Sunday evening meant prefect rounds with Emil. In theory, the castle would be dead quiet and we shouldn't be out in the corridors for too long, seeing as it's a school night and we all had to be up early for classes the next day. Naturally in practice, this was never the case. There are always couples holed up in dark corners and small groups sitting out in the courtyard. Sometimes I'll turn a blind eye to get the job over and done with so I could get back to the dorm, but today there were just too many people to ignore. My reputation as a party pooper continues, unfortunately. It doesn't help that Emil never tells the perpetrators off either - he just stands there trying to look stern while I tell them to leave and threaten punishments. He says I do a much better job than he ever could, which I agree with, but it would be nice to have some vocal support from time to time.
"Are you gonna back me up today or are you planning to just glare again?" I say to him playfully as we walk down the second floor corridor.
Emil frowns for a second, before responding: "Well, I can if you really want me to. But I know you enjoy it more and you do a much more effective job than I do. You know the other day I was on rounds with Charlie - you know Charlie right? - and we found the same fifth year couple four times! And every time I gave them the "go to bed" speech!"
I conveniently forgot to mention that my ex is also one of my fellow prefects. As a matter of fact we started dating because we were put on so many rounds together, so you can only imagine what we kept sneaking off to do. When we broke up, however, I specifically requested to never be paired with him unless absolutely necessary, which seems to be working out thus far.
"Yeah I know Charlie," I reply, "We went out a few times in fifth year actually. Both he and you are not intimidating in the slightest, so I'm not surprised they didn't listen to you."
"No way! You and Charlie dated?" he looks shocked. "No way!"
"You said that already." I say. Is it really that surprising? I'm slightly peeved that he thinks I wouldn't be able to have a boyfriend. I hope other people don't think this.
"Sorry, it's just that in all the time I've known you I would never have thought you'd go for Charlie Ainsworth!" Emil breaks into a small smile. "I just mean that you're both so... different. I don't even know what to say to the guy sometimes so I can't imagine what you guys talked about. Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you!" He apologises again. Suddenly, I'm beginning to see similarities between him and Margot. Which reminds me - she said to ask him about the Yule Ball on Thursday on my next prefect round, but I'm almost certain I'll have forgotten by then. No time like the present!
I laugh and elbow him; I know there was no ill intent. We turn into the courtyard, watching people scatter as we go across to the north corridors. I catch glimpses of blue and green ties, and recognise someone from my Herbology class. Before I launch into my enquiry for Margot, I speak to the seemingly empty outside: "I know there are people still here. I'm not in the mood to actively search for you, but just know that if I am able to identify you tomorrow morning at breakfast, I will be reporting you to your head of house."
"And she'll dock 20 house points from you." Emil adds. Thanks Emil, now I look like the bad cop.
"...and I'll dock 20 house points from you. We are going to leave now, and hopefully all of you will too." Some rustling comes from the bushes and I am satisfied that they will probably go back to the dorms in the next ten minutes or so.
We begin our journey on the north side of the school, containing endless classrooms, cupboards, and closets. Only two minutes into our walk on this side and we are stopped by a creaking desk in an empty Potions classroom. It could be Peeves, but the more likely option is a late-night snog session. Breaking up couples is the worst - you never know who it will be and what exactly they will be doing.
I look at Emil who grimaces, and we silently agree to skip this room. There are just some things you don't want to do in life - and dealing with whoever is in there is one of them. We continue walking down the hallway.
I break our silence by saying, "I heard you and Margot spent some time together earlier."
"Is that what she said?" He looks at the floor and I feel the nervous energy in the air.
"She said you were studying, actually. I just wanted to see your reaction. You two have seem to hit it off pretty quick, right?"
"We have Transfiguration and Potions together so we've talked a bit then. But yes, this was the first real time hanging out together alone. And I like her. As a friend obviously." I notice he adds that last part a bit too quickly.
I turn to him and say, "Hypothetically, would you be interested in asking her to the Yule Ball? Just hypothetically, of course." There's no point beating around the bush when it comes to stuff like this - the "hypothetically" was so that I could have deniability when news eventually got back to Margot that I had asked so soon.
