On the train
An average-sized boy walks down the hallway, glancing in the windows to check if he sees his friend. Toward the end of the hallway, he finally spots his friend’s matching black hair. Sliding the door open he smiles, his lip piercing glinting in the light, when he spots the girl curled up reading a herbology book with her wand holding some of her curly black hair away from her maroon eyes. She looks up and meets his grey eyes before smiling.
“Hullo Artie!”
He sits across from her after closing the door behind him, “Hullo Alethea, how comes your studying?”
The newly named Alethea smiles and sets her mary jane heel-clad feet down before smoothing out her green knee-length skirt, “It’s going good. I decided to read my herbology book as it’s one of the better books for fun reading.”
She played with her silver snake locket that lay on top of her long-sleeve blouse and black vest. She spots her friend wearing his black skinny jeans and Converse and giggles, “Still not wearing the full uniform I see?”
Arthur rolled his eyes, “You know I don’t like slacks. At least I’m wearing the jacket and tie.” He gestured to his mentioned to his suit jacket that had the Hufflepuff crest and his butter yellow tie that laid around his neck untied.
“So what made you almost late to the train this time Artie?” Alethea said looking at her friend.
Arthur smiled tightly at Alethea, “Pops. He was going over the rules while I was at Hogwarts…Again. As well as to keep the family a secret, well, father again.”
He sighed and pulled his book out to read while Alethea settled back down to read.
Alethea giggled, “We could find our mischievous duo.” Her face lit up, “I could show them my snake!” After Alethea said that, a little head popped up from beside her chin in her hair. It was an opal corn snake.
Arthur laughed at his friend and nodded, “Okay, let’s go find those two knuckleheads.” Alethea’s small face lit up as she quickly packed her book away and stood beside Arthur, ready to find their two crazy friends.
Alethea mosied down the hallway and paused as she had an idea. Letting a grin cross her face, she called out, “Marco!”
A couple of seconds passed, and then suddenly, she heard, “Polo!”
Alethea skipped down the hallway and spun to face Arthur, “So~ You excited to see your menace of a boyfriend?”
This made Arthur blush, almost as red as an apple. “Fred is not my boyfriend, Thea. We are just friends. Besides, he’s not gay.” Arthur said, looking away from Alethea while being both embarrassed and sad.
Alethea stopped dead in her tracks and looked Arthur in the eyes, “You never know what someone likes. He might just be in the closet until he outright tells you he CAN be your boyfriend. Also, once Gil knows their scent, I am going to send him to find them. Just randomly.”
Alethea giggled and smiled before turning back to keep skipping, “Marco!”
“Polo!” was called out a bit ahead of them.
“I still don’t think he’ll like me… Anyways it looks like we’re almost there.” Arthur said, pointing to the door where they both saw one tall redhead waiting. “Hey, George! How’ve you been, mate?” Arthur said while giving the taller male a ‘bro hug.’
“I’m good, mate. How’s our favorite Hufflepuff and Slytherin doing?” George said while leading them into a compartment where another boy that looked just like him was.
Alethea smiles, “I’ve been reading herbology and magical creatures. Especially the reptiles, they’re fun.”
“Remind me, how did you get into Slytherin again?” Said George while he sat across from the boy who looked just like him.
“Yeah, I thought people that liked reading and studying were Ravenclaw.” added the boy across from George.
Alethea pouted, “Anyone can like reading Fred. Besides, reading can help you impress people. Expand your brain” While Alethea was talking, Arthur started to make his way to sit next to Fred.
Gil, Alethea’s opal corn snake, slithered from her neck toward Fred and George. “Looks like someone wanted to meet the new people,” said Arthur gesturing to Gil, who was right beside his feet.
Alethea giggled while Fred and George jumped. She motioned to the snake, exploring, “This beauty is Gilbert, but he prefers Gil. He thinks he’s in trouble when I use Gilbert. He’s an albino opal corn snake.” She moved to sit down next to where Arthur was going to sit. This made George pout a little. “I’m all by myself now…” he said while pouting at the three before him. This made the others laugh at the pouting redhead.
Alethea smirks at George, “Want some company Georgey?” Her face lights up as she gets an idea.
Alethea decides to head to sit with George and ‘accidentally’ knocks Arthur into Fred turning Arthur’s face as bright red as Fred and George’s hair. “I’m so sorry…” said Arthur, who was trying to get off of Fred.
Alethea giggles behind a cough. “It’s okay, Arthur, it’s not your fault…” Fred says while sending a slight glare at both Alethea and George.
Once everything was calmed down, the twins started talking about a prank they had come up with while Alethea and Arthur began to read their books.
Alethea moves her book down as she remembers something, “Hey Georgey,” Alethea tilts her head, “Isn’t Ronnie joining this year?”
George nods as Alethea sets her feet in his lap and leans against the other end of the bench. At his eyebrow being raised, Alethea shrugs, “I’m in a mood, and no other Slytherins are here.”
George just nods his head again and goes back to talking to Fred about their plans for this year. As they are talking, though, Alethea sees Fred taking glances at Arthur while Arthur is reading. Knowing Arthur is in his own little world while reading, Alethea smirks at Fred and says, “Glad he’s in his own world so you can glance all you want? The only way he’ll really zone back in is if I throw my shoe at him or you touch him. Or if he zones in by himself, but by the way, he’s hunching we have a few minutes before that happens.”
This made Fred blush some because he was caught red-handed. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Thea,” he said, looking away from Alethea and George.
Alethea smirks, “You know what I’m going to say, Freddy.” She grabs her wand and shoots a light stinging hex at Fred, “You hurt him. A stinging hex will be the least of your problems.” She smiles sweetly as she puts her wand back in her hair.
