Chapter three
Holly, despite her run in with the less favorable marauders, was having a good evening. She had gotten a new book on herbology and botany, dinner was good, and she didn’t have a first period tomorrow meaning she was able to stay up later reading. She had also gotten to give Remus (someone she’d consider a good acquaintance at least) an idea for the boy’s next prank which would undoubtedly be entertaining and put everyone in a good mood. Over all, a successful evening if she did say so herself. As she sat at the Hufflepuff table reading her book she was suddenly made very aware of a disturbance in her enjoyable night. A boy was squeezing into the bench next to her, and three others were forcing themselves down across the table.
This wouldn’t really be that strange, except that each of the four wore a ties of red and gold. Not black and yellow like the rest of the Hufflepuffs. As she looked up from her book she saw who it was and registered the silence that had settled around the hall as the boy’s began serving themselves food. Her mouth fell open as she stared at them.
“Absolutely not.”
The one who had decided to plop himself next to her looked over, a crooked grin covering his face. James fucking Potter.
“What love? I thought Hufflepuff’s were welcoming and all that.” Holly narrowed her eyes at him in a startlingly effective glare.
“Not this one. Remus, I’m never speaking to you again.” The boy in question shrunk back and winced.
“You know that’s not fair. They were going to find out some day, they overheard you in the library.” Holly shifted her glare from James to Remus who seemed to shrink even more.
“So this is my fault?” She asked, quirking an eyebrow, daring Lupin to say so.
“No, Merlin, of course not.”
Sirius, who had been wolfing down his food, finally spoke up waving his fork at the girl across from him. “Come on Holls, we know now and we want in! Or- ah- more in I guess. You can tell all of us your secrets instead of just Moony!” The boy didn’t seem to notice the eyes of the Great Hall on them, but Holly certainly did. Sharpening her glare she settled it on Sirius.
“Firstly, Black, do not call me that. Secondly, this conversation, if we have to have one, is not happening here. Go back to your table and leave me alone.”
None of the boys moved and she groaned, slamming down her book. Of course this just brought more attention to her situation. Her classmates began to whisper shooting looks at her and she shrunk in on herself. The marauders were eating their dinner, as casual as ever, minus Remus who had the decency to look just a little guilty.
“Alright fine,” She grumbled, settling back into her seat. “What do you want?”
Grinning, Potter through an arm over her shoulder. “I knew you’d come around!” He said happily. She continued to glare at Remus and shook the arm off. “Basically, we know you’ve been feeding ideas to Moony, and we wanna be included. Any friend of Remus is a friend of ours!”
Holly laughed sharply. “I don’t know if I’d say friends,” She spat. “But regardless, we definitely aren’t. I just happen to like planning things, and more importantly seeing them executed from a safe distance.”
“We’ll keep you safe,” Black jumped in, “no one will know you have anything to do with anything.”
Holly stared at him blankly, and then gestured around them. Most of the hall had gone back to their own conversations, but they were still getting curious glances. Black grimaced.
“We’ll do our best.”
Holly stared at the boys around her. They looked as comfortable as they would at their own table, eating contentedly and waiting for her response. She looked over to Lupin, who wore a sheepish smile. Holly sighed loudly.
“I’m not going to be able to say no, am I?”
“Nope.”