VIBRANCE || FRED WEASLEY [1]

[07]: COLD TEA

As Jason and herself departed from the other three, Arden found herself searching the crowd for particularly vibrant red hair. When her gaze landed on the exact messy locks she hoped to find, Arden detached herself from Jason's side and began to make her way over to them—ignoring Jason's very curious questions as to why Arden always had to run off somewhere.

"George, Fred!" Arden called out to grab their attention, her voice sounding much too loud. Instantly, the ginger's heads snapped towards her booming voice, the large smiles already plastered across their faces growing even wider as Arden approached.

"And to what do we owe this pleasure, Silver?" George inquired, the same ball containing miniature exploding fireworks being tossed from his hand and into the air.

With her free hand, Arden pulled out a handful of sickles. Fred cocked her brow at the girl, looking rather confused by the amount she held. "For the bruise removal paste," Arden said, letting the coins slip through the gaps in her porcelain hands like sand. They clattered into George's palm with small clinks and sputters, metal upon metal ringing in her ears. "It worked, well, quite perfectly really. I had my doubts at first but I have to admit, whatever you two did works."

Fred's eyes lit up at her compliment. "That's great bloody news coming from someone who refuses to speak to ninety-nine percent of the Hogwarts population." He chuckled before casting his gaze to the sickles in George's hands. "I told you that it wasn't a bother. Wait—did you just give us more than the price?"

Arden nodded. "You two deserve it." She said before changing her gaze to the clock strung behind their heads. "I have to go now actually—thanks again, by the way." Arden inquired before sending the two a wave, leaving no room for inputs or snarky comments from the pair. It was funny, how she could actually speak to them calmly when they weren't teasing her or being annoying, Arden was sure it would be a rare occurrence, though, for a majority of the time she found herself exceptionally annoyed by the pair.

She then returned to Jason, who had been watching the scene unfold with a quizzical expression.

"You're friends with them?" Jason loathed, his eyesbrow knit into a frown as he watched the pair leave the hallway. His lips were curled downwards, his face holding an unwavering grimace.

Arden, at the question, shook her head. "I'm not friends with anyone." She replied shortly, "Class is going to start."

The boy nodded. "Shall we?"

He gestured towards the History of Magic classroom, and Arden nodded stiffly, following Jason into the stuffy room. The matter was no longer mentioned or spoken about throughout the duration of the class, the two remaining silent up until the chime came for their next class. Jason bid goodbye, as he usually did, before the pair departed briskly. Arden let out a sigh of relief when she was a good few feet away from the brunette, her shoulders relaxing. She has Potions next with the Hufflepuffs, much to Arden's pleasure. It meant she could sit with Cedric and enjoy a class period she not only liked, but favored alongside a person that had never once annoyed her.

Much to her approval, Cedric had already grabbed her a textbook and spare parchment paper from the supply closet. Arden suppressed a smile as she took a seat next to the Hufflepuff, Thea sitting just behind her with a boy named Narco. The girl sent her a small wave, one that she returned with a nod, before turning her gaze to Cedric.

"You look dreadful." He immediately said. Arden felt herself choke at his words, a string of coughs leaving her lips with a mixture of laughs. "Did you even eat this morning?"