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TODAY IS THE GAME GRYFFINDOR VS RAVENCLAW and Ebony walks into the great hall for breakfast only to see many students gawking over Harry's new broom. A firebolt. She sits down next to her best friends.
"Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!" says Percy heartily as she examines the Firebolt closely. "Penelope and I have got a bet on," he tells the team. "Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!" Penelope puts the Firebolt down again, thanks Harry, and goes back to her table.
"Harry — make sure you win," Percy says, in an urgent whisper. "I haven't got ten Galleons. Yes, I'm coming, Penny!" And he bustles off to join her in a piece of toast.
"Sure you can manage that broom, Potter?" a cold, drawling voice asks. Draco Malfoy has arrived for a closer look, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him.
"Yeah, reckon so," Harry replies casually.
"Got plenty of special features, hasn't it?" says Malfoy, eyes glittering maliciously. "Shame it doesn't come with a parachute — in case you get too near a dementor." Crabbe and Goyle snigger.
"Pity you can't attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy," Harry says. "Then it could catch the Snitch for you."
The Gryffindor team laughs loudly. Malfoy's pale eyes narrow, and he stalks away. They watch him re-join the rest of the Slytherin team, who put their heads together, no doubt asking Malfoy whether Harry's broom really was a Firebolt.
Ebony hadn't told anyone about the broom in her closet, she had used her old one to practice. She would love to wipe that smirk off of Potter's face. "Ebs, will you paint your face again for this match?" Fred asks, smiling at her.
"I might, why? Want to be able to spot me?" She asks back with a small smirk on her face. Fred takes out his Gryffindor jumper and hands it to her.
"Just thought you'd like to support your two best friends." He winks before leaving with the team to the Quidditch pitch. Ebony chuckles and decides to pull the jumper over her head and add the Gryffindor colours to her cheeks with paint. Her hair, like always, braided into two braids. She loves having braids for Quidditch matches, whether it be playing them or watching.
She walks down to the Quidditch pitch with Lee not long after. While he goes to the professor's spot where he will be able to commentate, she goes to a different stand and looks over the field. Ebony watches as the two teams step onto the grass and mount their brooms. A whistle goes off and officially starts the game.
"They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship —"
"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupts Professor McGonagall's voice.
"Right you are, Professor — just giving a bit of background information — the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and —"
"Jordan!"
"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor heading for goal . . ."
Harry streaks past Katie in the opposite direction, gazing around for a glint of gold and noticing that Cho Chang is tailing him closely. She is undoubtedly a very good flier — she keeps cutting across him, forcing him to change direction.
"Show her your acceleration, Harry!" Fred yells as he whooshes past in pursuit of a Bludger that is aiming for Alicia.
Harry urges the Firebolt forward as they round the Ravenclaw goalposts and Cho falls behind. Just as Katie succeeds in scoring the first goal of the match, and the Gryffindor end of the field goes wild, including Ebony who cheers possibly louder than anyone else. Fred looks over and smiles when he sees her wearing his jumper. He returns his focus to the game.
"Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn — Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision-balance is really noticeable in these long —"
"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!" Professor McGonagall yells, Ebony chuckles at this.
Ravenclaw is pulling back; they have now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead — if Cho gets the Snitch before him, Ravenclaw would win. Harry drops lower, narrowly avoiding a Ravenclaw Chaser, scanning the field frantically — a glint of gold, a flutter of tiny wings — the Snitch is circling the Gryffindor goalpost —
Harry accelerates, eyes fixed on the speck of gold ahead — but just then, Cho appears out of thin air, blocking him —
"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" Wood roars as Harry swerves to avoid a collision. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"
Harry turns and catches sight of Cho; she is grinning. The Snitch has vanished again. Harry turns his Firebolt upward and is soon twenty feet above the game. Ebony watches the twins with close eyes, seeing how George redirected a bludger that was headed for Angelina Johnson, one of the chasers.
