"Today, you will be brewing Draught of Living Death," Snape's voice drawled throughout the classroom.
"I wonder if he's ever taken that to affect his personality," I whispered to George.
A light laugh made its way between his lips.
After six years of poking fun at teachers' every move, we have learned that sitting at the back of the classroom is the best place to do that. They can't hear you if you're quiet enough.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for disruption," Snape said.
Unfortunately in Snape's class, no matter how far back you are, he can still hear you.
I rolled my eyes at Snape when someone tapped my shoulder.
"What did you just tell George?" Fred whispered into my ear.
My jaw was clenched as I turned to face him. Over the past month, I've grown into a habit of acting like a bitch to him. There was no part of me that wanted to be myself around him anymore.
He and Angelina were 'official' now and all I've heard they do is snog. They apparently never went on dates. Fred said that it was due to the fact that students weren't permitted to go to Hogsmeade this year because of the Triwizard Tournament. On the other hand, Alicia and Lee have been on at least five dates. Mostly they are picnics by the black lake, but something is better than nothing.
Groaning, I began to write out what I had said to George on a spare piece of parchment. Then I slid the paper towards him.
I said... I wonder if Snape's ever taken the potion to affect his personality.
I knew he had read it when he let out a snort. Snape turned around from the chalkboard - where he was writing the page number for the instructions to the potion - and looked over at Fred who easily covered his snort with a cough.
Snape's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he continued on with the class. "Now, before we start brewing our potions, I want you to all pair up. Except for the Weasleys, you two are not allowed to work together."
I smirked at his comment. They haven't worked together as partners in his class since the second year. We were supposed to be making a pain relief potion, but instead, the twins made a different a potion that caused your eyes to grow twice their size. Snape tried the potion and was cursed with huge eyes for almost two weeks until Madame Pomfrey created a reverse potion. I'm still amazed how they made that potion using only some of the ingredients given to them by Snape.
Although I turned to George, an arm looped around my right elbow and turned me towards them.
There was Fred. His eyes pleading me to not regret the offer, but his expression was a smirky git.
"Be my partner?" He asked me.
"I kinda have George as my partner now..." I said bluntly.
"Please!" He whined his hands together in a begging manner.
I turned to George, but he was already gathering his stuff and heading over to Taylor Edwards.
Trader, I thought as he smiled and sat down next to the girl.
Turning back to Fred, I grumbled, "Fine."
He grinned widely at me. "Thanks for being so happy to work with your best friend in the whole wide world!"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"Okay, I'll get the cauldron and you get the ingredients?" He asked me.
"Yeah, sure."
Smiling, he walked over to the cauldrons while I went over to Snape. Who was handing out trays that held the ingredients ever so happily.
His eyes narrowed at me before he shoved the tray into my hands.
I gave him a sickly sweet smile before taking an exaggerated breath and heading back to my seat. Fred was carefully placing the water-filled cauldron on top of a stand that held it above a burning flame when I returned with the ingredients.
"Incendio," I chanted, pointing my wand below the cauldron.
Sparks flew out of the end of my wand and a fire started below the cauldron.
After glancing at the board, I turned to page 10 in my Advanced Potion-Making textbook.
I actually wasn't too bad at potions. It's pretty simple when you think of it. Follow the steps and then there's your potion. The only thing that makes this class difficult are the thirty-page essays due the next time you have class.
"So what's first?" Fred asked.
"Uh, we have to add three spoonfuls of Infusion of Wormwood," I said.
"Simple enough," Fred said taking the Wormwood and pouring it into a spoon once before dumping it in the cauldron. He did this two more times before I cut in.
"Two pinches of asphodel powder," I mumbled to myself as I did it.
I felt a pair of eyes on me and a blush crept onto my cheeks.
Turning my head, I made eye contact with Fred. "Do you need something, ginger?"
He smirked and shook his head, his long hair falling into his face. "No, I don't need anything."
"Then quit staring at me and help."
"Two things," he said with a chuckle. "I wasn't staring, I was admiring your concentration. And two, I am helping. Don't sound like Hermione."
"I do not-" I said sternly. But I quickly relaxed my self and chuckled easily, "I do not sound like Hermione."
