"I'm starving," Lena complained as she sat in her usual spot between the twins at the Gryffindor table, waiting for the sorting to be over so they could feast.
"Tell me about it," the twins grumbled in unison. All three of them were rather grumpy when they were low on food, even if Lena sponsored a few things from the trolley on the train.
They weren't paying attention to who was being called as they mindlessly clapped for whoever had just been announced into their house.
"Think your brother is going to make Gryffindor?" she asked with a teasing smile, the twins smirking.
"You remember how the Hat was with us," George started.
"Merlin knows how it'll be with another Weasley," Fred finished.
"Think he'll like Ginny?" she wondered as she peered around Fred and spotted Ron's familiar head of red hair amongst the crowd.
"He bloody better," Fred said.
"Or else the common room fire pit just found another thing to burn," George threatened as he eyes the tattered hat that was being placed on the head of a platinum-haired boy who was put into Slytherin. And he looked darn smug about it too.
Then George's brows furrowed.
"Oi. Check out the Dungeon dragon," George said as he pointed at the teacher's table, Leona's brunette hair flipping over her shoulder as she looked to where Snape was ignoring the professor talking to him as he eyed a student in the crowd.
"What do you think he's up to?" she questioned.
"New target maybe?" Fred spitballed.
"Beats me," George said before all of their attention was held as McGonagall bellowed,
"Ronald Weasley!"
The youngest male of their clan was slow as he walked towards the hat, nerves evident as he sat.
"1 sickle says he wets himself," Fred whispered.
"I say he faints," George betted.
"I say he makes it and you both lose," Lena piped up and both boys' eyes were on her as she stared at Ron.
"You're on," they chorused, and Lena smiled as she watched the Hat be placed on Ron's head, McGonagall flinching as it growled in frustration.
"Ah! Another Weasley. I know just what to do with you. GRYFFINDOR!"
And they all stood and cheered as Ron sighed in relief, the hat being removed as he made his way over to the table, Leona's smile the biggest.
"Pay up, boys!" she smirked as she held out her hands, each of the twins tossing a silver coin into her palm. "Thank you," she grinned as they sat back down.
"Shut up," they both grumbled as Ron sat beside them, Leona kissing his cheek.
"You just made me a rich woman, thank you, Ronny," she smiled as the twins only glared at her before their attention was drawn yet again to the hat as McGonagall called for,
"Harry Potter!"
It seemed as if the entire hall stilled before being washed over in hushed whispers and Leona was hit with Deja vu.
This hadn't happened since she was sorted.
As if seeming to follow her train of thought, Fred squeezed her hand, giving her a supportive smile as she squeezed back, leaning her head on his shoulder as they watched the unfolding fate of Harry Potter.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed, and you could see Harry's face lit up at the decision before the table erupted in cheers.
Leona couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the boy. She had to work to be respected, hell to even be talked to by anyone other than the Weasley's, and here he was getting all of that right off the bat.
Especially since the entire table started chanting "WE GOT POTTER!"
"It's alright Lena. You aren't forgotten," Fred said into her ear and her heart fluttered at his words, glad that her back was to him at this moment as a small blush spread across her cheeks.
But Lena sucked up whatever it was she felt and greeted Harry with a smile seeing as he was Ron's friend and likely would be spending a lot of time with them.
Harry didn't deserve to be treated with the same animosity she had been treated with.
So, she elected to focus on Ron's ridiculous table manners, laughing at a first-year girl named Hermione chastising him for it. But what really sent her and the twins into a fit of laughter was Ron's reaction to meeting Nearly Headless Nick, the Hogwarts ghost that was not fully decapitated.
And after all the first years had left, and before Leona went to bed, Fred promised her that this year was going to be the best.
And somehow, she believed it even more when he said it.