Candles, black robes and bursts of laughter
Candles, black robes and bursts of laughter. The familiar scent of dusty parchments. That was all she needed to know she was at Hogwarts. That she was home. Lexa had never been really close to her parents; between their open hatred for the muggle-born and them wanting her to be the best at everything. She was a great student in sixth year, a prefect and the captain and seeker of the Slytherin quidditch team. But the pressure her parents were putting her in was unbearable.
Lexa sat at her house table, waiting, like every year, for the new students to enter the great hall. She was particularly stressed because this year was the first year of her little brother. School could be tough during the first years, children could be mean, and Lexa was very protective of her brother. She found herself hoping he would end up in Slytherin so she could watch over him but she was almost certain he wouldn’t. He was kind, clever and always helping others.
The brunette was focused on her fingers and almost jumped when a piece of paper fell in her empty plate. She took it and read it, careful to hide it from her classmates.
‘Don’t worry Lex, even if he’s not Slytherin, he’ll quickly make friends. It’s his thing!’
Lexa quickly raised her gaze and spotted her friend at the Ravenclaw table. Anya had been her best friend since she took her under her wing when Lexa first entered Hogwarts. The tall blonde was head girl, but also keeper and captain of her quidditch team; all the school respected her. Lexa had few friends and none of them were in Slytherin. Luna was Ravenclaw like Anya and Lincoln was Hufflepuff.
The brunette locked eyes with Anya and nodded, just as the huge doors flew open. About fifty pupils filled the room, stopping in front of the platform. Laughter began to die down and was soon replaced by whispers.
“Before we begin, professor Jaha would like to say a few words” explained Indra, headmaster of Hufflepuff.
Thelonious Jaha stood from his majestic chair and clasped his hands together.
“Thank you, professor Forest. First of all, welcome to Hogwarts!” He paused, waiting for the applause and cheering to stop. “First years, I wish you all a good year and may your grades be to a level that meets your relentless work.” Some giggles resonated through the hall. “But I have to announce you, and remind those whom would have memory disorders,” Jaha scanned the room, particularly watching the famous troublemakers of the school, and making everyone laugh once again, “that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Thank you.”
The first years’ eyes widened at that information as the director sat down.
“When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted to your houses” said Indra.
The speech was the same every year. Hogwarts was a school of tradition, long-standing tradition. Lexa had not noticed her right leg bouncing under the table as the hat sorted more and more students. And there weren’t much left, the brunette stretched her neck to have a better view of the platform.
“Aden Woods!”
A blonde haired boy took his first step confidently and sat on the tool, his back straight as possible. Aden was thin and tall compared with the other first years. His beautiful green eyes scanned the crowd to spot another pair of green eyes. The boy recognized his sister and gave her a slight smile. As soon as professor Forest placed the sorting hat on his head, it yelled.
“HUFFLEPUFF!”
Lexa immediately turned her head to find her friend and relaxed when she saw Lincoln waiting for Aden to sit next to him, arms wide open. She had known it; she still was a little disappointed but knew Hufflepuff would be a great house for her little brother.
When all the new students had been sorted, Jaha clapped his hands and the long tables filled with various foods and drinks. The muffled noises started again as everyone ate and shared their holidays. Lexa giggled with her classmates a little before rising from her seat and going to the Hufflepuff table. Red, green, blue and yellow started to mix in the great hall as everybody joined their group of friends.
“How is it going so far, Aden?”
He turned around and smiled at his sister. Lincoln did the same as the blond kid stood up.
“Fine. I made a friend on the rowboat. His name’s Jacob,” Aden raised his arm and pointed a brunette boy with freckles, “over there.”
The boy was talking to other first years, he seemed really friendly.
“Great. If you have questions you can ask Lincoln, you’ll see each other a lot in the common room. And if you have a problem you can come and get me in the Slytherin’s dungeons ok?”
“Yes but I can manage problems, Lexa” replied Aden.
“I know that, but if you can’t, don’t hesitate. If anyone bothers you too much, I’ll kick their asses” she said with a smirk.
