Cursed With Curious Minds | Hp Next Generation

4 - Love Letters

While Delilah had potions first period, Astrid had a free. This meant that her first hour of the school day was completely unoccupied as she had no work to be getting on with. She thought about going to see Abi – who also had a free period – but realised she had likely already fallen down a rabbit hole of research in the library, and decided it was best to not interrupt. The only other person Astrid could think of talking to was Ophelia – which was a completely wild thought to have, as they were barely acquaintances and Astrid didn't even know if she also had a free period. However she went to find her anyway. Astrid wasn't sure if it was the excitement from being back at Hogwarts, or the lack of overthinking the situation but she suddenly found herself speed-walking to the Hufflepuff common room. She didn't get very far before she walked directly into another student.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry – I wasn't looking where I was going and-" Astrid cut herself off when she looked up and realised who she'd walked into.

Ophelia. They looked up together, and made eye contact, and Astrid saw her perfectly for the first time. Her brown eyes glistened like jewels, reflecting sparkles of deep red and golden yellow as the light shone on them. Her skin was warm umber, reminding Astrid of the first days of autumn, as the leaves begin to fall, and when she smiled, her cheeks glowed a rosy pink, which only emphasised the comforting feeling of warmth Astrid felt when she was around her.

"Oh, no it was my fault – I couldn't see over this massive pile of letters I was holding." Ophelia responded. Astrid looked down – on the floor were no less than 30 envelopes.

Ophelia reached down and began to pick them back up off the floor. "Here let me help you." Astrid said, as she crouched down and began to also collect them.

"Oh, thank you."

"Why do you have so many letters anyway?" Astrid asked. "It's the first day back!"

"It's a bit of a Hufflepuff tradition..." Ophelia laughed, "Most of us write a letter to our families to let them know we arrived safely on the first day. I had a free period this morning, so I volunteered to send everyone's letters."

Astrid chuckled to herself. It was such a Hufflepuff thing to do. "I'll help you take them down if you don't want to carry so many!"

"You would? I don't want to keep you away from what you were doing-"

"No! Seriously, I wasn't doing anything, first day back, no homework – you know? I've got nothing else to do."

"Ok, if you're sure."

Astrid helped Ophelia up off the floor, and said, "I'm Astrid by the way."

Ophelia laughed. "I know, we've had classes together."

"Yeah, but we never talked, I just didn't know if you knew me." Astrid said, trying to hide the fact she was blushing – Ophelia did know her!

"No, we did once – we shared a cauldron that time in potions!"

Astrid was awestruck. Ophelia remembered that? "Oh yeah, we made the Girding Potion together!" Astrid responded as if she had just remembered the event – she had not. In fact, she relived that hour over and over in her head, wishing she'd been just a little more forward so they could have become friends.

"Yeah! Also, just in case you didn't remember, I'm Ophelia."

Astrid chuckled. "I remembered."

***

The two arrived at the Owlery, and placed the letters down.

"I'm not sure there's enough owls in the whole of Hogwarts to carry all these letters!" Astrid exclaimed, when suddenly a flock of around 20 owls flew down to Ophelia's feet.