"Wait. Are you a Mitran?" Willow asked, his eyes wide. "Well, no, of course you are but Mitran as in the Mitrans? Pureblood supremacists, Ravenclaws forever, that Mitran?"

Netra sank into the sofa she was sitting on and laughed, surprised that it took Willow this long to connect the dots.

The last two days of busking went smoothly, and now it was Sunday again. Her parents' guest was due to arrive in two days, so her mother let her spend "another" day with Preethi in the library she was "supposedly" spending the whole week in. Only this time, she was actually there and meeting Preethi and Praveen.

"Yeah, Mitran as in Ravenclaw, pureblood supremacist, Mitran." Netra sighed once she calmed down.

"Damn, you weren't kidding when you told me your family is strict," Willow said, horrified. "Do you already have a marriage contract, or was that a rumour?"

Netra knew exactly what rumour Willow was referencing; it was the one about all pureblood supremacist families keeping their lines pure through arranged marriages. So far, her parents hadn't done anything, and for that she was glad. Whether or not it would remain that way was another story.

She could hope, though.

"Well, I don't have one. Yet." Netra shrugged.

"You're going to have to be a bit specific," said a voice beside her, and Netra could hearthe grin in it.

Praveen!

Netra beamed and turned to the side excitedly, with Willow copying her, having been sitting next to Netra rather than opposite her. Beside the couch stood the Patil twins, Praveen and Preethika, Netra's best friends since their first year, and two of the only other South Asians in Hogwarts.

"Yeah, there's a lot of things you don't have, Netra," said Preethi, laughing. "Herbology skills, for instance."

"And apparently, you lot don't have manners, seeing as you haven't introduced yourselves yet," Netra retorted with a light-hearted glare. "Preethika and Praveen Patil, they're twins," she pointed before turning back to Willow and grinning, "Preethi, Praveen, this is my best friend, the one I perform with and helps keep me sane when I can't see you."

"Willow Wood," Willow supplied.

"Your parents sure embraced the family name with that one," Preethi chuckled.

Praveen shot his sister a look and elbowed her. "I'm so sorry about her. She doesn't know when she ought to shut up."

"It just slipped out," Preethi huffed at her brother.

"It's all good, I have to agree with Preethika on that one," Willow laughed.

"Of course, you agree with me. I'm always right," Preethi smiled warmly. "You can just call me Preethi! Preethika's way too formal."

"Noted," Willow smiled in response.

"I wouldn't say you're always right, maybe more like 5 percent of the time," Praveen said, seemingly deep in thought.

Netra nodded vigorously in agreement. "You have your moments, but they're pretty rare. Sorry, not sorry," she smirked playfully.

"Hey! Rude."

"This girl can't even come up with a proper comeback! Your incredible debate skills are as evident as always," Netra said.

"Okay, okay, I get it! I didn't come here to get attacked," she groaned, glaring at Netra jovially.

There was a beat of silence where everyone stared at each other awkwardly, and Netra sighed. "What, are the two of you going to just stand there? Sit down already," she said, gesturing to the two empty seats across from her.

"Glad I'm not the only one you treat that way," Willow snorted, breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Yeah! Netra's so rude and bossy. Someone seriously needs to get her out of her head," Preethi tapped Netra on the head before sitting down with a sarcastic eye roll while crossing her legs. Praveen plopped down next to her.

Netra looked at her mock offendedly. "And here I thought you loved me."

"That too. But you're more annoying than loveable and I don't know how I put up with you," she replied, faking a sigh.

"I second this. You're a child! Can't do anything by yourself, relies on your friends to 'baby' you, and then? At the end of the day? You boss us around as if you're the queen of the world," Praveen piped up light-heartedly.

Willow looked at Praveen and Preethi with mock pity, playing along. "I can't even imagine how tough it would be to deal with her for the entire school year. Like, I would actually lose my sanity."

"Wow, what fake friends. All simultaneously ganging up on me. I thought we were teasing Preethi," Netra muttered.

"I simply jest, my dear. We only bully you because we have nothing better to do," Preethika said.

Netra raised her eyebrows amusedly. "I do have something better to do." She reached into her bag and produced a book, a roll of parchment, and a sugar quill with ink, holding up the book she had taken from the shelves before Willow showed up. "Who wants to write my Herbology essay for me?" she asked enthusiastically, looking at her friends expectantly. "I completely forgot about it during our week of busking."

"I can butcher it for you," Willow offered.

Netra laughed. "Thanks for the offer, but no. I can't afford to be on the brink of failing Herbology. Again."

"I can confirm. She's never failed that class, but she's been close every single year," Praveen said.

Netra looked at him pleadingly, the butterflies in her stomach refusing to leave. "Herbology is the bane of my existence. You've got to help me, you were in the top 3 of the class last year!"

"Fine, I'll help. But I won't write it for you. Entirely. Even though I probably will, since I'm nice like that. Here's an example of you not being able to get anything done by yourself," he teased.

She blew a playful raspberry at him, smiling fondly. This was exactly why she loved him so much. "Joke's on you, I finished the Potions essay, Charms assignment and Defence Against the Dark Arts project all by myself. But anyway, it's a deal."

Willow and Preethi looked at each other, entertainment dancing in their eyes at Netra and Praveen's unknowing flirting. However, Preethi had a role to play as the "jester" of the group.

"Guys, get a room!" Preethi complained, covering her eyes.

Netra felt the heat rising in her ears and she immediately looked away from Praveen. "You go get a room," she said, her usual eloquence failing her.

"What was that you were saying about Preethi's debate skills?" Willow laughed.

"Oh, shove off!"

"That must be her catchphrase, she says it like ten times a day," Praveen said to Willow.

"She does though!"

"How did I not notice?!" Preethi asked, incredulous.

"It's only because I don't want to be too vulgar," Netra sniffed self-righteously.

"Right, because you surely cared for that while we busked," Willow snorted, referring to the multiple original songs that Netra swore in.

Praveen and Preethi burst out into laughter, and to Netra's amusement, they got shushed by a passing librarian.

"This is a library, not the Leaky Cauldron," the librarian hissed. "Be silent or begone!"

Netra ducked her head and hastily scribbled down the few parts of the book in front of her she understood, suppressing a snort when Preethi and Praveen silenced themselves, abashed.

"Hey, should we go there instead?" Willow whispered once the librarian was gone. "It's not like Netra's going to finish her Herbology essay."

"I'll have you know that I'm on my last paragraph," Netra pouted.

"Of a really shitty essay, I'd bet," Preethi snorted.

"I think that's enough of bullying Netra now," Praveen said. He seemed like he was trying to sound disapproving, but he couldn't hide his grin.

"Fiiiine," Willow said as Preethi hung her head like a kicked puppy.

"I hate you. Praveen's the only decent one out of you all," Netra announced. "I don't know why I decided this was a good idea."

"You love us, really," Willow grinned, not looking concerned at all.

"For now," Netra said, mirroring his smile to show that she wasn't serious.

Preethi coughed, and Netra turned back to face her, noticing that Praveen was a little red in the face.

Is he too hot or something? Huh.

"So, can we go to Leaky?" Preethi asked excitedly. "I could really do with some Gillywater right now."

"Ew, Gigglewater is much better," said Willow. "Figures that just when I start liking you, you go and betray me like that."

"Personally, I think that Butterbeer is best," Praveen piped up.

Preethi scoffed, "You're so basic."

With a smile playing on her lips, Netra regretfully left them to it instead of joining in. This was the last chance that she would get to finish her stupid Herbology essay (unless she were to do it on the train), and her grammar and legible sentences were the only reason she ever passed Herbology at all.