“Alright” Aden answered with the same smirk, before joining Jacob.
“You look so much alike, that’s crazy.” Lincoln said, his gaze not leaving the little boy.
Lexa just smiled and took a seat next to her friend. A few minutes later, they were joined by Anya and Luna.
“Eh, the nerds.”
“I already told you. Call us nerds again and I’m bringing you down, Woods.” Anya narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips.
“Try me.”
“Girls, not again. Let’s just enjoy the fact that we’re back” intervened Luna, smiling.
Luna Lake was a sixth year student like Lexa, while Lincoln and Anya were seventh years. They had sympathized with her through quidditch trainings. She was a brilliant student, a prefect and the seeker of her team. Lincoln Drake had joined their group two years ago, since he had to pair up with Anya in potions. He also played quidditch as a keeper.
They talked almost an hour about their holidays, after Luna left to lead the first years to their common rooms with the other prefects. Lexa wasn’t on duty tonight, and she was thankful because she was awfully tired.
“Guys, I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow for breakfast.”
“See you, Lex” they both replied.
Lexa made her way out the great hall and through several corridors when she collided abruptly with something. Or someone. Her speed made her fall forward onto that someone.
“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t…” the brunette gulped audibly when she raised her gaze and was met with pure blue. “Sorry Clarke, I was lost in my thoughts, I wasn’t looking in front of me.”
“That’s ok” the blonde sixth year giggled, bringing her hand behind her head to see if a bump had already been formed.
Lexa had had a huge crush on Clarke Griffin for as long as she knew. Blond curls, blue eyes, that little mole above her lip on the right. The brunette wouldn’t admit it but she had passed hours watching Clarke. Her friends never stopped teasing her whenever the blonde passed by them. They had never really spoken, aside from ‘hello’s or ‘hey, how are you?’s. They just knew each other through quidditch and classes. She was diving in the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen when she realized she was still on top of Clarke, her hands planted on the ground around the blonde’s head and their lower body pressing into each other.
“Ow, sorry” Lexa said, clearing her throat.
She stood up quickly, her cheeks reddening by the second, as did Clarke’s. Lexa extended her hand, helping Clarke standing up and they waited a little in the awkwardness.
“Well, see you in class, I suppose?” said Clarke breaking the silence.
“Yeah” Lexa answered.
The blonde nodded and left, letting Lexa alone. She somehow recovered from her emotions and started to walk again towards the dungeons.
She never felt like that before. She hadn’t even properly talked to the girl and yet she melted down every time she came near her. Lexa had had one real relation in her life. Costia had been her best friend for a long time when they were young. When they grew up, Lexa accepted her preference for girls and thought that she experienced feelings toward Costia. She did, but not in the way she thought. It had always been easy with her, since they utterly knew each other.
Lexa reached the Slytherin door and entered the common room.
“Good holidays, captain?”
“What?” She raised her head and recognized her teammate.
“I said, good holidays?” Carl Emerson asked with annoyance in his voice.
“Uh, yes. You?”
“Yes.”
It was just pure politeness. The classmates never really liked each other but since Carl was a beater for the quidditch team and since Lexa was the captain, the boy licked her boots whenever he could.
Lexa climbed the stairs and threw herself on her bed. She changed into her pajamas and quickly fell asleep, blue eyes never leaving her thoughts.
***
‘Clarke’ the word softly left Lexa’s lips, the k clacking sumptuously in her mouth.
Clarke stared at this shivering green gaze as the brunette repeated her name, louder and louder.
“CLARKE!”
The blonde’s eyes flew open widely when she woke up from her dream. Octavia was bending over her and calling her name. Realization hit her and she straightened a little, pushing on her elbows.
“What?” she replied a little too aggressively.
“You were doing weird noises.” Octavia paused trying to analyze her friend’s behavior. “Plus, it’s time to head for breakfast.”
“Ok,” Clarke sighed, “just give me a minute.”
