It was 6:45 on Saturday night and Odessa was changing into different dress robes for the third time. "Hey Ode!" she heard from the den. She pulled on a blue set of robes and ran into the den. "Are you there?" She looked toward the fire place and saw Falcon Puddinghaste's head in the flames.
"Hi, Falcon, what are you doing here?"
"Just here to ask what you're wearing. Weasley can't decide what color to change your corsage into."
"How sweet," said Odessa. She looked down at her robes, and said, "Blue, I guess."
"I'll let him know," said Falcon.
"He's still your roommate?" asked Odessa.
"Yeah," said Falcon. He and Sirius Potter. Helps to save money, you know?"
"I hear you," said Odessa. "You know, I shouldn't be telling you this… but Hastings has a mad crush on you."
Falcon's ears got read, but he smiled and said, "I know, it's kind of obvious."
"And you like her, I hear… That's what Harry says, anyway."
"I like her fine, but…"
"What is it?" asked Odessa, twirling her wand in her hair.
"She's sort of… wild, isn't she?"
"Ah, yes, the studious, serious Medi-Wizard can't stand to have a girlfriend who's a little on the spontaneous side, can he?"
"It isn't that," said Falcon. "I love the way she is. It's just… I don't know if she thinks I'm too… boring for her."
"Believe me," said Odessa. "She thinks the world of you."
"Wouldn't she be better with someone like Longbottom?"
"Neville Junior?" asked Odessa. "The kid who keeps his wand behind his ear and reads the Quibbler like it's fact?"
"He's not that weird anymore, you know," said Falcon. "He works for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Corporation. Multi-million Galleon enterprise, you know. And he's really funny and adventurous."
"Falcon, why don't you just ask her if she likes you?" asked Odessa. "And leave me be… I have to finish my makeup before I meet Harry at the Leaky Caldron to go to Hogwarts for the reunion."
"Okay," said Falcon. "Thanks for the advice. You look nice tonight, by the way."
"Thanks," said Odessa. "I'd say the same, but I can only see your head."
"Holy Dumbledore! It's 6:55… I'm going to be late! See you later, Odessa." Falcon popped out of the fire.
Hastings sat on the sofa by her front door dressed in an elegant black dress with matching velvet cape, inlaid with blue satin. She pointed her wand at her nails to change the color every few moments, and looked casually at the clock. 7:05. He was late. Not that Hastings was surprised. She felt that Falcon had only asked her because he felt pressured. Hastings felt sick to her stomach, and suddenly wished she'd said she wasn't going. Wouldn't it be nicer to take a bath tonight?
She'd almost decided to change her dress robes into a comfy jumper and sweat pants when there was a knock at the door. Taking a deep breath, she opened it up. Falcon stood there in black dress robes with a gardenia in his hand.
"Wow, you look stunning! I mean, I got this for you." Falcon handed her the flower.
"Thanks." Hastings said, trying not to beam. "You look really nice as well."
Falcon smiled and offered his arm, "Shall we?"
Taking the proffered arm, Hastings allowed herself to be led to his broom.
"Here's a helmet and goggles. I hope you like going fast."
"I do!" Hastings said, settling in. "But I didn't take you for the type to go very fast."
"Are you kidding? Sirius and I were great friends growing up. His dad used to play Quidditch with us during the summer. And you know Harry Potter's the best player there ever was."
"Well, I wouldn't say the best. Oliver Wood's a great player as well."
"Yeah – but nothing like Potter. You don't really think Wood's better than Potter?"
Laughing, Hastings assured him that she did in fact think that Wood was better than Potter. They debated the topic the whole way to Hogwarts.
Landing smoothly on the ground, Falcon helped her out. "Ready to go?"
Smoothing her robes, Hastings nodded. "I wonder who Odessa's going with."
"I think you'll be surprised."
"You know?"
"Yup."
"How?"
"He's one of my roommates."
Hastings glanced at him, "Well, I know that Sirius is your roommate, but Odessa and he broke up a few months ago. You have another roommate?"
"Yup. But I don't think Sirius is entirely over Odessa, so it should be an interesting evening."
"Indeed, because I think Odessa still likes Sirius. So who's the poor schmuck caught in between?"
"I'm sure you'll find out in a minute," Falcon said, escorting her up the stairs and into the Great Hall.
Hastings walked in and spotted Odessa flirting with Harry Weasley. "Excuse me for just one moment please," Hastings said to Falcon before making her way across the room. She snagged Odessa by the arm and dragged her up the stairs into the girl's bathroom. There was water on the floor, as was usual for Moaning Myrtle's favorite haunt, and they stepped gingerly over to the sinks. "You little brat," said Hastings. "You didn't tell me you were going with Harry."
"Well," said Odessa. "I didn't think I had to… I knew you'd tear the mickey out of me."
"You bet I will," said Hastings. "He's such a bloody goob. How could you?"
"Let me tell you a secret," said Odessa. "Sirius is going to be here tonight, you know? I… kind of want him to see Harry and me together."
"That's so mean, Ode!" said Hastings, who always felt sorry for the underdog, even if she didn't think much of him.
"Look, Harry doesn't like me, either," said Odessa. He's positively smitten over Lassie Longbottom. Always has been. We're sort of… using each other for… similar ends."
"Loony Lassie?" asked Hastings. "Now, they're a pair that go together, if ever there was one. We used to have her, Neville Junior, and their parents Neville Senior and Luna over for dinner. I couldn't stand Neville Jr. and Lassie. Still can't stand Junior, come to think, no matter how rich he is. Well, as long as you're not being mean to Weasley. He's not a bad guy, you know."
"I know he's not. We'll probably be friends for years to come," said Odessa. "But for the time being… he's a means to an end."
"An end called Sirius," said Hastings. "and a nice rear end on that one too…"
""Shh! Let's go back out there."
As they walked out of the bathroom, Moaning Myrtle bawled, "Fine! Don't say hi to me. I see how it is."
"Hi, Myrtle," said both women as they walked out the door.
"I wonder who's DADA teacher this year," said Hastings. "I miss it here. I wish I could've stayed longer, but you know, what with the curse…"
"You could have come back," said Odessa. "The curse has been broken ever since Voldemort was killed. It was a fluke that you fell from the tower and broke every bone in your body."
Hastings snorted, "Yeah right! I'm telling you, it wasn't an accident."
"First," Odessa said, crossing her arms, "The DADA Teacher before you was here for eight years. Second, you were alone on the tower looking at the stars. Why you listened to Firenze is beyond me – Centaurs never make any sense. But I can't imagine that anyone else was very interested in the way Mars and Venus were crossing each other – thus, once again, you were up there alone. Besides, I bet McGonagall would give you your position back. Harry introduced me to the new DADA teacher – think of a female version of Gilderoy Lockhart. How my dad used to make me laugh with stories about him! Needless to say, I think McGonagall would take you back in a heartbeat. Besides," Odessa paused for a moment. "she's offered me a position as the Potions teacher. She knows I always I wanted it, but it was never open. But Professor Head-up-His-Butt-"
"Just because he didn't give you an O on your final exam…" Hastings interrupted.
"Even though I received an O on the Newts…fine, Professor O'Reilly is finally retiring. Professor McGonagall said I was the first person she thought of. Please Hastings? You know you want to!"
Hastings smiled, "I know I do, but…"
"And you recovered in a few days, and there really is no curse. Just bad luck. My clumsiness rubbed off on you for the day. It was bound to happen."
"Okay, okay, I'll speak to Professor McGonagall – I promise!" She added, seeing Odessa opening her mouth. "But for now, you need to figure out what to do. Sirius is headed this way."