I awoke to Violet jumping on my bed yelling, "Happy birthday!" and, "Get up lazy bones!" I groaned, but complied, knowing she wouldn't stop until I did. Why did she have to be such a morning person?
"Oh, leave her be, Vi," scolded Evelyn affectionately. "Happy birthday." I mumbled my thanks, still partially asleep, but she didn't mind. My roommates were used to my grogginess in the mornings by now.
I stumbled to the bathroom, hissing as I stubbed my toe on the door. I hopped all the way to the sink to start my morning routine. When I was feeling a little fresher, I headed back to my dorm room to actually get dressed. My outfit was already lying on the bed, courtesy of Isabelle. She had taken it upon herself to become my personal stylist.
I pulled on my uniform, hardly paying attention. I didn't notice the white button-up had become shorter, showing a sliver of skin. I didn't notice my skirt was tighter, hugging my hips and thighs attractively. I slid the thick, white headband into my hair without even thinking.
I grabbed my book bag and headed to the common room. I was still so sleepy I failed to notice the stares in my direction. I made it to the Great Hall without any major incident; I had tripped a few times, but it was nothing new. I plopped onto the Ravenclaw bench, ignoring my friends' glances.
It wasn't until Emmett piped up, "Wow, Wren you look hot!" that I was aware of anything at all. My head jerked up at his statement and then flitted to Evelyn, who was simply smirking. Shouldn't she be jealous? Shouldn't she be glaring and promising to make me an enemy for life, or smacking some sense into her boyfriend?
I glanced down at my uniform and then blushed, immediately trying to cover myself with my robes. "What is this?" I snarled.
"It's your birthday. You need to look good," was all Evelyn would say.
"So making me look like a stripper was the way to go?" I bit back, frustration rising when my robes failed to cover me the way I wanted.
"No, but making you look desirable was a start," Violet answered, not phased at all. She just continued to butter her toast as if all was right in the world.
"Why would I want to look desirable anyway?" I asked angrily.
"Two words: Brom Calloway," Evelyn stated, a mischievous gleam in her eye. Emmett glanced at her proudly. I thought he was going to start making out with her right there at the table.
"Why do I care what Brom Calloway thinks?" I snorted, trying to fight the rising blush.
"Because you like him," Violet said in her are-you-really-that-stupid tone.
"I don't like him!" I insisted. "We tolerate each other sort of because he tutors me. We have a truce in the library and nothing more."
"Oh please," Emmett finally interjected. "If you two don't kiss soon, I think you are going to drive the whole school mad."
"I am certainly not letting my lips anywhere near his slimy ones."
"Whatever you say, Short Stuff," Emmett laughed. "Happy birthday. I am even going to be nice and let you drink your cold chocolate without stealing some."
"How kind of you, really," I muttered sarcastically. I sipped it hurriedly. Who knew how long his word would last?
"Now, I am going to go tell Brom that you will not be able to make tonight's tutoring session as you will be otherwise occupied," Violet stated, standing up with a determined expression on her face.
"What exactly do you have planned?" I hedged, frightened of what the answer might be.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it. We have it all taken care of," Evelyn reassured me.
"That's what I was afraid of," I groaned.
My classes passed rather uneventfully, although I noticed several boys giving me heated looks throughout the day. It wouldn't have bothered me so much had Brom not been one of them. The way he was looking at me was like a starving man at a feast. Needless to say, I tried to avoid looking in his direction as much as possible.
Later that night, I was about to head to dinner when my roommates stopped me. "Where do you think you're going?" Isabelle asked.
"To get food? You know, the stuff you need to live?" I replied.
"Not tonight. We have your dinner reserved in a more exclusive setting," she told me.
I didn't have time to protest, as I was already being pushed towards the bathroom. Evelyn and Violet were waiting with twin looks of excitement. Similar to my first night at Hogwarts, I was poked and prodded for an hour before they deemed me acceptable. A flimsy, emerald green material was thrust into my hands and I was ordered to change without a choice in the matter.
I emerged from the bathroom moments later, tugging at the hemline of the dress I was currently sporting. It had thick straps and stopped about mid-thigh. It was completely covered in sequins that glittered and shone in the candlelight.
"Perfect!" Violet clapped the moment she saw me.
"You are just missing one thing," Evelyn mused, gazing at me so intently I felt like a kid in the principal's office. Suddenly she pulled a small white box from behind her back, grinning like she had won the lottery. "This is from all three of us."
I carefully removed the lid and gasped when I pulled out a delicate, silver chain on which rested a sapphire the size of my pinky nail. "It's beautiful," I murmured. "Thank you so much. You didn't have to do that."
"I know, but we're amazing," Evelyn joked. She took the necklace from me and undid the clasp. I held up my hair as she secured it to my neck. "Now go look in the mirror and appreciate our hard work."
