𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟒.
"Joey!"
Said girl looked up from her sad piece of toast. "Hey, guys," she greeted them as they sat around her at their table. "You've just saved me from a depressing first-day-back breakfast."
"I'll eat it." Devonte reached over the table to grab her sad breakfast plate. "Did you put strawberry jam or blueberry?"
"Strawberry," she answered, throwing him a lazy smile.
He returned the smile. His smile was the literal definition of contagious. His perfect teeth and his dimples and the genuine joy behind his smile.
"Sorry we're late. I had trouble getting my hair to look right," Imani explained. "Then Nayun was having trouble with her tie and Devonte... Merlin knows what the hell made him late."
"The fly of my trousers got stuck," he clarified sourly. "I had to be really careful, or else the fly would've gotten caught on... well, my dick."
"Thank you for sharing that with us, Von." Imani stared at him. "That must've been really hard for you to share."
"Actually, it was hard for me to get the fly unstuck," he corrected.
"That's okay." Joey shook her head. "Snape hasn't even handed out schedules yet."
"Who took all the bloody bananas?" Nayun frowned as she looked down the table at all of the fruit bowls. "I was in the mood for one this morning."
"Grab one from another table," Imani suggested from her seat next to Joey, munching on a piece of crispy bacon. She turned to the boy and lifted her chin toward the hash brown on his plate. "Von, are you gonna eat that?"
"Take it." He pushed the plate closer to her and continued to eat his toast. "Mmm... Joey, the ratio between the jam and butter you put is nearly as good as sex."
Joey stifled a laugh and sipped her goblet of orange juice. "I wouldn't know, so I'll take your word for it, mate," she said after her sip.
"I'm gonna grab someone's banana." Nayun rose from her seat and she was off.
The sentence made Imani do a double-take and Devonte called out, "Don't grab it too hard, love! It's never pleasant when grabbed too hard! You might bruise it!"
"Gosh, I hope my class schedule is easy this year," Joey muttered hopefully. "It'll make working a lot easier."
"Speaking of," Imani said, covering her mouth as she finished chewing and swallowing. "Are you applying at Honeydukes again this year?"
"Yeah." The other girl nodded and swirled the orange juice around in her goblet. "I mean, I've been working there part-time since I was fifteen, so..."
"I'm gonna apply at Zonko's." Imani finished up her hash brown.
"I've got my big banana!" Nayun nearly startled Joey with her cheer of excitement as she made her way back to the table. She held her banana up to show everyone. "I had to fight for this massive thing. I've never seen such a big banana. The fruits here are on steroids, I swear."
The other three exchanged glances before they all laughed out loud.
Nayun frowned in confusion. "What?"
"Nothing," Imani said with an amused grin. "Eat your banana quickly because we've got class soon."
Nayun sat back down, next to Devonte. She peeled her big banana and feasted on it.
"Nayun, are you applying at Zonko's this year as well?" Joey asked curiously.
"Maybe." Said girl nodded as she ate her banana. "I mean, I'll take what I can get. I don't really care where I work."
"Can't you work at the Three Broomsticks?" Devonte suggested, dusting off his hands to the side.
"Oh," Nayun beamed. "I think I am gonna apply there. I'm of age, so it works. I would be able to get us free butterbeers as well."
The conversation paused as Snape came around to deliver their class schedules. The four of them all glanced down at the timetables.
"So much for an easy year," Joey muttered bitterly. "I've got double Potions on Tuesdays and Thursdays."
Devonte laughed heartily. "Isn't that so ironic? You get double of your worst subject."
"Very funny." She threw him a faux smile.
"Oh, shut up, Devonte." Imani glared at him. "Your worst subject is literally Charms."
"That's really offensive, Imani." The boy blanked at her. "Charms is difficult."
"So is Potions." Joey gave him a pointed look.
_____
It was lunch time and Draco and his mates decided to use the opportunity to scope out another challenge to start off the new school year.
In spite of the Triwizard Tournament, Draco wanted to spice up this year like he and his friends did every year. Plus, the tournament didn't even officially start until Halloween. That was weeks away.
