I'm not really feeling this chapter but I don't know how to fix it. If you have suggestions let me know. I promise it'll get better.
I woke up extra early the next morning. I quietly changed into nice clothes and exited the dungeon. I made my way to the headmaster's office. I knocked on the door and Harry opened.
"Lauren?"
"Harry?"
He let me in.
"Ms. Carrington, please come in, have a seat." Dumbledore said.
"To what do I owe the visit?" Dumbledore asked smiling.
"Uhhh...I wanted to ask for permission to see my parents today." I said smiling.
Harry looked over at me and I looked at him and smiled. If Malfoy could see me now he'd laugh at me. Asking Dumbledore for permission. Slytherins were known for not having respect towards Dumbledore, but my parents didn't really raise me like that. Always show respect no matter who it is.
Dumbledore looked at me and smiled.
"Yes, of course. Your parents owled me yesterday asking if you could go."
I was gonna get up but I wanted to ask him so many questions about me and everything. He must've saw the struggle on my face.
"Something tells me that you didn't just come down here for permission. What's troubling you
Ms. Carrington?" Dumbledore asked.
I hesitated. I looked at Harry and he look back at me giving me a small smile.
"Harry. Can you give us a minute." Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded and made his way to the exist.
"Bye Lauren."
"Bye Harry."
I sat back down.
"I'm a Slytherin, and as a Slytherin I can't talk to Gryffindors, but what if my friend is in Gryffindor?" I asked.
Dumbledore stroked his beard. "It's hard to follow something when your heart isn't set on it. Ron isn't a bad person, but it would seem a bit odd for a Slytherin to be around him."
I was amazed. How did he know that I was talking about Ron.
"Did the sorting hat make a mistake?" I asked.
"New experiences change who you are, but they never change who you truly are." Dumbledore said.
"So no matter what I do, I'll still be a bad person?" I asked, getting worried.
"But that's where you're wrong Ms. Carrington. Not all Slytherins are truly bad. I usually have a keen eye for things and when I look at you, I don't see bad. I see confusion. Why?"
I hesitated to say everything, but I let it go.
"Ron wants us to act like how we acted in the infirmary, but he doesn't understand that I can't be seen hanging around him. I'm Slytherin."
"And what's so bad about Ron?" Dumbledore questioned.
"Nothing, he's a good bloke. But he's a Gryffindor and..."
"If Ron and you want to be friends I'm sure that you will both find a way to meet each other. Don't get too caught up on what others think." He said. "Now are you ready to see your parents?"
I nodded my head. He showed me to the fireplace and I used floo powder to get home.
When I got there my mom came running to me and gave me a hug.
"We've missed you." She said tearing up.
"I'm missed you too. Where's dad?" I asked.
"Up in the office. He's almost done with work." She said.
Linda(Mom) grabbed Lauren's hand and took her to the kitchen.
"We're making your favorite, hun." Linda said. Joey was in there with another house elf cooking.
"I'm gonna hope that you're feeling better." Linda said mixing a bowl of something.
"Yea. I mean my back still hurts, but I feel better than I did the first day." Lauren said sitting down at the kitchen island.
"I was so worried when Professor Snape owled us, but he said that you would be fine." Linda said.
"Well he was right." Lauren smiled.
"So explain to me exactly what happened cause all I've heard is a bunch of he-said she-said." Linda asked putting down the spoon.
"Wanna know the truth or the lie?" Lauren asked smiling.
"Hmmmmmm... the truth." Linda said smiling back.
"It's all Malfoy's fault. He tried to play a 'harmless' prank but it backfired and Ron almost fell like 20 feet, but for some reason I did something. I couldn't just let him fall so I did what I did." Lauren said, thinking back to the incident.
"You risked your life for a blood traitor." Lauren's dad said coming from behind her. Lauren turned around and saw her dad smiling. She got up and went to give him a hug.
"You're crazier than I thought." Mark (dad) said.
"I didn't care who he was in the moment. I was just helping someone who needed it."
Linda smiled at Mark.
Lauren and Mark played cards. She ended up being worse at the game, than she had initially thought.
