Y/N sat in her dorm room, surrounded by an array of clothes scattered across the bed, all in preparation for the upcoming plane journey to the Philippines. The room was a mix of excitement and organized chaos.
Aurora emerged from the bathroom, a towel casually draped over her shoulders. "You all packed up?" she inquired, her gaze sweeping over the scene.
Y/N nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, just need a few more shirts, I think," she replied, turning her attention to Aurora's appearance. A playful grin formed on her lips as she teased, "Well, aren't you all dressed up?"
Aurora struck a pose, clad in a vibrant tropical outfit. Her response carried a touch of pride, "Fun fact, I'm actually Filipino."
Y/N raised an eyebrow, intrigued by this revelation. "You're Filipino? I thought you were Mexican," she admitted, a hint of surprise coloring her tone.
Aurora rolled her eyes in good humor. "What, just because my last name's Rodrigo?" she shot back, her playful retort accompanied by a knowing smile.
Y/N's response was cut short, caught between her initial assumption and Aurora's genuine heritage. With a sheepish grin, she conceded, "Well..." trailing off, acknowledging her hasty judgment.
"Kah-musta!" (HelloSophie's voice rang out, her attempt at pronouncing the greeting drawing chuckles from both Aurora and Y/N.
"(Hello) Kamusta, really?" Aurora chimed in with an amused smile.
Sophie shrugged nonchalantly, seeking confirmation, "What, did I not say it right?"
A playful exchange followed. "I'm practicing Ta-Gah-Hlog with Seraphina, she said it was alright," Sophie explained, her effort to learn the language earning chuckles from Aurora and Y/N.
"Anyways, the train leaves in two, better make it quick," Sophie declared, grabbing her trunk as she headed out of the dorm room. Time was ticking, and the impending departure was a reminder to keep things moving.
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The group piled into the compartment on the train, the excitement of the trip palpable. Y/N slouched onto her seat, stretching with a contented groan.
"Why is our flight so early?" Y/N lamented, the time currently 1:52 A.M, with their flight scheduled for 3:00 A.M.
"Well, the Philippines is like... 14 and a half hours away," Seraphina explained, her fatigue evident in the bags under her eyes. Y/N let out a dissatisfied groan, feeling the early morning hour in her bones.
Y/N turned to Seraphina again, inquiring, "How long is the trip again?"
"Two weeks," Aurora supplied with a casual shrug, her eyes on the schedule.
"Damn, really?" Y/N's surprise was palpable. She leaned in, curiosity piqued. "What part are we going to, anyway?"
Aurora consulted the schedule before relaying the information, "So, first... we'll go to Boracay for the first three days, then Cebu for three, Baguio for another three days, and finally Metro Manila for five days so we can actually check out the Wizarding School there."
Y/N absorbed the plan, nodding thoughtfully. "I heard Boracay has a lot of beaches?" Y/N directed the question to Aurora, seeking confirmation.
Aurora nodded, "Yep, you heard right."
Sophie couldn't contain her enthusiasm, interjecting, "I want to go to Cebu the most. I heard there are a lot of pigs and food I can eat there." The prospect of delicious cuisine already had her salivating.
Seraphina's input followed, "I wanna check out Manila. They have a lot of history in that place."
Aurora concluded the discussions with a smug smile, "Well, I wanna check out Makati and its malls, buy some souvenirs."
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The group of tired students slumped onto the airport seats, their exhaustion tangible as their stomachs emitted audible grumbles. It was 2:10 A.M., just five minutes shy of the restaurants opening at 2:15. Hungry and fatigued, the airport bustled around them, a few soft snores blending with the surrounding sounds.
"I feel like I'm gonna die," Hermione groaned, a touch of theatricality in her grip on her stomach.
"You'll survive," Y/N reassured with a chuckle, watching Hermione's melodramatic display with amusement.
"I'm so hungry," Hermione moaned, the sentiment earning an eye-roll from Y/N, who responded with playful sarcasm.