Harry dives again, and Cho, thinking he'd seen the Snitch, tries to follow; Harry pulls out of the dive very sharply; she hurtles downward; he rises fast as a bullet once more, and then saw it, for the third time — the Snitch is glittering way above the field at the Ravenclaw end.
He accelerates; so, many feet below, did Cho. He is winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second — then —
"Oh!" screamed Cho, pointing.
Distracted, Harry looks down.
Three dementors, three tall, black, hooded dementors, are looking up at him.
He doesn't stop to think. Plunging a hand down the neck of his robes, he whips out his wand and roars, "Expecto Patronum!"
Something silver-white, something enormous, erupts from the end of his wand. Ebony gapes in astonishment as she watches the white light knock Draco and his friends -- who had disguised themselves as Dementors -- over. Harry stretches out his hand still grasping his wand and just manages to close his fingers over the small, struggling Snitch.
Madam Hooch's whistle sounds. Harry turns around in mid-air and sees six scarlet blurs bearing down on him; next moment, the whole team is hugging him so hard he is nearly pulled off his broom. Ebony cheers again, clapping her hands excitedly as she watches the scene unfold.
"Well played, boys." Ebony says happily when she reaches her best friends down on the field.
"Party in the Gryffindor tower, you're invited." George says, grinning from ear to ear.
"Thanks but I'll have to skip this one."
"Why do you always skip parties?" Fred asks, unamused.
"Because no Gryffindor wants me there." Ebony reminds him. She turns around but hears Fred whisper behind her which she can make out the following words.
"I want you there."
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THE NEWS OF SIRIUS BLACK STANDING OVER RON'S BED WHILE HOLDING A KNIFE made its way through Hogwarts like wildfire. Once again, everyone stares at Ebony the next morning at breakfast. She is very close to killing some of her fellow students just to get some peace.
"It'll probably die down soon, besides, it's almost Valentines day. Everyone is busy looking for a date." George tries to assure her but Ebony knows better than to believe that stupid lie.
"Even better, the Hogsmeade trip is on Valentines day as usual." Lee adds, smirking. "I'm going with Marietta but you should be good from any rumours."
"What is it with you and Marietta?" George asks, confused as to how the whole thing even started. Ebony once again couldn't concentrate on the conversation as she was deep in thought. She had hoped her father would've been innocent but this sounded like he definitely wasn't.
"How about we go down to Hogsmeade together and judge cheesy couples?" Fred asks, poking her sides to get her attention. Ebony smiles softly.
"You mean like we always do?" She asks him back.
"Yeah, we always have a lot of fun, don't we? Then we also don't have to think about all of this nonsense." Fred replies, referring to the people glaring daggers into her.
"Alright, sure." Even though she sounds happy, she really isn't. Not only is the whole ordeal with her father going on, she also has her O.W.L.s this year and those are coming closer with every passing day. She almost wishes she was back in her first year. Just a carefree Slytherin student.
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FEBRUARY 14TH... VALENTINES DAY! Ebony had never liked this day, maybe because she had always been single or maybe because everyone made it so damn cheesy. Nevertheless, she sneaks out of the castle by the tunnel to Honeydukes. This time however, she doesn't come across Harry at all. Maybe he finally learned to back away from her.
What she does see, however, is a dark figure hiding in the shadows. She frowns as she walks closer but realizes it has already disappeared. Maybe she saw her own shadow, it wouldn't surprise her at all. She climbs the stairs in the sweet shop and meets Fred on the other side of the store.
"Let's go then." She says but Fred grabs her wrist and points at a sign placed on the counter.
"Look! They have a discount on all sweets for couples." Ebony turns to look towards it and hums.
"Pity we're single--"
"Be my Valentine." Fred had said this so fast that it took a minute for Ebony to process his words but once she did, she was shocked.
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me." Fred states with a smirk. "Be my Valentine and we get that stupid discount." It didn't completely sound like a dumb idea. Ebony was quite intrigued by it to say the least. She would be able to stock up on some of her favourite candies.
