Hunn got halfway to her common room when she ran into a boy in Dumstrang robes.
"Sorry," she said, trying to walk around him, but he pulled her back.
"No, I'm sorry." He let her go, and she looked up at him. His dark hair was slicked back, and he smiled brightly at her.
"Oh, alright," Hunn looked down and turned away.
"Can you tell me where the entrance to the castle is? I got lost." He scratched the back of his head and looked embarrassed.
"It's down the stairs, the second floor, then down the left corridor, take a right and then go left down the staircase, and you'll see the great hall and the entrance," she told him, "Oh, and if the first set of stairs change just stay calm. Step over to the next set going down and follow them down faster."
"I'll never remember that," He laughed, "And the stairs change? Why?" He was smiling, but he looked confused and a little concerned.
"They change because there are so many places in the castle to get to. Sometimes, the stairs don't care and take you where they want," she shrugged and started leading him down the corridor to the stairs. He followed her, his boots thumping on the floor, loudly echoing with them as they walked.
"It's really nice of you to take me down," He said, standing close to her.
"Not a problem. I remember getting lost when I was a first year here," she told him, walking a little slower. He made her nervous, in a good and a bad way, too.
It was confusing.
They walked silently for a moment and went down to the great hall again, "Well, I'm glad such a pretty girl found me."
Hunn nodded, looking down to hide her blush.
"What's your name?" he asked, tipping her face up with his fingers.
"Hunn," she told him quietly.
"Unique for such a pretty girl. I like it. I am Andon." He puffed out his chest and stood taller than before.
He reached for her hand and held it tightly, "I think you're very pretty, Hunn." He moved closer to her. Her chest touched just below his. She looked up at him, eyes wide.
"Th-thank you," she stuttered.
He smiled and squeezed her hand before pulling her closer and leaning down to her ear. He brushed her hair aside and rested his hand on the back of her neck.
He whispered softly, his lips brushing her skin, "I can't wait to see you again, Hunn." His voice rumbled and traveled across her body. It felt different, new, and a little wrong in the back of her head. Her heart sank, but she nodded anyway.
He let her go and walked out of the castle, the door closing and echoing behind him. She turned around, feeling flustered, and walked back to her common room. Students were walking the halls, whispering and giggling.
She spoke to the Eagle, answered his riddle, and entered the common space. It was silent, and students were reading and whispering.
Fred and George popped into her head, and she smiled. They weren't silent, and she loved it. They were something else, so the same and so different, too. So reserved and so out there. Everyone knew who they were, one way or another.
Hunn sat in bed and let her mind wander from the twins to Andon. The day's stress took over, and she fell asleep in the empty room long before everyone else.
Hunn woke to the sun rising in the window, and her heart clenched. She panicked and reached for George and Fred, but the bed was empty, and she was alone.
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, but the sheets were tangled around her legs, and the air was thick and hard to pull in. Her chest seemed to tighten and constrict until it was hard to breathe. She threw her legs over the edge, still in yesterday's clothes, and dropped her head below her knees, breathing deeply.
Heart still squeezing and tight and feeling panic deep in her chest, she did her best to reassure herself that she was okay. After a while she calmed down and was able to breathe normally.
She moved to her feet and got ready for the day, taking her Advanced Latin and Dark Charms book. Head aching and chest tight, she felt sad. She felt alone and lost, and she couldn't figure out why.
Leaving for the great hall, smiling and waving at all the portraits along the way, she made it to the great hall's entrance. The twins joined her, slinging their arms around her shoulders, laughing.
"Good morning!" they screamed together.
She cringed and laughed at their energy, "It's too early to be so loud," she told them as they dragged her to the Gryffindor table.
They sat at the quickly filling table and filled their plates with eggs and such as they chatted. At the front of the hall, the stone goblet stood tall and burning bright with its blue flames. Students threw in their names, and people cheered each time, whooping and screaming around those who ate and chatted away the sleepy morning.
Fred stared at the students entering and nearly missed his mouth, hitting his bottom lip with a fork full of sausage, "Hunn, we need your help," Fred said, stuffing his mouth with sausages on the second go around.
"Yeah, we need you to help us," George added in around a mouth full of eggs, eyes wandering to the stone goblet in the front.
Hunn picked at her sweet bread and narrowed her eyes. They were up to something. "What do you need? Classes haven't even started yet."
"We want to enter the tournament!" They whispered yelled in her ear on both sides.
"What, how? You're not seventeen yet! There are rules!" She admonished them sternly.
They smiled, "You're the absolute best potion brewer in the world! We want your help brewing an aging potion," George told her with a glimmer in his eyes.
"No way. Not at all. I won't do it," she crossed her arms and looked away.
They turned their eyes to her and made a sad face, begging her to help. She stared back briefly, looking between them before finally giving in, "Fine!"
"Yes! Thank you! Thank you! We need it tomorrow. Can you do it?" They asked, looking longingly away, up at the goblet.
"Yes, I'll start it during my free period today and give it to you after classes later." She was defeated. No way could she say no to them, not when they begged or turned their beautiful green eyes on her and wouldn't look away.