"Hypothetically? Yes." Emil responds. "And hypothetically, how are you and my dear friend James getting along?"
He's flipped the hypotheticals back on me. I open my mouth but before I get a chance to say anything, a large crash comes from the broom closet on our right. This one we can't ignore - we have to see who's inside.
Emil pulls the handle and the door swings open. Standing in the midst of the fallen broomsticks is rather surprisingly, Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy? Rose at least has the decency to look somewhat embarrassed, whereas Malfoy has his head in his hands, laughing.
I am in shock. Rose and Malfoy? I didn't know they were friends, let alone dating; but then again I wasn't aware of much of the school's social life apart from those belonging to my friends. I don't know what to say, and luckily Rose speaks first.
"Sorry Celia, Emil. We were just... finishing prefect rounds?"
Malfoy laughs even louder and then mutters, "I can't believe you just said that."
Now, I am in no position to say anything because I know this is how most of mine and Charlie's rounds ended. I look at Emil for him to say something. After all, they're his friends.
"Guys, you might be my mates and both prefects but seriously? Take it to the dorms! I don't wanna live in fear of potentially walking in on two of my friends getting it on every night!"
Malfoy looks like he's about to protest, so I add hastily, "We've just got this last bit left to walk down if you want to join us? I don't want to risk leaving you two alone again."
Situation diffused successfully. Rose and Malfoy share a glance and come out, shutting the door. Although myself and Rose are friendly acquaintances, I don't know Malfoy very well at all. The only things I do know are: he's on the Slytherin Quidditch team, he hangs around with Albus Potter and the rest of the Weasley-Potter family, and apparently now he's Rose's boyfriend!
"Thanks," says Rose. "Please don't mention this to James or Albus though, Emil. We haven't quite got around to telling them yet..."
Emil claps them both on the back, "I don't think it's me you have to worry about. Celia here is James's new best friend!"
Immediately they all look at me. "Not his best friend! But don't worry, I can keep a secret."
"What's that all about then? I didn't think our James was interested in clever girls." Malfoy snorts. What a backhanded compliment! I prided myself on my smarts, but I didn't think I was an awful looker? The blonde plait on my back now feels limp, and I pull it over my shoulder.
"Scorp, there's no need to be so mean." Emil says, and I feel gratefulness towards him.
Rose rolls her eyes at her boyfriend. "What he's trying to say, is that James is only really friends with guys. He gets along just fine with girls but the people closest to him are other guys or family members. Don't listen to Scorpius, he's just mad you found us snogging."
Malfoy shrugs as if to agree with her.
We fall into step and just as we are about to call it a night, there is another crash from the broom closet we just walked past.
"We should probably check it." I sigh, and I open the door.
Inside I am greeted with a kissing couple, made up of none other than James Potter and another Gryffindor in our year, Elsa Skeet. I've been partnered with Elsa in many classes over the years, and though we're familiar with each other I've never become very close to her. Definitely not as close as she is with James right now. They are on the floor surrounded by old brooms and various cleaning supplies, seemingly undisturbed by the four of us standing over them.
Rose clears her throat loudly. James and Elsa break apart, and she climbs off of him. They're now both sat on the floor staring up at us.
"I didn't know they were sending four prefects out at once now." James says with a grin. His face is flushed and his lips are swollen, t-shirt raised slightly so that a sliver of skin appears just above his waistband. His belt is unbuckled but his trousers are untouched, although I suspect if we hadn't come in this might be a different story. Suddenly I am very conscious of seeing my new-found friend in this state, feeling a blush spread over my cheeks.
Elsa, on the other hand, looks absolutely mortified. Her cardigan has been discarded to the floor, leaving her shivering in her tank top and trousers.
"New thing Longbottom's trying out, 'cause he knows people like you are up to no good. In fact he specifically told us to find you because he knew you'd be causing trouble somewhere." Malfoy remarks swiftly.
