a/n I got anxious so I wrote the next chapter ha! :)
Helena woke up feeling a bit tired. Her dreams had been all over the place with yesterday's events. She dreamt about her mother and father in the living room until a dementor had made everything dark and when she could finally see, her mother had been taken away.
But then she found herself going up a never-ending spiral staircase while two red headed boys were throwing Cauldron Cakes at her.
It was a weird dream.
She got up, having put her alarm earlier than usual to get a head start on the day. A look in the mirrow before she got in the shower made her glare at her bed hair.
Most girls, at least in movies, appeared to have wonderful messy hair. The kind that makes a girl look cute in the morning. But with Helena's thick hair, not even magic could make her a sleeping beauty.
Sure she had her good days, but other days it seemed like her hair had given up and stood there lifeless. After the shower, today was a good hair day.
Helena made her way downstairs to the common room where she spotted a few other students who had talen the time to wake up early and were now waiting for some friends.
At the Gryffindor table she got a good seat where some toast, bacon and a rare bottle of orange juice layed. She was already half way through her breakfast when her head of house, Professor McGonagall, came into view handing out time tables.
"Miss Rosemund," the woman read, "I do hope you continue with your excellent grades this year since it's an O.W.L. one" McGonagall handed her schedule.
Helena simply nodded having her mouth filled with bacon and toast. The teacher left and the girl poured down some orange juice and skimmed through her classes for fifth year.
The dining hall soon began to fill up with student from every house when Helena was just finishing up when she found herself trapped between two bodies.
"Rosemund," they both said.
"Weasleys", Helena was hesitant wether or not she could try to get up and sprint away from them.
"So," began George, "what class do we have first?" he was peering at her time table.
And as much as she would love enjoy her 'me' time, she knew she wouldn't get rid of them that easily. Being in contact with the Weasleys two days in a row was odd for her. She was usually much more clever when trying to avoid their presence.
"Umm... Potions," she muttered.
"Don't tell me it's with the Slytherins" groaned Fred, yanking her schedule to hopefully confirm he wad wrong.
"Actually," she said taking back her time table from the boy's hands, "it's with Hufflepuff." Helena drank the last of her juice and got up dusting off the bread crums on her skirt.
"Hey, aren't you going to wait for us?" George pouted.
Helena looked at both boys, "Er, no?" and she was able to free herself from the tight spot between the two. She grabbed her school bag and walked away heading to the dungeons where the Potions class took place.
The dark haired girl was still early enough to take a seat near the front of the class where she liked so she could take clear notes.
The twins barely got inside the classroom in time before Snape arrived. Not that they cared. Helena shook her head in disaproval.
Professor Snape entered the classroom practically stomping, his black robes trailing behind and his greasy black hair almost moving.
"This year," he sneered, "you shall take your O.W.L. examinations which will determine if you are good enough to even continue this class N.E.W.T. level" he was staring down at each student as if he wanted to see who flinched at the sound of the importance of his words.
Helena knew better.
"Although," he continued with a monotone voice, "I will be grading you individually, you will be working in pairs. Hopefully one of the two will know what they are doing for their own sake." Snape had landed his stare at the Weasleys who kept doing weird faces at each other.
"Mr. Weasley," the teacher called making both of them drop silent and focusing their attention to Snape. "The one who's on the right side," he said when he saw the confusion on the twins' face.
"Please join," Snape looked around the unamused class and stopped when he saw the only student who was looking his way, "Miss Rosemund."
Helena frowned, slouching her body and already giving up any hope on a good grade.
"Hello, Hell." The ginger smirked taking his new spot for the year.
"More like, goodbye chance of scoring a decent grade this year" she rested her chin on her hand over the desk.
Fred pretended to be hurt, placing a hand over his chest. "You say that as if it's the worst thing that could happen."
"It is?" Helena started doodling while Professor Snape finished pairing up the class.
"You know, school isn't just about getting 'good' grades," he had made air quotes and then chuckled when he saw Helena's confused face, as if she were surprised about what she was hearing.
Yes, you see," Fred continued, "while some people worn themselves out with school work," he pointed at her, "others prefer to enjoy life by having a few laughs and make the most of what this magical world can provide for us." he smiled sheepishly, pretending to hold suspenders to make himself look wise.
Helena rolled her eyes. I seem to be doing that often lately. "So you are saying that I should go around and annoy people for my own amusement?" she mockingly batted her eye lashes at him and smiling in a creepy way.