I giggled and followed her instructions. A long-legged siren was staring back at me. Her thick, red hair was in loose, Hollywood curls that framed her heart-shaped face. Her skin was a light ivory that contrasted beautifully with the dark dress. Her periwinkle eyes were large and luminous, reminding me of the owls that delivered our mail.
"Wow. You guys are good," I told them as I turned back around. "You should start your own business or something."
"My dear," Evelyn said linking her arm in mine, "flattery will get you everywhere. Now, let's go to dinner and pray the boys have left some for us."
"Where are we going?" I asked for the fifth time. We were on the seventh floor pacing around for absolutely no reason I could see. I could hear my stomach rumbling in protest at being ignored.
"It's the Room of Requirement," Violet explained. "It appears when you need it. This is where we are having your party. That way, no one can interrupt us unless they know about it."
"Oh, right," I said. We kept pacing back and forth for a few more moments before a door began to jut out of the wall. Black, twisting vines formed the frame and the tan bricks darkened.
"Ready?" Evelyn asked, one hand on the door.
"Yes," I replied, nerves thrumming through my stomach.
She opened the door and we all walked inside. I gaped openly at the set up. We were standing in a large room with a cavernous ceiling. Pink and white balloons floated all around, occasionally bumping into one another. A disco ball was hanging by an invisible chain and turning slowly, sending multicolored lights scattering in all directions.
Pop music was playing through unseen speakers, pulsing through the floor and into my limbs. Long tables were set up off to the left, large silver platters stacked to the max with food and candy. Tables and chairs were to the right, covered in pink tablecloths and covered in so much glitter I was sure a unicorn had vomited on them.
Crystals were suspended in the air to reflect the lights from the disco ball. They were every color of the rainbow and looked like miniature stars. The room rained confetti that vanished right before it hit the floor.
"It's amazing! How did you do this?" I exclaimed in delight.
All of my friends were there. Stella and Skylar were in the corner talking to Kinley and Mitchell. They both waved at me with wide smiles. Emmett was raiding the food, his plate so full I thought it would break. James was lounging at one of the tables, his feet propped up on an empty chair. The rest of the transfer students were already swaying to the beat on the dance floor, and in the middle of them all was Brom. He had ditched the uniform for a white t-shirt and black leather jacket. I was sure I had drool running down my chin as he laughed at something Nicholas Evans, a transfer in Slytherin, was telling him.
"So I take it you like it?" Evelyn asked with a knowing grin.
"Like it? I love it!" I yelled over the music. "This is seriously the best birthday I think I have ever had." I didn't even think about it, instead just launching myself into her arms, wrapping her in a tight hug. "You are the best. I can't believe you did all this."
"Actually…it wasn't me," she replied, a small smirk playing at the corners of her lips.
"Who was it? Stella and Skylar could have," I thought out loud.
"Guess again."
"Emmett and James?" She shook her head, still smiling. It finally dawned on me. "Are you telling me Brom did all this? Brom? As in, Slytherin jerk who hates my guts?"
"Why don't you go find out?" she replied, pushing me towards the group of people dancing. I gulped nervously and wiped my sweaty palms on my dress. He had his back towards me, still talking to Nicholas. Christian and Dylan, transfers from Gryffindor, had since joined them.
Dylan's eyes widened comically when he finally noticed me. "Wren? Is that you?"
"In the flesh," I teased, spinning in a circle.
"I'm starting to think we were sorted into the wrong house, huh Chris?" he remarked, elbowing his friend in the ribs. He was too busy staring to come up with a response.
"Looking good," Nick told me flashing his trademark smile.
Brom finally turned, realizing the conversation had gone in a different direction. His eyes, which had been a light teal, were suddenly as molten silver as the disco ball hanging over our heads. "Hello Princess," he drawled lazily, his eyes trailing down my body. I could feel them skimming my curves as if he were caressing them with his gaze.
"Hey there," I replied, matching his tone. Two could play at that game. The other guys could feel a shift in the mood and quickly excused themselves. "I knew you were talented in potions, but I didn't take you for a party planner."
"I am a man of many talents," he replied with a shrug, but a smile was plastered on his face. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me."
"I can see that," I commented. "I have greatly underestimated you, I think."
He shrugged as if people did it all the time. "Are you having a good birthday?" he questioned, changing the subject.
"Actually, yes, I am," I told him. "It is definitely one of the best ones I have had so far."
"Only one of the best? I guess I need to try harder," Brom teased.
"Are you, Brom Calloway, actually joking with me?" I asked in shock.
"I guess I am," he replied with a smile.
"I like you a lot better this way," I admitted. "You're not a jerk."
"And you're not so annoying," he retorted in a light tone.
"Okay, less of a jerk," I amended. "But seriously, thank you for doing this. It means a lot to me."
"No worries," he replied. "I knew it would make Emmett happy so." Oh. Yeah, I'm not going to lie, that stung a little.
"Yeah, Emmett's great," I said after a moment. "Well, I should go say hi to everyone." I left before he could say anything else. We had been doing so well up until that point. He had almost seemed like a decent person, and then he had to go remind me of who he really was. Serves me right for forgetting, I scolded myself.