"What about that one?" Blaise jutted his chin towards the table in the corner of the library.
Draco and Theodore followed his gaze from where the three of them stood at the very end of a book aisle. They had a perfect view of the table in the corner that was right in front of a window.
A girl sat at that table. A Gryffindor.
Draco blinked twice to make sure he was seeing the sight correctly—the beauty correctly.
"Who is she?" He eyed her dark hair that she pushed over her shoulder to keep out of her face as she did her homework.
"Hmmm... that's Joelle Honrada," Theodore said as he leaned against the shelf with his bicep.
"Honrada?" Draco echoed, still eyeing her.
"She's Filipina," Blaise replied, and they all watched her in a non-creepy way. "I hear everyone call her Joey though. Never Joelle."
"Is she new here?" Draco questioned, because he'd never noticed her before.
"Nope." Blaise shook his head. "She's been coming here since Year One."
"Pureblood?" Draco mused.
"Muggle-born," Blaise answered neutrally.
Draco was shocked as to how he never noticed her. Her beauty was so indelible. "Seriously?"
"You can't be too picky, Malfoy," Theodore said through an amused chuckle, glancing over his shoulder at his friend. "You've already slept with nearly all the Purebloods."
"I'm not picky," the blond retorted truthfully.
"Too bad she isn't pure-blooded," Blaise said with disappointment. "She'd be a good hookup for sure."
Draco folded his arms across his chest and leaned his weight on one foot. He drank the girl in with a thoughtful gaze.
Her wavy dark hair that fell halfway down her back. Almond-shaped eyes that were nearly black looked like magic under the sunlight casting through the window.
Long legs exposed as she crossed her thighs. Her thighs had cellulite on them. The black uniform skirt she wore hitched up and her thick thighs were uncovered.
Caramel skin glowing under the golden sunlight. Her near perfect side profile and the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, focusing on the words in her textbook.
The very subtle line of her jawline and her full lips that were parted. A jade pendant rested just below her collarbone, hung from a gold chain.
Her robe was off and she had a short-sleeved button-up, revealing the chub on her arms. She had scars on the inside of where her upper arm and forearm met. Dark scars, like patches.
He watched as she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and pinched her brows together while she scribbled in her notebook. She flipped the page of her textbook.
"Is she a virgin?" Draco asked curiously, keeping a low tone of voice.
"Don't know." Theodore shrugged and turned his body to create a small circle between the three of them. "She goes to parties though. I've seen her before at a few."
"So." Blaise searched his blond friend's face and leaned back against the shelf behind him. "What do you think? She seems good enough."
Draco's eyes flicked over Theodore's shoulder to take another glance at her. "I suppose, mhm."
"The ones last year were too easy," Theodore said dismissively whilst he buried his hands into the pockets of his black trousers. "I lost money to Blaise because of that."
"I'm betting fifty galleons," Blaise said wickedly, "That it'll take Malfoy a week for this one."
"A week?" Theodore threw his dark-skinned friend an incredulous look. "Nah, mate. Give it a day."
Draco inhaled through a side smirk. "Let's see how long it takes me to get her in bed then."
_____
Joey's class after lunch was Defence Against the Dark Arts.
She enjoyed this class and it was literally because she was good in this class. If one was good at a certain something, then of course it'd be fun to do.
But with the new professor, she wasn't sure she'd still be good in this class. Remus Lupin had taken a leave because he had his personal things going on.
Joey was the last to walk in, but she wasn't late, as Moody was not even in the classroom yet. The only available seat was next to Pansy Parkinson, so she sat there.
Since it was the first day back, the students didn't have everything they needed for this class. Because of that, Joey just took out her quill and ink, and prepared herself.
People in the class were talking all about the new professor. Most of them were eager to see him closer and to dive into his ways of teaching the Dark Arts.
"Pans, can we switch?" Draco Malfoy appeared out of nowhere, standing next to Pansy's seat. "I can't see back there."
