The third half

Chapter five

"You know, I don't actually like transfiguration that much."

"But you're so good at it!"

"That doesn't mean I like the subject itself. I like potions, but the highest score I'll ever get for it is an Acceptable, probably." Dae tries to convince her friend that she honestly hates transfiguration, but April isn't buying it.

"Yes, we all know that. But you seriously hate transfiguration?"

"Yes. It's not like the teacher helps in giving me a good impression though."

"Yeah. McGonagall is scary." The two girls study in silence together for a while until April's brothers decide to bother them. Dae isn't amused, but April seems relieved at the break, so she doesn't point out that she has an essay to hand in tomorrow.

"Here is our favourite Slytherin!" Dae glares at the two, but they don't get the hint.

"What's up?"

"We need your help, kinda."

"What do I have to do? Tell me now, so I can tell Percy if it's something seriously breaking the rules."

"Well, Ron's new friend-" One twin starts.

"Harry. Potter. You know the one." The other twin intervenes. Or they planned it, Dae doesn't know.

"Has been accepted into the quidditch team because he caught Longbottom's remembrall and now Ron's mopey."

"Can you please go console him or something?"

"He's seriously annoying, especially since it's dear Harry's first team practice."

"I'll see what I can do." April is already thinking on how she can cheer her youngest brother up, and Dae is sincerely hoping that the two troublemakers will leave now.

"And of course our favourite Hufflepuff is here too!"

"How are you today, Dahlia?" Dae glares at them.

"Please don't call me that, I told you this before. I hate my name."

"But that's why we refuse to call you Dae, Dahlia." Dae grumbles under her breath.

"Language young lady, we won't see this happening again!" Twin number one laughs, the other isn't really paying attention anymore.

"Her Fred. Lee's over there. Maybe he can help with the muggle studies homework." Dae sighs, some people have simple souls.

"Well, we'll catch you two later, bye bye!" And the two are gone.

"What were we talking about?"

"Transfiguration."

"Wait no, I had a conversation with you in my head." April sighs.

"You do this an afwul amount of times, April, do you think your imaginary version of me is more interesting or something?"

"No, it's just, you were talking to Fred, and I couldn't talk to you, so I thought up your reaction to my question in my head. Simple."

"Whatever you like to do when I'm busy doing other stuff, April."

"But it's a serious question!"

"Just ask me the question, I can handle a lot." Dae had unfortunately grown accustomed to strange questions from her friend, probably a skill that would never come in handy in any other situation.

"Do you like one of the twins?"

"What! No! Why would you think that?"

"Well, you always get red when they do something that other girls think is cute or funny and you always glare at them and stuff."

"That's because I have a strong dislike for them, April, not because I like them!" Dae couldn't for the life of her guess why April would think that she likes her brothers.

"But I think you would be cute with one of them!" Dae feels a bit disgusted, but is also used to being paired off with boys.

"Just like how you thought I'd be cute with Cedric Diggory last week? No thanks, sorry to disappoint."

"That's fine. What were we doing again?"

"Transfiguration."

"Ah." Dae almost feels the gears in April's head turning. "Well, I'm going to have to do something about Ron's moping, and I need some fresh air."

"I don't want to do anymore homework either, let's go." They pack their bags and start walking in the general direction of the Gryffindor tower.

"Let's put our bags away and meet again in the entrance hall in about ten minutes? We can take a walk or something before I try to tackle my brother?"

"Sure, let's do that."

"See you in ten minutes?"

"Yeah." Dae takes a left at one of the corridors leading to the Hufflepuff Basement and makes her way to her dorm, walking fast. She arrives and tries to be as quick as possible in dumping her bag, grabbing a coat and a scarf and making it out of the common room, but there are some first years lost in the corridor, and she takes a few minutes to make sure they trust her enough to follow her to the entrance hall, so she is a few minutes late to meet April.

"You're late."

"Yeah, there were some first years lost in the corridor, so I had to make them follow me."

"Always the nice one, are you?" April winks at her.

"Yeah, yeah, I need fresh air after those tiny children decided to get lost in my path."

"Sometimes you're so mean that I wonder if we were sorted wrong."

"I wonder about that too sometime."

"Hoo, it's cold."

"Here's my scarf." Dae is already wrapping her Hufflepuff scarf around April's neck when the other girl sheepishly holds up her own Slytherin one.

"I did bring a scarf you know, you can have it."

"Thanks. It is pretty cold. For september at least." They walk slowly to the shoreline of the lake and make their round of the grounds. First follow the path to the gatehouse, turn left at the fifth birch tree to follow the shore back to the castle and then make a right to go to the forest to end up at the edge of it and leave again to go back to the castle because it's getting too cold.

"I'm going to my common room, hope you figure things out with Ron, good night."

"Good night Dae, see you tomorrow." Dae gets pulled into a hug before she can turn around. "Night!" April calls when she walks away.

"Bye." Dae waves.