"Whatever I give up." Lauren said throwing her cards. Mark laughed.
"Well you lost just in time cause the foods ready." Linda said bringing the food.
"I didn't lose. He cheated." Lauren said squinting at her dad. Her dad squinted back. They were all digging into the lasagna.
"What's so bad about Ron and his family anyways?" Lauren asked. Linda looked at Mark. Mark cleared his throat.
"Well. They're blood traitors." Mark said.
"You don't believe that?" Lauren asked smiling.
"Actually we do." Mark said. "You're part of we."
"But Ron, he's a nice kid. He's a bit odd but he's sweet." Lauren said.
"Lauren what do you mean?" Linda asked.
"Have you been hanging out with him?" Mark asked kinda mad.
"Not really. Only when I can."
"What are you talking about?" Mark asked his eyebrows furrowing.
"I mean, we hang out sometimes. At first it was just because we had to, but then we became friends." Lauren's voice getting softer.
"And who knows about this friendship?" Mark asked angry.
"No one really." Lauren said quietly.
"Does Draco know?!" Linda asked.
"No!" Lauren said getting annoyed.
"Does any Slytherin know?!" Mark asked starting to get loud.
"No!" Lauren said getting loud too.
"I don't want you becoming friends with him!" Mark said.
"Excuse me?!" Lauren chuckled, amused.
"What I said."
"And why not?" Lauren asked. "I just told you that he's a nice kid."
"He's a blood traitor!" Mark said angry.
"HE'S NOT!" Lauren yelled.
"Ohhhhhhh I see." Lauren said laughing. "Ron is a Gryffindor so I can't hang out with him. But Draco who locked me in a cupboard, I'm sure you remember, I can hangout with!"
"Yes!" Mark said throwing down his fork.
Lauren threw down her fork too. "So you would rather see me with someone as disgusting as Malfoy who treated me like rubbish and made me cry for four years straight, instead of with someone who's been nice to me since day one."
"YES BECAUSE HE'S DANGEROUS!" Mark yelled. Linda was holding back tears. She grabbed Mark's hand and caressed it. Lauren and Mark were breathing hard.
"It's you who put this family in danger first, don't ever forget that." Lauren said quietly. She threw back her chair and got up.
"I'm going back to school." She said walking away.
She walked quickly to the fireplace and grabbed some floo powder. She heard her mom calling her name but she had already left.
When she got back, she quickly made her way to the dungeon. There was almost nobody there. She got to the common room and ran up to the dorms. She jumped on her bed. She couldn't believe it. This was the first fight she had ever had with her dad and it was over the stupidest reason she could think of. She didn't mean to call Malfoy disgusting, she didn't mean it. But she couldn't believe that her father told her she couldn't be friends with Ron. After what he had put them through. She changed into leggings and a sweatshirt. She grabbed her purse and books and headed downstairs. She walked to the library. There was barely anyone there.
She felt someone following her so she turned around. She saw twins.
"Uhhhhhh...hi." She said looking at them confused.
"Hello Lauren. We saw that you were headed to the library." George said.
"Yea I'm gonna complete the study guide for the arithmancy test on Monday." Lauren said.
"We thought you were. Do you mind if we tag along? We need the help desperately." Fred asked.
"Actually I would love the company." Lauren said smiling. They held the doors open for her and she walked in. They all sat down at a table near the back.
"So you guys know my name but I don't know yours." Lauren said putting down her purse.
"Gred and Forge." They said in unison.
"I'm sorry...? Lauren said looking puzzled.
"No need to apologize love. I'm Fred and that's George."
"Oh alright well Fred do me a favor and go look for these two books." She said handing him a list.
"And... George. You go find these books." She said handing him another list.
While they looked for them, Lauren took out her quill and a stack of parchment. Fred and George came back and put the books down. They each took a seat beside her.
"Alright we're gonna divide the questions on the study guide into three. We'll right down the questions on the flash cards and answer them together. When we're done we'll study them." Lauren said.
Fred and George looked amazed.
"Thanks. Hermione never helps us with our work." George said, starting to write.
"That's because you irritate her."