"Hey, you okay?" Stella asked me, slinging her arm over my shoulders.
"Better than okay," I said, giving her a winning smile. "But I think, Ms. Brown, that you owe me a dance." I held my hand out to her dramatically. She placed hers in mine and we ran to the dance floor.
A new song had started, the beat energetic and peppy. "I love this song!" she shouted, pumping her fists in the air. She started to sing to the lyrics and I joined her, loudly, and off-key. I giggled, letting loose in a way I hadn't for ages. We shook our hips furiously; bobbing our heads, and laughing hysterically at each other's horrible dance moves.
The transfers ran to join us, mimicking our actions and singing along. Kinley began to twerk at one point, making the rest of us cheer her on. The Hogwarts students stared at us for a moment. Emmett and James looked at each other before sprinting towards the center and shaking their hips in the most uncoordinated manner I had ever seen. Evelyn and Violet joined us a moment later, following the boys, but their movements were much more graceful.
I looked around and Brom was nowhere to be seen. Whatever, I scoffed. If he wanted to go be moody, he could do it somewhere else. I turned back to my circle of friends, determined to dance the night and my cares away. I didn't need that suave Slytherin no matter what my heart said.
I wasn't the only grumpy one at my table the next morning. It seemed everyone was nursing a headache from the loud music and lack of sleep. I took small sips of my Frappuccino. I couldn't even begin to consider food at the moment.
"What a night," Emmett commented, groaning as he sat down on the bench. Violet hushed him, glaring with squinted eyes. "Whoops, sorry," he whispered.
"Em, would you be a dear and pass me the orange juice?" Evelyn asked softly, rubbing her sore temples. He did silently, staring at her for a moment, probably to make sure she was okay.
"I saw you talking to Brom last night," he said to me after a pregnant pause. "How did that go?"
I sighed, not sure if I wanted to get into it so early in the morning. "It was going pretty well at first," I told him hesitantly.
"That's good, and?" Emmett prompted.
"And…then it just…died," I replied.
"It just died? What happened?" he asked incredulously.
"Look, Em, I know he is your best friend and you all think he is this amazing person, but I have yet to see it," I explained. "He is a jerk to me a majority of the time and just when I think we are getting somewhere, he starts acting like a prick again. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but from the moment we met, he has hated me and I'm just not quite sure what I have done."
Emmett seemed astonished by what I had revealed. "I guess I hadn't thought of it like that," he conceded. "I know he can act like a real prat sometimes, but he does have his redeeming qualities."
"Well, I have yet to see them," I informed him. "I would love to see this other side of him that everyone raves about, but I don't know how much longer I can wait for that."
He nodded, understanding. "I wouldn't blame you."
We continued talking quietly until it was time for classes to start. I couldn't help but feel that Emmett seemed distracted the entire time though. He kept glancing at Brom, scrutinizing him as if he could see into his soul.
I soon forgot about it, however. We had begun to practice transforming furniture into larger animals and objects and it took a great deal of my focus. Despite the fact that Brom was in a few of my classes, he stayed out of my thoughts the remainder of the day. I only remembered at dinner when I realized we would have a tutoring session that night.
Still pensive, I made my way to the library. It took me a few seconds to even realize that I didn't see Brom. I headed to the back of the library, thinking he would be where we usually sat. No dice. I scanned all of the aisles between bookcases, but I didn't find him. He must be running late, I thought, pulling my books out.
I waited. Ten minutes rolled by, then twenty. My leg was shaking and I tapped my quill against the desk, anxious to begin. Where was he? He had always been here before I was. Eventually an hour passed. Fed up, I gathered my belongings and stalked out of the library.
I smacked into a solid wall, nearly tumbling to the floor. At the last second, two pale arms shot out and grabbed my waist, hauling me back up. Suddenly I was face to face with the reason for my frustration. "Wren—" he began, running his fingers messily through his hair.
"Save it," I griped. "I waited for an hour. An hour. I know you are being kind and tutoring me, but I also have other things to do. I will see you in class tomorrow."
I began to tread down the hall to the Ravenclaw common room when he ran in front of me. "Wren, I am sorry," he panted. "I lost track of time and—"
That's when my vision narrowed in on something. I noticed cherry red lipstick smeared on his pressed collar. "Is this what you define as 'losing track of time?'" I inquired, tugging on the offending article. "Next time you want to take a booty call, let me know beforehand."
I shoved him out of my way and continued down the corridor. I didn't know why I was so upset. Sure, he hadn't shown up for our tutoring session, but it shouldn't bother me that much. "Wren, please listen to me!" he called after me.
"Save it for someone who cares!" I yelled over my shoulder. I tried to pretend I didn't see the crestfallen look on his face. After the way he had treated me, who cares how he felt? I thought, but felt a pang in my chest. You care, my heart whispered. Angrily I muttered, "Yeah, well what do you know?" to myself.