They hugged her tightly, and from the corner of her eyes, I could see Andon sitting at the Slytherin table frowning at something, but when he saw her, he smiled. She gave him a small wave and a little smile.
"Who are you looking at, Hunn?" Ginny asked from the other side of the table. She was grinning mischievously.
"No one," She told her, drinking her Pumpkin Juice.
"Are you sure? Because that cute dark-haired Durmstrang boy is grinning like an idiot," She said, looking back at the Slytherin table, ratting her out.
Hunn blushed and looked away, ignoring her prying.
"What Durmstrang bloke?" Fred asked, frowning. His eyebrows knit together, eyes narrowed. Angry, jealous, something.
"I gave one of them directions last night on the way back to Ravenclaw Tower." She shrugged and looked away from Fred. His angry eyes made her feel sad, guilty and defeated.
"Really?" Ginny shrieked, eyes wide and mouth a gape.
"Yes. He was lost. I just gave him some help."
Ginny was leaning forward across the table, "What's his name?" she was bouncing in her seat.
"Andon," Hunn told her, rolling her eyes, "If you think he's so cute, you go talk to him."
"No, no. It's not a redhead he's looking at now," She giggled, fanning her face.
Hunn turned around and he wasn't there at all, "He's not there."
"No, but he's walking around the Slytherin table now to get to you." She pointed, and sure enough, Andon was walking toward her with a big grin on his face.
"Hello, Hunn. I was hoping you'd be willing to show me to my class today?" He grinned and winked at her, puffing out his chest and squaring his shoulders, giving off a tough guy act. George and Fred stiffened and sat up straighter.
"Sure. I don't mind. I need to get my class list from Flitwick. Do you have yours?" Hunn asked, standing and gathering her books as she ignored the burning jealousy radiating off of the twins.
"Yes, your Professor Snape gave it to me a moment ago." He held up a slip of paper.
Hunn smiled and nodded, "I'll see you guys later. At lunch?"
Ginny nodded and smiled, winking at her. Giggling as she walked away with Andon closely at her side.
"Hello, Professor," She greeted Flitwick
He turned and looked up at her, smiling behind his glasses, "Ah, Miss Rose-Singer!" he searched through his stack of papers and held one out to her. "These are your NEWT classes. Please be prompt and continue on your perfect scores this year." He smiled and ushered them off.
"He is a short man," Andon said as they left the hall.
"Yes, he is. He always has been."
"He said you had perfect scores. Did he mean it?" He asked, handing her his class schedule so she could find his class.
"Yes, I do. He was not joking." She looked over his schedule and compared it to her own.
N.E.W.T Level courses
Monday
9am-12:30pm Herbology
12:31pm-1:29pm Free Period
2pm-3:30pm Potions
3:30pm-5pm Transfiguration
Tuesday
9am-10:30am Ancient Runes
11am-2pm Free Period
2pm-3:30pm Potions
3:30pm-5pm Free Period
5pm-9:30pm Astronomy
Wednesday
9am-10:30am History of Magic
11am-2:00pm Defense Against the Dark Art's
Thursday
9am-12:30am Charms
12:30pm-2pm Free Period
2pm-3:30pm Divination
3:30pm-5pm Transfiguration
Friday
9am-11am Free Period
11am-12:30pm History of Magic
12:30pm-2pm Free Period
2pm-3:30pm Arithmancy
"Well, it's Tuesday, so we have Potions together. That's not until two, so I can drop you off at Defense Against the Dark Arts, and then I have to go to my class," she smiled at him, and he watched her closely.
"Alright, please lead the way." He placed his hand on her lower back, and she walked them to the staircase so they could head up together. It was silent, and everyone around them was watching, whispering. He kept his hand on her, slowing his pace to match hers.
They arrived at his classroom and said goodbye.
"Hunn! You going to class?" Hermione called from behind, catching up quickly.
"Yeah! I have Herbology," Hunn told her, smiling.
"So do I. But mine isn't Newt level yet, not like yours!" She explained, chatting away as they walked outside the castle
"I bet we'll just be gathering ingredients for Potions class later. She gets us to do her dirty work." She told Hermione as they entered the Greenhouse. Hermione laughed and left to join the other fourth years in Greenhouse 1.
The class passed quickly; before she knew it, it was her free period. Hunn left the greenhouse, having taken all the things she needed for the aging potion Fred and George wanted.
Walking into the Ravenclaw common room Hunn found it empty except for a few seventh-years lingering around. So she crept to her room and set up her potions kit in the corner.
The aging potion was simple. Just a few ingredients and two and half hours of stirring and brewing on low heat. Her mind went to Fred and George.
Did she really want them to enter?
They could be hurt, or worse killed.
God.
Her heart clenched thinking about it. She couldn't let them do it. Before she added the final ingredient, she swapped it out for dill weed, which would taste the same but negate the effects of the aging potion, causing beard growth but no aging of any kind. Frowning, the free period was over before she knew it, and she bottled the 'potion', hiding it in her pocket before sprinting to Potions in the dungeon.
She arrived five minutes before the class started and sat in the middle, not close enough to be noticed by Professor Snape too often.
