𝙮𝙤𝙪 || 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧: 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞

He pulls away and held you at arms length. "Happy Christmas, and don't get caught up in Fred and George's shenanigans while I'm gone."

You sigh melodramatically, a hint of a smile still present on your lips. "Yes, Mum."

Oliver laughs. With one last pat to your head, he steps outside, giving you one last glance over his shoulder before trudging down the stairs.

You run back to the Great Hall. Harry and Ron were still playing, but the irritated looks Harry fixes Ron with indicated who was winning. Again.

By the time you sat beside Harry, Ron already won.

"How many times have you checkmated Harry, exactly?" You asked Ron.

"This is the third time."

"I'm just not good at Wizard Chess," said Harry, "Hermione finally left?"

"Yes." You gaze at him skeptically. "You make it sound like that's a good thing."

"She's been harassing us the past few weeks and making us read books," Ron shuddered, the mere thought of flipping another page terrifying him. "She's the only one enjoying it."

You hum. "And you're still not telling me what you guys have been doing lately?"

Harry and Ron were silent, exchanging guilty looks. You sighed.

"I'm sorry. You must feel left out," apologized Harry, who still retained a guilty expression. "We can make up to you right now, since the holidays' already started. I'm sure Hermione will understand that we're taking a break."

You smile reassuringly. "It's alright. What did you have in mind?"

△⃒⃘ ⌁☍ ❾¾

"Are you sure this is legal?" You question, just a tad frightened.

You were currently standing in front of a fat lady's portrait. Just behind you were the thousands of marble staircases that liked to change every now and then. You were sweating and out of breath by the time you reached the outside of Gryffindor's common room.

"Of course it is," Harry soothes your worries for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Password?" The lady asked curtly.

Ron leans close to you and said, "you might want to cover your ears for this."

You did as you were told. Both Ron and Harry opened their mouths to speak, but you didn't hear any of their words. The portrait swings open afterwards and a round entrance was revealed. Ron helps you inside to their common room.

The circular room was decorated with Gryffindor's signature scarlet and gold, the fireplace surrounded by overstuffed chairs. The atmosphere was warm, welcoming even, but since this was your first time in Gryffindor's tower you felt like getting comfortable was forbidden.

Ron says your name when you just stood there. "Don't just stand there," he said, waving his hand. "Come on."

You shuffle after them. The common room was almost empty, except for the Weasley twins who sat at one of the tables and Percy sitting in front of the fireplace, reading a book. When they hear Ron call for you, all three redheads look up.

"(Y/n)!" Fred and George exclaim, standing up.

Before they could come closer, Percy strides across the room with arms folded across his chest.

"What's (Y/n) doing here?" He questions. Before Harry or Ron could say anything, he speaks again. "You two better not have said the password in front of her—"

"We didn't," said Ron, looking irritated. "We made her cover her ears. You didn't hear anything, did you, (Y/n)?"

You shake your head.

"See?"

Fred and George walk up to you, George leaning on your head with his elbow while Fred placed an arm over your shoulders.

"Lighten up, Perce," Fred said casually. "It's not every day a Hufflepuff gets smuggled inside the tower."

"Besides," George added, "You let Patil's twin from Ravenclaw in all the time. What does it matter if this one gets in?"

Percy's lips form a thin line. Then, he looks at you. "As long as you won't make a mess and be back to your own dormitory by sundown, I'll let you stay."

You beam at him. "I will! Thank you, Percy."

He nods before returning to the sofa and reading his book again. Fred and George nodded to each other, before glancing down at you.

"So," Fred started.

"About those barrels—"

Ron drags you away from the twins before they could interrogate you further.

Harry was seated on a sofa, a plate of toasts, blueberry muffins and marshmallows beside him. You wonder where he got those in the first place. Ron sits beside Harry with you on the other side of the plate.

"Fred and George got these from the kitchens," said Harry, pointing at the twins. You look at them and sure enough, you only then notice the various food they've smuggled on their table.

"I never saw the kitchens before," you said, now curious. "I know it's near our dormitories, but I never did find it."

Ron was already helping himself with a second muffin. "Fred and George do. Now that they've figured it out, they also want to know how to get inside your house's dormitories. They see it as a challenge."

You snigger. "Please tell me you caught them smelling like vinegar at least once."

Harry's nose scrunches up in thought. "Come to think of it, yeah. But why?"

"Well, the only way to get inside is by tapping a barrel to a rhythm. Get either the rhythm or barrel wrong and you get sprayed with vinegar."

"Not a very pleasant way to tell us to back off," George said from across the room. Both he and Fred seemed to be playing with cards. "Vinegar doesn't wash off easily, you know."

Fred nodded. "We reeked of it for days."

"Then you should have learned to stop tapping random barrels in the first place," Percy said from the sofa, looking over his book to the twins with a glare.

"Honestly, Percy, you're the only one bothered here," Fred stated.

"The Hufflepuff prefects don't mind us trying every day. They even find it amusing," said George, not looking up from his cards.

Percy huffs indignantly. "But that doesn't mean they don't find it annoying—"

The entire day, you, Ron and Harry ignored the twins and Percy's quarrel as you thought of fun ways to get Malfoy expelled from school. Your ideas were farfetched, but it got you laughing and wheezing in the end. You can already tell that this was a great start to your Christmas.