Pansy stared at her friend, leaning forward over the table to rest her elbows. "You're six-foot-two and you can't see from the back?" she asked dubiously.
"Russell is in front of me," he replied coolly, holding his book bag at his side. "He's like six-foot-five."
"Oh, big difference."
"Yes, it is."
"How the fuck am I supposed to see then?" She scoffed, baffled. "I'm five-foot-three."
"Here. Malfoy, take mine," Joey said whilst she began to pack her things. She was five-foot-nine and she was mates with Devonte, so she could just shove his massive head down or make him switch spots with her. "I'll sit at the back."
Without listening for a response from Draco, she stood and went to sit in the back. She unpacked her things, now sitting next to Pavarti Patil.
To her confusion, Draco walked back to the desk he was just at, which was the one she was sitting at. He stood next to Pavarti and said, "You're short. Sit at the front, so you can see."
Pavarti looked bemused, but she didn't argue. Devonte was a giant, so she couldn't really argue with Draco's suggestion.
When Pavarti was gone, Draco sat next to Joey. All casual and nonchalant. She didn't spare him a glance. She just waited for class to start.
Devonte glanced over his shoulder at his mate, eyebrows furrowed in question. She just shrugged it off because she was bewildered too.
Another familiar clank was what silenced everyone in the room. All eyes snapped back to the door, seeing Moody walk in with the same distant scowl on his scarred face.
No one spoke a word as the professor made his way to the front of the class. Everyone was too eager about Moody and the lessons to come.
"Let's get started," Moody said, voice nearly like a growl. "Professor Lupin sent me an owl to get me up to speed on what you've lot learned. Lots about creatures, indeed. You guys are very behind on curses, so we shall start there. I've got a year to teach you all about—"
"Oh. You're only here for a year?" Devonte's voice broke through the man's, almost like a blurt.
Moody's real eye darted to the boy, though Devonte didn't cower under the hard stare.
When Moody spoke, his tone was soft. "You look familiar. You're Shawn Russell's son, aren't you?"
Devonte nodded pleasantly. "Yes, sir."
"Your father's one of the good ones." Moody's gaze was still as he stared at the young boy. "Helped me lots throughout my years at the Ministry. Send him my regards, will you?"
"Will do, Professor." Devonte looked elated.
Moody dove right back into the lesson, pacing back and forth in front of the class. "I'm supposed to be teaching you about the counter-curses and since you're all eighteen or over the age, I'm legally allowed to show you what the illegal dark curses look like."
Joey found herself intrigued as she leaned forward and listened.
"Question; do any of you know what curses are heavily punished by the wizarding law?" Moody's fake blue eye darted all over the room, but his real eye was steady as he stood still before the class. "They're most commonly known as the Unforgivable Curses."
Multiple hands rose and though Joey knew which curses he was talking about, she didn't raise her hand. The Imperius curse, the Cruciatus curse, and the killing curse.
"You." The professor pointed at Ron.
"The..." Ron sounded self-conscious of his answer. "The Imperius curse, isn't it?"
"Yes." Moody nodded calmly.
Instead of explaining right away about what the curse was, he used a demonstration. He used one spider from a jar and casted the Imperius curse on it.
As he showed the class what the curse was capable of doing, he explained. Already, Joey could see that everyone, including herself, appreciated the way this professor taught.
Moody then went on with the next one. "Another Unforgivable Curse, name it."
Dismaying nearly everyone, Neville's hand rose slowly.
"Go on." Moody stared at the boy.
"The Cruciatus curse," he said in a voice of direct confidence.
"Atta boy." Moody bowed his head, and just like he did with the first curse, he demonstrated the second one with the spider as he explained.
Everyone was intrigued by this, necks craning to look at the damage being done to the spider. Neville looked a bit uncomfortable, but continued to pay attention.
"Last curse." Moody trapped the abused spider in the jar by placing it upside down on the desk the spider lay on.
Multiple people raised their hands, nearly the entire class, but Moody picked on one.