"Ah Scorp, you shouldn't have! Definitely no trouble here, just me and Elsa hanging out in a broom closet." James replies cheekily, "I swear your usual prefect partner-in-crime is Albus anyway? Why are you with Rosie?"
Rose interjects, "He wanted to swap rounds so he could be with Alice. So I said I'd take his place, and I don't mind being with Scorpius either."
James seems to accept this reason. "I always knew he had a thing for that Alice girl..."
He stands up and offers a hand to Elsa, who has been silent this whole time. Having retrieved her cardigan from underneath the fallen brooms, she pulls it back on and we begin the walk back to the common rooms. Malfoy, the only Slytherin of the group, slinks away first to the dungeons.
"See you all at breakfast," he says, raising a hand in the air. I notice that he waits for James to look away before smiling at Rose.
We approach the corridor leading to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor towers. James, Emil and Rose are walking and conversing slightly ahead, leaving Elsa and I to pick up the pace. I break my silence with her.
"You know, I should really take house points from you, seeing as you've broken curfew and all. But I don't think Emil or James would be very pleased if I did that. So count yourself lucky!" I make a noise that I really hope sounds like a laugh.
"Aw thanks Celia, you know you're not as bad as people make out!" Elsa smiles warmly.
Wait, what? What were people saying about me? I knew about my slightly, well, cold reputation. But it was never something that I thought was openly discussed by people; I thought it was just a general understanding that I stuck to what I knew: books, and the Ravenclaw common room.
"I wasn't aware that people made me out to be bad."
Her smile falters slightly. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that! Just that you're a stickler for the rules, and well, you don't really come to any of the parties... I was just so sure you'd report me and James."
In fairness, she's not wrong. I don't care much for Quidditch afterparties or birthday celebrations for people I didn't know, and I was definitely a rule-follower and not a rule-breaker. But I didn't realise that people had caught on to this. When I was the only one left in the dorm on a Friday evening, I assumed it was only the girls that missed my presence at these things, not the whole school!
I force my own smile at Elsa, and just mumble an "It's ok" back at her. When we get to where the hallway splits between the two towers, the groups reshuffle into Rose and I, and Elsa, James, and Emil. We exchange good nights and start to go to our respective tower entrances.
I want to try and make conversation with Rose, but the evening has caught up on us and we walk back in silence. As we approach the spiral staircase leading to the entrance, I hear a faint shout from the other side of the castle: "SEE YOU TOMORROW, CELIA!" The unmistakable voice of James Potter. Rose raises her eyebrows at me in amusement, but I have no idea what to possibly say, to either her or James. I definitely wasn't about to wake the whole tower up by shouting back to him, so I just shake my head and let Rose lead the way back into the common rooms. She answers the eagle's riddle ("The horse's name was Friday"), and I leave her at the sixth year dorms.
"Thanks for not saying anything earlier, Celia." She says before I can leave fully. "If you ever want to study together or just hang out, then just knock."
Immediately I feel the need to hug her. The events of the night currently reeling through my mind, having Rose say the most simple thing comforts me somewhat.
"Don't worry about it! Night, Rose." I climb up the last flight of stairs to my own dorm, finally. I unlock the door silently, seeing that everyone's bed curtains are now closed. The clock gleams in the moonlight, hands reading ten to midnight. The bedroom window, the one James flew into this morning, is still slightly ajar and the cold night breeze is making its way into the room. I close it properly and then get ready for bed.
As I lay down staring at the ceiling, I thought about what had been said earlier. Emil, Malfoy and Elsa all saying things they didn't mean about me was surely too much of a coincidence. Did everyone really think I was just a stuck-up, boring Ravenclaw? And why hadn't anyone ever said anything to me? I started thinking about my friends and if I was really more isolated than them. Mim, Riko, and Mathilde did go out a fair bit, I suppose. And Margot would more often than not tag along with them. I'm beginning to think I've wasted almost seven years here, working to get the grades. I get the same scores as other people who have actually had decent social lives. Rethinking all of my interactions over my time here at Hogwarts, I turn to the bed to the left of mine to see if I could get a second opinion. As expected, a soft glow is peeking out from the gap in the curtains, so I know Mim is awake.
