemed to have the hardest time with it. The scene only increased in hilarity when an angry Snape emerged from the pile of snow with an ugly Christmas sweater on. It was green and looked to be hand knit, with cute lit-up Christmas trees splashing some color here and there on it. His pants were of the same material and design. Snape was more furious than Willow had ever seen him before, his face completely red. His eyes searched the room until they landed directly on the four of them that had pulled the prank.
"Weasleys! Paige! Guerrero!" he roared. "Detentions for a week!"
"Severus, it's the holidays! Lighten up a bit," Dumbledore chuckled.
"Don't you dare make another pun, Albus!" Snape growled through gritted teeth.
This time, every soul in the Great Hall was laughter, the teachers finally giving up. Fred and George pulled out their wands, muttering a charm that made all the Christmas decorations glow like Snape's sweater. Snape stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving everyone with tears in their eyes they were laughing so hard, including Paige. Willow had never seen her that entertained.
Must be the Christmas spirit, she thought.
"That was worth serving a year's worth of detentions!" George proclaimed.
"How on Earth did the four of you manage to pull that off?" Samuel questioned.
"We broke a few rules- Willow broke several things-"
"And we broke into Snape's office-"
"And these two knuckleheads made a contraption just so they could dump charmed snow on Snape," Paige finished.
Sally gasped. "Did you charm all of his robes to turn into that Christmas outfit?"
Fred and George beamed. "Of course we did!"
"I can't wait to see him stuck wearing that ridiculous sweater the entire Holiday!" Willow said.
"When will the charm wear off?" Harry asked.
The twins exchanged a glance. "Um...should wear off in about..."
"...three weeks, maybe?"
"You mean to tell us that Snape could be wearing a Christmas sweater all year?" Ron said.
"Well, it should wear off by the time everyone returns-"
"But essentially, yes."
That night, Willow dreamed a sweet dream of Snape miserably trying to teach potions in a green, light-up Christmas sweater.