｡+.*𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗜𝗥*+｡ [𝘿. 𝙈𝘼𝙇𝙁𝙊𝙔]¹

XI. ALL'S FAIR IN WAR & QUIDDITCH

"--Jewel? For Merlin's sake," Tracey's voice hissed above me as I groaned and lazily flung my arm over my eyes, "you've got to stop passing out reading in the common room! Jewel? Are you even lis--? Jewel!"

"Whassa Jewel? Never heard of him," I claimed groggily, snuggling deeper into the sofa.

Tracey released a loud sigh.

"Alright, I'll play along--if you aren't Jewel, then who are you?"

"...Tracey? Wait, scratch that--can I be a Saiyan? Or a magical girl? I'll punish people in the name of the moon--which sorta feels like a nocturnal thing, soo--"

There was a long pause.

Giving up, Tracey flopped back onto the sofa at my feet with a groan.

"You're just--I don't even know, Jewel."

Cracking my eyes open, I peeked out from behind my arm.

"Unique?"

"Try unbalanced," she snorted, poking my socked foot(at some point, my mind buzzing and in a daze after I sprinted headlong into the common room and collapsed on the closest available surface, I'd kicked off my shoes).

"Fair. Ever since flying class, I've realised I'm absolutely wasted walking. I'm like an owl. Or a penguin. My equilibrium is way more suited to the sky--"

"Not what I meant, but okay. Wait, did you say penguin?"

"They're cute."

"They're flightless."

"Fine. Let's go to the Astronomy Tower. I'll hop off. Show you how flightless I am."

"--point taken. You're still insane, though."

I made a half-and-half gesture.

Tracey huffed.

"What time is it?"

"Er--" she checked her watch, "a little past eight. If we don't hurry, we'll miss breakfast--so you need to get the hell up and get ready. I'm hungry."

She poked my foot again and I jerked it away involuntarily.

Tracey's eyes sparkled.

"Are you ticklish?"

I bolted upright, fell off the sofa sideways, and leapt to my feet.

"Stay back, you--mad woman!"

Ignoring the weird stares I got from bystanders for my outburst, I swiped Hairy Snout Human Heart from the sofa(--where it was lying after I, may or may not have, passed out clutching it like a teddy bear)and legged it.

At the same time, Malfoy made his way down the boy's stairs.

--I swear he does it on purpose.

He stopped short, thrown off balance--kinda understandably at seeing me running at him full tilt with Tracey hastily on my heels.