"Congratulations, ladies, you all passed your tests," said Narcissus, a proud smile on her face. "You will be allowed rings of entry during your second year as a Strange Woman," she informed, slipping her Society ring onto the statue. The nine girls gasped as the ground lightly shook and the statue spun around before, finally, a spiral staircase was revealed.
"One at a time, single file, please. No pushing!" Narcissus instructed the girls, waving them in first.
"How often are these meetings?" Hermione ventured to ask.
"Once a month," Narcissus answered. "Might be more often this year due to past... events." As the girls walked down the staircase, Narcissus continued explaining things. "You will go through a ritual tonight, which will officially welcome you into the Strange Women Society, grant you access to our super-secret tunnels, and prevent you from spilling any details about the Society without paying for it."
"What kind of ritual?" Lavender asked frightfully.
"Blood oath. Don't worry though. Only lasts a few seconds," Narcissus assured.
"And what if we don't want to do this oath?" Hermione asked.
"Hm. That's up to Ivy to decide," Narcissus mused. "You'll be sent back to the school, sworn to secrecy, and will no longer know about the Society is my guess. Gosh, you guys are a curious group."
"Just want to make sure we aren't doing something we'll regret," Padma mused.
"This isn't like... Death Eaters, is it?" There was a collective gasp.
"Of course not!" Narcissus snapped. "We are not terrorists! Oh, pardon me. Let me just squeeze through..." she murmured, slipping past the girls and using her ring once again to grant them access into the room. "In we go, girls." The nine girls slipped into the room, looking around with caution.
The room was a very roomy area indeed. Plant after plant (all of which were harmless) scattered the room; whether it be by hanging or just a pot on the ground. There was even an overgrown tree whose branches sprang across the ceiling, again holding more plants. This, of course, was a magical tree. The life of the cave. If the tree dies, the cave goes with it.
In addition to the trees, there were hanging chairs, simple beanbags, cushions, and three couches around a separate table from which the Strange Women sat at. Pictures and portraits from all of the past Strange Women scattered the wall in no particular design; All kinds of charts and diagrams and notes from the past hung on the wall (there was even a notes wall that included notes from way back when); The light flooding the room came either from lamps that scattered the walls or candle holders that also scattered the walls. Globes, boxes filled with scrolls, and rather ancient furniture were some more highlights. The room, essentially, was decorated as an earthy Victorian house.
"Welcome, pledges," Ivy greeted.
"Hi," a few voices squeaked. Ivy smiled at them.
"Who here is willing to commit to the oath?" Ivy asked sweetly. Several hands shot up. Ivy mentally counted each of them. "Nine. Good."
"What the—" Pansy murmured as one of the Strange Woman began weaving in between the girls, waving sages up and down them. A majority of the pledges accepted the action, partially holding their arms out.
"All cleansed," Ivy smiled. "Now for the hard part." Narcissus returned with a cushioned wooden box in which a beautiful dagger was stored.
"...we won't get infected from this, right?" Hermione asked nervously.
"Of course not. We're not passing cooties or each other's blood to you," Narcissus mused.
By the time each girl's hand recieved a slash to the palm and a pretty engraving hidden somewhere on their hands (typically on the sides of their fingers), the Strange Women Society officially had nine new members.
"Well! That's that!" exclaimed Ivy. "Go ahead and take off your masks, girls," she instructed the new recruits, who obliged.
"I KNEW IT!" several voices shouted, pointing at their respective friends (and sisters) accusingly. The Slytherins and Gryffindors eyed each other with loathing.
"Girls!" Ivy called scoldingly. "You're all here for the same purpose: we deemed you best fitting for our Society. Specifically a society that thrives off of women empowerment! We are not letting your little in-school catfights get in the way of that! If need be, we will have you two hold hands!" Her eyes flickered between Hermione and Pansy, who cringed and tucked their hands beneath their arms. "This Society is meant to be women supporting women! Maturity is necessary! Hence why only years four and up are allowed to join! Understood?"
"Yes," Pansy and Hermione grumbled.
