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FOUR WEEKS HAD PASSED SINCE THE INCIDENT in Defence against the Dark Arts and Clover Carstairs could whole-heartedly say that she disliked Professor Moody immensely. As soon as the class had been dismissed, the girl had jumped to her feet in anger and bolted out of the room. It had taken all three of her friends and two hours to try to calm the girl down as she ranted and rambled about the stupidity of the lesson and the cruelty that ran through the man's veins.
Looking back at the lesson, she supposed that all in all, it had worked and they were all truly aware of all the horrors the unforgivable curses held but still Clover stuck to her words. The way that the lesson was carried out was morally wrong.
So now as Clover stood near the foggy window in the Hufflepuff common room on the fourth of October, she allowed a small spider to slowly crawl onto her hand while the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson lingered in the depths of her mind. The girl slowly pushed open the small, circular window, allowing the creature to escape into the outside world.
September had come and gone quicker than the blink of an eye and the chilly mornings of October had begun to kick in. Clover's first month of sixth year at Hogwarts had been quite uneventful— the only exciting event being people entering their names into the goblet of fire, but today was the day.
It was the day of Cedric Diggory's seventeenth birthday and the sun was shining down in glorious beams on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was eight-thirty in the morning and Clover, Juliette and Hugo all stood around the common room, clutching gifts as they waited for Cedric to come down from the dorms.
Clover had managed to wake up Juliette and Hugo early, in order to properly surprise the boy when he came down into the common room. It wasn't every day that a wizard turned seventeen, and the three were determined to make Cedric's birthday unforgettable.
"Where is he?" Juliette huffed in frustration, folding her arms as she flopped onto an armchair. "Hugo, go wake him up or something!"
"He was in the bathroom when I left," the boy replied, making his way over to the two girls. "He'll be down in any minute—" Juliette scoffed and swung her hand out. "OW! Stop hitting me!"
Footsteps clattered from above, signalling that someone was walking down the stairs leading to the boy's dormitories. Clover grabbed Juliette and Hugo by the arm in excitement, as they all waited for the boy to turn the corner.
"SURP- Ernie?!"
The three exchanged a quick glance as the fourth year Hufflepuff scrunched his nose in confusion.
"What?" Ernie questioned, eyeing the three as they awkwardly scratched their heads.
"Oh for fucks sake, Ernie!" Juliette burst, throwing her hands up in the air. "We're trying to surprise Cedric!"
The fourth-year merely rolled his eyes in response and left the three to their own devices as Clover and Juliette looked to Hugo with utter aggravation.
"You said he'd be down any minute," Clover stated, while her stomach grumbled. "Go drag him down or something!" Hugo sighed dramatically, but just as he was about to climb the stairs, someone behind the three cleared their throat.
"Uh, guys?" Cedric asked, stifling a small chuckle as his three friends whipped their heads around, their faces laced with shocked expressions.
"Hugo!" Juliette hissed, hitting the boy over the head. "You said he was in the bathroom when you left!"
"I swear to Merlin, he was!"
"I got up early." Cedric chimed in, as Juliette scowled. "Cho wanted to give my present to me, so I got up early and we got breakfast together." Clover shook her head in disbelief. The girl found herself running towards the boy, engulfing him in a hug. Hugo and Juliette soon joined the two, wrapping their arms around the boy.
"Happy birthday, Ced!" Clover grinned sheepishly while the boy laughed into the three's shoulders. The girl broke away and handed the boy his present. "It's not much-"
"Clove, stop, I'm sure it's great.." Cedric reassured her as he graciously took the other gifts from Juliette and Hugo. "Have you lot eaten by the way?"
"No!" Juliette cried in despair, collapsing against Cedric's shoulder before poking his cheek accusingly. "We were too busy waiting for you!"
"C'mon then, I'll open these in the Hall."
The three nodded excitedly at Cedric's words and followed the boy out of the common room. Clover linked her arm with Cedric's and together, the two childishly ran ahead of Juliette and Hugo, who were seemingly still bickering over the failed surprise.