"Yeah, you do," Fred laughed. "You're even starting to look like her. Your hair is starting to frizz."
My eyes widened as I felt my hair which was indeed starting to frizz from the humidity.
"Oh god," I mumbled, pulling my hair into a bun. "Better?"
He laughed. "Better."
"Okay, can you stir the potion clockwise two times?" I asked him.
"I sure can," he said taking a wooden spoon and turning the potion clockwise two times.
"Okay, we got to let it sit for twenty minutes," I sighed. "You got a watch?"
"Ha!" Fred laughed. "No."
"Well, your damn lucky I do," I said looking at my watch.
I leaned back in my chair and began to relax. Picking up a pencil, I began to doodle on the edges of my notebook.
"So, how have you been?" Fred asked me a bit awkwardly.
"Fine," I sighed.
"I was just wondering because-" Fred was stopped short by a familiar laughter.
I looked over Fred's shoulder as he turned around. There I saw George and Taylor laughing about something. I smiled at the two of them. Taylor had short, wavy, auburn-blonde hair and green-brown eyes. She had softly freckled that dotted along her small nose. She and George were actually pretty cute with each other.
"I bet you they'll be together before the end of the month," Fred bet me, as he turned back around to face me.
"Nah, they'll be together by the end of the week," I said.
"Want to put money on it?" He asked me, cocking an eyebrow.
I smirked evilly at him. "7 sickles says I'm right and you're wrong."
"You're on," Fred grinned, holding out his hand which I gladly shook.
"Want to know something that sucks for you?" I asked him.
"What?"
"I'm always right."
"No, you're not."
"Yes, I am."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"N-"
"We should stop there," I laughed. "We both know that we could go on for hours just doing that."
He smiled, but it faltered for a second. "Yeah... we could go on for hours doing that..."
I chuckled nodding and going back to my doodling.
"Liv, can I ask you something?" Fred asked me.
Nodding, I didn't look up at him and continued doodling.
"What happened? You know, between us?" He asked me.
For a second, I was speechless. I didn't even realize that he noticed that I've been trying my best to ignore him since he started dating Angelina. There is nothing more I hate then when a person drops everything for the person they are dating. And with Fred, I hated it a hundred times more given the fact of my feelings towards him.
"I-" I started to speak with a hoarse voice before I cleared my throat. "I don't exactly know what you mean."
I turned my head and looked at him. His face held a very serious look that was very uncommon.
"Okay, I know exactly what I mean," I gave in.
"So can you tell me what I did?" He asked me.
I looked back into my book and colored in a star. "I don't want to," I mumbled.
"What did you say?" Fred asked, a slight playfulness in his voice.
"I don't want to," I mumbled louder, though the words weren't exactly clear.
"What did you say?" Fred asked me again, a huge grin plastered on his face.
"I don't want to," I told him clearly, a smile now on my face.
"Well then," he sighed leaning back in his chair, "looks like I'll just have to force it out of you."
My eyes widened in horror, though there was still a smirk on my face. "No, no, please, no!" I begged.
He smirked and shook his head. "Sorry."
His hands came out and started to tickle anywhere possible. I bit my lip to keep from screaming in laughter. Instead, I let out loud snorts - that could not be heard over everyone in class talking - and squeezed my shoulders to my neck.
"S-stop!" I giggled. "P-please!"
"Nope," Fred laughed.
"U-uncle!" I gave in.
"Nope, I want to know what happened," Fred said, not laughing, though still tickling.
"F-fine," I laughed, though I meant for it to sound serious.
His fingers released me and I quickly caught my breath.
"Please tell me, Liv," Fred pleaded. "I miss you... I miss us."
He looked down at me with sad eyes. The same sad eyes I most likely wore when watching Fred replace me with Angelina.
"I... I'm uncomfortable around Angelina," I said softly.
"Oh," Fred sighed, relieved. "I thought I did something."
You are. You're breaking my heart, I thought to myself.
"No, you didn't," I lied. "I just don't like how she treats me... and I just thought for the sake of our friendship I would stay away from her so I wouldn't fight or argue with her. I didn't want you to feel torn between the two of us, so I just let her have you no matter how much I don't want to."