"You are all temporary friends in this club!" Ivy continued. "You can go back to Hogwarts and hate each other all you want, but here, you have a space for vulnerability, femininity, and expanding your studies. Back when the witch burnings were going on, do you think women relied on a man's help to get them out of here? Of course they didn't! They relied on themselves and each other. That's how this club started and that tradition will continue to be in place centuries into the future.
"Go ahead and take a seat, girls," Ivy requested calmly, motioning to the numerous pillows: some by other Society members, some not. Parvati wound up sitting beside (Y/n).
"Tea?" (Y/n) asked the girls. "Nice and fresh. Not storebought or anything," she informed proudly. On the table were three total tea sets: all of which were (Y/n)'s from the large collection she had built up. Hermione vaguely recognized one that she got (Y/n) just last year. She looked around for any familiar faces and caught (Y/n)'s eyes. (Y/n) smiled at her. In addition to the tea sets were cylinder balls that held various types of tea leaves in them.
"Let's get you lot your flowers, shall we?" Ivy asked as Narcissus passed all of the girls the same pins the Society members wore. Something suddenly clicked for Hermione as Ivy continued talking. "To everyone outside of the society, your pins will be gold and will look like the same flower of your Society alias," she said. "Here, we have alias' after a flower that begins with our first initial. I'm sure, by now, some of you have noticed various girls around school that had pins that match this description?"
"Vaguely..." said Lavender.
"Half of us are already named after flowers," Pansy pointed out.
"Fair point," Ivy smiled. "You'll have to choose another, I suppose. Wouldn't want your identity getting out if our Society is exposed again, would you?"
"Again?" Susan Bones asked.
"We'll get into that later," Ivy said dismissively. "If you struggle to find a new flower name, you can ask someone in the Society. Bonding, am I right?" A few giggles sounded.
"Daisy isn't taken, is it?" Daphne asked.
"It's yours," Ivy said.
"Um... Phlox?" Padma sounded.
"Ooh. Pretty choice, Pads," Parvati complimented. "Primula for me."
"Daisy, Phlox, and Primula," Marigold mumbled under her breath.
"Um... I'll be Hibiscus, I suppose," Hannah said.
"What other L flowers are there?" Lavender cried.
"Linaria," Angelina suggested.
"Ooh. I like how that sounds," Lavender said. "I'll take it!"
"Hm... Heather for me?" Hermione requested. Marigold nodded.
"Penstemon," Leanne suggested for Pansy. "Not very pretty sounding, but we've got some flowers down here."
"Do plants just defy seasons down here?" Hermione asked.
"So long as that tree's alive, everything else in this cave is alive," Clover said. Hermione's mouth formed an O shape.
"Every— Everything?"
"Well, not the things we've brought into the cave," Clover corrected. "But the cave could easily move them for us if she wanted to."
"She?"
"Yes. There's a god in this cave and she is a woman," Clover said. Hermione smiled.
"I like that," Lavender piped up, smiling around at the cave.
"I'll take Penstemon," Pansy said, returning from the batch of flowers Leanne had just shown her.
"Okay... Susan? Cho?"
"Um..." Susan said, at quite a loss in terms of knowing anything other than basic flowers.
"Scrilla?" (Y/n) suggested. "Technically called Portuguese Scillas... But I'm sure we can make an exception."
"I like it!" Susan said meekly.
"Brilliant. That leaves you, Cho," Marigold said.
"Um... Crysathemum's a pretty long name, but that's the first that comes into mind," Cho mumbled, embarrassed.
"Cyclamen?" (Y/n) suggested, nodding her head at the potted flowers that had leaves growing only at the bottom of the stem.
"That's better," said Cho. "Better than Carnation..." she mumbled. "Cyclamen," she finally said.
"All right, that's everyone," Marigold.
"Now onto introductions," Ivy said. The new members leaned forward in anticipation. "I'm Isabelle and I go by Ivy here. I am the chairwoman."
"Nancy. You know me as Narciusssus," said Narcissus as she followed Ivy's lead and took off her mask.
"I'm Mira— or Marigold," said the girl, removing her mask. "I'm the Penning Master which means I'm in charge of taking down notes in our Strange Book," she held the book up. "Any and all past information can be found in this. Never-ending, this thing."