I take my own wand from my bedside table and poke the curtain. The wand glow moves and a hand pulls the fabric to the side slightly. Sitting upright against her pillows is Mim, holding her open book and wand in the other hand.
"Ah, you're back," she says, "Bit later than usual?"
She's right, I'm 20 minutes later than I normally return to the dorms. I should've known she'd be waiting for me. She uses her wand as a makeshift bookmark, placing it between the pages and putting the book on her nightstand. She also takes her reading glasses off and wrinkles her nose, waiting for me to tell her about my night.
But instead I say, "Do you think I'm really boring?"
"What?" She looks taken aback. "What are you on about?"
"Long story short, two people tonight have commented on how I might come across to people who don't know me very well."
"Who was it? I'll be having words with them in the morning!" Mim whisper-shouts, trying not to disturb the others sleeping.
I know her too well though, and this is just an empty threat. Mathilde is the most likely one here to confront someone about something they've done, and normally her confrontations involve some form of violence.
Mim seems to sense my thoughts, and she exclaims, "Celia, I'm serious! Tell me whooooo!"
So I begin to whisper the events of my prefect round, from asking Emil about Margot, to the broom closet incidents, to finally the good night message from James.
"I cannot believe you caught Rose and Scorpius Malfoy snogging! Although I'm not that surprised about James and Elsa I will say, I saw them looking very close in the library last week." Mim says, and I feel a little pang of something somewhere in my body, I'm not sure what. We're both fully engaged in the conversation now, speaking at a normal level and hoping the others are deep in slumber. Her legs are crossed and she's facing me, blanket pulled over her shoulders. I'm lying down in my own bed, hand propping up my head. I felt tired when I got in, but recounting everything has woken me right back up again.
"And just 'cause you don't like to do things a lot, doesn't mean you're not fun!" She adds.
"Hey, I like to do things!" I chuck one of my pillows at her, which she catches and tries to throw back at me. She misses, however, and it bounces off the other bed next to mine, where Riko sleeps.
A grumble comes from her bed. "Merlin's beard guys, shut up!" Riko says without even opening her curtains. Ok, so maybe we've been louder than I thought.
We decide it's time to actually sleep and mouth good night to each other. I draw my curtains and try to settle down. Even though I've closed my eyes, I can't shake the thought that maybe everyone does think I'm no fun. Even Mim, my own best friend, mentioned that I do stay in a lot. I've decided that when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be a new me. A more sociable me. One can only hope James isn't in here tomorrow morning as well.
I squint my eyes open just to double-check I closed the window. Through the gap in my curtain, I look and am satisfied that he would not be able to get through the space between the windowsill and glass pane. Once again, I close my eyes and at long last, let myself drift off to sleep.
Monday morning at breakfast and I am discussing last night's events with the rest of the dorm. Although Mim has heard it all already, she reacts along with the rest of my friends.
"He said what?!"
"No way did you catch Rose Weasley with Scorpius Malfoy!"
"Not Elsa Skeet!"
"Imagine if they were actually going at it!"
"I thought James was interested in Celia-"
"-he's giving mixed signals."
I sit there chewing on a piece of buttered toast, waiting for them to calm down. When we all woke up, I promised to tell them everything in the Great Hall as there just wasn't enough time between trying to get dressed and packing our bags for the day. The dorm was especially chaotic in the mornings - we may be clever, but no one said we were organised. Luckily we still managed to be one of the first ones down for breakfast, allowing me to say everything without prying ears.
Mathilde shrugs and says, "Maybe you do need to get out more."
Mim kicks her under the table. "She can do what she wants! If she's comfortable in her own company, I don't see why that's a bad thing."
"Margot, Riko, what about you?" I try, "Am I the most insanely boring person you've come across?"
"As your friend, Celia, absolutely not." Riko responds.
