A couple weeks later, the group of four was at the lakeshore. It seemed to have become their favourite place to hang out, with the group spending most nights there. The boys were skipping rocks, talking and laughing.
Lili was sitting against one of the trees, humming a song and doodling in a sketchbook. She's picked up the habit not long ago, wanting to keep herself occupied. She glanced up at the boys, smiling at their antics. Then she went back to humming and doodling, taking a little while to realise that George came to sit next to her.
"What you humming?"
"Oh...a song."
"What's it called?"
"If I Could Ride A Bike."
"That's a...song title."
"Yeah. I...uh...I wrote it myself."
"Ooh, that's cool. You should sing it."
"Oh, no, I couldn't. It doesn't have very good lyrics and it's pretty dumb."
"Well then. You'll have to sing it for me later."
Lili looked back up to watch Cedric and Fred skip rocks, not realising that George was looking at the doodles in her sketchbook.
"Is that me?" He asked.
Lili looked down at the doodle he was pointing at. "Yes. And that one's Cedric. And then my parents and Draco."
"You're pretty good."
"Oh, they're just doodles. Nothing special."
"You don't need to be so humble, Lili. And you don't need to brush my compliments aside."
Lili looked at George, staring into his eyes and trying to spot the lie. It was hard for her to believe the nice things people told her. She was a Malfoy. She was used to being ignored and bullied by her family for not being like them. No one could really like her. Could they?
A fierce blush crept over her face and she got up quickly, grabbing her sketchbook. "Um...I just remembered that I have something to do. I will see you later." She began to run towards the school's buildings, leaving the boys to watch her go.
--
A couple weeks later, it's the first Quidditch between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. More importantly, it's Lili's first match.
"Ready for your first Quidditch match, Lil?" Cedric asked, handing Lili a broom.
"I'm really nervous to be honest," She answered, taking the broom from him. "It's Gryffindor, Ced. And they have Harry Potter on their team. Harry Potter. We can't beat that."
"And they have George on their team," He teased.
"Oh, leave off!"
"Listen up!" A voice called out in the Hufflepuff's training room. Lili and Cedric turned to see Harper Larch, the Captain, walking in. "Unfortunately, the game has been cancelled." The room was filled with the team complaining. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry, but it's McGonagall's choice." Harper looked at Lili. "Sorry, Lili. Know it was gonna be your first match. Next time."
--
That night, the Hufflepuffs were crowded in their common room listening to Professor Sprout. She was reading from a piece of parchment.
"All students will return to their common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions." Sprout rolled the parchment up. "I feel like you should all know this. If the culprit behind the attacks isn't caught...we may have to close the school."
As Sprout left the common room, the students started to murmur. Ernie was sitting in front of Cedric and Lili, and they couldn't help but overhear.
"Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin...why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" He paused for a moment. "I still think it's Malfoy."
"You should watch your mouth, Macmillan," Cedric said.
Ernie looked up at Cedric, then at Lili. "You should watch yourself, Malfoy. You don't belong here in Hufflepuff. You should go join your slimy twin in Slytherin."
"Ernie, we should go," Hannah interrupted quickly.
Cedric glared as the pair walked away, then turned to see Lili holding back tears. "Hey, hey. It's OK. Don't worry about what they say."
"No, it's not that," Lili sniffled, feeling more comforted by a hug from Cedric. "Just...they can't close Hogwarts, can they? Where would we all go? I don't want to go home."
"Hey, hey. It's OK. As long as Dumbledore's here, they won't close Hogwarts."
"Are you sure? This just seems so serious and dangerous. What if they close Hogwarts and never open it again? I'll never see you again and I'll have to live with my parents forever. What if they make me become a Death Eater? I don't want to be a Death Eater, Ced."
"Lili. You are overthinking this. Hogwarts isn't gonna go anywhere. I promise. And if it does, my home is always open to you. Don't ever think that you don't have a place to go."
"Really?"
"I'm your best friend. Why would I lie to you? And besides, the holidays are nearly here.
--
About a month later, it's one of the last dinners for the year. The holidays are about to start, and Lili is trying to lap up her last days with Cedric before going home. He sneaks food off her plate, making her laugh as she tries to wrestle it out of his hands. They're interrupted by a goblet being tapped, and they look up at the professors table to see Dumbledore standing.
"Before we begin our feast, let's give a round of applause to Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey, whose Mandrake Juice has been successfully administered to all those who had been petrified." He paused for the students to applaud. "Also, in the wake of recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been cancelled."
The Great Hall is filled with thundering applause, students cheering loudly and excited to not have exams. Lili's cheering is cut short by Cedric stealing her food again, and the pair descends into fighting over Lili's food.
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