"Well, the way you keep your distance from me is damaging our... friendship. But I do appreciate you putting my feelings before yours," he told me.
I smiled painfully - though he couldn't tell - at him. "Hey, Fred, you're my closest friend. I'll always put your feelings before mine."
He smiled at me. "Thank you."
"Anytime."
I looked down at my watch. "Okay let's finish this potion up," I said, calling my hands then rubbing them together.
~
"Hey, 'Licia?" I said.
I was sitting on my bed which was the first bed on the right of the door. Alicia's bed was right next to me and in between our beds was a long, narrow window.
"Yeah?" She asked, tapping her quill on her cheek.
"How did you... How did you tell Lee you liked him last year? And when you did tell him, weren't you scared he was going to turn you down?" I asked.
She sat there for about a minute, thinking.
"Well, I guess after a year of liking him in that way, I just decided to tell him. So I just waited for a moment alone with him. Then I just... told him. And of course I was scared, how can I not be. I remember thinking that my heart was going to pound out of my chest... But it was all worth it," she told me. Then she sat up and crossed her legs and looked at me intensely. "Why are you asking me this?"
"Just- just cause I was thinking and-"
"Who do you like?" She gasped, bouncing excitedly on her bed.
I sighed and turned my body to face her. "No one."
"Lies!" She screamed throwing a pillow at me.
"What the hell?" I laughed, tossing the pillow back at her.
"Please tell me! You know who I like!" She begged.
"Well obviously! You're dating the guy!"
"Tell me!"
"Ughhh!"
"PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE *deep breath* EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-"
"Fine, I'll tell you!"
"Thank god, I don't know if I would have been able to hold that note for any longer."
"I would have been able to hold that note two times longer then you," I bragged with a smile.
"That's because you are a good singer. But no, you're not allowed to change the topic."
"Damn!" I whispered.
"Spill!"
"Well, if you must know, I have been trying to think of ways to propose to Hugh Grant," I sighed. "But I'm not really sure he knows I exist-"
Alicia shot me a dirty look. "There are so many things wrong with that sentence."
"But have you seen him with glasses, ughhhh-"
"Olivia!"
"Fine... I guess if I kinda like... Huhfredhuh," I said.
Her mouth hung open.
" 'licia you're going to catch flies."
"OH, MY GOD! OH, MY GOD! Oh, my god-"
I leaped from my bed and onto Alicia's to slap my hand over her mouth.
"Shut... up," I hissed.
Just then, the dorm door swung open. There stood Hermione with a worried expression.
"Is everything okay?" She asked us.
Hermione is the only girl in her year that I'll ever like. Some of the girls in her year [*cough* Lavender Brown *cough*] wear freaking 5 pounds of makeup. I don't understand why a girl at the age of fourteen feels like she needs to look older than a girl who has two years on her.
"Yeah, we are just fineeeeee," I said breathlessly.
Hermione's eyebrows raised and her eyes widened. "I'm going to go now."
"Yeah, best be on your way young one," I told her as Alicia nodded, my hand still cupped on her mouth.
And like that, she was gone. So I released my hand from Alicia's mouth.
"Wait, so you seriously like Fred? It's not just because he's sorta ditched you and you are filling a void with fake feelings."
I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Yes, I really do like him. I have for a while."
"How long?" She asked. "And when did it start?"
"Eight months?" I estimated. "Wow, that's... wow. I have no life."
"Hey," Alicia shoot back at me defensively. "I liked my man for a year without saying anything."
"That seems like a you problem."
"Whatever," She whined. "So when did you realized your feelings for him.
"The gift Fred gave me for my birthday."
"That album that had only pictures of you and him?"
I nodded. "I love that book more than anything. There were baby pictures of us that I've never even seen! He wrote a letter with it that said 'No matter what happens between or to us I will always love you'. And yeah I know he means he loves me like a sister, but oh god. The feelings hit me like a frying pan. I'm not sure if they were always there and just decided to come out, or if I just developed them."
"Wow, so poetic," she chuckled. "But seriously, I'm bouncing on the inside! You two would be so cute together-"
"Who would be so cute together?" Angelina's voice echoed.