Margot follows up, "As a student? Then yeah, maybe a little bit..."
"Guys!" Mim chastises, but I know she's just trying to make me feel better.
I thought I would be able to handle the truth, but it's left me feeling quite dejected. The hall is beginning to fill up now, but I feel like I've seeing everyone for the first time. My brother, Benji, is sat with a few of his friends. One of them is gesturing wildly. He mimes a crash and the boys start laughing and hitting the table, mimicking the initial crash. Their plates and water glasses are knocked out of place, and they scramble to pull each of them back to the owners. Benji notices me and grins. My heart swells with love and I smile back. To be 14-years-old again and having no cares in the world (apart from remembering to do my homework). He turns back, and I turn my attention back to the table. I look down at my plate, still filled with untouched toast. I've never felt hungry in the morning - the thought of eating anything heavier than toast or cereal is enough to make me queasy. Today especially, the toast feels like sawdust in my mouth.
The girls are talking about something completely different now, and I don't feel like joining in. Instead, I resume scanning the room for people I know. There's Mathilde's sister, Celeste, with a gaggle of Gryffindor girls. I note that they're all wearing their hair in french plaits, as if to say "look at us, we're best friends!" I do think it is very sweet though.
Sat at the other end of the Gryffindor table is Elsa and a mix of people from other houses that I don't know very well. She catches me looking at them and waves. I'm not sure if she's just being nice or if she thinks we're friends now. I'm not sure if I really want to be friends with her.
At the Slytherin table sit Rose, Scorpius Malfoy, and Albus Potter alongside various gingers and people I recognise from the Quidditch team. Albus Potter has his arm around a girl with short brown hair, who I can only assume is Alice, and the group is laughing at something Malfoy said.
I look at the door just as James and Connor Finnegan stroll in, uniform put on carelessly and ties resting untied around their necks. James's scruffy appearance reminds me of the compromising position in which I caught him and Elsa last night, and I look away embarrassed. I assume they're either going to join Rose etc., or Elsa and her friends.
"Celia, don't look now, but Potter and Finnegan are coming over," Margot says quietly. My assumption was wrong.
I pretend not to notice as they slide into the bench opposite, Finnegan next to Mim and James by Mathilde, who shoots me daggers. As if it's my fault they're here!
"Morning, girls! Good sleep?" James asks cheerily. You'd think I hadn't caught him doing anything last night the way he's acting.
"Um. You could say that..." Riko says, and gives me a pointed look. I don't think she's over the pillow throw yesterday night.
James continues, "What are we talking about then? School, parties, boys?"
"I detest the fact that you think we're just talking about boys all the time." I say, but even I'm not totally sure what we were talking about since I zoned out.
"We were talking about the Yule Ball, actually." Mim chimes in. I could've guessed that, actually. I would be lying if I wasn't just a little excited for the ball, contrary to popular belief. I just didn't want to raise my expectations too high and be disappointed when the time came. I now knew that Emil was planning to ask Margot to go, and I'm sure the others wouldn't have trouble finding dates either. Leaving me alone again.
Finnegan looks up from his plate, which he's steadily loaded with a full English. "I'm dead excited! Dad sent me his old dress robes last week and they look great; good as new! My last ones are kinda gross after I was sick all over them last year." We all grimace. Not the best thing to say over breakfast. Sensing he's said the wrong thing, he adds: "Anyone got a date yet?"
I swear I see him wink at Mim, so I make a mental note to bring it up later.
"Margot seems to have an admirer," Riko says, "You may be familiar with him."
"Ah yes, young Emil. Lucky man has a free period this morning. He told me to tell Knight to meet him for lunch in the Gryffindor common room. So, Knight-" Finnegan looks at Margot, "-meet Emil in the common room at lunch, yeah?"
So full of charm. Margot smiles bashfully and thanks him. I nudge her shoulder with affection.
"I seem to recall James being close with someone recently..." I trail off, hoping everyone would catch on to what I was talking about.
James's face contorts and he half-laughs. "What?"
