DOROTHEA {fred weasley}

five

Dorothea raised an eyebrow from where she sat with Leila and Ezra by the fireplace in the common room when Elvira entered, linking Adrian Pucey's arm and giggling with Daphne Greengrass, a girl two years younger than them. Priscilla caught Dorothea's eye from where she sat at a table in the corner, the two shared an unreadable glance, then looked to where Leila had stiffened at the sight of her friend with Adrian.

Elvira sat opposite Leila and Dorothea, beside Ezra, still giggling, cheeks flushed. Dorothea met her friend's eye.

"What's got you so giddy?"

"Party on Friday," she smiled, not sensing Dorothea's mocking tone.

"Who's?" Ezra asked.

"Hufflepuff," she replied, missing Priscilla's snort in the corner.

"Who's invited?"

"Everyone," she said excitedly as Dorothea rose an eyebrow, "was just speaking to Daphne about it."

Leila's face formed a rare, judgmental frown.

"The fourteen year olds are going?"

Daphne Greengrass whipped her head around to glare at the girl, backing down as soon as Dorothea met her eye.

"Yeah- er- they're invited," Elvira said, faltering a little.

"That tells me all I need to know," Leila said, standing up and brushing past Adrian Pucey. She turned around and looked at her friends. "I'm going to the library."

Priscilla Parkinson stood up, "I'll come, Thea?"

"We've got dark arts," Ezra replied.

Dorothea nodded in confirmation, "see you later, Cilla."

"So you aren't going to go?" Elvira asked as the three stood up to walk to class.

"Of course not," Dorothea sighed. "It's a child's party."

"I know... Cedric invited us..."

Ezra let out a laugh, "reckon he meant me too?"

"He told me to invite anyone..."

"Painfully good looks and a heart of gold."

Dorothea grinned, "you go then, Vira."

"Who with?" She whinged, "I can't exactly show up alone."

"With Diggory!" Ezra exclaimed. 

"Or Pucey," Dorothea snapped, not being able to help herself.

Elvira silenced at that, not knowing how to respond, her stomach twisting with guilt as she remembered how Leila's face dropped. She always struggled after summer, being with her muggle friends. No one in Slytherin was as casually affectionate as they were, linking arms with a friend meant nothing to her, but to the proper, formal purebloods in her house, it meant a great deal more.

Dorothea and Ezra entered the classroom first, pushing the door to stay open for Elvira but rushing to the last empty desk. The witch sighed, and took the last seat beside Oliver Wood, relieved to see that the professor had set textbook reading and essay writing.

"Cilla said she was sat with Weasley and Diggory in the library yesterday," Ezra muttered to Dorothea.

The witch shrugged, "they're harmless."

"Really? Weasley who wouldn't stop banging on about your mother and the imperius curse?"

"He's a dickhead, sure."

Ezra sighed and continued staring at his parchment, watching Dorothea out of the corner of his eye.

"My dad told me about something happening at Christmas."