The walk to the Great Hall was a short one and as soon as the four entered and began to make their way to the Hufflepuff table, there was a scattered yell of 'happy birthday' for Cedric, while many of his classmates thumped him on the back as he passed.
The boy was smiling widely as he sat down in his seat, while Clover, Juliette and Hugo started to munch away at the food. As soon as the three had composed themselves, they turned to Cedric with wide eyes.
"Open your presents!" Hugo exclaimed, jumping over the table to sit beside the boy, earning him a loud scolding from Professor McGonagall who was passing by and had witnessed the boy slide across the wood of the table. Cedric shrugged and picked up the first present, which was wrapped poorly and practically engulfed by Spellotape. After struggling to rip off the wrapping paper, the gift finally tumbled into Cedric's lap.
"Hugo, please tell me this isn't what I think it is."
"I dunno what you're talking about." Hugo stated but a mischievous smile crept its way onto his face.
"Whatcha got there, Ced?" Juliette queried, but the smirk across Clover and Juliette's faces told Cedric that they both knew exactly what the gift was. The boy shook his head and tossed the book towards Clover, who caught it and burst out into laughter.
"A wizards guide to magical sex." The girl read, her lips quirking as she passed the book to Juliette to read. "Look how helpful it is, Ced!"
"First you must seduce your partner, lure them in with your newfound confidence." Juliette recited from the book. "Wow, Ced...you really hit the jackpot with this one."
"You're all insufferable." Cedric groaned, laying his head on the table while his friends snickered.
"Yeah, yeah...we know!" Juliette winked, "Now, open mine!" She threw a small package towards the boy. Cedric caught it and carefully opened it before collapsing into another loud groan.
"Really?!" The boy questioned, chucking the box back towards the girl.
Juliette chuckled as she held up the box of condoms, "Hey, wrap it before you tap it!" She chided, throwing it back towards the flustered boy. "Don't want to see any mini Diggory's running around here anytime soon."
"Whatever." Cedric retorted, rolling his eyes as he hid the box under the table, hoping to hide it from any wandering eyes.
"Oooh!" Clover exclaimed, handing the boy a messily wrapped parcel. "Mine next!"
Inside the brown parcel was a brand new pair of quidditch gloves. Upon seeing it, the boy's eyes lit up. He picked one up and examined the leather, his fingers tracing over the groves in fascination.
"It's a bit annoying because there's no quidditch this year and I'd already bought them before we were told." Clover rambled, "—but, you can use them next year and lead Hufflepuff to victory, aye?"
Cedric nodded enthusiastically and thanked the girl before picking up the final gift. Turning the sealed box over in his hands, the boy looked up at his friends, who all eagerly gestured for him to open the present. Hugo, Juliette and Clover all exchanged an excited glance as the boy tore open the wrapping, where a flat, rectangular box was revealed.
The boy carefully lifted the lid and his jaw dropped open as he stared at his friends. The three beamed at his reaction while the boy picked up the singular piece of paper from the box.
"Guys," Cedric breathed out, his eyes scanning his friend's faces for any hint of a mischievous glint. "Please tell me this is a joke."
"It better not be," Clover muttered to Juliette as the latter drank from her goblet. "Cost us a bloody fortune."
"This is too much..." Cedric began, examining the tickets he was clutching. "I can't accept this."
"You bloody will." Hugo scolded, hitting the boy over his head. "We know you like them, so just take the ticket and shut up."
Clover laughed at Cedric's expression which mimicked one of a child on Christmas morning. In his hand, he held one ticket to a Weird Sisters concert, set to take place in London at the end of July.
"Hugo, Juliette and I bought ourselves our own tickets then we pooled our money together to get you one!" Clover explained as Cedric carefully placed the ticket back into the box.