"The killing curse." Nayun's light voice didn't match the morbidness of the curse she named. "Avada Kedavra."
"Indeed," Moody said appreciatively, and lifted the jar to free the spider.
Everyone in the class gasped as Moody flicked his wand and yelled, "Avada Kedavra!"
A bright green light streamed from the tip of his wand and collided with the spider, faster than a bolt of lightning.
The light disappeared and the spider was dead.
Moody explained the curse and throughout the entire lesson, Joey was taking notes on parchment.
School didn't come easy to her, so she actually had to try hard to get good grades. Still, she didn't even get the best grades, but a pass was a pass.
She wasn't even sure she'd want an occupation in the Wizarding World anyway. It really didn't matter if she got good grades, but passing was important.
"What did he say?" Draco whispered to her, dragging his gaze to her notes. "The last part about the killing curse? I didn't hear."
Joey didn't say anything. She just let him read over the part of her notes—which stated that in order for someone to use the curse, they had to mean it—as she continued to make notes.
His eyes scanned over her notes and he nodded slowly. "Morbid. Thanks."
She didn't even nod. She just focused on her work.
When class was over, she packed up her things and slid off her stool. She walked out with her friends, though they'd have to separate since they had different period four classes.
"Wow." Devonte looked happily dazed. "Moody, eh? Professor... Moody."
"He's an excellent professor," Nayun said brightly with a big smile. "Just brilliant."
"He's really intense," Joey admitted as they all walked down the corridor. "I've never been so focused on a lesson my entire life."
"I second that." Imani nodded with a pleasant kind of disbelief.
"Honrada!"
Joey kept walking until the blond Slytherin called her again. She paused and so did her friends.
Slowly, she turned around to see Draco and his silver eyes. "Me?" she blurted, so very muddled.
"You're the only Honrada in the school, so yeah." Draco chuckled huskily as he stopped in front of her.
"Oh." She didn't know why he was talking to her and she could feel her friends silently speaking to each other through glances about the odd situation. "Do you need something?"
"You forgot this." He held out a black quill in his pale hand.
She stared at it before catching his eyes. "That's not mine."
"It's not?" His eyebrows drew together, puzzled. "But it was at the desk, and it's not mine."
"It's probably Pavarti's." Imani stepped forward and grabbed the quill. "I'll give it to her."
Draco nodded and turned back to meet Joey's stare. "See you around, Honrada," he said with a sideways smirk before he walked off in the opposite direction.
"Joey, Joey, Joey." Devonte sighed and shook his head as they all watched the blond leave. "Naughty girl. What did I tell you about giving these lads hand jobs under the desks? They can never stay away once you give them one."
Joey backhanded his hard abs. "I didn't give anyone anything, you piece of foreskin," she drawled.
"That was odd," Imani countered slowly, eyes narrowed at Draco's back as he got farther and farther. "Since when did you two talk? On the first day back too?"
"We don't talk." Joey turned around and they all strolled down the corridor.
"He walked to Parkinson's desk to switch, then when Joey gave up her seat, Malfoy went back to his original spot and sat next to her after kicking Padma to the other seat," Devonte explained as he ran a large hand over his cornrows.
Nayun laughed, amused by this. "My, my, you'll get all the guys this year," she teased, throwing an arm over Joey's shoulders. "This is the year you finally lose your virginity, Jo-Jo."
Joey could only roll her eyes.
Draco Malfoy was one of the Purebloods who cared about blood status. Or so it was perceived that way. Though, he was not known to be rude or vile.
His two friends—Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini—were assholes. Without a doubt. They cared very deeply about blood status and they made it very clear to everyone.
Joey didn't care to pay attention to them, or really any drama. Usually, she heard the gossip and drama from her own mates.
Theodore, Blaise, and even Draco weren't really known to be exclusive with anyone. They were the cliché players at every school.
They hooked up with a bunch of girls and had girls swooning for them all day, every day. Draco Malfoy especially.
Though a player, Draco wasn't completely an asshole.
_____
The first day back was actually not as bad as Joey thought it'd be.
