The beginning of October brought around the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. Me and the girls had been looking forward to it for ages. I was especially looking forward to picking up my freshly altered robes - new designer ones that I'd made mother order for me as I have an aversion to the hideous school ones. The extra money was worth it when you considered how much more flattering they were on me, and how much more hard-wearing they were - an investment if you like. That's what I'd told mother anyway and it had worked, so they were now sitting in Gladrag's waiting for me, having just been owled in from Milan.
It was nice to have a chance to escape the castle too. There is only so much time I can spend admiring the worn stone walls and floors of the corridors and classrooms. We were currently sat in our usual corner of the Slytherin Common Room discussing a game plan for tomorrow, including which shops needed visiting by who, and where and when we would be stopping for lunch.
"Well I need Zonkos," Aurelia said dreamily. I turned to look at her, an eyebrow raised. What would she need from a joke shop? Slytherins use cunning and wit, not pathetic little pranks to outsmart any enemies. I told her as much, earning a glare and a couple of defensive words in Russian, a language we often slipped into due to having family from there.
I shrugged off her odd behaviour and began listening again as Nat told us she needed the book shop for a new textbook; and Maeve asserted she wasn't going to be with us for lunch because she would be with her on/off boyfriend at Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop, but would meet us at The Three Broomsticks once she was done. Last on our agenda was to pop by Gladrag's on the way out of the village, collect my robes and then head back in time for dinner.
Satisfied we had all bases covered, we stood up from the sofas and headed off in the direction of our dormitories for the night.
"This what you were looking for?" I said aloud to the shop. Natalie looked up from one of the other bookshelves and rushed over.
"Yes! Perfect, thanks Kays," she gushed as I passed her the textbook for extension work on Transfiguration. "I'll just go and pay for these," she said, indicating the other couple of books in the crook of her arm and went up to the counter to pay. I think they were the new 'Seven' series of novels by D.S. Wolring that every girl had been raving about for months on end: I read the first one and was hooked. I watched as Nat put her books into her bag and we walked out the door together, heading for The Three Broomsticks as it was now past one and I was in need of lunch.
Draco was standing at the bar when we arrived, getting drinks for Aurelia and Blaise who were already sat down.
"Butterbeer Natalie?" he asked kindly, "And a Raspberry MGC for you Kayla, right?" We both grinned at Malfoy simultaneously and went to sit down. I slid into the bench next to Lia who was zoned out. What on earth could she be thinking about? She spent her whole time day-dreaming, surely she'd run out of stuff to think about already?
We spent most of lunch discussing our purchases and deciding how we would be celebrating Halloween this year. Zabini suggested a dress up party but then Aurelia pointed out that it was Maeve's seventeenth birthday so we ought to do something for that. We ended up planning out her party as we begun our plates of food and by the time they were empty everything was set out perfectly; right down to the colour scheme and guest list.
"So Nat will owl them and get them to send over decorations the day before so we have time to put them up?" Aurelia clarified in her sweet tone of voice. We all nodded.
"Draco will be sorting out the food and drink when he passes by the kitchens on Prefect Duty. And-" I paused when I saw the door open and Maeve walk in, so I changed direction mid-sentence.
"And - so Umbridge thought that badges would help identify us to other students that we were in the Inquisitorial Squad."
Everyone nodded like this was what we had been talking about all along.
***
"She gets on my nerves so much!" Both Natalie and I were shaking with anger as we walked away from Francesca Saunders and towards Gladrag's where I picked up my new robes. We were still all fuming as we headed back to Hogwarts and when we went for dinner that evening, it was all Draco could do to keep me from hexing the stuck up Ravenclaw cow into next week. I would get her back for that thing she pulled with Draco. He was mine.
I growled at that memory; how she threw herself at Draco in a lovelorn pretence and been all over him like a rash. Not that it was real but hey. Jealous, moi? A little bit perhaps, but there was little reason to be. I had Draco exactly where I wanted him, and he me.