"Think about it, Ced!" Hugo grinned, slinging an arm over the boy's shoulder while his other arm stretched out ahead of him. "Me, You, Clover, Juliette and a fuck ton of firewhiskey! It'll be unforgettable."
The three laughed at the boy's theatrics but as Clover watched Hugo and Cedric shake in joy, a strange pulling sensation erupted in her stomach. Her smile wavered, and the girl looked to Juliette, who merely wrapped her arm around Clover's shoulder as she continued to laugh happily, not noticing the other girl's odd mood change.
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"I DON'T WANT TO GO!" CLOVER PROTESTED, AS Cedric dragged her up the spiral staircase leading up to the dreaded Defence classroom. It was just after a free period, and the girl was utterly refusing to attend the class. In fact, it took all of Cedric's strength to try and pull her up the stairs while Hugo and Juliette balanced all of Clover's stuff.
"C'mon Ced, let's skip! We could go to the kitchens?!" The girl pleaded, looking back at her other two friends for help.
"I'm down."
"Absolutely not."
Cedric turned around glared at Hugo as the boy grimaced and looked away innocently. Clover sighed in defeat and slumped her shoulders as she unwillingly entered the classroom, which was slowly filling up with students, however, Moody was still nowhere in sight.
Before Clover could escape Cedric's grip, the boy pulled her over to her assigned seat where George was already seated, leaning over a piece of parchment with Fred and Lee at his side.
"It'll work for at least two hours, that'll give you enough time to get down there and put your names forward."
"Fred, George, Lee." Cedric greeted the three as he wrangled the girl into her seat. The three boys didn't say anything back to him but they looked up and nodded slightly in acknowledgement before turning back to their work. Clover rolled her eyes and reluctantly remained seated as Cedric patted her head lightly as if she were a dog.
"We can go kitchen raiding tonight if you just stay put." The boy bargained, earning a small smile from the girl.
"Fine...but only for the kitchen raiding."
Cedric grinned triumphantly and made his way over to his desk, where Hugo was sitting. The girl glanced to her right, only to see Fred and Lee leaving to return to their seats while George rolled up the piece of parchment.
Clover leaned her head in her hand and the two sat in quietness for a few moments before the girl turned around in her seat to face the Weasley boy.
"You're up to something." Clover stated as she turned towards the boy, examining his face while his eyes slowly lifted to meet hers.
"No, I'm not."
"You've got the same glint in your eyes and smile that Hugo does when he wants something—it's a mischievous sort of look."
George hesitated for a few seconds before letting out a small laugh, "Well, what can I say?" He mused, "When aren't we up to something?"
"Touché." Clover nodded, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Have you entered the tournament?"
"Not seventeen yet." The boy replied briefly but the same glint from before crossed over his eyes. It was only then that the girl found herself piecing things together.
"So that's what you're up to?" Clover muttered lowly, a small smile creeping across her face.
George's eyes snapped up to meet Clover's amused expression. "I mean, you'd think for someone as great at pranking and lying as you, you'd be able to hide your emotions better." She continued, while the boy merely looked at her with intrigue. "My bet is that you plan on entering the tournament with Fred and Lee."
"Aha!" George exclaimed, "That's where you're wrong! It's only me and Fred entering. Looks like your analysis wasn't all correct." Clover merely chuckled at the boy's words.
"Maybe not...but I did manage to get you to confirm that you're entering the tournament."
George's eyes widened while Clover idly flicked through the textbook. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, as he stared at the girl.
"Touché, Carstairs, Touché."
Clover grinned and turned back towards the boy, "Planning on entering tonight then?" She asked curiously, her eyes flickering towards George.
"Why?"
"Because I want to see if your plan works or not."
George's eyes glanced ahead of him, where Fred and Lee were sitting and talking lowly. "Yeah, we think so anyway." He mumbled, running a hand through his hair.
"Well, good luck." Clover stated honestly, "I think Ced's entering tonight as well..."
George's eyes darted over towards the Hufflepuff boy before they returned to meet Clover's gaze, he opened his mouth but as soon as he went to speak, Professor Moody hobbled into the room, sending waves of silence throughout the class.
