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chapter five | trouble
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JAEDEN, MAISIE AND MILO stayed for the next two days, and then their families decided to leave and go back home. The group had kept their eyes on the Daily Prophet in hope of seeing which wizards had caused the attack or if the Ministry had any information. They did know that not long after they'd left, the Dark Mark was painted all over the sky, Death Eaters marking the territory they'd just destroyed.
Kaya tried her best not to think about it, after all, they were safe, unharmed and didn't even come into contact with any known death eaters. They were pretty lucky, really.
It was a week until Kaya went back to Hogwarts, this time bringing her little brother with her, and so the family were going with the Ezra's for their yearly school shop in Diagonal Alley. The plan was for Kaya and Jaeden to go and find their own stuff for school, and then the parents can take Alfie and Jeremy together. Kaya was more than happy with this plan - especially since there was a chance to buy ice cream.
"Alright piss-face," Jaeden greeted, before the two began their shopping.
"Piss-face, that's a new one," said Kaya.
"Gotta keep everything fresh, you know. Can't let you get used to the daily insults, can I?"
"Not at all, shit-head,"
Kaya and Jaeden decided to stop by Madam Malkin's to get their uniform for the year. Jaeden had grown what seemed like almost double his height since the start of their fifth year, so needed a full new set. Kaya still fit into the same skirt she'd bought when she was thirteen, and so didn't need as much. Her old jumper did have a tiny hole in where her elbow was, though, after Jaeden spilled something when they were in potions and it burned through Kaya's jumper. They'd both spent days trying to fix it with a spell, but they were pretty useless. The furthest they'd gotten was the threads reaching each other but still looked all jagged as though a cat had clawed it. The material broke and the hole burst through around ten minutes after they'd 'fixed' it.
Then, they spent almost twenty minutes trying to get the right books for the coming year, Kaya accidentally picking up a book for a second year misplaced on the shelf filled with books for sixth years, and getting a very funny look from the shop keeper, who had to explain to her she might've picked up the wrong one.
After that 'stressful encounter', which was what Kaya called it, the two decided to take a break from their shopping and buy an ice cream. I mean, let's face it, buying an ice cream and maybe trying to catch a glimpse of Alicia Spinnet was the only reason Jaeden turned up to buy the stuff himself, anyway.
Kaya picked her usual hot fudge sundae, and Jaeden decided to try something new and ordered a strawberry and peanut butter cone.
"Sounds disgusting," Kaya said to him, as soon as he'd ordered it.
The two sat down outside as it was a hot day and Kaya insisted on getting as much sunlight as possible. After two minutes of little talk as two were too invested in their ice cream, the brunette girl noticed Jaeden's gaze at someone over her shoulder. The girl made a face at him, before slowly turning around to see who it was he was staring at. To no surprise, it was Alicia.
"Uhh... earth to Jae? Anyone home?" The girl waved her hand in front of the boy's face.
"What- oh," he said, blinking a few times before his attention turned back to his best friend.
"Alicia?"
"She is so amazing," Jaeden said, shifting to look back at the girl staring through the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies.
"You get weird around girls you fancy," Kaya told him. He frowned at her.
"How?"
"Just... a bit like a stalker." She shrugged.
"Fuck off,"
Jaeden's full attention was back on Kaya as Alicia had disappeared into the shop. But it wasn't long before he grinned at the sight of two other familiar faces strolling down Diagon Alley.
"Alright, gingers?" He called out, and Kaya whisked around accidentally making immediate eye contact with Fred Weasley, walking with his brother George.
"Jae!" George greeted as the two sauntered over.
"Kaya," Fred nodded, drawing a chair to their table. The girl wasn't quite sure what to do - the last time she saw him, she was trying her best to 'save his life'. Does she bring it up? Does she wait for him to bring it up? Does he even remember it was her?
She almost thought she saw him glance at her with a warmer expression than usual, and could swear she thought he'd opened his mouth as though he was going to say something. Nah, she was probably wrong and really just too self absorbed.
Kaya, stop making shit up, this isn't a muggle movie, she thought.
Thankfully Jaeden physically couldn't last two seconds without talking, so any awkwardness that could've happened between Kaya and Fred was erased in a heartbeat.
"What shit have you been buying then?" He said, eyeing up George's bag.
"Don't worry, we're not gonna turn your skin ultramarine this time," the twin replied with a grin.
"Yeah, we felt bad, making you feel so blue," Fred added, receiving a kick from Jaeden under the table. Kaya laughed.
"I wouldn't have cared so much if you hadn't decided to do it the one time I happened to be sat by Alicia,"
"Yeah, but that was the whole point," said George.
"Why?"
"Funny," Fred shrugged.
Kaya grinned as she watched the three boys squabble, before her gaze became fixed on - well, nothing really. She just began daydreaming. Probably needed more sleep. It wasn't long until Jaeden mentioned her, and when she didn't answer, Fred decided to wave his hand in front of her face to snap her out of her daze.