"I'm Cleo or Clover and I'm Two," Clover said, waving at the girls.
"...years old?" Pansy finished.
"No. That's my position," Clover laughed. "It means that I get to prioritize my schooling over attending meetings. Unlike you girls."
"How's that fair?" Hermione demanded.
"You pledged. Now you've got to commit. Can't be a part of the society that meets on the monthly if you don't attend the monthly meetings," Ivy said simply.
"You all know me, but I'll still introduce myself," (Y/n) said, struggling to untie her mask. "I'm (Y/n)— or (Flower that starts with your initial)— and I'm Numbers Three and Six, making me the most successful as Three and in charge of budgeting as Six." All nine girls were too shell-shocked to say anything. Angelina laughed, taking that as her cue to move on.
"I'm Angelina— or Alchemilla— and I'm Numbers Four and Eight," she introduced. The girls' shock grew. "Four makes me the organizer— I plan the time and date and the format of your letters— and Eight makes me the most skilled."
"I'm Leanne or Lilac or Numbers Five and Nine," Leanne introduced. "This makes me the creative mind and the most loyal."
"And I'm Bluebell, Bridget, or Number Seven," Bluebell said shortly. The girls looked expectantly at her.
"What's Number Seven?" Parvati finally asked. Bluebell flushed and looked away.
"The member given the second chance," Ivy answered. "There's also a Number Ten— the member who deserves a good year— but we had no one needing that position as it goes only to those who've had a really rough time. Hopefully, none of you will need to fill it next year."
"Numbers One through Ten... Aces... We're like a deck of cards," Hermione mumbled.
"Precisely, Heather," said Ivy.
"Any ideas on who's going to ask us?" Cho giggled. They had just been delivered the news about the Yule Ball.
"I'm not going if a certain someone doesn't ask me to it," (Y/n) stated.
"Wha— (Y/n)!" Cho exclaimed. "You can't just not go because someone didn't ask you out!" (Y/n) turned her nose up.
"I'm not dealing with the embarrassment of going alone! I can't handle parties, what makes you think I can handle a ball? Where I have to dress nicely and dance and play the part?"
"You're the embodiment of grace!"
"Nonsense!"
"(Y/n) (Y/l/n)!" Cho cried. "You wait right here! I will be right back!"
(Y/n) huffed, angrily crossing her arms as she leaned against an open window, patiently waiting for Cho's return.
"So. A Yule Ball," Padma commented, strolling up. "Anyone in mind?"
"Of course there's someone in mind," (Y/n) said. Padma smiled a smile that did not reach her eyes. "What about you? You're popular amongst the boys and girls." (Y/n) nudged Padma.
"Hm. The only person I would genuinely want to spend my whole night with already has a date in mind," Padma said.
"Oh, Pads, I'm sure they'll— Me. You mean me," (Y/n) stammered.
"Read my mind, did you?" Padma teased. "I can't wait to start learning Legilimency and Occlumency with you lot. Finally be able to escape your mind-reading." (Y/n) smiled, shaking her head.
"Shouldn't be talking so loud," (Y/n) said.
"I'm back!" Cho panted, holding out a bouquet that was very clearly just now picked. "(Y/n) (Y/l/n), if you do not get a date, I'm proposing that we go together!" she exclaimed, holding the bouquet out for (Y/n).
"Cho," (Y/n) huffed.
"Cho!" Padma whined.
"You can third-wheel, Pads," Cho assured.
"I'm one-thousand percent certain you'll each find dates," (Y/n) said. "Cedric's going to march up to you and ask for your company to the Ball and you're going to blush bright red and agree—"
"Is she?" a voice teased from behind (Y/n).
"Cedric... Hi..." (Y/n) dragged the awkward greeting out. Padma and (Y/n) exchanged a very subtle glance as Cho smiled brightly at Cedric.
"I was just telling (Y/n) that the three of us would go as a— Hey!" Cho yelped as Padma gave her a gentle nudge into Cedric's arms. The students passing by whooped for the two. Cackling, Padma and (Y/n) took off running, not glancing back until they were a good distance away.