when you returned | HP x Louis Partridge x reader

t w e l v e

A/N: hi :) this continues from around the time the last chapter left off.

Louis' POV:
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean Seamus and I occupied a huge fraction near the fireplace of the Gryffindor common room. Hermione was curled up on a velvet armchair, finishing her final bit of homework, while us boys sat on the floor around a big coffee table, drowning in piles of textbooks, parchment and quills. The coffee table was a pigsty, I couldn't even tell whose work was whose.

Most of our work is due on Monday and Tuesday so we decided to make the most of our Saturday afternoon and most likely also the whole of Sunday, and study. It was way less productive than it should've been, with Hermione being the only one on top of her work and everyone else was a mile behind her - I was in between, maybe a bit closer to Hermione's end. I know we all wish we were as smart and organised as her, she was definitely irritated by our constant asking for help or answers for questions we should already know.

"Hermione, what do I write for my conclusion?" Ron asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"You should know what to do, Ron! Professor Binns explained all of this twice, yesterday." Hermione replied like she would explode any second because of all this annoyance building up in her.

"But you know perfectly well that you're the only one who pays attention in his lessons!" Ron groaned, then slightly softened his voice. "Hermione, please can you just help me with my conclusion?"

She hesitated for a second, then gave in. "Fine, just pay attention next time for my and Merlin's sake... Hand it over, Ron, I'll go over it and help you."

I could hear Seamus sigh in the background: "hey, I also needed help with my conclusion..."

At that moment, I finished the last question on Professor Flitwick's quiz, which means I only have one more assignment left: Professor Sprout's essay on Bubotuber Pus. Thank Merlin, it was a short essay and I am, to put it modestly, quite proficient at Herbology.

I took one of the clean pieces of parchment scattered around the table and anxiously wriggled 101 Important Remedies in Herbology from the bulky stack of Herbology textbooks. CRASH! They all tumbled down on me like big Muggle Jenga blocks. A few slammed on the coffee table, sending Seamus' ink bottle flying at him and the black liquid spilled all over his maroon hoodie.

"LOUIS!" He shrieked, the whole table roared with laughter. "I swear to Godric, it's always me."

"To be fair," Ron started, "you did mess up the whole table."

"Not like it wasn't already a mess, though." Dean said, chuckling more than ever.

Seamus, still somewhat-understandably upset, dramatically scolded in his Irish accent: "Me Mam gave me this! Louis!" and it sent our table into a second fit of laughter.

Parvati and Lavender, who just entered the common room, strode over to us. Parvati rushed over to Seamus and simply said: "you better not look like this at the Ball", dashing off to the dormitories before Seamus could defend himself. Lavender, however, walked over to me with a wide smile on her face.

"Hey, Louis!" She said with an overly-girlish voice. "I just got a ball gown for the Ball! I think you'll like it, it's magenta!"

"Is magenta a colour?" I ask like a mindless idiot, I mean, why is she acting like I'm her date? Surely she knows I'm going with Y/N and no one else.

Lavender replied my question with a little giggle before skipping off to join Parvati in the dorms. I'm sure everyone at our table heard that because Ron immediately said: "what an idiot!"

I change the topic back to Seamus, pointing out his hoodie but we earned a concerned look from Hermione. "Did you guys seriously forget the fact the you're wizards, surrounded by other magical people, in a school for witchcraft and wizardry?" She shook her head and pointed her wand at the ink stain. "Scourgify!" The ink vanished and the hoodie was as good as new.

Hermione turned back to me. "Especially you, Louis. I mean for Merlin's sake, you've probably got the purest blood out of all of us!"

The table erupted into laughter again, but this time, it was uncertain and awkward. I know Hermione doesn't like to talk about blood purity, so I must've really disappointed her for the smallest thing.

By the time we were in the Great Hall for dinner, the group was back to laughing our heads off like normal - except for the fact that we looked like we haven't even closed our eyes in 50 years. The studying exhausted everyone, I was surprised I could even trudge down to the hall to eat dinner. However, Hermione was barely affected by all this because she is so used to studying for excessive periods of time.

"I can't wait for the pudding." Seamus yawned and our whole group nodded in agreement.

Around 5 minutes later, the table magically cleared and the scraps of food were replaced with brilliant desserts. It wasn't as grand as the feasts' piles of sugary treats but it was just as delicious. My hand immediately snatched a cup of chocolate pudding as it was a crowd-favourite, and others seemed to know that too because a few hands quickly grabbed them after me. It was like hungry seagulls with hot chips.

"Honestly, boys!" Hermione scolded again. "It's barbaric that you guys have to almost fight for a cup of pudding." She simply reached for a custard tart and rolled her eyes.

After a cup of chocolate pudding, a cup of chocolate trifle, a custard tart and a few eclairs, I decided to stop for the night. "Someone's coming for you." Harry told me with a smile. When I turned around, I saw Y/N skipping to me - her beautiful hair was dancing in the air and her grin made me feel a sudden rush of happiness. "Hey." She said to me in her calming voice.

I scooched over to make space for her and patted the spot on the bench. Y/N squeezed in between Seamus and I.

At that moment, Lavender, who was sitting a little further down the table, loudly announced that her date had not asked her yet, but she knows that he will soon. However that works, I will never find out. It was as if she wanted every boy our year to hear her, in case she was referring to him. Whoever that happens to be, I feel extremely sorry for him.

She continued rambling on about her date, after a tentative third-year asked who. "Louis of course!" Everyone near me turned to me with confusion and sympathy mixed on their face. "Lou-lou will ask me once he realises I'm better than Knoxley."

"Don't listen to her, Y/N. That girl's full of rubbish." Harry reassured Y/N but she started to burst out laughing, along with many others who weren't sure how to act until then.

"I don't care what she thinks, Harry!" Y/N said, I could see Lavender's angry glare stuck on her. "It did sting a tiny bit but I must lose my mind before I care what someone that delusional thinks."

The table burst into laughter again, even Parvati (Lavender's best friend) was laughing. "Ok, what was that about?!" I asked a bit louder than intended.

"She took some mind-altering drug-potion and now thinks you are going to take her to the Winter Ball." Y/N explained, half-sarcastic.

Lavender was as red as a tomato. She suddenly crashed her fists into the table like a toddler throwing a tantrum. It caught the attention of everyone nearby. Lavender got up, leaving her friends behind, but after the few heavy steps it took for her to get to me, she was back to her oddly sweet look.

With a beam, she handed me a pink note and said "text me" in the most annoying, high-pitched voice. Lavender immediately spun around and stomped out of the Great Hall.

I unfolded the pink note in my hand: it was her phone number in a pink heart.

"Jeez, she really is ambitious!" Y/N exclaims, peering at the note from over my shoulder.

I make a mental note to dispose of this note as soon as possible. And to take Y/N on a date before the Winter Ball on Friday before she gets alarmingly moody.

A/N:
Next chapters will be the big Winter Ball!! See ya next time :)