Octavia straightened and walked towards her bed. Clarke fell back on hers, bringing her arm above her eyes. Why was she dreaming of Lexa Woods? She found it ridiculous. Yes, the brunette was freaking gorgeous, but she didn’t even know her.
“What were you dreaming about?” asked Octavia with a smirk.
Clarke knew she wasn’t going to escape this one. Octavia Blake was utterly determined regarding the secrets her friends were keeping from her. The two of them had been friends as soon as they had entered the same cabin in the Hogwarts Express, on their first year. In fact, they were a lot alike.
Some people used to say that there had been favoritism during the quidditch selections because Bellamy Blake, Octavia’s brother, was the captain of Gryffindor. But Clarke and Octavia were both excellent seeker and chaser respectively, though. And nobody could deny that.
“No one.”
“No one? Ok, I’m going to rephrase my question if you insist. Who were you dreaming about, Griffin?”
“Just some brunette.”
Octavia raised an eyebrow, her smirk never leaving her face.
“Oh, so you’re a brunette kind of girl, okay. Well, she had to be pretty attractive for those sounds to come out your mouth” said the brunette giggling.
“Probably” answered Clarke, wanting to end the conversation rapidly.
Octavia laughed out loud and they finished getting ready. The two girls went downstairs and waited for Bellamy before heading to the great hall, where they joined their friends; Raven, Jasper, Monty and Nathan. They began to eat as the head of houses gave them the schedules.
“Clarke.” Octavia said after she grabbed the paper. “We have herbology with Hufflepuff, potions and defence against the dark arts with Slytherin, and transfiguration, charms, astronomy and history of magic with Ravenclaw.”
“Crap, we’ll have to handle Raven way more often than I expected” Clarke shook her head.
“I can hear you, Clarkey!” Raven winked at the blonde. “Also, maybe interact with a genius more often will improve your way of thinking.”
“Oh, I totally trust you to change my way of thinking Ray, but ‘improve’ is a big word don’t you think?”
Their friends tried to suppress their laughter, as they knew what was best for them, but to no avail.
“Go float yourself, Griffin!” Raven replied with a smirk.
“Love you too.”
***
Three days had passed and Raven had already gotten herself detention during charms class. She had bewitched a Gryffindor’s textbook so it would scream whenever the boy opened it. The poor boy had jumped from his chair the first time it happened and the bursts of laughter didn’t stop until Raven got punished.
This morning, Gryffindor had potions with Slytherin. Octavia and Clarke entered the classroom just on time, as usual, and sat just behind John Murphy and his girlfriend Emori Toma.
“Hello students,” began the professor, “I’ll start directly with the heart of the matter. All this year, in potions class, you will be working in pair.” Whispers echoed in the class. “Don’t. Don’t start making them because I’m going to do it, and it will be one from Gryffindor with one from Slytherin.” Everybody huffed in unison. “Ok, so: Octavia Blake and John Murphy.”
“Duh, you got to be kidding me” Octavia said.
“What is it miss Blake?”
“Nothing sir.”
Octavia turned, wide eyed, to Clarke who shrugged and focused her attention back on the professor.
“Terry Colbin with Carl Emerson. Ontari McCole with Chloe Davon…”
Mr. Doloney listed all the groups, making sure they know each other the least possible.
“Clarke Griffin with Lexa Woods.”
Clarke didn’t budge, her cheeks reddening. She stared at Lexa’s back and noticed the brunette didn’t even turn around to look at her, her shoulder seemed tensed. She glanced briefly to her right and was face to face with a grinning Octavia.
“So this is the brunette…”
“Shut up!”
Professor Doloney finished his listing in a constant hubbub.
“What are you waiting for? Stand up and go find your partner.”
Lexa finally turned to connect her gaze with Clarke’s and the blonde stood when the seat next to the brunette was released. She felt a small pressure in her thoracic cavity which was being more imposing the more she approached her partner.
“Hi!” Lexa said.
“Hi.” Clarke smiled awkwardly. “So, are you good at potions?”
