Redamancy (d.m)

Chapter eighty nine-a very merry party

"Bloody hell they're gonna suck each other's lips off" I cringed as me and Harry observed Ron and Lavender take full advantage of the P in PDA in the mist of celebrating Gryffindors
"That's one way to show house pride, I suppose" Harry mumbled, mouth crinkling in discomfort until his eyes darted towards the common room door that had just swung shut, "oh no-Hermione"

We dart out of the mass of partygoers ecstatic over their house's recent Quidditch victory, locating her in an empty classroom just across the hall.

"Hermione?" Harry called out tentatively, walking towards the desk she sat at as a small flock of yellow canaries she had conjured twittered over her head
"Oh, hello, Harry, (y/n)" her voice was unnaturally pitched as she answered, blinking very quickly before looking up at us, "Ron seems to be enjoying the celebrations"
"Come on, 'Mione, don't beat yourself up over him, he's a git, and he has a hockey puck for a brain" I attempted to comfort her, earning a weak laugh from her as she watched the chirping creatures dance around us

Then, in what could have been the worst timing in history, the classroom door jammed open, and in came Ron, hand in hand with Lavender. Once becoming aware that they were not alone, their laughing ceased immediately

"Oops" Lavender giggled brightly, stepping out the door and leaving Ron in a great deal of awkwardness
"Hey guys, I was wondering where you got up to" Ron exclaimed, his cheerful voice coming out strained
"Was that during the saliva trading or the shameless groping?" I commented dryly, making the grin fly clean off his face, which promptly turned scarlet
"Well-I..." he stammered, Hermione silently sliding out of her chair
"You shouldn't leave Lavender waiting outside" she said sullenly, walking deliberately towards the door, turning her back once and brandishing her wand straight at Ron before crying out, "Oppugno!"

In a flash of shrill squawking and lemon yellow feathers, Ron was consumed by her fleet of canaries, pecking and poking at every bit of flesh Ron couldn't protect, which unfortunately was quite a bit. He was now decorated in an array of shallow scratches and markings just in time for Christmas.

This uniquely inconvenience  of a divide in our friendship dynamic meant that Harry and I became a duo that split our time equally between Hermione in the library and Ron wherever Lavender dragged him to. Whilst I was thankful I had Harry with me, his presence also came with headaches in the form of the large groups of preening girls that darted beside us whenever we passed underneath a hanging of mistletoe. Draco was still eluding me as resolutely as ever, though his evasive behaviour became less and less exclusive to myself as time dragged on. The only assurance I had that he wasn't going to pass away from malnourishment was Blaise leaving plates of food from school dinners at his door each night, still they returned untouched more often than I would've liked.

"Goodness, (y/n), have you done something different with your hair? It's stunning!" Romilda Vane squealed, emerging from behind me in the company of airhead friends
"It's like silk!" Another one agreed as they gathered around me in from of the bathroom sink
"Um, thanks" I replied hesitantly, wary of this display of aggressive intrigue from these girls I had not spoken more than fifty words to collectively
"You should come have lunch with us some time!" A third one piped up
"Sure" I said, thinking privately to myself that I would rather take a bath with a toaster
"Great, I can tell we're going to be such good friends!" Romilda beamed
"Yeah, we'll, listen I've got to go, I'm meeting up with someone-" I muttered, attempting to weave my way out of their barrier
"Oh, would it happen to be Harry Potter?" Romilda interjected eagerly, her eyes lighting up when I nodded as her hand rustled around her school bag before emerging with a heart shaped box the size of her head, "you wouldn't mind passing this onto him, would you? I'd do it myself but I'm a bit shy I'm afraid"
"What is it?" I question, lifting the lid off of the box to unveil an assortment of chocolate confections
"Just a little early Christmas present" Romilda answered, batting her eyelashes innocently
"Right" I commented, beginning to catch onto the entirety of the situation, picking a chocolate up from its thin paper casing, "well I'm sure he'd be alright with me stealing a bite-"
"No! You can't!" The group of girls exclaimed wildly, deepening my suspicions even as Romilda desperately tried to salvage her ruse, "w-well we just mean that...that, I, erm"
" I see" I state flatly, placing the chocolate back into its box and shutting the lid over it, "I'll make sure Harry gets it"