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THE CELEBRATION OF CEDRIC'S SUCCESS WAS LONG-LIVED and the party in the common room was only getting started by the time curfew rolled around. The Hufflepuff common room had filled with jovial cheers and overall, overwhelming support for the boy. The joyous moods of all Hufflepuffs gave the prefects a perfect reason to look past their behaviour and to look past the fact that there would in no doubt be a celebration.
Clover stood in the kitchens beside Hugo, who was taking a slow drag of his joint. The girl wasn't surprised when the boy had snatched some of his stashes and sold it out to the older students, all while puffing away at his own. The two had offered to help get drinks from the kitchens and Hugo had managed to get two house elves to apparate into Hogsmede and bring back some firewhiskey.
So there the two stood, in the corner of the kitchens, smoke wisping and wafting into the air around them. Their backs were turned to the open fire which warmed the kitchen as they watched elves run back and forth, cleaning and cooking.
"This is taking so bloody long." Hugo whined, while offering the joint towards the girl, who gladly took it and inhaled the dense smoke. Clover wouldn't say she was a huge fan of Hugo's 'business', but she had to admit, it did have its perks.
Suddenly, the kitchen painting swung open, earning a chorus of loud swears from Hugo as he tossed his joint into the fire in fear of being caught by a teacher or prefect. The two looked towards the door curiously but as two students stumbled in, the two let out a loud sigh of relief.
"For Merlin's sake..." Clover mumbled, pressing two fingers to her temple as her panic subsided. Her eyes flitted towards the two students, their faces illuminated by the yellow, overhead, light fixture.
"Fancy seeing you two here."
Fred and George Weasley skulked their way towards the two Hufflepuffs, identical grins plastered across their faces.
"Getting drinks?" Clover questioned, her lips quirking up into a smile.
"Nope..." George answered, his smile widening.
"Good...neither are we." Clover nodded in faux seriousness, before a loud crack emitted from the centre of the room.
"Nipsy has brought Mr Medler his drink!" A house-elf shrieked, rushing towards the boy with a large barrel.
At the name Hugo snickered. "-and that's why I love coming down here." He boomed, rubbing his hands together before taking the barrel. Looking to the two boys who were smirking at the Hufflepuffs, Clover shrugged nonchalantly.
The boy patted the barrel before turning to Clover, "Will you be alright to bring back the second one?" He asked, "It shouldn't take much longer."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll bring it." Clover dismissed, waving her hand as the boy winked at her, levitating the barrel.
"Medler, don't forget that you owe us a few galleons." Fred chirped, raising his brow as the boy merely laughed and disappeared out of the kitchen portrait.
"I'll make sure he coughs it up," Clover reassured the two, her arms folding as she rocked on her heels.
"So..." George trailed off.
"So..." the girl mocked.
"You going to Hogsmede tomorrow?" George asked, whilst Fred slipped away to talk to some House-elves.
"Yeah, I mean, if I'm up on time, I'll go." Clover answered, "—but given the fact I'm down here to get drinks, I don't know if I'll be able to." George laughed, and Clover found herself giggling alongside him. The two stood in their mini bliss while Fred finally returned to his brother's side.
"Oi, Carstairs?" Fred spoke, leaning against the wall. The girl raised an eyebrow at him. "Could you help us out with something?"
"Depends...is it part of some elaborate Weasley scheme?"
"It is."
"Then I'm sorry, but hard pass."
"C'mon, please." Fred pleaded.
"Sorry boys, but pranking's not my forté."
"But—"
Fred was cut off as another loud crack bounced off the kitchen walls. An elf appeared in front of Clover, clutching another barrel.
"Well, that's my cue to go boys." She smiled, stepping forward and using her wand to levitate the barrel. "I'll see you two around."
Clover stepped cautiously out of the kitchen, her wand steady as she kept the barrel upright. It was only a matter of minutes before she was taking the quick walk into the Hufflepuff common room. Upon entering, a loud chorus of hearty cheers boomed as they welcomed the barrel with open arms. Tucking her wand into her pocket, Clover's eyes scoured the common room for any sign of her friends.
"CARSTAIRS!"
Bingo.
Juliette pushed her way past a small group of fifth years, Elise Maycott following behind her, clutching two drinks as they stopped in front of the girl.
"Bottoms up, Carstairs." Juliette laughed, taking a cup from Elise and passing it to Clover as the other two drunk from their own.
"Merlin, did I miss that taste." Clover grimaced, gulping the beverage down in one. Tilting her head, she looked towards Elise. "Alright, Elise?"
The Ravenclaw girl nodded, her cheeks flushed as Juliette grasped the two's arms, pulling them further into the common room. Clover glanced around the room, her eyes drifting over Hugo smoking by the windows and over Cedric laughing with Cho on the sofa.
"What's Elise doing here tonight, Juliette?" She teased quietly as the girl filled up their cups again.
"Uh...I invited her." Juliette answered awkwardly, handing Clover her drink. "—but enough of this, drink up!"