"Lies. We don't have an irritating bone in our body." Fred said. Lauren chuckled.
"Let me ask your mother that." Lauren said making them laugh.
"So why did you stay behind?" George asked.
"I wanted to visit my family." Lauren said.
"Oh that's right Harry told us." George said.
"He told you?" Lauren asked smiling.
"Only after ickle Ronnikins talked about you for two hours." Fred said.
"Who?" Lauren asked with a very confused look.
"Ron." George explained.
Oh. He talks about me?" Lauren was surprised. She didn't think that Ron ever brought up her name since she was Slytherin.
"All the time. He doesn't shut up about you." George said.
"We're not complaining though." Fred said.
"Why did you guys stay? I'm sure that Ron and Harry invited you guys to go along with them." Lauren asked.
"This may come as a shock to you but for some reason he says we embarrass him." George said.
"Plus we were gonna steal Neville's study guide while he was gone." Fred explained.
"You know, instead of trying to stuff all of this information in your head in one day, you could go to something called class." Lauren said smiling. Fred chuckled.
"We would but it's too boring." George said.
"Well maybe if you sat next to me, you would find that it's not that boring."
"What a great idea." Fred said smiling.
"We've heard that you're quite the funny girl." George said.
"Oh really? From who?" Lauren said.
"Ron." Fred and George said in unison.
Lauren laughed.
"Are we almost done?" She asked.
"Almost." Fred said.
Lauren started to try and take off the sweatshirt.
"What are you doing?" Fred asked.
"Trying to take this off it's hot." Lauren said.
George got up to help her. She had a black T-shirt underneath.
"How come we don't recognize you from previous years." George asked.
"Because I wasn't as pretty as I am now."
Lauren got up to put a book back.
Fred and George watched her, mesmerized by her sway. Fred elbowed George to bring him back to. Lauren sat back down in between them. George cleared his throat.
"What do you mean?" Fred asked.
"I had a puffy face and didn't really have a nice figure yet. I kinda looked like the girl version of Crabbe." Lauren said chuckling.
"I'm sure you were still pretty." Fred said.
"If you say so." Lauren said smiling.
"So you and Draco. Are you a thing?" George asked.
Lauren snorted. "No. We're just friends."
"But what if it turns out he fancies you." Fred asked.
"It'll turn out that I don't." Lauren said.
"Well that's good news for the Hogwart guys." George whispered to Fred.
"Ron loves spending time with you, you know." Fred said smiling.
"Even if it's for two minutes he'll talk about you for hours." George said.
"I like spending time with him too. It's just hard with him being Gryffindor and all." Lauren said.
"You all, are the first Gryffindors I've liked." Lauren said smiling.
"Same here." Fred said.
"Wait a sec. I'm not a Gryffindor." Lauren said sarcastically.
Fred and George laughed.
"You know what we mean." George said.
"What time is it?" Lauren asked looking around.
"6:05. Why?" George said. Lauren shot up and grabbed her stuff.
"Students are coming back by now!" She said. "No offense but I can't be seen with you all."
Fred and George helped her gather her things. And they all quickly walked out. The library doors flew open and they walked straight into Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron's eyes widened when he saw the trio.
"If it isn't our ickle Ronnikins." George smirked.
"We were just talking about you." Fred said. Ron blushed and looked sick.
"Don't worry all good things." Lauren said smiling.
"Hello Lauren." Harry smiled.
"Hello Harry." Lauren said giving him a smile and a wave.
"What were you guys doing at the library?" Hermione asked.
"Studying." Lauren said.
"I believe you were, but there's no way that they were." Harry said.
"As a matter of fact we were." George said showing them all the work they had done.
"Oh bring them tomorrow to study." Lauren said.
"You want to see us again?" Fred asked amazed.
"Well yea. We haven't really studied yet." Lauren said smiling.
"Well I have to go. Bye guys." She said walking away.
She was about half way down the hall when she turned around, Ron was still looking at her.
She smiled at him, but he just looked at her, mesmerized by something about her. She turned around and continued walking to the common room.
"Lauren!" Ron yelled. Lauren stopped and turned around. Ron walked up to her and Lauren met him half way.