𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐘 || 𝐜.𝐝.

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

Tall, leather boots. Slightly shorter snow boots. Average height buckled boots. Running shoes of some sort. Sneakers. Flats.

"I think I'm done."

"Y'know, I think those shoes there are slightly taller than-"

"Shut up, Angelina, I worked too hard on these."

Angelina Johnson raised her hands in her defense and cracked up.

During the whole fiasco with Cedric, I haven't actually had time to write to some others I was close to, Angelina being one of them. Admittedly, she was angry when I'd written to her asking if she wanted to come over after months of not receiving a single letter from me, but it was only four days left until the start of fifth year. What option did I have?

She caved in eventually and asked her mum to take her through Floo Powder.

Angelina was one of my few Gryffindor friends, along with the Weasleys, who I'd actually met her through. We were direct opposites, but the contrast made it even funnier that we got on very well. She liked Quidditch, I didn't, but that didn't stop her from forcing me to get on a broom every once in a while. I wasn't too bad.

She was sat on my bed while I sorted through my closet, organizing my shoes by height.

"So, Lene, you haven't actually told me what went on while you— you know, ignored me." Angelina mused. I allowed a grin spread onto my face, until I remembered the sad portions, then a frown flooded the grin.

"It was... eventful, to say the least."

"Alright, yeah, but what happened?"

"So, um, my birthday happened, the Weasleys sent me some stuff, I got a boyfriend—" Still hate that label. "Oh, yeah. My dad kind of— died." I coughed to cover up any signs of residual damage. I've been trying to cover how nearly miserable I've been inside. I hope I've been doing well enough.

"I'm so sorry." Angelina seemed to sense that the mood was flopping in on itself, so she cleared her throat and changed the topic.

"Backtrack a bit. The Weasleys sent you stuff, birthday, boring shit— then what was it you said again, Lene?"

I recounted what I'd said, then flushed a tiny bit. I looked down by force of habit, causing her to laugh, but I could tell she was curious and dying to know.

"I got a— Merlin, don't make me say it again, I hate labels—"

"Boyfriend." She finished for me. I groaned and held my face in my hands.

Angelina dropped her jaw down exaggeratedly before placing her head in her hands and leaning forward, stomach down on the bed and legs dangling off the edge. She definitely looked interested in the full story. Damn it.

"Who is it?"

"Ang-"

"Who— is— it?"

"No comment." I turned back to the closet I was arranging, folding some long socks I found sitting in the back of one of my drawers. I heard her sigh disappointedly, causing me to snicker as I continued folding them.

"Can I at least guess?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Shit friend you are."

I know this is a guilt trip. I know this is a guilt trip. I know this is a—

"Fine, fine. Guess away."

I rolled my eyes and turned to see Angelina clapping excitedly. I just hoped she would guess right so I wouldn't have to repeat the word. The dumb word. Stupid word.

"Fred or George?"

"No." I thought of George and Fred and their jokes about George fancying me, but I just let that stay a lasting joke between us. I chuckled at the memory, causing her to raise her eyebrow, but she just continued.

"Okay, okay, is he a Slytherin?"

"Not even close."

"Gryffindor?"

"Not answering any more."

"Ravenclaw?"

I laughed and placed each pair of socks back inside the drawer in a neat manner. She groaned and tapped me on the shoulder.

"Inglebee?"

"Merlin, no."

"Wood?"

"I don't even speak to Oliver, come on—"

"Holy cr— I've got it. I know who it is."

"Who then?"

She looked up at the ceiling for a moment as if she was working something out, then began laughing harder than before, while I was left confused. I chuckled along without any context, while she clutched her stomach and laughed hysterically.

"Diggory. It's fucking pretty boy Diggory, isn't it?"

I turned back to the closet in silence, mentally dying of laughter and fits of giggles as I tried not to lose my composure on the surface. Grabbing a messy pile of shirts, I began folding one at the sleeves while Angelina laughed at my expense in the back.

"So it is Diggory. You're going to be absolutely loathed by everyone— sorry, most of everyone in our year, you know that right?"

Both my mental laughter and her physical laughter died down as soon as she said so. Why would I be loathed by everyone in our year again? I mean, how and why is that a possibility? I looked at Angelina over my shoulder.

"Why?"

"Diggory is like— he's like the one every person fancies for no real reason other than his looks. Loads of people in Gryffindor talk about him like there's no other person to like in Hogwarts. That's enough reason to dislike you since, well— you're with him now."

I visibly winced. It was bad enough I'd anticipated my popularity level rising, now I had to deal with a flock of idiots stalking my every move and trying to do whatever they could to talk about me badly behind my back.

This conversation needed a good steering away from its current direction.

"So, what about you and Fred Weasley then? You spend a little too much time together not to have anything happening." I asked, fighting a chuckle as her face contorted into that of an "I liked it better when you were being embarrassed" face.

"Please. The Weasleys are great, but, just— please."

Why was this conversation so fucking dry?

"Also, did you hear Sirius Black's broken out?"

What?

Sirius Black was a criminal known for having killed hundreds of people at once, and for being a close follower of the Dark Lord. He was placed in Azkaban, where people expected him to go and drive himself insane, but clearly that wasn't the case as Black's broken out of what was expected to never have been broken out of. Not in a good state, at least.

"From Azkaban? Angelina, everyone's in trouble if he's out. Not just Muggleborns, everyone." I shuddered to think of what would happen to my Muggleborn mother if the Dark Lord's followers were all out and about after Black.

"The news is that apparently he had gone mental, kept whispering in his sleep, but he got out anyways." Angelina continued.

"I don't want to talk about this, Angelina, I'm— this is making me anxious, we were supposed to have fun."

"Sorry."

I was definitely anxious now.

What would happen next?

We stayed silent for a moment before deciding that it might be best for Angelina to be heading home. As she entered the fireplace, I wondered. Wondered what was going to happen next.

Wondering where it would all go wrong.

——

IM TIRED OMG
SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING I WAS SCHOOL BUSY BUSY SCHOOL SHDHDHJX