Every part of my body froze. Alicia's flushed face quickly went pale before she looked over at me frantically.
"M-me and Cedric Digory."
Cedric was one of the hottest guys in our year, even the school possibly. Sure he may be a Hufflepuff, but that doesn't stop his good looks from causing multiple girls to daze out. I've never had a sturdy conversation with the man, but I have occasionally looked his way for a little longer then I should have.
"Cedric Digory? Ha! Don't make me laugh too hard," Angelina shouted. "You'll never have a chance with him!"
"Why not? You had a chance with Fred," I snapped.
Standing up, I pushed past her on my way out of the dorm. I stomped down each step all the way downstairs, before making a hasty walk out of the common room heading towards the Great Hall. But I couldn't get into the Great Hall because of everyone crowding around the doors. My anger was still boiling, though my curiosity overwhelmed me.
"Move you short asses," I huffed at the first and second years, who I shoved aside.
I continued to scan the crowd, looking for at least one familiar face.
"What's going on?" I asked Seamus and Dean, standing next to them.
"I dunno," he told me standing on his tippy-toes, trying to look over everyone's heads.
I stood on my tippy-toes and saw what everyone was looking at. There was a sign that said Triwizard Tournament in large bold letters on top, but that's all I could read because everything else was too small for me to read.
"Can you see it?" Dean asked me.
"Yeah, but I forgot my glasses in my dorm," I groaned squinting my eyes. "Damn."
Again, I looked around to find someone closer to the sign. Or at the very least, someone with better eyesight. When I spotted a bunch of bushy hair.
"Hey, Herm," I said.
"Hey."
"Do you know what that sign says?"
"Ron does," she told me, nodding to the redhead kid standing next to Harry.
"Ronnie Boy!" I yelled.
"Livie Girl!" He repeated.
"No... no, don't ever do that again," I cringed.
"Sorry."
"It's alright. You can repay me by reading the sign again for me," I suggested, batting my eyelashes.
He sighed in an annoyed tone before going on his tippy-toes again.
"Triwizard Tournament, the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving... at 6 o'clock on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end a half early-"
"Yes! I'm missing Defense Against the Dark Arts!"
"Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast."
"Thank you, Ronnie Boy," I said, clapping his shoulder.
I pushed my way into the great hall and saw the twins sitting away from everyone else, which they did whenever they were scheming.
"Hey, what are you dudes talking about?" I asked curiously, sitting beside them.
"Ludo Bagman," George grumbled.
"He paid us our bets in leprechaun money. And you know, that stuff just disappears after a while," Fred explained. "We were going to use that money to pay for our share of the shop."
"I'm sorry, guys. That's a bummer," I pouted.
"It's a bummer, all right," George said gloomily. "But if he won't talk us in person, we'll have to send him a letter. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."
"Who can't avoid you forever?" Ron asked.
He, Harry, and Hermione took the spare seats around us.
"Apparently you can't," I groaned.
"What's a bummer?" Ron asked.
"Are we being interrogated?" I questioned.
"The real bummer is having a nosy git as a brother," George sighed.
"You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"
"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen, but she wasn't letting up," Fred sighed frustratingly. "She just told me to shut up and to get on with Transfigurating my raccoon."
"I'm going to sit down by Alicia, she's by Courtney and I want to find out if she's entering the Tournament," I said.
"Oh, Angelina is entering the tournament," Fred announced.
"I hope she dies," I coughed.
"What?" Fred asked cluelessly.
I shook my head. "I didn't say anything."
He furrowed his eyebrows and nodded slowly. "Uh huh."
"Yup, now I'm going, bye."
I headed down the table and sat down across from Courtney and next to Alicia.
"Hey, A'liv, are you okay?" Alicia asked me concerned about my dramatic exit from the dormitory.
"Yeah I'm fine, 'Licia," I told her. "If you don't mind I have a matter to discuss with my beloved sister."
In the corner of my eyes, I noticed that Courtney looked over at me.
"Um, okay," Alicia said before turning to Lee who was on her right.
I turned to Courtney who raised an eyebrow.
"Hello dearest sister of mine," I said smiling while filling my plate with food.
