Contentment

"There you are." Madeline smiled at Percy, who was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Here I am."

Felix Brunt, a boy in Madeline's year came up to them, playfully hitting Percy on the shoulder before looking at Madeline with approving eyes. "I'm so glad your coming. This year should be a lot more interesting."

Madeline smiled at him, linking her hand through Percy's elbow. "Shall we?"

There were a total of ten students this year in seventh year Gryffindor. Other houses had far more, and Madeline guessed that the reason why the students in her house were this close was because of the small number.

There was Coralina Sweltze, the Head Girl. Percy Wealey, who was by far Madeline's favorite person in her year. Oliver Wood, Captain of their Quidditch team, and who, despite his maddeningly good looks, and a very pleasant voice, was a little confusing to Madeline.

Madeline had never been one to shy away from going after someone she wanted, but this felt different. She felt drawn to Oliver in the most bizarre way and it left her feeling unnerved.

There was Felix Brunt, the boy walking with them to the unused classroom. He was also on the team with Oliver and Coralina. Felix was pleasant enough to Madeline that over the course of the first week she had come to appreciate his innocent jokes and good nature. And Madeline suspected him to swing with his own gender in the bedroom.

She learned the names of the other boys as well from sharing classes with some of them. David Brooman, a beater on the Quidditch team, and Jake Flinton, who shared Arithmancy class with her. There was also a boy named Edmund, who's last name she was yet to hear, and Mervyn Wynch and Cyril Meakin.

Madeline had only gotten a chance to talk with five out of the nine people that shared her house, but suspected that she might get to do it tonight.

They walked through a corridor that she hadn't been in yet, and Felix told her that it used to hold two old classrooms in it many years before any of them were even born, and as the castle grew in size, professors had decided that the secluded corridor that took a good thirty minutes to get to unless you were in Hufflepuff, was too far away. Now, some students used the two classrooms to meat up and have a good time. Or so she'd been told.

Madeline didn't leave the two boy's sides as they made it into the room. It consisted of old desks pushed aside to make a circle in the middle that had blankets and pillows on the cement floor. There appeared to be snacks and cards and all sort of drinks in the center.

Madeline wasn't surprised to see Oliver once again by Coralina's side, who smiled half way when she saw the three of them enter. Madeline barely returned the smile.

Despite last week when the other girl had pulled her into an empty corridor and told her that she was sorry, Madeline still didn't like her. Be it the solemn fact that the other girl was still yet to apologized to Eli, or the fact that she took every opportunity to rub it in Madeline's face that she was new, which she did with a bright, innocent smile and genuine apologies, and that she didn't know her classman as well as she did. Or the fact that Madeline couldn't shake the feeling that something was way off about the girl.

Either way, Madeline tried to stay away from the Head Girl, although learning last night that Oliver and her were not dating gave Madeline something else to focus on.

Oliver was available. Not that she cared, of course.

"I'm glad that you're here." Jake leaned in to whisper into her ear once she was seated by Percy with Felix on his other side.

Madeline turned to him, giving him a smile. The boy wasn't bad looking, hell, if she was being honest, none of the boys from her year were bad looking. "Me too." She told him and turned her head, looking at Oliver who was seated across from her. Who was already looking at her with raised brows.

"So." Coralina spoke and everyone looked at her. "I'm glad that you are all here." Madeline looked at the girl, her own brow slightly raised when she felt Jake shuffle closer to her.

"This year, we have been blessed with another student joining our year." Coralina's voice held a note of annoyance in it and Madeline had to suppress a chuckle. "And another girl." A few cheers went around the room and Madeline felt Percy's hand graze hers.

"Madeline, if you could, would like to introduce yourself?" Madeline swallowed hard, looking at Percy before nodding her head with a smile. She didn't like being put on the spot like that.

"Why not." She said, looking straight at Oliver. "Well, most of you know my name, right? Good." Madeline told the room, eyes roaming around but coming back to Oliver's who hadn't stopped looking at her since Jacke whispered into her ear. "I went to Ilvermony in America the last six years, and now I'm here. Professor MaCgonagall is my great grandfathers older sister, and my last living relative. I love watching Quidditch games, and hate fake people." Madeline ignored Oliver's raised brow and instead looked back at Coralina who's expression she could not read clearly, although if she had to guess, she would say that the Head Girl looked even more annoyed at that.

