“Monty, come on the match is starting in 20 minutes!” Minerva whined as she stood at the door of the potions classroom. Fleamont cut the last ingredients of his potion. “Griffindore isn’t even playing. Do I have to go?” He asked exasperated as he looked at his best friend. She was giving him this disappointed teacher look, he always laughed about how she would be a great professor. “It’s quidditch.” She said before turning away to the door. “Minnie Minnie, wait!” The castle was as good as empty, probably because almost everyone was at the game. Fleamont couldn’t really care less. If the two of them ran they might still get there in time for the game to start. He wouldn’t put it past Minerva to do that when it came to quidditch. He really hoped she wasn’t going to make him run. It wouldn’t be fair. She was in the quidditch team, it took him 10 months before he even got a metre up in the sky on a broom. He wasn’t very sporty.
When they arrived the game had indeed already started. “Blimey, Hufflepuff’s already winning with 30-0,” Fleamont said as they sat down at the Hufflepuff stands. “Fucking hell, you are allowed to curse. You know that right?” Minerva rolled her eyes. “Minmin!” Poppy happily skipped towards them. “How come you’re so late?” She asked concerned. “Fleamont was busy with the love of his life.” Minerva scoffed. Poppy had to think for a second before shooting up in excitement. “You mean the girl from your letters? Has she responded? What did she say?” She asked happily. She was now fully leaning on Minerva trying to get closer to Monty. “I meant his potions, not his little lover pen pal.” She shook her head. Fleamont felt himself blushing; maybe it had been a bad idea to tell Minerva about the letters.
He looked next to him and saw the two of them snogging fiercely. “Arg! Minnie. Stop throwing in my face that you have a girlfriend and I don’t.” He slapped her on the back and she rolled her eyes again. “That’s because you never do anything fun, maybe you should be more enthusiastic about Quidditch and parties.” Offended was the wrong word to use how Fleamont felt. He was insulted. Why would he want to stand in the cold, looking at people flying around, hitting each other? Playing a game he didn’t even understand the rules to. “I go to parties” He scoffed. “Yeah, but you’re gone when everything begins to be fun, because of sleep.” She mocks him. “Having a healthy sleep schedule is very important to your health.” He argues. “I do agree with that.” Poppy came in, his hero. “Yes, but nobody goes to bed at 8 pm on a Friday.” She deadpanned.
“And Slytherin scores its first point, come on guys don’t let the seeker do all the work.” The loudspeaker chimes. “I guess that Black is the commentator today,” Minerva says, finally pointing her attention to the sky. “Which Black is this?” Fleamont asked Filius Flitwick, who was standing to the other side of Monty. “Alphard, I don’t think Cygrus, Orion or Walbura would ever go near a mic.” He answered. Fleamont never really knew much about the Blacks at school. He had spoken to Cygnus once at a party, realizing very soon that the man was all pure-blood supremacy. Orion had always rubbed him the wrong way. An aggressive frustrated man was what he was. He had never really paid much attention to Walbura, she was only a second year. The only thing he knew about her was that she always looked miserable. He did like Alphard however. It was obvious that the boy didn’t have the same thoughts on muggle-borns as his family. Fleamont had actually met the other while they both tended to a bullied and beaten muggle-born in their second year.
“The Slytherin team is horrible they never do anything. They just leave all their work for the seeker.” Rolanda suddenly says. “Ah, Hooch you surprised me!” “Oh, my apologies Potter.” She smiled at him. “What brings you here with us?” he asked. “Oh, just wanted to see my fellow lesbians.” The Ravenclaw waved at the other two girls. Poppy waved back and Minerva looked static to talk about quidditch with Rolanda. “Like I said, they leave everything to the seeker.” She says again. “Oh yes, beautiful Slytherin seeker.” Fleamont scoffed. As on cue said seeker zooms over them. Euphemia, the Slytherin's star player and bane of Fleamont’s existence. “She is so full of herself.” He grumbles as he watches her fly around. “Oh no, Ego-boy hates Ego-girl, how will we survive this.” Rolanda laughed. “By the way she’s just playing, don’t be so childish.” Minerva joined Hooch giving her a high five. “Poppy! They’re bulling meeee.” Monty cried, hugging Poppy. “There there, It’s going to be fine.” She petted his head laughing.
