The armchair closest to the fire in cold Slytherin common room felt much comfortable, as Sophie felt lucky to get that one before anyone. She was reading the book as she felt she was being watched carefully. She looked up from the book and found Terence, Lucia's cousin.
"Enjoying your days, Dixon?" He slipped to an armchair next to hers. Sophie wished he leave her alone.
"What do you mean, Terence?" Sophie asked indignantly.
"I just asked if you are having fun dating one of those idiots? Never thought your standards are this low." Terence shrugged.
"For your information, Higgs, I don't date anyone and even if I do, it is clearly not your place to worry whome I do. It is funny how you call others idiots when it is so obvious that of all people in this school granted with brains except you" Sophie hissed.
"Well, I don't want my cousin to get rotten by people like you" Terence said.
"Then why don't you go ahead and try saying that infront of Lucia?"
Terence casted her furious look. He got up from his seat, walked upto her and leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "If it is not me, it definitely can't be those bloody Weasleys. Try me and see, I won't let them alive" and he left.
Sophie felt herself trembling with fury, but nothing came out of her mouth.
"Sophie, did Terence say anything to you just now? I saw him talking to you and left. Tell me if he said anything bad, I swear I hex him" Lucia came and touched her arm.
Sophie looked up at her friend and shook her head. Lucia looked suspiciously at her black haired friend and direction where her cousin disappeared.
"Oh no, it's Divination next. Why do we have to take these subjects that don't make any sense?" Natalie wailed as she poked potatoes with her fork on their lunch time.
"Tell me about it. I can't think of anything that can kill me anymore. Running out of my chances in death" Lucia sighed.
Sophie felt her head throbbing. She did not discuss about her arguement with Terence to her friends and that made her head so heavy. She normally doesn't care about Terence's threats, but something in her mind told her that he meant it this time. His family is known for very old magical family with considerable history of dark magic. They were few of the ones who came to other side from Dark Lord's once he left as his power diminished. Terence is fool yet and arrogant one which would be a bad combination to turn any situation unnecessarily dirty.
Sophie sat on the benches in Quidditch pitch. The place itself looked different with some plants planted in rows and in different shapes. Sophie could see, Hagrid, the gamekeeper, busy pouring something to plants. These days, Sophie found it easier to read in Quidditch pitch than in library, as library has become so crowded with Durmstrang's Victor Krum coming there, making groups of girls following him all the way to it. Slytherin opened her book and started reading. Suddenly she heard giggling and weird sounds, few benches away to her right. A girl and a boy were snogging eachother feverishly, Sophie thought their lips were glued with some kind of binding charm. 'Eww.. Gross!' She thought she should move to some benches away, but before she could do that two people joined her bench.
"Feel like for a Quidditch game, Dixon? But don't have any this year" Fred beamed from his left.
"You alright, Dixon?" George asked sitting next to his brother.
Not knowing whome to answer first, Sophie nodded to both.
"You were amazing in Mad-eye's class yesterday, Dixon. I always find him are little intimidating" George said.
"Mad-eye? Who?" Sophie asked confused.
"Alastor Moody of course. DA teacher" George replied.
"Yes, me too. I always wonder which eye to stare that I forget to listen at the end. Not that it matters anyway. " Fred said. Their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor Moody, an ex-Auror, wore an eye on his forehead that rotates around its socket while his normal eyes stare at the class.
"It wasn't that hard if you do as he says" Sophie said.
"Yes, actually he is better than Snape" Fred said.
"Prof. Snape isn't bad"
"Oh yes, Slytherins talk. Since he is the only reason Slytherin gets points and take away ours" George said.
"That's not true. We get points, because we deserve them. It is your fault you lose points" Sophie said annoyed.
"Oh really? What do you say about the points he deducted from Gryffindor last year only for we two?" Fred asked.
"Well you can't blame him for that , can you?" Sophie smirked.
Then suddenly came another smooching sound, from under the few benches ahead, where snogging boy and girl sat, and Sophie wished she could vanish immediately. Twins turned their heads to look around. "Could it be some rats?" And then Fred noticed the couple and said, "Oh there, two big ones"
"After all, Dixon's not here for a Quidditch!" George nudged his brother and laughed.
"Yeah, nice view, Fi! You have strange preferences, eh?" Fred laughed.
"No! I d-didn't see them.. first" Sophie stuttered.
"Oi, you two, did someone glued you together? Need any help?" Fred shouted at the couple.
"Or do you need unstoppable chews? You won't stop what you are doing if you chew one of those" George shouted.
"Or sticky sticks? Sticks to anything. Would be quite a sight!" Fred shouted back.
The couple got up from their bench, left muttering something and casting annoyed looks at the three.
"Are you really studying now? Don't you get sick of it?" Fref eyed the book on Sophie's lap.
"You should be in Ravenclaw" George said.
"No, I am not. This is not studying, I am just reading" Sophie said.
"Is there any difference? What is she talking about?" Fred asked George.
"No idea, mate" George shrugged.
"Yes, there is Weasley. I am not good at studies or anything. I just like to read books"
"Oh no, you are very good at some things" Fred winked and threw her a mischievous smile.
Sophie looked at her feet as she felt her ears turning red. George cleared his throat and said, "Bloody hell, they are ruining Quidditch pitch! Is that Hagrid, there? Why the hell he plant things in the middle of pitch?" Then he got up from his seat, walked towards Hagrid.
"So what are you doing here?" Fred asked still watching his brother walking away.
"Library and Common room are too crowded. Only this place seemed to be deserted" Sophie said.
"Except some snogging competition all over the place" Fred laughed.
"Except that" Sophie laughed. "What are you guys doing?" She asked.
"Just walking around. Kind of missed rides in broomsticks" Fred said.
"You both really love Quidditch, don't you?"
"Of course, we are beaters. Our hearts beat for Quidditch! And anyway, we don't have anything interesting other than Quidditch in school, do we?" Fred said amused.
"That's insane. It is just a game" Sophie snorted.
"Just a game? How dare you, Sophie Dixon? How dare you? I'll just pretend I didn't hear you for only this time" Fred said shocked.
Sophie smiled, enjoying the fact that she just shocked Fred a bit. Instead Fred watched the girl smiling in amusement. Sophie caught his eye and felt embarrassed.
"You know, you should really try smilling. It suits you best" Fred said.
Sophie looked around nervously. "May be you guys should not hang around much often. I mean, near me" She said as she remembered what Terence said earlier.
"And why would we do that?" Fred asked stiffened.
"Just, you know" Sophie mumbled.
"You are worried what your friends might think? Scared what other Slytherins would say?" Fred asked.
"No Fred, I am not worried what others think. It is just, you should know, Fred, not everyone likes you. There are people who hate you. Not for what you are, just for what they are" Sophie tried her best to explain.
"Do you hate me, Sophie?"
"No" said Sophie in a small voice.
"Then I don't give a dragondung what others think" said Fred cheerfully.