Professor Snape cleared his throat making the girl lower her head feeling bad for having been called out for interrupting the class. Well, not exactly being called out, but that was enough for Helena to get her attention back to the class.
"You shall prepare the Draught of Peace," Snape instructed. "Page 57. You have one hour."
Helena, having read the book during the summer, had memorized the ingredients of most potions and decided to get them herself from the shelves.
She returned to the sight of a concentrated Fred who was re-reading the procedure of the potion, wanting to get it right. But Helena didn't know this and thought that he must be making fun of her for taking her classes seriously.
She sighed placing the ingredients on their table.
After half and hour into the class, Helena was now sure that Fred was actually making an effort in getting their Draught of Peace potion right and she appreciated that, relaxing on her supervision on the boy.
They were almost done with it.
But then Fred accidentally spilled some of the powdered moonstone they needed in order for the potion to turn gray.
He cursed himself.
"Hey, hey now... " Helena touched the boys arm so he wouldn't get upset. "We still have time to get more moonstone before the potions starts to waste. I'll get it." she smiled then headed for the ingredient they needed.
"Your twin dropped some moonstone too, then?" Hufflepuff's very own golden boy stood beside Helena flashing his signature smile.
"Hey, Cedric!" she turned to look at George sitting in the back trying to blow away the extra smoke that was coming from their cauldron. "Seems like it," she laughed.
She grabbed the powder and went back to her partner that had rolled up his sleeves by now, a determined look on his face.
"As much as I would like to see you get in trouble for once in your life by 'annoying' people," Fred said while stirring the potion once she had added the moonstone, "What I've been meaning to teach you, dear Hell, is that you should try loosening up a bit. Wouldn't want to grow even more gray hair, would you?" he pointed at her hair.
The girl immediately went to grab a chunk of her hair and held it to her eye level to find the gray hair.
Fred was holding back a laugh while putting the final ingredients on their potion.
"I hate you."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Double Transfiguration with the Slytherins didn't go as bad as Helena thought it would. Maybe the fact that McGonagall made them write an essay and turn a flower pot into a cup of tea withing the first hour did the thing.
It was time for lunch now and Helena was starving. She got guided downstairs by a large heard of second year students who were also very much hungry.
Stepping aside as soon as she got through the wooden doors of the great hall before she got rampled to her death.
Death by hungry second years. Interesting.
Seeing how they had been given a heavier amount of homework to hand in for next class, Helena realized her lunching days would soon be over and spended in either the library or the common room to get her work done in time.
"What a day, huh?" said someone sitting beside her.
Do I have a sign on my back saying 'Weasley's, I have nothing better to do?'
"It's only been half a day," she rolled her eyes. "What are you two doing here?" she asked much more harshly than she intended, but maybe that would spread the message.
"Well," George started reaching for a sandwich that was on the far left side, almost where Fred was now sitting, next to Helena. "... it all started when we were eleven years old and we got our Hogwarts letter. Mum had been telling us off for blowing up the-"
"-No," the girl interrupted annoyed, "I mean, what are you doing here sitting with me? Don't you have someone to prank or something?"
"Oh, Rosemund!" Fred sang, "you would think that. But we would much rather spend our day with you. At least until we pick a new pranking victim besides Filch" he threw a grape in the air and caught it with his mouth.
"Charming," she said in a very Professor Snape manner. "Why would you want to hang with me?"
Helena was secretly curious to know the answer to this.
"To tell you the truth-" George began turning to his brother.
"-We thought you could use some friends." Fred stated surprisingly serious.
Helena was taken aback by this. She did have friends... right? Sure, some would be considered more as acquaintences but still. Did she come off as a loner?
"I-I have friends," she didn't want them to think otherwise.
"Hermione Granger doesn't count," said Fred on her left. "She's more like your prodigee."
Helena thought hard, which she knew she shouldn't have to if she wanted to prove them wrong.
"I sometimes hang out with Luna Lovegood?" even she didn't convince herself with that answer.
She groaned in defeat, pushing her plate and burying her face in her hands, her now frizzy hair hanging over her. "I have no friends," her voice was muffled by her own hands.
"What is that?" George asked scooting closer to the already embarrassed girl.
"Yeah, didn't quite catch that, Hell." Fred chuckled.
"I said," again muffled, "I HAVE NO FRIENDS!!" she shot her head up rather fast making the twins jump from their seats and her voice came out more loud than she planned.
Then she felt someone tapping on her shoulder. And this time she wished it had been one of the twins.
"Umm, Helena?"