build me up buttercup [s.black]

[17] Evans

"Mammy come on! I told Lily I would be there at midday and it's almost one!"

Aisling tugged on her mother's arm and pulled her towards the large fireplace which stood in the middle of their living room.

"I'm sorry sweet pea but it would have been a lot easier if you had just let me apparate you there!" Her mum said, looking flustered. "The only reason we're running late is because I had to order more Floo Powder."

"Ugh, I hate side along apparition mammy."

"Yeah, I know you do. Right, are you sure you have everything?"

"Yep."

"Okay," Shauna sighed and ruffled Aisling's mop of brown curls. "Have a lovely first term, sweet pea. Remember to work hard, but don't put yourself under too much pressure. I love you!"

"Love you too mammy."

Aisling gave her mum a hug before picking up a handful of Floo Powder and throwing it into the fire, making the flames turn emerald green. She stepped into them and shouted out Lily's address and then she was spinning. She felt her elbows hitting grates as she spun and tucked in her arms, which seemed to have gotten even longer over summer. Finally, the spinning stopped and she blinked a couple of times before the flame red hair of Lily came into focus. She was standing in front of the fireplace, beaming.

"Ash!" She pulled her friend out of the fireplace and enveloped her in a huge hug. "How are you? Alice is in the kitchen."

"Alice is here? She never said she was coming." Aisling grinned.

"Yeah well, it was all a bit last minute, she lives closer than you so it was easier to arrange. How was your mum when you left?"

"She's getting better actually." Aisling said, her smile faltering slightly. "She waits until I've left to start crying now, so that's a big improvement."

Aisling's mother had always been spectacularly bad at saying goodbye; not only to Aisling but to anyone. Hence the fact that they still lived within ten minutes of Aisling's grandparents.

As soon as she stepped through the kitchen door, she was almost knocked over by something that came hurtling towards her at breakneck speed and wrapped its arms around her waist.

"Hey Alice,"

Aisling greeted her friend, struggling to stifle a laugh. Alice looked up at her, smiling from ear to ear. Unlike Aisling, she had not grown any over the summer and still stood firmly at five foot one. Everything about Alice screamed cute, from her below average height to her rosy cheeks and short blonde hair which had a habit of flicking out in all directions and could never be tamed without using an excessive amount of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion.

"Merlin's beard, Ash I feel like it's been years. We have so much to tell you!"

Alice picked up the ice cream she'd been spooning out of the tub and put it back in the freezer before handing a bowl each to Aisling and Lily and leading the way back into the living room. Aisling settled on a very large, plush armchair and crossed her legs.

"Have you grown even more Ash?" Lily asked, as if she was only properly looking at her for the first time since she had arrived.

"I think so." Aisling said, miserably. "I hope I stop soon, or I'll be taller than Remus Lupin!"

"It's all da' country air yer gettin' up in potato land!" Lily said, doing a very poor Irish accent.

"Lil, I have asked you not to do that. It's xenophobic." Aisling deadpanned, trying to keep her face straight. But her lips twitched and Lily laughed.