“And Euphemia caught the snitch! Slytherin wins!” The commentator chimed. All students in the Slytherin stands roar with excitement as Euphemia holds the little golden ball in her hand. “You played amazing!” Euphemia said happily to the Hufflepuff team “You were all like Wha and zoom and sKKKKKKT!” She tried articulating, earning a laugh from the captain. “I reckon that your captain won’t be here to shake for a game well played?” He asked as he took her hand and shook it. “They really need to get of their high horse. I always save them from defeat. They act like they’re the best team in the world but are nothing without me.” She laughed. After helping with putting everything away she says her goodbye to the teams and goes immediately for the showers.
“They should have made you captain” Alphard sighed. “I don’t mind. If I were the captain I would make them train much harder than their training schedule now. Because, Merlin, they need it. But that would also mean waking up early and I like sleeping in.” Euphemia said while walking into the courtyard. “Yo!” They turned to see Rolanda sitting under a tree with a few other students. “Congrats on the game. I cannot wait to play against you guys.” She said while Alphard and Euphemia came closer. “Well, dear captain, I hope for you that you have a great seeker because our dear Effie won’t play nice just because you’re a friend.” Alphard laughed as he gave his best friend a push on the back.
“Miss Euphemia, it’s so nice to see you.” A voice next to Rolanda sounded. Effie really had to keep her frustration down. “Mr Potter, I see you actually came to a game, a miracle must have happened.” She says as she forced a polite smile on her face. She wasn’t sure if she did a great job of pushing her frustration back, but at least she wasn’t the only one as she could see her smile mirrored in the other man. “Here we are, in the early days of winter. The first snowflakes kissing the heavens goodbye. I do hope you have forgiven me for the trouble in our last charm class, I just can’t stand it when we quarrel, can you sweetheart.” He was so aggravating to her. “Shut up.” She said in a sweet and innocent tone. “I saw that you caught the snitch, ensuring a win for your team.” He ignored her last words. Meanwhile, Alphard had found himself a place next to Filius. “I am so sorry to disappoint you.” She looked into the warm brown eyes of the man she despises. “I am not disappointed at all, let’s just call it surprised.” How this man could make her blood boil so much? Her heart was pounding faster with pure rage. Oh, how she wanted to rip that fake smile of his face. She started awkwardly and forcefully laughing, he joined, hate that's trying not to seep out. Filius looked at the two confused. “They always argue. Why is that?” He asked Alphard who was next to him. They looked at the two smiling at each other with fake politeness. “Well, it’s a simple chemical reaction, you see. When two people like each other very much-“ he was interrupted by Filius. “They like each other?” Alphard shrugged. “I think so.” Filius looked at them still confused. “They like each other very much?” a pause “Well, don’t you think we should tell them?” He asked. “Filius my boy, they’ll never believe us,” Alphard said, giving the small man a pet on the back before being dragged off by his friend.
“Oh, how I hate that man.” Effie fumed as she and Alphard sat down for dinner. Alphard rolled his eyes with a knowing smile. Any other day she would ask what he was smiling about, but today she didn’t feel like it. “You know, we should do another prank on the Griffindores. It’s been too long.” She whispered in her best friend’s ear. “I am never going to say no to a prank. But we have to be more careful. We were lucky that it was professor dumbledore who caught us last time, he doesn’t give a shit about the rules, I think he might even like our pranks.” Alphard laughs.
“Miss Euphemia!” a happy sing-song voice says. The two friends look up to see Amara Lestrange. She was a happy Slytherin girl who had always looked up to Effie. It was very sad that she was already betrothed to the eldest Rosier. A guy who was known for his aggressive tendencies. “You were beautiful in the sky. I couldn’t look away! I just know that the Nargles respect you.” The second year excitedly said as she joined them at the table. “Thank you, Amara.” Effie smiled. Walbura sat next to her friend, she wasn’t saying anything. Just staring at them wearily with arrogance as well.
