Of Finches & Firsts

All By Yourself

Authors Note: Ok so this chapter took a lot longer to write than expected. Probably the one I had the most issues with honestly 🤧 I even erased a whole scene I had written & rewrote several things multiple times 'cause I wasn't satisfied (still not but oh well). Anyways here it is & I hope u enjoy ♡

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The next morning, Ellie wakes up with the memory of last night clear in her head. She smiles to herself, stretching out on her bed, trying to hang onto that giddy feeling a while longer. Knowing she couldn't lay in bed forever, she sits up, yawning as her eyes drift over to the bed beside her.

Mauve still laid asleep, soft snores emitting from her sleeping form and Ellie is back to feeling a heavy weight on her chest again as she remembers their disagreement last night.

Quietly jumping out of bed, she approaches Mauve's and takes a deep breath before gently tapping her on her shoulder.

"Mauve...." she whispers, and she's greeted with the sound of tired groans.

"Hey, come on, wake up. It's time for us to make up and be best friends again," she says, smiling sheepishly.

Mauve groans once more before finally rolling over, eyes squinting up at her.  "Did you punch Malfoy in the face last night?" she asked sleepily.

"No...."

"Then I guess I'm in the market for a new best friend," she says, laying back down on her stomach, resting the side of her face on the pillow. "I might look into asking Granger. She was ahead of the game and punched Draco last year. Smart girl."

Ellie sighs, looking up at the ceiling in slight frustration before sitting down on the edge of the bed.  "Look, I'm aware that I'm stupid."

"Very stupid," Mauve chimed in.

"And pathetic."

"Very pathetic."

"But...why can't you just let me be stupid and pathetic and learn from my mistakes without punishing me for it? I mean, isn't that the whole point?"

There's a moment of silence between them, Ellie's words hanging in the air.

Just as she's about to start talking once again (she was ready to go to Plan B: begging), Mauve sits up and faces her.

"Look, I just don't want you to get hurt. I care about you and I don't want anyone, especially a stupid spoiled boy like Malfoy, to take advantage of you," she admits sincerely.

Ellie lays her hand on top of her's, offering a sympathetic smile. Despite the simple gesture it's enough for Mauve to sigh and return the smile back. "Alright, we can make up and be best friends again."

"So you're not gonna go ask Hermione to be my replacement?"

"Nah. She's too much of a know-it-all for my taste," she jokes and the two girls laugh before embracing each other in a hug.

"So, how did it go with the Slytherin Prince then?" she asks once they pull apart.

"It honestly went pretty well. He apologized actually," she admitted and Mauve raised a brow.

"Draco Malfoy? Apologized? Well that's a first."

Ellie scratched the back of her head, letting out a light chuckle. "Yeah, umm...the reason why he wanted me to go to the courtyard was because he wanted to ask me something."

"What? Where he left a likable personality trait?" Mauve remarks with a roll of her eyes.

"Actually, he asked me to the yule ball," she answers quickly and Mauve just about fell out of the bed.