"What do you want?" She asked bluntly.
"I was wondering if you were thinking of entering the tournament," I told her.
"Yeah I am," she told me. "I was hoping to use the money to buy an apartment for Dominic and me to move into. Speaking if I won. I mean, maybe I'm moving to fast but we've been dating for three years straight. You know what I'm trying to say."
"Trust me, Court. I'm sure he would love to move in with you," I told her, images of her engagement ring in my head.
"Hello, Love," Dominic greeted Courtney with a kiss to her forehead.
He took a seat next to Courtney and saw me.
"Hey, A'liv," he said.
"Hey, Dom," I greeted. "Are you going to try for the tournament, as well?"
"What do you mean by as well?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "Who else is doing it?"
Courtney's eyes narrowed deathly at me. I was immediately petrified, chills running down my spine.
"Shit," I murmured looking down.
"Courtney?" He asked in a calm voice though I knew he wanted to be yelling.
They rarely fought, Dominic wasn't the type of guy to yell or start an argument. Trust me, Courtney loved to create arguments for no reason. But Dominic never had any of it.
"I'm going to murder you," Courtney hissed at me.
"Courtney, you told me you weren't going to enter," Dominic said in the same tone as before.
"Well, I changed my mind," Courtney told him skeptically. "Because I need the money."
"Why would you need the money?" Dominic asked her.
"For our future apartment?"
For a couple seconds nothing happened other than their unmoving faces watching the other. That was until a cocky grin slapped Dominic in the face.
"You want to get an apartment together?" He asked happily.
She smiled back at him and shrugged. "Why not? I mean, we've been together for three years already."
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "I love you, Courtney Diana Reid."
"And I love you, Dominic Elliot Richards," she replied.
The two pressed their lips against one another, causing me to shoot them a disturbed look.
"You two are my relationship goal," I sarcastically told their corny asses.
"We are everyone's relationship goal," Dominic chuckled.
~
"Up next... Miss. Reid," Moody growled.
Frozen in my seat, I felt my throat close up. I did not fancy the idea of getting the Imperious curse cast on me. Actually, I was terrified of the idea.
"Do I have to?" I inquired.
"Do you want to pass?" He grumbled.
Clenching my jaw, I snapped, "Maybe."
I stood up in my seat so harshly that it fell to the ground. Everyone in the class was watching me as I was about to pick it up, but decided not to and just walked up to the front of the classroom.
"Now, I want you to do your best to fight off the Imperious curse," he told me.
"Whatever," I spat.
"Imperio," he said.
My crossed arms immediately went down to my sides as a wonderful feeling came over me.
Sing.
"I can't believe the news today. I can't close my eyes and make it go away," I sang.
Why am I singing? I hate singing in front of people.
Keep singing.
"How long, how long must we sing this song. How long, how loooooooong."
You know what, I'm not singing. Screw you random voice in my head.
I said sing.
"Cause tonight, we can be as one tonight," and I stopped singing.
Keep singing.
Bite me.
Sing!
No!
My mind became as silent as the room. Relieved that I was able to overcome the curse so quickly, I gave Moody a dirty look.
"Very good, Miss. Reid," Moody said. "You fought it off rather quickly for your third time around."
"Yeah, well, I didn't want to be controlled for very much longer," I spat.
Just then a bell chimed.
"Thank god," I mumbled as I headed back to my seat to grab my bag.
"Ready?" George asked.
"Yeah, let's go drop our stuff off in our dorms," I agreed as we headed out of the classroom.
"Sooo, you and Taylor?" I smirked as we stood on a crowded, moving staircase.
He blushed.
"Oh my gosh! Georgie-worgie is blushing!" I cooed pinching his cheek.
"Get off," he chuckled, pushing my hand away. "And yeah me and Taylor."
"Its Taylor and I. Use correct grammar," I scolded, jokingly. "But seriously you two are so cute together... Did I ever tell you that I have a cousin named Taylor?"
"You know I met her at Christmas a few years ago?" he chuckled as we started to head off the staircase.
"Oh, yeah that's right," I laughed awkwardly while we walked into the common room. "I'll be right back."