Euphemia heard a small hoot next to her. Her eyes fell on a little grey owl and she couldn’t help the small smile rise on her face. “Oh look who’s here for you?” Alphard asked teasingly. “Oh shut up. Effie happily took the emerald letter from the owl and gave it some food. “Ooh, is it the letter from your unknown admirer?” Amara asked and received a shy smile from the other.
It had been in the middle of the last year when Euphemia had found the owl wounded. It was probably attacked by an aggressive animal and hadn’t been able to get to its destination. She had sent the letter, meant for the sender's parents, with a school owl. She had then sent a letter to the sender. He had answered lovely and soon enough they were pen pals. Over time they realized that they had developed feelings for the other and the letters got a romantic turn.
“What do you actually like about him? Do you know his name?” Amara asked out of nowhere. “I’ve been wondering the same, all you know is that he is a 6th-year Griffindore. That’s all. What do you like about him?” Alphard joined. “I don’t know his name or what he looks like, but I know what he is like inside.” Euphemia sighed. “I didn’t even know that I would like him so much, little did I know our views would so correspond. He tells me about his feelings, music, classes, everything. We really are one at mind and heart.” She was now rambling, but who cares? “I already know what our future together would look like, the home we would get, the children the life. I just feel like I know him inside out, I couldn’t know him better if I knew his name. I don’t care what he looks like, because I know exactly how he loves.” She sighs. “What if he’s ugly?” Alphard asked, mouth filled with food. This earned him a disapproving grunt from his little sister. “A man with a mind like that could never be ugly to me.” She answered him. “Can you read the letter for me?” Amara asked as a minute of eating passed. “Sure I’ll read it after dinner.”
She said putting the letter away. Bored Effie looked around the hall. Rolanda Hooch and Pomona Sprout were sitting on the Ravenclaw table. Filius was sitting next to them, clearly third-wheeling. “Do you think they are finally together?” She asked Alphard. “Nah, They are too hopeless. I’m sure that Pomona has no idea of Rolanda’s advances.” He whispered back. At the Griffindore table, Poppy Pomfrey and Minerva McGonagall were sitting next to each other. Giggling softly. Next to them sat Fleamont Potter, reading a book. Euphemia hated that she could recognise the cover as one of her favourite books. She had even recommended it to her Mister. What was even worse was that Potter was handsome, definitely her type. They could have made a great couple unfortunate for his personality though.
She made her way to her favourite sofa in the common room. Alphard and Amara taking place on the sofa in front of her. All of the other Slytherins were or in their dorms or at the celebration party in the room of requirements. Effie and Alphard were planning on going there after the letter. Amara was still a little too young for it. “Okay let’s get into it” she coughed taking the letter before reading:
My dear Lady
When today brings petty aggravations and there’s so much to pursue
I forget these unimportant matters, as I can write my heart out for you.
With the new year just around the corner, the soft falling of the first snow
And I hope on a morning's breakfast, a new crimson letter for me will show.
It just feels like the last day, I had our first letter in my hand
Now it’s already winter, and I wonder where all of this time went.
The book you showed me caught my heart, I cannot seem to let it go
Because it serves as a sweet reminder that you caught my heart with your arrow.
On Christmas break there is a concert, Chopin playing if you want to see
I’m saying this just to confirm if you like to go with me
If it weren’t for your endearing letters, I’d be in Europe buying books for you to read
But I’m my love, holding onto the hope that you and I can finally meet.
Your Love
“He wants to see me!” Effie excitedly jumped up and down. “Does he always rhyme his letters?” Amara asked confused. “Stupid right?” Alphard responded. “It’s romantic.” Euphemia shot back. “Whipped” was all he muttered in answer. “How should I react, what to write?” Effie asked them as a second passed. “What about writing a poem back?” Amara thought aloud. Effie shot up again. “Yes, I can do that. I’m not good at writing poetry though. But it’s worth a shot…Right?” Alphard just laughed as he got up.