"Quidditch?" Carolina questioned. "I thought that they didn't favor the sport back in your country."

Your Country? "You're right, they do not." Madeline looked back at Oliver. "But my mom's from Scotland, born and raised there until she met my father and moved to America. She thought me to appreciate the hard work that the sport provided and plus." Madeline skimmed Coralina's face for a small second, before growing her smile ten fold. "It does help that people who play aren't half bad looking."

Jake said something to that, while most in the room chuckled in agreement, but Madeline didn't hear anything when Oliver gave her a sweet smile, his eyes going wide, and his brow cocking up in a teasing movement.

"So you watch because of the boys?" Carolina sounded smug, and Madeline turned her attention back to her, cocking a brow up. "That's sad." She said and there it was again, that tone of spitefulness that had been present last Saturday.

Madeline didn't say anything for a moment, looking for a way to not turn this into a fight between her and the other girl, which it would if Madeline snapped back. Shaking her head, she relaxed her face, still slightly smiling.

"I like to watch the games because of the thrill of it being played so high up. I just meant that it's an added bonus that everyone looks good in uniform."

"Sure." The sharp response made Madeline shift on her pillow, turning her head to Felix who had chuckled suddenly. He just winked at her when he saw her looking at him.

"Let's get the evening going." Coralina told the circle and everyone agreed.

An hour passed, and Madeline couldn't do anything but just look and smile as they played truth or dare. Most everyone was taking truth, and things were asked about classes, about their summers, and what they were thinking about doing once their seventh year was up at school.

It was getting slightly boring for Madeline, as she was used to much bigger and daring truth or dare games back at Ilvermony, but her interest was peaked up when Cyril asked Felix who he would get it on with if he had the chance.

The small, awkward silence that followed the question wasn't lost on Madeline as she moved her head to watch Felix's face twist with worry, eyes settling on Percy and then going back to Cyril across the room.

"Beatrice." Madeline didn't know who that was, but from most of the boys chuckling at that, it peaeked her interest.

"Haywood? Really?" Coralina asked, voice not gentle in any way. "I didn't think you'd stoop as low as a Hufflepuff." Madeline raised a brow at the girl, her blood heating. Did she always have to be such a bitch when she wasn't the center of attention?

"What." Felix raised his shoulders up. "She's cute, and nice. Unlike some." Madeline smiled at his words, and at the way Coralina's face heated slightly.

"Whatever." The Head Girl said in a board tone, turning her attention on Oliver who was yet to have a turn. "Ollie, your turn. Truth or Dare?" No one in the room could miss the sudden change in her tone. Playful and kind.

Oliver shook his head, not looking at Madeline. "Dare."

"Finally." Jake said beside Madeline in a happy tone. "My turn to ask."

Madeline watched Oliver take in a dreadful breath, eyes growing hard for only a moment as he bore them towards Jake. "Fine, but don't dare anything stupid. I'd like to not get 'almost' expelled like last year."

All Madeline could do was watch the whole interaction in front of her. Jake looked at the girl sitting beside Oliver, giving her a devious smile that Coralina returned, before looking back to Oliver.

"Alright. Nothing worthy of expulsion." He told Oliver, and Madeline felt him shift next to her as he said his dare. "Wood, I dare you to kiss Lina."

Eyes widened, Madeline looked at Oliver. His face was blushed when he caught her eyes, and she saw him swallow before looking back at Jake, face draining of all blood. "Kiss? Like a peck, or..."

Some boys chuckled at that, and Jake clicked his tongue. "No mate, no pecks. A real kiss."

Oliver drew in a deep breath, not looking at Madeline again. Shew watched him turn his body towards the girl sitting next to him and Madeline wanted to puke at the sight of Coralina's smile.

It was clear as day that the Head Girl of Gryffindor was into Oliver Wood, and Madeline wondered if he was just thick, oblivious, of if he really did not like her in the same way.

