Chapter Seven: Gale 

This was too good. Gold. Gale cracked up at the Slytherin table. Blue was a Hufflepuff. Goyle turned to him. “What is so funny?”

“Well,” he burst out laughing again. Goyle edged away from him. Gale turned to Crabbe, “life, am I right?”

Crabbe also edged away from him. He sighed and dug into the feast. Harry Potter was sorted into Gryffendor. Valiant and Brave. He grinned. That house was for people without personalities. Brave was such a non-describing trait.

Dumbledore was giving a speech that Gale zoned out for. Something about the third floor west wing corridor. Gale did not want to stay at the Slytherin table. It was so white. Also, everyone was drinking (sipping formally) with their pinkies up which was really creeping Gale out. Gale walked over to the Hufflepuff table and put an arm around Blue. “So, you want to sneak into the third-floor west wing corridor tonight?”

“Weren’t we just told not to go there?”

“Exactly. Now you understand. Now that you’ve made enemies with every single Hufflepuff, I say we invite one of them to get them on your good side.”

“Emilia.” Blue said immediately.

Gale grinned. “Look at you growing up! Actually wanting to be friends with someone.”

Blue instead of answering took a bite out of the chicken, which for some reason earned him a glare from Brie.

Gale grinned. “I’m gonna go back to my house, I’m not technically supposed to be here.”

Blue nodded and continued to eat.

***

Gale snuck into the Hufflepuff dormitory that night. “Woah, how did you do that?” Natsuki asked.

“Nobody thinks that a Slytherin would ever care enough to sneak into a Hufflepuff dormitory.” He looked around. “It’s near the kitchen? Ours is in the dungeon. You gotta be kidding me.”

“People do not like Slytherin.” Brie noted.

“Ya think?” He scanned the place for Blue. “One sec, I’ll be back.” He walked into the boys dormitory to Blue. “All the oil in your hair won’t make you more Slytherin.”

Blue sat, moping on his bed. “Snape and my father have oily hair, it’s part of the tradition.”

“Well,” Gale ran his hand through his hair, “I have perfectly normal hair,” (Gale thought he had above average hair, a curly cascade, artfully messy, shiny, and supple) “and I’m Slytherin, so I guarantee you that’s not it. By the way, Severus means stern and harsh and Snape means Outrage, dishonor and disgrace. So, the trend persists.”

“Huh, you’d think that’d make the job easier for the Aurors who caught death eaters.”

Did he just actually make a joke? Gale grinned, “now you’re getting it. I wonder if Harry Potter’s name means valiant or glorious.” Gale held up a pretend sword.

“Wait, are you allowed in this dormitory?”

Gale shrugged. “I dunno. Anyway, let’s get Emilia.”

Emilia was not there. Apparently she’d already hit it off with the kitchen staff and was cooking. Gale turned to the group. “So, which valiant person that was not disturbed by Blue’s actions is coming with me?”

“Wait, are you saying that Malfoy’s actions are okay to you?” Brie asked.

“I mean, they weren’t. But I don’t think he’ll ever admit they weren’t, so I chose to hang around him despite that.”

Brie scoffed. “It’s immature to just let that behaviour go with no consequences.”

“So, not you. Anyone else?” Blue was standing at the edge of the dormitory, his face fell. 

Gale looked at all of them. “One second.” He pulled Blue aside. “I know you don’t want to do this, but you have to apologize-”

“But I didn’t do anything wrong-” Blue pulled his hand back looking incredulous.

“Yes. You did. But it doesn’t matter if you believe that or not, just apologize and stop making your life hell. Hufflepuffs aren’t known for their self pride, so apologize.”

“I’m not a Hufflepuff!” Blue snapped. 

“But you are…” Blue hesitated before staying quiet. “Anyway, just say sorry and you've got yourself a built-in friend group.”

“They’ll just judge me, and nobody understands me.”

Gale grinned. “You sound like you’ve been listening to a bit too much to My Chemical Romance.”

“It’s true though. They don’t think like me.”

“Only one way to find out, c’mon.” Gale walked into the common room and Blue followed him. 

“Hi.” Blue waved. 

Gale mouthed apologize. Blue nodded. “I’m sorry guys.” Gale mouthed more. Blue nodded. “Yup.”

Everyone looked at each other. Gale looked at them. “C’mon. He’s trying.”

Gale grabbed a trophy from the mantel and handed it to Natsuki. “It’s your choice.”

Natsuki looked at the people around and Brie nodded. “Emilia always does this, but she approves of you. Kneel.”

Blue knelt. Natsuki tapped the trophy on each of his shoulders, “I knight you as part of the friend group as long as if you’re ever an asshole again you’ll have an open mind to the fact that you’re just plain wrong.”

Blue grimaced before nodding. “Okay.”