She sat alone, often the other's last choice or first if they wanted an easy Pass for the class. She pulled out her black feather quill and scroll and waited for Snape to begin.
"Hello, Hunn," Andon said, smiling and sitting beside her.
"Oh. Hello, Andon," she replied, smiling slightly.
"I like that we have this class together. You can help me," He said to her, placing his hand on her leg and smiling brightly.
"As am-"
"Attention, class!" Snape called out to the class, cutting her off, "We are overcrowded today. Slytherin, my own house, Ravenclaw, and a portion of the Dumstrang as well." Snap sneered, wooshing around the classroom, dimming the lights, and starting his lecture.
"This is an advanced level class. There will be no games and no lollygagging. This class and the more advanced one next year will get you a job anywhere. That is if you can muster up the skill to pass!" he looked sternly at everyone.
"We are going to start by brewing a potion you should have mastered last year. If your summer empties your mind, and you can't brew this simple potion, you will be removed from my class." He went to the board and wrote Draught of Peace, "You have until the end of this class. You are partners with your seatmate. Now get moving." He walked to his desk and observed them all closely, bringing out a quill to take notes.
"I'll get the ingredients. You start everything else?" He told her before walking away.
She set up the cauldron to the right temperature and set about preparing the base when Andon returned with the moonstone, syrup of hellebore, powdered porcupine quills, and powdered unicorn horn. Setting them about the work area carefully.
"Can you measure them exactly?" She asked, focused on her task.
"Of course." He went silent and took out his own set of polished brass scales, measuring and setting aside everything they needed.
As she added the moonstone slowly, it turned green. Andon stirred until it went blue, and she watched on, her eyes tracking his hands as they went about moving things and stirring the potion slowly in both directions. She sat back and let the potion simmer until it turned pink.
"You're good at this. Really good at this." He complimented her as she moved about for the next step.
Hunn laughed, "I study," she told him seriously.
They chatted like old friends and laughed as the class went on. Near the end of the hour, many had made the potion well but imperfectly.
Hunn added the last of the Powdered Porcupine quills and watched as the potion turned white. They were finished just as Snape made his way to their station.
Hunn watched him sniff and inspect their potion, "Not as good as I, but good enough. Bottle it and go." He told them.
Snape walked back to the front of the class and watched them, "Many of you have done a decent job, some better than others," he looked at Hunn and Andon, "Three of you will not be continuing on. You know who you are. Do not show your faces here next week. For those of you continuing, I want a four-foot parchment on the Draught of Peace, its effects, and how it's brewed by next week." He turned and marched into his office, leaving them alone to clean.
Andon waved his wand and cleared their workspace. Hunn packed her things, and Andon followed her out. They stopped by the staircase, and he looked at her, contemplating.
His eyes were soft, "Hunn, were one of those twins at breakfast this morning, your boyfriend?" he asked, waiting for an answer.
She smiled and looked down, shaking her head, "No, neither one of them is," she avoided his eyes, a little confused by the ache in her chest.
"Good, then I still have a chance," He said, smiling and moving closer to her.
"No, I don't think that would be a good idea," she told him quickly, stepping back
He didn't say anything at first, his eyebrows knit together, and he took a deep breath. "Do you like one of them?" he asked, frowning.
Hunn looked at him. Eyes wide, she had never thought about it.
The twins? They were something, they made her heart race and her hands sweat, did she like them? One of them, or both?
"I don't know," she whispered to him.
"Then don't say no, not yet." He ran his fingers through her hair, one had stopped at her waist above her bum and the other at the nape of her neck.
He pulled her in closer to his chest and looked deeply into her eyes, "You're beautiful. Your eyes sparkle, and I feel lost when I look at them. Your hair feels like silk against my finger, your skin is as pale as the moon, and I can't help but stare when you walk away from me. Don't say no when you don't know what you feel for them or me." He pulled her even closer, whispering in her ears something in Bulgarian, "Красива, невероятна."
His lips touched hers gently; they felt soft and warm, but she didn't feel anything. His eyes closed, and he pulled her closer still.
She could feel her heart clenched.
She couldn't breathe. It hurt inside and left her confused. He was cute, very handsome and polite, she shouldn't mind if he kissed her.
She should have liked it, loved it even, but she didn't.
He leaned away and looked at her, smiling, puffing out his chest, running his finger down her cheek.
Everyone around them was whispering, giggling, and gasping. She could feel their eyes on her, and she hated it. She felt persecuted by their stares and judged by their laughter.
Hunn did the only thing she knew how and ran from him. Her chest hurt, and the air she breathed felt like fire as she took every breath in and out. She ran around the corner to escape and only found more pain.
George was holding hands with Angelina, and Fred was with Katie. They smiled and laughed, content and happy. Her heart stopped and then dropped to the floor behind her as she ran.
"Oh god."
It hurt to see them holding someone else.
Hunn felt her chest burning and aching. Tears sprang into her eyes, and she choked on the air she took in as she pushed past them. It was getting harder to breathe with every passing second.
"Hunn!" They called after her, concerned. She could hear all of their footfalls behind her, the twins, the girls, and Andons, but she didn't stop. She couldn't face them. Not anyone. Not right now.