Dariah had already showered and dressed before the sun had been visible in the Ravenclaw dormitory. Her long blonde hair was in a neat French braid, tied with a blue bow. She pinned on her Prefect badge and turned to the bed next to hers. Her best friend, Esdeline Quiggley, was still sound asleep which was understandable considering she had stayed up all night writing an essay for Professor Vector on the magical properties of the number seven. Dariah had read over it after getting dressed and was greatly impressed by how well written it was.
"Esdeline?" she poked her sleeping friend. However, Esdeline only continued to sleep and snuggled her pillow. She sighed and smirked at her friend. Esdeline could be so difficult in the morning. Dariah however, knew the perfect solution.
She walked over to the dormitory door, and cupped her hands around her mouth towards Esdeline.
"Oi, Quiggles!" Snape is naked in the Common Room and wants to see you!" Esdeline flung back the covers and ran towards the door. She stopped however and turned towards Dariah, a disappointed expression on her face as Dariah roared with laughter.
The pair soon found themselves descending the Grand Staircase, their usual morning pilgrimage to breakfast. Dariah kept letting out little snorts of laughter at Esdeline's bright red face. Esdeline was in love with Professor Severus Snape, and frequently started trouble in his class to get detention. She was brilliant in potions, but also purposely did poorly to gain remedial lessons. Snape was clueless.
"Dariah, you are such a git! You really had my hopes up." She tried her best to sound mad but found herself giggling along with her friend. They stopped walking while waiting for the staircase to change in their favour, and Esdeline turned to her friend.
"Will Clio get in trouble? For not being sorted into Ravenclaw?" Dariah didn't look at Esdeline, but kept her eyes straight ahead. There was fear and concern in those pale blue eyes, and it made Esdeline's stomach twist. Dariah merely turned to her and gave a quick smile before descending the staircase as it reached their level.
Not many students were in the Great Hall, as it was still fairly early in the morning. The two grabbed their usual spots and started discussing Cliodne's classes. Esdeline soon had a gigantic smirk on her face, which made Dariah stop talking. She gave her friend a puzzled look and in reply got a wink and a nod towards the table behind her. Dariah slowly turned her head and soon felt her cheeks turn hot. She whipped her head back around and tried to casually read her book while an amused Esdeline giggled at her.
Sitting directly behind her, were the two handsomest red-haired trouble making twins she had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Upon meeting them in her second year she immediately took a fancy to both of them. They were clever, smart, sweet, and totally rebellious. They had declared her their favourite Prefect, probably because she never turned them in. How could she? They were just too amazing.
"Oi, Fred! I think Dariah is being shy today. She hasn't said hello to us, now isn't that a shame?"
"Aye, George. I guess she doesn't love us anymore. Who knew she could be such a heartbreaker? I hope she hasn't decided to be a mean Prefect like Percy, that'd be just dreadful!"
Dariah felt the two materialize on either side of her, her face turning to a very dark shade of red. They were both smirking at her because they knew she fancied them, and from the way they always teased her, she reckoned they fancied her as well.
"You won't start turning us in, will you Dariah? It'll break our identical hearts." Esdeline started roaring with laughter ignoring a glare from Dariah. The twins sat in silence waiting for Dariah's answer, feigning heartbreak.
Dariah sighed and smiled at the two, "Now you boys know that I would never turn you in! I wouldn't be able to live with myself. You two are my favourite boys in the entire castle!" She looked at each of them as she spoke, and after she finished earned a huge sandwich hug from Fred and George. The two remained there as breakfast began neither one taking their eyes off of Dariah.
As the four of them ate and talked amongst themselves, a group of Slytherins entered the Great Hall. Esdeline quickly glanced to the door, and rolled her eyes in disgust as Pansy Parkinson strutted to the Slytherin table. She was followed by a posse of girls and a few drooling boys. However, one girl left the crowd and skipped happily towards them. She slid gracefully into the seat next to Esdeline and gave her a tight hug.
"Merlin's beard! It has been ages since I've seen you, Quiggles! How have you been?" the Slytherin girl smiled her famous bright smile that was contagious to everyone sitting there.
She poked the girl on the nose, "Clio dear, you have not changed one bit! Still the same ole' cheery girl I remember. I'm doing okay, how about you?" Clio merely smiled and the two laughed at each other.
"Oh, I see how it is. Quiggles is more important than your big sister? Really, you must not love me or something to just ignore me like that." A smirking Dariah stared at Clio, eyebrow cocked in amusement.
Clio crossed her arms and stared back, "Well I saw you were busy with your two lovely boyfriends, so I figured you wouldn't want your baby sister bothering you." She smirked as Dariah's eyes widened and Esdeline again started laughing.
"What?! They aren't my boyfriends! I don't have a boyfriend, or tow for that matter!" Dariah looked very nervous and her face went back to a deep shade of crimson and her cheeks burning like flames.
Fred and George looked at each other with mischievous expressions. They grinned and turned towards Dariah, one twin by each of her ears.
"Well now, Dariah is a single maiden, is she? How tragic! George, we should really do something about this. What do you think?"
The other twin smiled, "Indeed, Fred. A beautiful lass like her shouldn't be alone in this world! She needs some tender loving care, and I know just the thing. You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Both twins nodded and then they each planted a kiss on both of Dariah's cheeks. Her face reddened even more as she covered her mouth in surprise. Cliodne and Esdeline laughed, and a few onlookers commented on how cute it was.
Professor McGonagall stood up and dismissed everyone to their first class. Esdeline and an embarrassed Dariah headed off the Arithmancy, and the twins met up with Lee Jordan and went outside to Care of Magical Creatures. Cliodne sat by herself as she finished her pumpkin juice until she felt someone standing behind her.
She turned around to see Draco smiling down at her. She blushed and smiled back, realizing right then and there that she had taken quite a fancy to him.
"I didn't think that you would know where the Transfiguration classroom was, so I thought I'd escort you." He offered his arm out to her, a slight pink tint in his cheeks.
She beamed back at him, "How sweet of you! Of course you may escort me!" She gathered her things and linked her arm in his, both blushing at the brief contact their hands made. The headed towards the door, and quite a few people watched them, whispering and gossiping.
"I am so excited! Transfiguration is my favourite class, it is very fascinating." Draco raised an eyebrow at her.
"Really? Well, contrary to popular belief, Transfiguration is also my favourite class. I'm just not a huge fan of the professor." He laughed a little and the two made their way to the second floor, discussing different Transfiguration spells and the topic of Animagi.
Neither of them seemed to notice that Pansy was glaring at them, steam just about blowing out her ears.