Homework was light this evening, but that wouldn't last forever. It was probably a fluke to get such a light workload.
Since it was past curfew, the four of them decided to hang out in the ladies' shared dorm since Devonte's roommate would be asleep at this time.
Joey, Imani, and Nayun were roommates outside of Hogwarts and in Hogwarts. Their dorm had three beds, a long dresser, a closet, a desk, nightstands for each bed, and a bathroom.
Joey was fresh out of the shower and ready to wind down. She dived into the sheets and got cozy. Though it was a Monday, they would still talk for hours until everyone was getting too sleepy.
"What do you think?" Devonte flexed his big biceps and showed different angles, now shirtless. "This bulk is going to be fucking awesome."
"This lighting is not doing you justice, Von," Imani said from where she lay on her side on Joey's bed.
He padded to a different spot in the room and flexed again. "What about now?" He turned around to show his back muscles and the expansion of his strong lats. "How's it look?"
"You look great, Devonte," Nayun beamed as she lay on her stomach on her own bed.
"Thanks, love." He smiled as he flexed in different ways.
"What does a bulk mean?" she questioned in wonder.
Imani groaned at the question that slipped from her mate's mouth. "Now why the hell would you ask him that?" she said wearily. "Nayun, you know not to get him started on these things."
"What?" Nayun looked confusedly at her.
Devonte was already off on his rant about what a bulk was and what bulking season was. He was telling them about his plans and his go-to meals for a bulk and how much protein was needed. A rant he'd told many times already.
Hogwarts had a gymnasium in the castle. It wasn't always there, but Devonte had convinced the Headmaster to get one created.
He'd told the headmaster that students should have more options than just Quidditch for physical activity. With a gym, there was more to do like weight-lifting, cardio on the machines, boxing, yoga, and etcetera.
Dumbledore eventually agreed and a gym was put into Hogwarts. A lot of people actually used it.
Joey sometimes used it if she had a lot on her mind. She used lifting weights to destroy herself, so she wasn't focusing on what was on her mind.
It wasn't often she did that, but a few times. Just worries and paranoia and all that.
With the Triwizard Tournament replacing Quidditch this year, it would definitely be useful for students to use as physical activity.
Joey didn't even realize she'd shut her eyes to relax them until her name was called. Her head lifted from where it knocked back against the headboard and she looked at her friends.
"Jo-Jo, we have a bit of a challenge for you," Imani announced with a cheeky smile, looking up at her mate.
Joey blinked once. "Oh."
"We were talking about how odd the encounter with Malfoy was," Nayun explained joyfully, veering her gaze to the girl. "And we've come up with a perfect dare for you to spice up your virgin-life."
"Bloody hell, Nayun." Devonte's eyes were wide at said girl. "You didn't need to call out her nonexistent sex-life like that."
"Oh." Nayun gaped and sat up straight, crisscrossing her legs. "Sorry, Jo-Jo. I meant to say to spice up your very exciting life."
Joey mimicked a smile, tipping her head back against the headboard again. She played with the drawstrings of her sweatpants.
"We challenge you," Imani began whilst she sat up.
"To try to make Malfoy fall for you." Devonte smiled and lowered onto the foot of her bed.
"Before the school year ends," Nayun added with an equally eager smile.
Joey's face screwed up. "What? Why?"
"Because why not?" Devonte shrugged his shoulders lazily. "He already seems to have an interest in your hand job—" His sentence got cut short when she threw a pillow at his face.
"I didn't give him a bloody hand job, Devonte," she countered harshly, scoffing. "Though, I might sock you in the face if you don't shut up about that."
He held the pillow close to his stomach. "Do you want to spar?" He gasped and he looked elated now with big eyes. "Spar with me?"
"Moving on." Imani rallied back to their challenge. "Will you do it? Make him fall for you?"
Joey doubted she could get the one and only Draco Malfoy to fall for her, but she also didn't see a way out of this. Her mates were quite persistent.
"Okay," she said at last. "Challenge accepted."