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CLOVER SAT IN AN ARMCHAIR IN THE HUFFLEPUFF common room as she scribbled away at a potions essay. It was after dinner in the Great Hall and the girl was utterly bored out of her mind. The day had gone slowly much to her disliking. So, after suffering through Potions, Care of Magical Creatures and Defense, the girl was completely and wholly depleted.
Clover slammed her piece of parchment down onto the table ahead of her and slumped back into her chair with a lengthy groan.
"Alright there, Sunshine?" Hugo asked teasingly, looking towards the girl with a smile. The boy was sprawled out across the couch in front of her, fiddling with his rings as he waited for Clover to finish her homework. The boy had finished all of his homework within a singular hour which was something the girl applauded him for. Hugo's knack for essays came easily— he was one of those students who were just naturally smart, something that his friends envied on the daily.
"You bloody know I'm not." Clover moaned, rubbing her eyes as she yawned. "Where's Ced and Juliette? They said they'd be back in five minutes and it's been twenty."
"Maybe they're fu—"
"Ugh, Hugo don't even put that image in my head!"
The door to the common room opened, revealing Cedric and Juliette, both of whom looked extremely giddy.
"What happened to going to the library?" Clover questioned, her lips quirking up at her two friends.
"Too boring." Juliette answered bluntly, perching herself on the arm of the chair Clover was sitting in. "We ran into Tiernan— y'know that seventh year, and he gave us both a lil something considering it's Cedric's birthday."
Clover nodded and examined the girl. Her mouth opened slightly as she repressed a laugh. "Are you really both high right now?" She theorised, looking between Cedric and Juliette.
"How dare you assume something so, so...OUTRAGEOUS!" Cedric gasped, but as he feigned his hurt the boy let a small grin shine through. So when Clover cocked an eyebrow at him, the boy laughed and patted Hugo's shoulder. "C'mon...he's like, one of the best sellers after our very own Hugh, here."
"Tiernan is a prick." Hugo scoffed scornfully, before muttering something about a 'customer stealing, fucker of mothers'.
"A very nice prick." Juliette stated solemnly before a look of realisation spread across her face. "OI, CED!"
"What?!"
"You haven't entered yet!"
"That's why we waited for you." Hugo huffed loudly as the girl stuck her tongue out at him. "Said you'd enter when you got back."
Cedric bounced on the spot nodding rapidly at the boy's words. "C'mon, I think it's time!" He exclaimed, yanking Hugo off of the couch while Juliette pulled Clover from the armchair.
"I'm tired." Clover drawled as the other girl dragged her towards the entrance.
"Hop on."
Clover turned on her heel to face Cedric as he bent down, gesturing for the girl to get on his back. The girl sent him a confused look, before shaking her head with a small laugh.
"Ced, I'm not going to-"
"Get on my back, for Merlin's sake!"
"Christ, alright...don't get your dick in a twist."
Clover carefully climbed onto Cedric's back as he hoisted her up. He laughed as the girl clasped her arms around him, holding onto him tightly in fear he would drop her.
"I won't drop you, but you need to let me breathe." The boy choked out causing Clover to loosen her grip slightly.
"Ready?" Juliette questioned monotonously, earning eager nods from Cedric and Clover.
"Onward we go then."
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Hey everyone, before we go any further I just want to say that many of the interactions between Clover, Cedric, Juliette and Hugo are based on interactions I've had with my friends.
Take the failed surprise at the beginning of this chapter for example; this actually happened except it was me, my friends were trying to surprise and the whole bohemian rhapsody scene in the fourth chapter actually happened :/
So yeah, I just thought I'd let you know that every interaction is loosely based on my friends and me. (Hence why there may be a lot of swearing— we all swear like sailors.) also feel free to take the piss out of it because people bullying characters is lowkey funny lmao.
Anyways, don't forget to comment and vote, I love you all!