Less than an hour later, the two of them stood at the party. “Man, it is packed!” Alphard commented in his commentator's voice. “I guess that all houses are at the party.” Looking at the sea of people they could distinguish some of them. The room was decorated in mainly green and silver, but there were some red, yellow and blue accent colours. “I didn’t know if you would actually come.” A voice rang from behind them. There stood Poppy and Minerva. Euphemia smiled. She loved Minerva, they had always gotten along. She also liked hanging out with Poppy and their friend groups would merge if it weren’t for Her and Potter’s distaste for each other. “You know me, always here for a good time!” Effie happily chanted as she took some lemon water. “Yeah, Potter is sulking somewhere in the corner.” Poppy sighed as she looked at her girlfriend. Euphemia felt herself frown. Fleamont Potter, at a party? And it’s almost midnight. “Is he okay?” Alphard asked, thinking the same thing as Effie. “We were talking about how he doesn’t get any bitches by never staying at parties. He saw this as a challenge and said that he was going to stay until 1 am at the party tonight.” Minerva said, there is worry in her tone. “I can’t find him. Not that I don’t think he can’t handle himself, just that he is probably already falling asleep. I’ll take him to the dorms when me and Poppy leave.” She ended up saying. Minerva and Fleamont had an interesting friendship. It mainly consisted of making fun of each other, but there were so many layers of trust and love for each other. Effie always admired how the two could stay close to one another, even when Fleamont was so irritating. “Don’t worry too much. He’s gonna be fine, I’m sure of it. Now, have a great time with your girlfriend.” Alphard reassured the two girls. They smiled and went to the dancefloor. “You planning on dancing?” Effie asked. The other just shrugged.
Around an hour later Euphemia finally went off the dancefloor. Alphard was dancing with a Hufflepuff boy that he had been drooling over for some time. So Effie called tonight a win. She ended up finding herself at the drinking table. She hadn’t had any alcohol yet, just lemon water. It didn’t bother her that she wasn’t drunk. She believes that you can have fun even without a drop of alcohol. She soon realized that all the firewiskey was already empty and opted for another glass of lemon water. While walking towards the corner of the room she froze. In the corner sat a man. He was clearly groggy from too much to drink. “Hey?” She asked getting closer. She cringed when she realized who it was. There she stood next to a clearly drunk and tired Fleamont. His normally shiny and slicked-back hair was messy, not to mention his robes were also crinkled. “Hey!” she said with more force, getting closer towards him. She sat on her knees in front of him to get on his level. “Wake up dude, Minerva is worried sick about you.” She hissed as she shook him awake.
He opened his eyes a little. “A princess?” He asked her. What was he talking about? “Pardon?” He smiled at her, that definitely did something to Effie. He had never genuinely smiled at her, always forced and fake. Now he just looked like a tired puppy. “You’re so pretty, like a princess.” He happily chants. “I am nothing like a princess.” A blush was starting to crawl on her neck and she hated that his words made her insides warm. “An Indian princess.” He sighed happily, still smiling and staring at her. “Shut up, you’re drunk.” She looked around the room for Minerva. “We should get you back to your room.” She damned the darkness of the party now. She was almost unable to see most people. “But I was supposed to stay until 1 am, Now it’s. 1:02 That doesn’t work!” He whined like a little kid. Effie had to hold her laugh in. “That doesn’t even make sense.” She giggled. Finally, she saw Poppy and Minerva. They were happily dancing, tuning the world out, just them two. Effie didn’t feel like snatching them away from one another. So she made a decision she knew she would hate. “Minerva!” The music was loud, so screaming was very necessary. “I’m taking this one to his dorm! You and Poppy can stay, I don’t mind!” She ended up saying. Minerva nodded gratefully and let her concentration drift back to her lover. “Let’s get you to bed, big boy,” Euphemia muttered as she laid Fleamont’s hand over her shoulder, making it easier to drag him off. “Yay, I can fly.” Was all he said in a happy tone.
The way to the Tower was not easy. Fleamont was tall and way taller than her. Not to mention that he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. “I always found you pretty. Saw you in our first year and was like: wow.” Giggling he made a hand motion. She rolled her eyes. The blush on her neck and ears never left. “Shame that we can’t be friends.” He pouts. “You are intimidating.” He whispered quite close to her ear. His breath was on the back of her neck, softly grazing it. Her heart stopped for a second. She was certain that her face was getting quite red. Luckily for her darker complexion, you weren’t able to see much of that. “and you are drunk.” She deadpanned. She sighed happily when they arrived at the portrait.