"Only five minutes left," Y/N offered as a calming reminder. She rummaged in her pocket, prompting Hermione to inquire about the rustling noise.
"What's that?" Hermione's curiosity was piqued.
"Muggle money. Didn't you bring any?" Y/N asked, her eyebrows raising in mild surprise.
Hermione's response was a deadpan admission, "I forgot." Y/N's eyes rolled in a playful display of disbelief as she pulled out something that caught Hermione's attention.
"Bloody hell," Hermione murmured, her gaze fixed on the glittering object Y/N held between her fingers.
"What?" Y/N's confusion was evident in her response.
Hermione's voice dropped to a murmur as she spoke, her eyes widening as she observed the black card. "What the f-"
Y/N cut her off with a perplexed retort, "What?"
"Y/N, you have a bloody black card! You spend... like— 200,000 pounds every year!" Hermione's shock was palpable, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Y/N.
"It's a family card, both me and my mum share it—" Y/N attempted to explain.
"It's still a lot!" Hermione interjected, genuinely astonished by the extravagant spending.
"I knew you were rich, but not.. that rich," Hermione murmured, her perception of Y/N's financial status undergoing a notable shift. Y/N glanced at the clock, sensing that the time had come.
"2:15 A.M, let's go," Y/N declared, swiftly rising from her seat. Hermione took a few moments to process the revelation before following suit, getting up to join Y/N on their quest for sustenance.
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"By the way, do we share planes with other people or is it exclusively Hogwarts students?" Hermione's question cut through the air as they navigated the food court of the airport. Y/N responded with a casual shrug.
"Dunno, but my seat's F01," Y/N disclosed.
"Damn, you're flying first class?" Hermione's surprise was evident in her voice, to which Y/N merely nodded.
"You're not?" Y/N inquired in turn, her curiosity piqued.
Hermione shot back with playful sarcasm, "Wow, sorry, Missus Rich." Y/N couldn't help but snicker in response.
"I want to sit next to you," Y/N confessed in a hushed tone, slipping both hands into her pockets as they walked.
"But we're in completely different classes," Hermione pointed out, her eyebrow raising in skepticism.
"Well, I can switch seats with the one next to you," Y/N proposed with a nonchalant hum.
Hermione's voice turned stern, her disbelief evident. "You're seriously trading a window first-class seat and premium eats for a regular economy edge seat, all for what?"
Y/N's response was direct and sincere, catching Hermione off guard, "For you." The unexpected confession caused a faint blush to creep onto Hermione's cheeks.
"Well, aren't you quite noble this morning?" Hermione countered, the retort accompanied by a subtle throat-clearing, her attempts to mask her flushed cheeks evident.
"You're my friend. Why wouldn't I wanna sit next to you?" Y/N's response was simple and genuine, their camaraderie shining through.
"Aurora, Harry, and the others are your friends too. Why don't you sit next to them?" Hermione challenged, seeking to understand the reasoning behind Y/N's choice.
"Because..." Y/N's voice trailed off as she considered her response. "You're the prettiest," Y/N deadpanned, causing Hermione to halt abruptly in her tracks.
"What?" Hermione sputtered out, clearly caught off guard.
Y/N maintained her nonchalant demeanor. "You're... the most comfortable to sit next to."
"No, you said something else," Hermione insisted, her determination unwavering.
Y/N's facade of confusion was expertly crafted. "I fear I don't know what you're talking about, Granger," she hummed innocently, prompting Hermione to scoff in disbelief.
Hermione's skepticism was met with Y/N's well-practiced innocence, a teasing glint in her eyes as she continued to play along.
"Really, Y/N? 'The prettiest'?" Hermione persisted, her disbelief giving way to amusement.
Y/N's lips quirked into a mischievous grin. "Well, if you must know, I did say that. You're the prettiest at keeping me entertained during these flights," she admitted, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm.
Hermione's cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink as she rolled her eyes, a mixture of embarrassment and amusement evident in her expression. "You're impossible," she muttered, but her lips betrayed the hint of a smile.
