marmalade → g. weasley

fifteen

"Apparently, that's what's hidden in the third-floor corridor. Students aren't allowed in there, they could easily hide it."

Marigold rolled over onto her side to pick a dark-red cherry off one of the serviettes and pop it into her mouth, "On another completely unrelated note, I invited Zach to sit with us at dinner tonight."

Both sets of eyes fell on her, they were unmistakably heavy.

"Zach? You mean that prat that said all that stuff about Ced at the DA meeting?" Diego had sat up from where he was lying down to face Marigold, the anger on his features was unmistakeable. "The one who called you out in front of everybody, dragging Ced's memory through the mud?"

"Diego, it's not like that, it's just--"

Elin piped up from where she sat, "And after all that stuff he said to you at the quidditch match?"

Diego's head whipped towards Marigold again, "The quidditch match? What did he say to you at the quidditch match?"

Sending Elin a "why did you say that" look, Marigold tried to explain her way out of what was looking to be a not-so-easy transition into allowing Zach to sit with them. "It was nothing, Diego, all I was going to say--"

Before she could state her case, Elin had interrupted her again. "He told Goldie that because she likes George that she's going to cost their team the Cup! Or something like that."

"The bastard!" Diego was growing redder in the face, his chest rising, "You're allowed to like George all you want! Doesn't mean it will mess with your captaining."

"That's what I said." Elin commented airily.

By then, a bright pink brush of blush was splashed across Marigold's cheeks. "I--" It suddenly felt harder to string together a sentence, "I don't like George, he's a friend."

Diego emitted a noise that was somewhere between a scoff and a laugh, "Oh, come off it, Goldie. Of course you like George."

She avoided their eyes, the last thing she expected bringing Zach up would do was force them into having this conversation. "Wha-- how ... how did you know? Did Win tell you?"

"It's fairly obvious," Elin commented, lifting a strawberry to her lips and biting into it. "You two look at each other like two lost puppies sharing a bone."

The burn on Marigold's cheeks was enough that she brought her hands to cover her face and she groaned from behind them. "That's embarrassing." She mumbled.

"Actually, I'm extremely offended that you told Win before me," Diego piped up, he seemed to have calmed down just slightly. "I'm the expert when it comes to romance, ladies and gents alike."

Marigold smiled slightly, lifting her head from her hands to look at him. "I wasn't planning on telling him, it just ... came out."

"Yeah, yeah. As long as I'm your maid of honor at the wedd--"

Tossing a grape at his head, Marigold laughed, "Diego, shut up."

"Getting back onto topic," She continued, "I know Zach did all that stuff, and I'm not excusing them at all. He can be a prat ... but he's a prat that's alone here for Christmas and he's my friend, mostly. Despite his ... flaws."

Diego and Elin exchanged considerate glances, Elin shrugged. She turned to Marigold after a moment, "If you say he's an alright bloke, then I believe you. I'm okay with him joining us. It's the Hufflepuff thing to do."

"Thanks, El."

They both looked to Diego. He sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes before flopping back onto the blanket. "Fine. I suppose even pricks don't deserve to spend the Christmas holidays alone."