Alethea goes back to reading, “Should we find Ronnie?”
“Naw, leave the boy alone, Thea. We’ll see him once we get to Hogwarts, okay, love?” replied Arthur, who finally looked up from his book to talk with the others.
“Awwww, you’re no fun, Art…” pouted Alethea.
“Mhmm,” said Arthur, who returned to his book while the Weasley boys were trying to hide their laughs from being heard by their female friend.
Alethea turns her head so it’s instead leaning against George, and she pulls out the magical creature book she was reading earlier.
A couple of hours passed before the train pulled up to the Hogsmeade station by Hogwarts. The four walk and get into the same carriage. As they rode up, Alethea slipped her Slytherin mask in place and glanced at Fred.
Once they get to the castle, they separate to their own tables. When they were at the tables, the Sorting ceremony started. While it was going on, Arthur didn’t listen to any of it until Fred and George’s brother and his friends went up to be sorted. Alethea, on the other hand, was excited to see who was placed and listened to it all. The Weasley twins listened to some but not all. They were mainly working on their pranks.
After everyone was sorted the feast started which made everyone happy. I mean who doesn’t love free food that was made by great cooks? While people were eating one of the male Hufflepuffs scooted over to Arthur. “Hey Art,” he said with a big grin on his face.
“Hey, Lee. Do you need something?” asked Arthur after swallowing his food.
“Yeah, I was wondering…” while Lee was talking to Arthur, George looked over their way.
“Hey, Fred, it looks like Lee is at it again with Art,” George said while hugging his brother to get his attention.
When Fred looked up he was both sad and mad at what he saw. His crush since their second year was laughing and smiling with someone else. Of course, the look Fred was giving showed that he had some type of feeling for Arthur and was upset by seeing him act so cute in front of another guy.
Alethea and George shared a look across the great hall. A little bit after the great hall released everyone, Alethea walked over to Arthur with a small grin when no one was watching, “Hey Arty! How was dinner? They had some really good things today.”
“Yeah, I was really happy that they had potato soup at my table,” said Arthur with the biggest smile he could make since he doesn’t smile much, to begin with.
Alethea smirks, “That’s really cool! They had some yummy mashed potatoes at mine. Also, what were you and Lee talking about? It seemed really interesting.”
Arthur stopped his big smile and went back to his normal straight face at the mention of Lee, “Well he was trying to get me on the quidditch team again, making random jokes, and then asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him. Of course, I said no to joining and going to Hogsmeade, but he said he’s going to keep asking me until I say yes.”
Alethea furrowed her brows, “Tell him you’re going with me if you really don’t want to go with him. How were your firsties at dinner? If he does anything like that around me, I’m not afraid to show my fangs.”
“I already tried to tell him but he told me to ditch you for him. I was so close to beating his ass for that one but he still won’t shut up. I think he won’t until I’m not single anymore or something like that...” Arthur sighed then continued, “As for the firsties they looked like they were about to faint. They are so shy that it’s almost cute and pitiful. What about you?”
“We can go with the twins. We can talk about that with them tomorrow. Also, we had one or two being a bit flirty and then a couple being a bit pompous. I don’t know if it’s a mask with them… I’m planning on helping one,” She sighed before continuing, “He kept going on about how Hogwarts has gone to the dogs and how some kid had refused his friendship after he insulted the person they were talking to. I mean, he wasn’t wrong per se about Hogwarts. But, you don’t go around broadcasting it! And have some tact! You never insult the person that someone is talking to. That’s how you start blood feuds.”
“If I was there he would have been hit upside the head and been given a lecture about how to treat people, and when to say something and when to not. But, I think there may be something else he's hiding. Mainly because he’s being too attention-seeking to not have some type of problem but I may be wrong.” Arthur said, sighing at the end.
Alethea nodded, “That’s one of the reasons I didn’t do anything. Other than not wanting to be lectured by Snape for scolding a firstie where they can see. I’m going to try talking to him tonight or should I wait until I know for sure how he’s acting?”
Arthur put his hand up to his chin like he’s thinking, “I would get to know him first and get his trust before asking those questions. We don’t know how bad or deep this may be and if a stranger just came up to you asking why you are acting the way you are, he will lie most likely if it’s something really bad.”
“That’s very true. I’ll see how he acts in the common room. Want to go to the library to start studying or should we head to our commons?” Alethea tilted her head.
“Probably common room since we know how crazy it will be on the first day. We can try to help the firsties unpack or something,” answered Arthur looking around at the other students in the hallway they are at.
Alethea nodded lightly before smiling and giving Arthur a good hug, “I’ll see you in the morning then. Should we sit at our own tables or should we sit at the same table?”
“A different one than our own, please. I don’t want to deal with Lee tomorrow until I go to my common room again.” Arthur said, looking downcast while he spoke.
Alethea smirks, “Or class. Should we sit at mine or the twins?”
When Alethea mentioned the twins Arthur blushed some and looked to the side away from her, “By the twins since Lee only ever leaves me alone when we’re with them.”
Alethea nodded before smirking darkly, “I can try to sick Flint on him? If he doesn’t leave you alone or starts to bother me too. By that, I mean just annoys me too much.”
“No, it’s fine. If it gets too much for me I can always send my pops after him.” Arthur said looking back at the small female.
Alethea smiled and then looked at her nails, “Fine but I can have Flint crush him in quidditch,” Alethea hugged Arthur before heading to the Slytherin common room, “Bye Arty!”
“Bye Thea! Night Night!” yelled Arthur after Alethea.