“Password.” The lady said, looking down at the two. “Erm hello? Clearly drunk Griffindore unable to make it to the dorms himself.” She gestured to Fleamont. “Clearly doesn’t know the password. Can’t you just let us in?” Effie asked exasperated. The portrait shook her head. “I wish I could, but that’s not how it works and I can’t do anything about it.” Effie rolled her eyes. “That’s just stupid.” She mutters. “Oi, Idiot! What’s the password?” She asks Fleamont who had opted on drooling on her shoulder. Yay, that was going to be fun to clean off. “My lovely lady.” He said so silently that you could have mistaken it for a sigh. What did he just call her? Effie felt her heart race. “Wha- What did you just-” she was interrupted by the portrait opening. “Oh, that was the password.” There was a bit of disappointment in her, though she didn’t know where it came from.
She made it to his dorm room, all his mates were still at the party. “Now get to sleep.” Finding his bed was easy. All the other beds had quidditch posters hanging up. He didn’t for obvious reasons. “Do you like Chopin?” He asked her out of nowhere. “Yeah, I do.” She hesitantly answered. “Me too. There’s a concert at cristmasssss.” He smiled like an idiot. “I know, I’m going to said concert.” She blushed. “Yay, me too.” He whispered before falling asleep. Euphemia was going to leave and took one more look at him. Damn, he was really pretty when he wasn’t talking. She shook her head trying to subdue the blush and left for her own dorm.
Around a week had passed and Effie and Alphard were walking back from transfiguration. “I just cannot get it perfect.” She stressed. Over the last week, Euphemia had tried really hard to write a responsive poem for her lover, but she wanted it to be perfect. This is the first time it has taken her more than 2 days to write back, she was hoping that the guy didn’t see this as rejection. With the chance of meeting each other getting closer she felt herself more and more nervous. What if he doesn’t like me in real life? She pondered on and on. “What if he’s Potter?” Alphard said, grinning from ear to ear. Euphemia felt a slight blush cover her cheeks. Over the time that they wrote to each other, she had always had an idea of what her mister looked like. He had never resembled Potter in the slightest… Maybe a little.
But ever since the incident in the party, she saw Fleamont when she thought of her mister. “It’s impossible.” Snatching the last letter back from Alphard's hands she grimaced. It was mainly just the password that was throwing her for a loop. It was so similar to the letters and because Fleamont had said it her mind linked him in with it all. “How to write a poem?” She sighed looking at the emerald envelope.
A second she’s walking, another and she’s laying on the ground. She groans because of the pain. She feels even worse when she sees that the man she had bumped into was none other than Fleamont. “Watch where you’re going, Idiot!” she spat at him. “You too!” he said, matching her energy. He rose up, taking something emerald that Effie couldn’t see and bolting away from there. “He is such a twat.” She says taking the letter off the ground. It was a little further than she remembered it falling, but she didn’t care.
In the evening she immediately went to her room. She slipped into her bed and took the envelope again. “Let’s try again.” She whispered to herself. She was planning on trying to use the letter for her own poem. She opened the letter, but to her surprise, she wasn’t met with the usual sentences. It read:
My dear lady
I haven’t am worried if I went too fast (does this sound too desperate?)
Wanting to see you so early, I hope the letter wasn’t our last.
It was never my plan to drive you away with my words letter? Request.
I hope that it doesn’t make you too stressed
I just really hope that you know you’re the best. (This line is stupid)
The rest of the letter was crossed out or discontinued. Effie was confused. This looked like a draft of a letter in place of the actual letter. The handwriting was in some places even so sloppy that she couldn’t read it. “What the hell.” She wondered. She slipped out of bed opening her drawer with all the past letters.
Halfway through the letters she found an old assignment from 3th year. She remembers it, she and Fleamont had worked together for potions. He had basically written the essay for her. The egotistical bastard. She had rewritten the essay herself. Guess that this was the first draft of that essay. She opened reading it a little. “This handwriting looks just like.” She shot up, taking the draft of the letter. Laying the two papers next to each other she saw that it was the same handwriting. This means that this weird draft was from Fleamont, which means she took it when they bumped into each other. That means he has her letter. A cold sweat fell down her neck. “Oh god.” She said alarmed.