Suddenly I panic. Did he not experience the same thing I did last night? The girls and Finnegan look at me uncertainly, willing me to go on.
"Um. You and Elsa, I mean." I stutter. What the hell? I feel like I'm being gaslighted.
Finnegan raises his eyebrows and looks at James, who seems to understand what I'm referring to.
"Oh right, me and Elsa go way back, we're just friends." he says, causing Finnegan to snigger. I'm aware now that they know something about the history of James and Elsa that we don't, making me look like a fool in front of my friends.
"I hope you don't go around doing that to all your friends..." I retort, but it comes off flirtier than I expect. James smirks and my face reddens. I feel Mathilde look between the two of us and she scoffs.
"As much as I would love to stay and chat," Mathilde starts, "I would much rather be half an hour early to Charms."
She gets up off the bench and waves a goodbye to us (pointedly ignoring the boys), sandwiching Mim between James and Finnegan. I don't blame her; this is slowly becoming very awkward.
Finnegan tries to make conversation again, and I start hoping he doesn't mention anymore disgusting bodily fluids.
"We're in the same Transfiguration class, right?" He says to Mim and I. "I'm Connor Finnegan. Nice to meet you!"
"We've definitely met before?" While I might not have a large friendship group, I am at least aware of the people in my classes. He sits at the very back with James, often sending quills and paper airplanes flying to the front. One time they must have had a competition to see how many wads of parchment they could get into the bin from where they were sat, as by the end of the lesson a mountain of paper balls had been stacked up beside the wastepaper basket, rather than inside. Unsurprisingly, McGonagall asked them to stay behind.
"Yes, but a friend of James is a friend of mine. Call me Connor."
"Sure thing, Connor." Mim flashes a smile.
It's 9 o'clock now and we're sitting in the Transfiguration classroom. Mim and I take our usual places in the second row; James and Connor retreat to the back. We get our books out and wait for Professor McGonagall to finish setting up. How she's both headmistress and still teacher of Transfiguration beats me, but I guess she really does love teaching. Weirdly, she faces the class without laying any practical equipment out. I look unsurely at Mim, and I know the rest of the class must be as confused as me.
"Class, today we will be working theoretically. It is important that you learn how Transfiguration is applied in the wider wizarding world, so instead of solely practicing, you will be put in groups to research and present by the end of the lesson." McGonagall states. I facepalm internally - I hate group work.
"You will be assigned to groups of four, in which you will research the uses and history of the spell I give you. If possible, I would like you to perform the spell. You will present your findings to the class in two weeks time. The reason I am entrusting you with independent research is because it is necessary to learn how to work as individuals, but also as part of a team. For those of you wanting to become aurors, healers, future ministers after you leave, you need to be comfortable working without the guidance of an authority figure such as myself. And we will not have a repeat of last time, will we, Mr Potter?"
James signs a thumbs up.
McGonagall begins to list off names: "Victor Bones, Tristan Corner, Georgia Nettle, Elsa Skeet..." until there are only a few people still left ungrouped. Somehow, I can tell who I'm about to be presenting with.
"Next we have Jemima Clark, Connor Finnegan, James Potter, and Celia Wilson."
I hear James let out a woop. Of course, the fates would bring us together like this. All I can hope is that they aren't expecting us to do all the work.
Eventually we are left to our own devices. Now sat next to each other, Mim and Connor are sharing a textbook (because of course he forgot his own), and Connor's non-writing arm is draped around the back of her chair. Meanwhile next to me, James is writing down everything I've told him to write. I can see he wants to do well here; he wants to prove that he can buckle down when he wants to. The little crease forming between his eyebrows as he concentrates is adorable. He raises his hand to his head, running his fingers through his hair to brush it away. I think he feels me staring because suddenly he looks up.
"Alright?"
I cough. "Yep, just checking how you're getting on."
"I'm nearly done, just got this last section to do." He shows me his paper. I give it a quick look, but I trust he's done it right - he might play dumb sometimes, but he's clever enough to get into this class. What piques my interest, however, is a small doodle of a girl in the margin of the paper.