Y/N feigned an innocent shrug. "Just trying to make the journey more interesting, Granger."
"Hey, lovebirds! We got you two Subway sandwiches!" a voice exclaimed from behind, causing both girls to instinctively turn around.
"Woah, they actually turned around, maybe they are dating," Ron's whisper to Sophie was accompanied by snickers from both redheads. The rest of the group approached, bearing bags of Subway sandwiches and an assortment of snacks, chips, and drinks.
"I heard that," Y/N retorted, swiftly taking the bag from Ron and retrieving her Subway melt. "Extra lettuce like I asked?" she murmured to Sophie, who nodded in confirmation. Despite the banter, Y/N made her stance clear.
"And we're not dating," she stated bluntly.
"Not yet," Sophie's whispered comment to Ron caused the boy to snicker in response.
"Oh, shush, Turner. Might want to keep your distance from Ron, because it seems like a certain someone's getting jealous," Y/N retorted with a playful smirk. Sophie's surprise was palpable as she turned to see Seraphina, her arms crossed and her expression guarded, a hint of tension evident in her demeanor.
"We're just friends," Sophie scoffed, attempting to downplay the situation.
"Not for long," Y/N's deadpan response held a knowing edge, causing Sophie's cheeks to tint with a blush.
With that, Y/N turned on her heels, leaving behind a slightly flustered Sophie and an amused Ron.
"Damn you, Crimson."
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"Ugh, disgusting, Ron. You've got sauce all over your face!" Hermione scolded as the group settled around a table. Ron scoffed in response, a few pieces of meat and bread having escaped his sandwich.
"Womp, womp, Granger, deal with it!" Ron retorted, purposefully smacking his lips loudly, much to Hermione's eye-roll.
"Sour cream Lays does not taste good, guys," Harry chimed in, his voice carrying a soft note as he pushed the bag of chips away. Seraphina couldn't help but scoff in disagreement.
"What are you on about? It's the best!" Seraphina defended, swiftly grabbing the bag of crisps.
"It's all yours," the table replied in a synchronized chorus, Seraphina clicking her tongue in satisfaction.
Curiosity shifted to Y/N as Aurora turned to her, questioning, "What'd you get, Y/N?" Y/N's lips parted as she recalled her order.
"A Subway melt," she responded, prompting Aurora to hum in acknowledgment.
"Can I have a bite?" Aurora's request was met with an eyebrow raise from Y/N.
"We have the same sandwich," Y/N stated flatly.
Aurora persisted, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness, "Yours tastes better."
Y/N conceded with a playful eye-roll, leaning in slightly as she held Aurora's hair up to prevent any sauce mishaps. Their proximity grew closer as Aurora took a bite from the sandwich in Y/N's hand.
"Well?" Y/N's murmured question lingered in the air.
"Good," Aurora whispered, her response carrying a shared moment of intimacy amid the casual banter of their group.
"Have a bite of my sandwich too, Y/N," Hermione quickly spoke up, Y/N's mouth parting.
"Have a bite of my sandwich too, Y/N," Hermione's voice piped up, prompting Y/N's mouth to part in slight surprise.
"It's a tuna sandwich, and I don't really like—" Y/N began to dismiss, only to be met with a small but pointed glare from Hermione.
"Okay, fine, jeez," Y/N muttered in surrender, her curiosity winning over her preferences. Leaning in, she hesitantly took a bite from Hermione's sandwich.
Unbeknownst to Y/N, Hermione and Aurora exchanged a subtle but intense glance, an unspoken rivalry surfacing in that fleeting moment. Y/N remained blissfully unaware of their silent contest.
"How's it taste?" Hermione inquired, her attention focused on Y/N's reaction.
"Pretty good," Y/N replied with a hum of satisfaction.
Hermione's satisfaction was evident as she proudly declared, "Told you, I'm always right, Y/N. Even when it comes to sandwiches."
TO BE CONTINUED...