Clover chuckled knowingly, and as she drained her cup, she could firmly say that she didn't regret a single thing
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CLOVER CARSTAIRS REGRETTED EVERYTHING.
"Cheer up, sunshine!" Hugo beamed, his arm slinging over her shoulder as the girl let out a deep groan. It was early—way too early for the four to be up and walking between the lanes of Hogsmede. Clover trudged with Hugo while Cedric and Juliette followed behind, both of them leaning against each other for support.
"Shush..." Clover mumbled, pressing her fingers to her head as she tried to ease the incessant pounding in her head. "How are you not dead?...pretty sure you drank your body weight in Firewhiskey."
"Maybe double that." Juliette groaned, wincing as she spoke. "Pretty sure he outdrank all of us."
"He drank more than all of Hufflepuff itself" Cedric yawned.
"And yet I'm still as limber as ever." Hugo chirped, as the three moaned in unison. Pushing open the door to The Three Broomsticks, he held it for his three friends as they entered the small pub. The four were greeted by the warm atmosphere of The Three Broomsticks, which seemed to be crowded, and a bit smoky, but clean and welcoming.
Clover weaved through the occupied tables before they located a vacant spot. She collapsed down onto one of the wooden benches as Juliette slid in alongside her. Cedric yawned again loudly while he took a seat across from the two. The three watched in exhaustion as Hugo stood at the bar ordering butterbeer for them.
"Feel like 'm gonna puke," Juliette mumbled, her head leaning against Clovers.
"Mhm..." the girl replied, her eyes shutting as she leaned back into the wall behind the bench.
"Did you snog Carla Pritchett, or did I imagine it?" Cedric grumbled, looking towards Juliette as she moaned in exasperation.
"Merlin...can't remember."
"You did," Clover confirmed, her eyes still closed. "I think Elise left after that."
Just as Juliette went to reply, Hugo placed a pitcher of butterbeer onto the table along with four cups before taking a seat beside Cedric. "You all look miserable," he remarked, sipping his drink.
"Gee, thanks Hugo, you're a gem." Juliette scoffed, sitting up straight, reaching for her drink. Leaning closer to Clover, the girl lowered her voice. "Did Elise seem mad when she left?"
"Dunno," Clover answered quietly, taking her butterbeer. "I only saw her leaving, sorry..." She sipped on her butterbeer as Hugo chatted aimlessly to Juliette and Cedric. Her headache was slowly starting to ease as she rested her head in her palm.
Hogsmede was slowly and surely filling up with Hogwarts students as they filtered in and out of shops in the town. Clover watched from the window of The Three Broomsticks as the rain from the dark grey clouds above threatened to fall.
"Clover, you look like death," Hugo stated, snapping the girl out of her small daze.
"Thanks, Hugo, how kind of you to notice." She rolled her eyes as she drank more of her butterbeer. "You look amazing too."
"Anyways," Hugo moved on, ignoring the girl's bitter tone. "Cedric, you nailed that last task!"
"Nailed?!" Juliette chortled, "He barely managed to get the egg and got burnt in the process, I wouldn't exactly call that 'nailing the task'."
"Ouch," Cedric winced, "Really feeling the love this morning."
"What I think she's trying to say is that Cedric has a long way to go before he finishes the tournament," Clover interjected, her fingers tapping against the wood of the table. "And if that was the first task, I hate to think of what comes next."
"There's the little ray of sunshine we know." Hugo teased. "Do you and Juliette just get together and discuss ways to bring down the mood?"
"Ha, ha, ha, very funny." Clover deadpanned, sharply kicking the boy's shin underneath the table which earned her a piercing glare from the boy.
"Can we go to Honeydukes after this?" Cedric asked, leaning back in his chair. "'m craving sugar quills."
"Only of you buy me fizzing whizbees." Juliette smirked, "—if so, I'm down."
Another half hour of mindless chatter went by before the four rose from their seats and found themselves navigating back through the pub and out onto the street. They were halfway down the lane to Honeydukes when Clover suddenly stopped in her tracks with a feeble groan.
"I forgot my coat at the table," She grimaced, glancing towards the Three Broomsticks. "I'll meet you there, yeah?" With a nod of approval from her friends, the girl found herself backtracking towards the pub. Clover quickly re-entered the Three Broomsticks and grabbed her coat from the seats they'd been sitting on.
Shrugging on her coat, the girl pulled it closer to her body, making her way in and out of all the Hogwarts students, who were piling into the pub for butterbeer. Just as Clover reached the door, it slammed open, sending the girl reeling backwards.
Before she could comprehend what was happening, two steady hands clamped down on her shoulders stopping her from falling. With scrunched eyebrows, the girl turned her head to thank the person behind her, only to come face to face with a grin she'd recently familiarised herself with.
"We really have to stop meeting like this, Carstairs."
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So...happy birthday to my favourite ginger boys <33
it's been quite a while since I updated this book so this chapter isn't necessarily the best it could've been. Writers block is currently kicking my arse so enjoy this filler chapter <3
Anyways, I love you all and don't forget to vote and comment!!