Soon enough she stood at the dorm room of Alphard. He opened the room, the Hufflepuff from the other day sitting on the bed with Alphard’s t-shirt on. “He has my letter.” She said panicked. “Who?” The other asked confused. “Potter has my letter from my love. This is something he was writing.” She said showing the letter. “And don’t you think this handwriting is similar to something you know?” He asked raising an eyebrow. “Yeah, It’s Potter’s.” She shrugged. Alphard just sighed as if Effie didn’t get it. “Whatever, go get your letter. Before he reads it.” He said this made her immediately shoot up again. “Okay, see you!” she screams before running out of the room.
“I don’t understand why she helped me at the party?” Fleamont asked Minerva desperate. Why did she help him at the party? “She did it because she is a decent human being” Minerva rolled her eyes. “This weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend. We could get some new quills.” Monty thought aloud. “Oh, that won’t work.” Minerva looked apologetic. “Me and Poppy are going on a double date with Rolanda and Pomona.” She then elaborated. “They’re finally together?” He asked in return. “No, they just don’t know it’s a double date yet. Me and Poppy are going to make them confess tonight, it would take them 20 years otherwise. That’s why I’m going to the Hufflepuff common room tonight.” She explained. Fleamont sighed. “The cloak is under my bed.” Minerva gave him a grateful smile as she went to retrieve the invisibility cloak. “Well, you gonna write further on the poem for your lady?” She asked teasingly. “Yeah, I really hope I didn’t drive her away.” He mustered. “Nonsense I’ve read her letters for you, she’s just as whipped as you are.” A second later Fleamont was left to his own company. He opened the letter, just to find the one he had written a week ago. “That’s strange, didn’t I already-?”
“Potter!” He suddenly heard from the Portrait opening. “You have my letter.” Euphemia huffed. “No, I don’t.” He said forcefully. “Yes you do, you’re literally holding it.” She scoffs. “This is MY letter. I wrote it last week.” He huffs. She rolls her eyes. They then land on the crimson letters his lady has written for him. “Why do you have my letters?” She asked as she took one of the letters. “My lady’s letters?” He asked. A flash of recognition came over Euphemia’s face. “Oh Merlin, you are…” She whispered. What was she going on about? Her letters were-
Oh
Oh
He looked her in the eyes. “You’re my-“ He felt his head spin. Euphemia was his lady. The girl he loved so fiercely. His cheeks were turning in the Griffindore’s colours. She wasn’t better off looking at him with a little smile. “I guess none of us saw that coming.” She muttered. “Yeah” he breathed still staring at her. “Is everything you wrote me true?” She asked contemplating about something. “Yeah, my lady. It was all the truth.” He was now standing up. He despised her but loved her at once. How is that even possible. “I think we might have misjudged the other for years.”
She finally looked him in the eyes. Both their eyes were hesitant yet hopeful. “There’s a Hogsmeade weekend soon.” He paused, feeling himself get lost in the bright eyes. She had always used to look at him like he was trash, but now that she didn’t, he didn’t know if his heart could take it. “We could actually get to know each other?” He asked. Never in his life had he expected that he would have asked Euphemia, Slytherin Quidditch star, out on a date. “Yeah, I would like that.” She said softly.
At the end, he walked her back to the dungeons. They had talked with each other and soon the awkward tension between them was gone. They joked and laughed, of course taking some jabs at each other. Those normalities won't change that easily. But everything was in the name of good fun. When they came to her common room she turned to him. “I actually had a great time.” Her cheeks were red with embarrassment. “Yeah, too… I mean me too.” He rubbed his neck nervously. She put her hands on his shoulders and stood on her tiptoes. His body moved as if on autopilot. They kissed and he melted on the spot. It ended before he could deepen it. “I always wanted to kiss the man from the letters.” She muttered. “Well, see you at the Hogsmeade weekend. Bye!” She ran away to her dorm, leaving a still-in-shock Fleamont at the door. The whole way back he couldn’t contain his smile.
She truly is a princess. He thought. She’s my princess, my lady. He laughed.
Well, at least things won’t be boring any time soon.