Author's Note: it's been super long since and update so this'll be a double upload today! :)
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The prefect's carriage was filled to the brim with tension. Ronald and Draco stared at each other like enemies, Hermione stared at Draco passively, and Aurum couldn't help but find herself in a staring contest with the Ravenclaw prefect, Anthony Goldstein.
Anthony Goldstein was a seventh year. The Ravenclaw prefects were always off-number so that they could lead the rest. It was certainly odd, but no one ever questioned it. Anthony exuded an aura of confidence and maturity. He had the calmest—not to mention American—voice and the most serene of actions. He commanded authority over the rest of the prefects. That wasn't all Aurum liked about him. He also had golden blonde hair which matched hers, and deep emerald eyes that could steal hearts in an instant. He was even taller than Draco and Ronald which was a feat in of itself. He wasn't as brim as her, but more so than Draco who was basically a toothpick.
"First order of business, I suppose, is that we address the elephant in the room," Anthony said. "Yes, I am not a new prefect like you all. I've been doing this for three years, so I'm sure I'll be the one making the most decisions. First of all, I believe we should discuss our plans for making Hogwarts as safe as possible." Anthony caught Aurum's eyes on him. "Creste, would you like to go first?"
Aurum clutched her breast. "Be still, my beating heart." she whispered to herself.
"Kid?" Anthony raised a brow.
"I believe we should have prefects patrolling the corridors after curfew for only an hour. I think that is a permittable time and allows for people to get sleep." Aurum suggested with difficulty for fear of embarrassment.
"We're already doing that," Padma Patil, the Ravenclaw female prefect, said.
Aurum mumbled an apology and looked down with a scarlet face. She twiddled her thumbs under the table. Draco put a calming hand on hers. She looked up at him with confusion.
With greater confidence than even Anthony, Draco said, "I believe we should have a schedule instead of the prefects just patrolling the halls of whatever house they're in. I've heard many complaints over the years from Potter's crew that Slytherins are let off into the night because they have Slytherin prefects."
"If that's the case, what if a Slytherin tries to screw over a Gryffindor?" Ronald blurted out, his face even redder than Aurum's had been a second ago.
"That's why there's a schedule. Slytherins would patrol one night, then Gryffindor, then Ravenclaw, then Hufflepuff, and so on." Draco explained. "Also, I believe prefects should get days off from time to time."
"That sounds lazy." Hannah Abott, the Hufflepuff female prefect, commented.
Aurum, knowing what Draco was talking about, figured she might as well explain herself. Besides, she'd be spending the rest of her years at Hogwarts with them. "I have lycanthropy."
The reactions were mixed. Draco was shocked that she would just come out about it. Ron and Hermione weren't surprised, they already knew due to their snowy encounter in their third year. Hannah and her male counterpart, Ernie Macmillan, were a tad freaked out—if you could call jumping and holding onto each other a tad freaked out—, Padma was calm about it, and Anthony rose from his seat seriously. He began clapping. Soon, the whole carriage gave a standing ovation for Aurum. They sat back down after about fifteen or so claps each.
"I don't understand." Aurum blushed.
"It takes guts, kid, to do what you just did." Anthony smiled warmly. It was the kind of smile that melted Aurum's heart immediately. She could tell they were already off to a great start.
"Yeah, I never would've done that. I'd be too afraid of what others thought." Ernie admitted. He quickly corrected himself when Draco sneered at him, "Not that I think anything of werewolves! I'm perfectly fine with them. They're just like anybody else, right?"
"Of course, of course." Hannah hastily agreed. "Just don't huff and puff our house away." she awkwardly joked.
"Aurum, I can't believe you did that! That's really cool of you to be open with us like that." Ronald gave her an even more awkward thumbs-up. Hermione, shielding him from embarrassment, forced his hand down under the roundtable.
"Yes, yes, we must get down to business now." Anthony ordered, waving his hands for everyone to quiet down. "I'd like to take suggestions for how to solve Aurum's issue of lycanthropic prefect-ing."
"One of us could take over for her?" Hannah asked, shrugging her shoulders.
"No, then we would leave our corridor unprotected." Padma rebutted.
"Perhaps we could have someone be a part-time prefect." Hermione suggested.
"How would we decide such a thing? We'd definitely need Dumbledore's permission." Ernie noted.
"This whole meeting is being transcribed by that elf in the corner there to be sent to Dumbledore." Anthony pointed to a house elf who was using a quill and paper much like Rita Skeeter's. Hermione was noticeably upset at this.
"Do we have the power to lay off all house elves working in the castle? I'd love to get a bill like that passed," Hermione said.
Silence filled the room.
"Did you hear something, Ernie?" Hannah asked, looking away from Hermione, extremely uncomfortable.
"Look, house elves are being abused everyday and even right now as we speak. They aren't paid anything, and if they are, it's an unfair wage." Hermione furthered her point. "To use an example—"
Draco crossed his fingers, whispering, "Please Hermione, don't..."
"—the Malfoy's have had a house elf for years who has been proved to be much happier since being released."
"—and you did." Draco cursed under his breath.
"Watch, if I give that elf over there a sock, he'll be more than happy." Hermione took off her shoe rapidly before anyone could stop her. Anthony stopped her while she held it in her hand.
"Enough! This is a subject not for us. We cannot do anything as we are now. If you want to conduct a meeting for this later, that is perfectly acceptable, Miss Granger. However, this is a meeting discussing the safety of Hogwarts." Anthony squinted, clasping his hands together. "I appreciate your concern for old Ed over there, but now's not the time." he held up a button he took out of his pocket. "S.P.E.W. will have to take it directly to Dumbledore soon enough."
Hermione, for the duration of the meeting, just sat dumbfounded with her shoe in her hand.
After another hour, Ed tapped his wrist at Anthony. The Ravenclaw nodded. "That brings our meeting to a close! We'll meet at the Astronomy tower in a week."
The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Padma, and Draco left, but Aurum was stopped by Anthony who was taking refuge in the prefect carriage rather than travel in the compartments.
"Sit down again, kid. I want to talk." he leaned back in his seat.
Aurum took a seat across from him. It felt to her as if they were having a business meeting. She thought she knew what he wanted, though. Throughout the meeting, she felt he hinted around that he seemed to like her.
"I just wanted to know if you... I don't know..." Anthony scratched his chin, looking at some scattered papers in front of him.
"Yeah, I'm free anytime." Aurum shook her head, having no problem with a date with him.
Anthony looked up, surprised at her comment. "No, I just wanted to know if you could cancel your H.P.F.C. meeting at one on the twenty-first. We need that cleared up for an all day meeting."
Aurum bit her lip. "I'll talk to Ginny about it." she stood disappointedly. She was definitely ready to walk out of the door, but Anthony called her back again.
"You're cute, so I'll take you up on your offer of your free time. How does the Three Broomsticks on the first day at Hogsmeade sound?" Anthony asked, tapping his quill on one of the papers absent-mindedly.
"Sure!" Aurum couldn't hide her excitement.
"That's great, kid. I work there, I can get us free drinks."
"Sounds good." Aurum nodded. She was so happy that she could finally find the right guy for her.
Anthony almost made her forget about Harry.