Against the dark Hearts

Berrywine and Dizzy Dancing

The first weekend dawned on Friday afternoon after caring for magical creatures, and Poppy and I were still feeding the animals when Imelda came up behind Poppy and gently put her arms around her. Poppy startled briefly, but then leaned slightly against our Slytherin friend.

Care of Magical Creatures was an elective and Imelda didn't take it, but she and Poppy always picked each other up from class depending on who finished first. "You and your balls of yarn," Imelda said now, sounding just delighted.

Poppy broke away from her and pressed the small food cup into her hand, "You try scaredy bunny now," Poppy said and Imelda's lips drew a thin line.

She wasn't really afraid of animal creatures, she just couldn't relate to them as much as we could. "Well, okay, but only because you are," Imelda replied, pulling her wand out of her right boot. "Wingardium Leviosa," she spoke, and the food flew to the cuddle muffs, in front of whose enclosure we were currently standing.

"Are you two coming to Hogsmeade? Natty says she wants to get something for later," I asked my two friends, they exchanged a look and then both nodded.

Before we left, we all headed to our common rooms, I took a bath and then put on a green, medium length dress that had a few buttons down the front, a bodice that I tied around my waist and my auburn hair I left loose except for two braided strands that I pinned to the sides.

We met at the entrance towards Hogsmeade and when I came down the stairs Imelda, Natty, Ominis and Sebastian were already standing at the entrance. Poppy just ran out of the dungeon compartment where the Hufflepuff common room was. Everyone had dressed in something formal. Imelda was wearing a burgundy dress and had her hair pulled back into a bun, she looked completely different than I had ever seen her. She had even put on some red lipstick. I was sure if my mother had seen her she would have scolded that young women shouldn't dress like that. I thought it suited her style, she was confident and she always knew what she wanted.

Poppy had chosen a white blouse and a brown plaid skirt, over that she wore a Hufflepuff cardigan and in her hair she had a small barrette with a bee brooch.

Natty wore flared pants with a beautiful pattern, I suspected it was of African origin but didn't dare ask, with that she wore a white blouse with ruffles on the sides and her hair was braided into little braids on the sides.

Ominis and Sebastian were both wearing a shirt and slacks, Ominis also had a suit jacket which he had decorated with a green pocket square.

Sebastian, on the other hand, had rolled up his shirtsleeves and swapped his Slytherin tie for a blue one that must have had something like a star pattern. She was beautiful, to my taste.

"Hello everyone," I said while still walking and the girls waved at me, Ominis shouted an over-motivated " There you are," in about my direction and Sebastian just looked at me, "Your eyes are about to fall out, Sallow," Imelda said amused and Sebastian quickly averted his eyes and scratched his head, probably a little embarrassed.

"Green suits you," he said turning to me and I smiled a little amused to hide the fact that a compliment from him made me a little more uncomfortable than I would have expected, "And you blue," I said pointing to his tie.

Imelda rolled her eyes, "Come on now, we still have to get to Hogsmeade, you guys are a bunch!" she exclaimed and grabbed Poppy's hand. She stomped off, pulling the little Hufflepuff along with her, swinging. We followed, grinning.

On the way to Hogsmeade we talked, Sebastian and Imelda had planned to definitely go to the honey pot and Natty and Ominis wanted to go to Zonko's store. I, on the other hand, had an appointment with Sirona, who had repeatedly said that she didn't support the idea, but then promised to leave me some butterbeer and firewhiskey, because she wouldn't have been any better then if she had had my friends.