"Huh?"
"The Quidditch World Cup," Jaeden said. Kaya swallowed, giving the tiniest glance towards Fred and cursing herself for doing it because he'd somehow glanced and made eye contact with her at the exact same time - even mirroring the same nervous expression. The girl had no idea what to do, or say. She could feel her cheeks beginning to heat up, yet again.
"We were on about the... Dark Mark," George lowered his voice.
"Oh," Kaya said, trying to put her mind off the Fred situation and think about the actual attack itself. "Did you see it? We reckon we'd left just before,"
"Yeah, Harry was with us - you know, Potter?"
Jaeden and Kaya nodded.
"He got separated from us during the commotion - poor lad, his luck - and ended up seeing a man he said was the one that made the mark."
"Do you know who it was?"
The twins shook their heads. There was a tiny moment of silence in which nobody was sure whether to carry on talking about the attack or to maybe brighten the mood a bit and change the subject. Kaya decided it was best to change the subject.
"Any of you found out what the so-called 'special thing' that's supposed to be happening this year?"
"Not a word," said Fred. "So annoying, our Mum's just too good at keeping secrets. Have you?"
"Nope,"
"I heard mine talking about there being some kind of ball happening," said Jaeden. "Don't know what for, though."
"What, like a dance?"
"Well, yes George, what else could I mean?"
"What do they wanna do a dance for?" George made a face. "Sounds shit."
"Oh my god, it'll be like Grease!" Kaya said enthusiastically to Jaeden, forgetting for a second that the Weasley's were pure blood.
"Like what?" Fred made a face. "Grease? Like greasy hair?"
Kaya laughed.
"Don't get her started," Jaeden shook his head.
"It's a muggle thing," Kaya said, twiddling her thumbs. She didn't want to go to far into it - if they didn't know a thing about muggle films she could be there for hours explaining. Probably best not to take that risk.
The twins exchanged a confused glance, but shrugged.
"Don't tell our Dad, he'll make you do a five hour long step-by-step walk through of it," George said.
"You'll have to explain it to me another time, perhaps," said Fred with a small smile. Kaya couldn't help but smile back, just a little. She couldn't help it - the Weasley boy was just one of those people who had a contagious grin.
"I wouldn't, Fred, mate, get her talking and you won't be able to stop her," said Jaeden. "Trust me, she's a nightmare,"
"Oi, piss off, you, acting like you don't love it as well,"
"I reckon I can handle it," said Fred. "But, if you are right, and Kaya's a little pain in the arse, I'll just have to use a charm to shut her up. Right, buttercup?" he teased. Kaya cringed.
"Buttercup," she shook her head.
"That's right, babycakes,"
"No, make it stop," the brunette said, turning to George for help as she began to laugh. George and Jaeden exchanged raised eyebrows. Fred was enjoying teasing Kaya and she was busy laughing and cringing at the same time. Boys were such knobs.
"You're trouble, aren't you?" she said to him, to which he just grinned and winked.
The girl got more and more comfortable around the twins as the group continued to laugh and joke around. But they couldn't stay on this small table forever - Kaya and Jaeden still had some shopping to do. George caught the eye of someone looking their way, before saying,
"Freddie, Mum's waiting for us,"
The four all looked over in sync at the group of red-heads, all waiting across the street for the twins to rejoin their family.
"Yeah, I was just gonna say, we should probably get going and buy the last few things," said Kaya.
The twins stood up, Fred being much more slow than George, before saying goodbye to the pair.
"See you at school," said George. "And then we'll hopefully find out what that 'special' thing is, because it surely can't just be a ball."
"Yeah, and find out what 'Grease' is. See you Jae," Fred nodded. "Bye bye babycakes," he added to Kaya with a playful wink. She sighed and shook her head at him, not being able to contain her laugh.
"See you, nutters,"
The twins walked off, and Kaya didn't even have to look at Jaeden to know the kind of face he was making at her.
"Fuck off," she mumbled to him, as she picked up her bags and tucked her chair in. As the two began to walk, Jaeden began to torment the girl.
"Summer Lovin', had me a blast! Summer lovin', happened so fast..." He sang, trying to put on the highest voice possible for Sandy's part and instead having a voice break.
"That was the most awful singing I've heard," Kaya told him.
"I met a girl - ow- crazy for me - OW Kaya what the fuck-"
Kaya kept elbowing him to get him to stop teasing. But she knew she'd be bullied for the next week straight about Fred taking the piss today. Maisie and Milo certainly won't shut up about it. Still, the twins had made her laugh. And it was nice, making new friends.
Plus, she knew Fred's harmless flirting was just a joke, so there's nothing to really think about. Apart from having to explain to Maisie and Milo that it was just that, after Jaeden would most likely exaggerate every bit of it.
"I met a boy, cute as can be!- Is that boy Fred Weasley by any chance, Kaya?- OW!"