"Who's that?" I ask, pointing to the drawing.
Instantly James pulls his textbook over it. "Oh, that's nothing."
But I tug the paper down and peer at it. The girl he's drawn has a plait and a witch's hat on - it's simple but really impressive. I don't have an artistic bone in my body, so it's exciting when I discover other people's artwork.
"Oh come on! It's amazing! I didn't know you could draw." James has never been shy before, which leads me to believe he doesn't like to share this much.
"Thanks," he says, "but it's just a doodle. I like doing them when I'm bored."
"Is it Elsa?" I test the waters once more. Luckily she's over the other side of the classroom, so I don't need to worry about her hearing me. James shifts in his seat slightly, and he shakes his head.
"Well, if it was her it was a nice thing to draw. I think it's cute when people make things for their partn-"
"Celia, I promise you - we are just friends!" James exclaims. He gives an exasperated sigh and says, "Have you really never just snogged someone for the sake of it?"
"I have had a boyfriend, if that's what you mean." I say, uncertain of what he means. This conversation was turning south quickly.
"No, I mean have you ever made out with someone without the intent of dating them? Have you ever had a one night stand?" He queries.
I don't know how to answer this. I'd never given much thought to being a virgin before, and why should I? It's not like I was physically losing an object. But having to admit my sexual experience, or lack thereof, to James Potter of all people; a guy I had barely even spoken to before yesterday. This is embarrassing.
"I've never... you know." I offer lamely.
James immediately blanches. "Right, sorry. I didn't mean... well, anyway." He stumbles over his words, as if he's just realised what he's asked me.
"James, I'm not an idiot. I know people snog in broom closets for fun and they have casual sex etc., etc. I am just not one of them, and the whole reason I thought you and Elsa had something going on is because some people had said they'd seen you together before!" I blurt out in one breath.
He processes this for a minute, and then says: "You shouldn't believe everything you hear."
We work in silence for a few minutes. I finish my notes and begin putting them in order of how I think we should present them. Mim and Connor finish their research on general transformation spells and hand it to me. James is the last one to finish, sliding his work across the desk to me. I really hope he isn't annoyed at me - you can't blame me for thinking he was with Elsa, not after how I caught them yesterday night!
"So there'll be a party at Gryffindor after the Quidditch game Saturday, if you wanna come?" James says to me. I'm speechless, but secretly glad that his annoyance lasted all of 20 minutes. My natural instinct is to say "no, thank you", but after my promise to myself to be a better me, I decide that it couldn't hurt.
"Sure." I say.
Mim looks positively shocked. "What?" She cries.
"Of course you and your friends can come too!" James says, afraid that she thinks that he's excluding her.
Mim laughs and says, "I know that, I'm just in disbelief you've got her to actually go to something that isn't a Quidditch game or the Yule Ball! Maybe having you around isn't such a horrible thing after all..."
James looks confused. "You mean to tell me you don't go out at all?"
"Well, I don't not go out." I say at the same time as Mim says, "She's practically a recluse."
Gee, thanks Mim. Backing me up at breakfast has gone out the window now James Potter is inviting her to a party.
"It'll be good to have you there!" says Connor.
McGonagall then calls the class to attention, and gives the order in which she expects us to present when the time comes, then goes on explains the importance of deadlines.
As I lean back in my chair, I try to listen but find my mind drawn to this Saturday. I've never had such a busy weekend before: a Hogsmeade weekend, a Quidditch match and now a party? For the first time in my life at Hogwarts, I feel greatly out of my depth.
ahhh i am so sorry about the long wait for this update - has it really been a year? i hope this long chapter is enough to keep you going until next time (which will hopefully not be in a year). what did you think of the prefect round? how are you feeling about each character's budding relationships/friendships? what will happen to celia this weekend? was she right to keep asking about elsa? let me know your feedback in the reviews, and as always thank you for reading! there have been more follows since my last update, so to all my readers new and old, i really appreciate it!