"Alright, let's go." They both take a bunch of stuff from the shelves and take it to the counter. The woman behind it raises her brow at the two but grins to herself when she sees Fred's arm wrapped around Ebony's shoulder.
"I always knew you two would make a cute couple." Both Fred and Ebony frown at her words, glancing at one another before looking back at her. "I have seen you two together in here for three years now, it was only a matter of time before one of you would fall for the other."
The two pay for their sweets, take the bag and walk outside as fast as they possibly could. Once outside they burst out in laughter. "Did you hear that?" Fred asks, trying to catch his breath. "A cute couple... you and me!"
"Man, she really sees things." Ebony replies, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. She looks back at Fred who has a glint of mischief in his eyes. "What is it?"
"Look around, every shop has discounts for couples today." Fred replies. "How about we stock up on Zonko's products too, huh?"
"Sounds good to me, Valentine." Fred grins again and takes her hand, dragging her towards the joke-shop. Once inside they do the same as before only now adding a bit to the playing as couples. Fred stands next to the counter, making sure the man behind it hears him.
"What about stink bombs? Care to prank some of our friends, sweet bug?" Ebony almost chokes on her own spit when she hears the pet-name.
"Oh, that sounds like an amazing plan, Shmoopie." Fred has the same trouble in hiding his laughter but they both succeed and reunite at the counter. The man gives them the discount without anymore questions before they leave. "Since we're kind of on a date, we have to act like it too." Ebony says, pointing at a café.
"Oh, please no."
"Oh, hell yes. Come on, Muffin, let's head for Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop." She drags her 'Valentine' towards the small pink café and heads inside. It is filled with young couples who are spending their day together. Fred and Ebony sit down in a corner and order some mint-tea.
"Well, isn't this the most annoying place of whole Hogsmeade?" Fred asks, hating all the pink decorations and heart balloons.
"Anyways, I was hoping we could go to the sock store after this. I really want some new socks and they are very cheap." Ebony says, looking with pleading eyes towards her friend. Fred was an incredible liar and knew how to get out of any unwanted situation but he would never be able to say 'no' to Ebony. So, he agrees. The two of them soon get their drinks.
"This is a great day, people give us discounts and are so incredibly nice to us, it's crazy." Fred says, taking a sip of his mint-tea.
"Right? It's as if people respect us more now." Ebony replies.
"Do you reckon we could do this next year too? Cashing in on Valentines day." Fred asks, smirking.
"We could, isn't it great having a female friend whom you can trick people with." Fred chuckles and nods.
They soon leave Madam Puddifoot's tea shop and walk down a small alley and into the Gladrags Wizardwear Specialized In Quirky Socks shop. Ebony had come here many times with George but Fred had never stepped foot inside. He is immediately overwhelmed with the amount of socks.
"What are we doing here again...?" He sees the man behind the counter look at them with curiosity so he decides to add a pet-name. "Snuggluffagus." Ebony bursts out in laughter.
"Looking for socks, of course, JuJuBee." She replies, making Fred laugh now. "See? These are waterproof and those over there keep your feet warm in the winter and those others keep your feet cold in summer. It's really useful honestly." Fred smiles at her excitement over something as simple as socks.
"Alright, I'm not judging." He walks over to a specific section and takes a pair of socks from the rack which smell like chocolate. He smiles down at them. "I can see why you love this place so much, love." Ebony freezes at the pet-name. She and Fred had used nothing but the most cheesy and weird pet-names ever, hearing him call her love made her heart flip inside her chest.
"It's quite a funny place, huh?" She decides on a pair of waterproof socks in case her next Quidditch game would be in the rain and walks outside. They make their way slowly back to the castle. Fred however stops her.
"I know this wasn't at all a real date but... these reminded me of you." He takes out the chocolate-scented socks from his pocket and hands them to her.
"I love chocolate. I didn't even know he had them." She says happily, reaching up to wrap her arms around him. "Thank you, Freddie."
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Written: 17/02/2023
Word Count: 2476