“I guess I’m doing fine. You?”
“Not my favorite thing” she replied with a chuckle.
The professor explained briefly what they would do this year and then directly asked them to prepare a Veritaserum.
“Shit.”
“What is it?” Lexa asked.
“Um, we kind of had to evacuate the room the last time I tried this one…”
“Really?” Lexa’s eyes widened.
“Yeah. Told you. Not my thing.”
Lexa released a small laugh and Clarke decided that from now on, it would be her favorite sound. They set the equipment as they began following the recipe.
“Ok so, first, we have to prepare a nettle soup” said Lexa.
“I should manage.”
They began their preparation, talking about anything and everything. Clarke realized that talking to Lexa was really natural actually. It was like they had known each other forever. They quickly finished the soup and entered the deep of the matter. Clarke was following Lexa’s instructions, trying to goof up the less possible.
“Now, stir with the wooden spoon from one edge to the other, passing through the middle and forming a cross.”
“What?” said Clarke after a few seconds of maintaining the spoon in the potion.
“Here.”
Lexa took Clarke’s hand in her own and guided her. The contact sent a shiver in her arm and her cheeks reddened rapidly, yet again today. The brunette repeated the move before letting go of her hand. An awkward silence took place as Clarke stirred the potion and Lexa went back to read the recipe.
“We can add the nettle soup. Continue to blend and I’ll pour it.”
When they finished it, they called the professor, who gave them his affirmation. He turned to the class.
“If you’re finished, call me, I’ll check your work and if I’m satisfied, you can leave.”
Clarke turned her head towards Octavia to see her clenching her hands into fist along her body as Murphy continued his comments, firmly sat on his chair. The blonde packed her stuff, and Lexa and she left the room together. Clarke stopped and leant against the wall.
“Well, we make a pretty good team” said Clarke.
“I agree.”
They paused, looking at each other.
“I’m – waiting for Octavia. I think she would actually kill me if I didn’t wait for her after what she’s been through” explained Clarke smiling.
“I understand. I’m not fond of John Murphy either. See you tomorrow in DADA then.”
“See you.”
“Come and find me if you need help with the homework Doloney gave us.”
“Thank you. I’ll consider it.”
And with a last twitch of the corner of her lips, Lexa left. Clarke’s eyes lingered a little bit longer until the brunette turned in a corridor.
Fuck.
***
Nearly the whole school was sat in the great hall during lunch time. Clarke had succeeded in calming Octavia’s nerves after the potion class, so the gang was eating in a good mood. Murphy had a gift in making people lose their patience. Clarke had fought several times with the slytherin boy and his girlfriend. They were probably the most hated couple of Hogwarts.
Bellamy and Echo, another seventh year, joined them a few minutes after they arrived. The two of them had been close since last year but neither would do the first step. The tall boy grumbled about how happy he would be next year, to never see Mr Bloom again, but everyone knew he would miss everything from Hogwarts when he will graduate.
Everyone rose their head as owls made themselves heard. A hundred of letters fell on them and Clarke threw her hand in the air when she saw one coming her way. She looked at the writing and frowned when she didn’t recognize it.
‘Open it out of sight’ was written on the front of the envelope.
The blonde lowered her arms under the table and looked at her friends, with a frown still on her face.
“What is it, Clarke?” asked Raven.
“Nothing, I’m just a little tired. I think I’ll go take a nap before herbology.”
“Look at her, classes began three days ago and she already can keep up” said Bellamy with a smirk. “I warn you, Griffin, you better be in top form when the quidditch training will start, or else I will be forced to dismiss my best player.”
“I’m your best player” added Octavia.
They giggled and Clarke followed them.
“See you in two hours then?” asked Jasper.
“Yes sure.”
Clarke quickly smiled before leaving the great hall. She stopped in an empty corridor and ripped open the letter.
‘Meet me in twenty minutes behind the three broomsticks.’ The blonde frowned, yet again, misunderstanding filling her brain. ‘Come alone if you want to know the truth about your father.’