It all happened in slow motion, much to Madeline's dislike. Oliver put a hand on Coralina's face, looking at her lips before looking her in the eyes, and she watched him lean in. Watched their lips make contact, and swore that she could see the other girls tongue sticking out, trying to get into his mouth.

She knew that she had no reason to feel the way she did.

She barely knew any of them, and the sting of jealousy was unwelcome in her body. It wasn't her business who kissed who.

Sure, she thought, she liked the way Oliver looked, the way he talked, and especially the way his voice carried a whole different note of happiness when she'd overhear him talking about Quidditch, but that was all.

Just a silly girls attraction to a good looking guy.

The kiss lasted all of seven seconds, and Madeline froze when Oliver broke the kiss off, turning his head in her direction.

He looked regretful, but she didn't care. She told herself not too. He didn't owe her anything.

"You call that a kiss?" Jake asked in a playful tone.

"Shut up Flinto." Oliver muttered under his breath, eyes still on Madeline.

"Right, that was fun, but shall we get a better show? New girl." Madeline turned her head towards, Edmund? She was sure that was his name.

"Yeah?"

The tall, black haired boy held a sly smile on his face, eyes boring into hers. "Your turn lovely. Truth or dare?"

Madeline swallowed, knowing instantly that she'd choose dare. She could do a dare with closed eyes, where the sick feeling that she'd shed tears if anyone asked her what she did this summer, left her not wanting to chose truth.

"Dare." A few sounds of approval went around the room, and Madeline felt Percy shift in his seat.

"Ooo, I like you already." Edmund told her, eyes bright with something she didn't quiet understand. "Madeline, right?" She nodded her head. "Lovely name."

"Glad you like it." She told him and heard a few chuckles at that.

Edmund smiled at her sweetly, before putting on a sly smile again. "I dare you to kiss the best looking guy here." He told her, and Madeline sucked in a breath.

Seriously?

Turning her head back, she caught Oliver looking at her with a careful expression, and she almost chuckled at the sight. Of course she would have picked him, but now that he had Coralina's lips on his?

Not a chance.

Madeline put on an innocent smile, taking a hold of Percy's hand, and turned in her seat until she was facing him. Percy did the same, eyes wide and an unsure look on his face.

She didn't think twice about the look on his face when she went in for the kiss, and was pleasantly surprised when he only hesitated for a heartbeat before opening his mouth and letting her tongue in. The whole room went quiet, and Madeline's heart skipped a beat when behind her closed eyelids she imagined that it was Oliver.

Fucking hell, her mind screamed at her to refocus. Percy was good, really good as he brought his hand to the back of her head, deepening the kiss while his tongue explored her mouth.

Minutes must have passed when Madeline opened her eyes and saw Felix staring at her with pink cheeks and it took her a moment to realize that he wasn't really staring at her but rather at the boy kissing her.

Breaking the kiss, she was sure that she was blushing madly. Percy wasn't bad looking, but he didn't seem like the type to have regular make out sessions. Especially with younger girls. Percy gave her an honest smile before moving to face the center of the circle again, his thumb brushing gently against her knuckles.

"Percy? Really?" Edmund asked after a moment, and Madeline turned her head towards him, slowly, before raising a high brow.

"You have a problem with that?" She asked, not caring if she sounded hostile.

"No. Not at all, just didn't expect it to be Percy. And who knew that our Head Boy could kiss like that?" Madeline didn't respond, instead giving him a genuine smile.

Percy was good. There was no denying that, but the look she saw on Oliver's face when she looked back at him made her question her decision to kiss Percy instead of him.

Shaking the foul thoughts away, Madeline spent the rest of the evening listening to the other's talking and laughing and then for the most part, the night turned into talk about Quidditch and the coming up games, and Madeline felt drained, even though she didn't do much after her dare.

Percy, who had let go of her hand after giving her a genuine smile once more, spent most of the night talking to Felix, and the two of them ended up walking her back to their the Gryffindor tower.

She didn't say much as she again chose to listen to the two of them talk about the castle, and the night.

Once in her room, Madeline heard a tapping on her window and smiled from ear to ear when she saw her best friends owl, Tily.

She let the owl in and petted his head, taking the small envelope from his beak before giving him a few treats.

She watched the owl fly to her bed post, and knew that he would stay until she wrote a response.