I ran up to my dorm, threw my bag on the bed, then grabbed my cloak. Then I met George, Lee, Alicia, and Fred before heading down to the entrance hall while George told us how he was going to ask Taylor out on a date at dinner tonight.
"Follow me, please," Professor McGonagall called out. "First years in front... no pushing..."
We followed her to the front field where she lined us up.
"That'll be 7 sickles," I told Fred privately. "Pay up."
He grinned, shaking his head as he took out his bet. He gave it to me and I gladly put it in my pocket.
"Good doing business with you, Mr. Weasley," I grinned, sticking out my hand.
"Yes, it was, Miss. Reid," Fred told me shaking my hand.
"Why are you touching my boyfriend?" Angelina's whiny voice complained.
"Ang, we were just shaking hands," Fred said pulling his hand from mine.
"Whatever," she grumbled.
"You're going to sit with George and I at dinner tonight right?" he asked me hopefully.
"Um... yeah sure," I said skeptically.
I saw Angelina's glare harden on me. Then she grabbed Fred's tie and pulled him down onto her violently, forcing her lips onto his. It was the first time I've ever seen then kiss. I've only heard about them doing it, and right now I wish it would've stayed that way.
I don't know what I feel at this moment. I feel numb. There is such a combination of hatred, jealousy, pain, and anger in me that I didn't know how to react.
"I'm going to go," I squeaked.
Fred detached himself from Angelina long enough to watch me run away. Little did he know, I was hiding a few stray tears.
"A'liv, what happened," Ginny asked me.
"Nothing," I sniffed, wiping away the tears that slipped out. "Have you seen your brother... George?"
"Yeah, he's over there," she told me, pointing over to where I found George.
"Hey, where did you go?" he asked me as I squeezed in between him and some third year.
"I was talking to Fred, till Angelina came," I growled.
"Ohh," he said.
We stood there in silence, waiting for the school's arrival.
"Aha!" Dumbledore called out suddenly, making me jump. "Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches."
We all looked up into the sky, as an excited murmur filled the air. All four of the houses at Hogwarts was looking at the sky.
"Where?" Someone shouted out.
Just then did I catch a glimpse of something of some sort coming towards us from the forest.
"There!" I shouted pointing to the thing.
It was much too large to be a broomstick. Way too large. Maybe it was a flying bus.
"It's a dragon!" Some dumbass screamed in pure terror.
"Why would someone ride the most dangerous creature to a school?" I scoffed.
"Oh," was all I got back.
"Yeah, don't be stupid... it's a flying house," said another voice.
Shaking my head disappointingly, I groaned with frustration.
"What?" George laughed.
"There are so many dumbasses in this school that I want to slap some sense into," I groaned.
George just laughed.
I looked back at the thing to see a powder blue, flying, horse-drawn carriage the size of a large house. So maybe that kid was partially right, but I wouldn't admit that
It landed right in front of all the students before one boy dressed in blue opened the door and made stairs appear. But he wasn't the first to come out, no. The first to come out was a woman taller than Hagrid, and Hagrid was already ten feet tall! She caused the whole school to gasp. I mean she wasn't bad looking for a sixty-year-old woman. She had olive skin, black eyes, and a beaky nose. Her dark hair was pulled back in a tight bun that resembled McGonagall's.
Dumbledore started to clap, a hint for everyone else to start clapping.
She smiled obviously liking the attention she had attracted. Walking up to Dumbledore, she greeted him kindly before motioning for her students to follow her out. All the students came pouring out of the carriage, wearing powder blue uniforms. They looked like those proper and snobby people. You know, the ones that stick their noses in the air and act like they were ten times better than you.
I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at them.
"They look like bitches," I noted to George.
"But there are boys in that group too," he pointed out.
"Doesn't make them less of a bitch," I shrugged.
He chuckled before saying, "How do you expect the Durmstrang will get here?"
"Probably from the sky. That's how the other school got here," I sighed.
I shivered.
"Cold?" George asked me.
"A bit," I chuckled rubbing my arms.
He smiled and put an arm around my shoulders. He pulled me in close. I smiled and looked up at him.
Is this what it would be like to be Fred's arms?