Nightmare (Harry Potter OC Fic)

6. The Baguette Brigade

Running into their first-ever Arithmancy lesson, Kei looked around the room for familiar faces. They only recognized Shiloh Bones, but she was already seated next to a Gryffindor boy she didn't recognize. There were only two seats left in the class, one beside another Hufflepuff she didn't care to acquaint herself with and the other in the back of the room next to a very young looking student. Sighing in defeat, she decided to entertain the latter.

"You look quite young to be in this class," Kei smiled, sitting down next to the young Slytherin.

He only nodded.

"You don't talk much, do you?" They tried to hold a conversation with him.

"What an astute observation," the boy responded, not even looking up from his parchment.

"Hm," Kei smiled, "you use big words. You're funny."

The boy nodded.

"What's your name?" she tried

He didn't respond.

"My name is Franklin, but everyone calls me Kei. I'm a Hufflepuff."

"Silas. Slytherin," he finally said.

"Well, 'Silas. Slytherin.' pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Silas finally looked up, slightly narrowing their eyes at her, "Silas Burke."

"Kei Higgs," she responded, their smile growing.

"Likewise, I suppose."

The class dragged on with no proper achievements on befriending the Slytherin beside her. Every lesson was the same, Kei doing more of the talking while Silas either nodded or ignored it. It wasn't until after the Christmas holiday that Silas made an effort in their friendship. In Kei's usually empty seat sat a perfect present wrapped in brown paper and sealed with a small amount of spellotape.

"What's this?" Kei smiled, picking up the parcel and placing it on the table before taking their seat.

"Well, it was just Christmas," said Silas as he scribbled down nothing. Kei bit back a smile, trying to contain her laughter. It was clear that Silas was nervous to see their reaction.

"So I can assume it's a present?"

"You can assume whatever you like," he answered and quietly added, "yes, it's a present."

Kei carefully opened the paper, trying her hardest to not rip it and saw it was a tattered old book. Though it was old, she could tell it was well worn and loved. Small little scribbles were written in the margins, annotating the story.

"Silas, I love it," she gasped softly. "Y-You've even written in it!"

"I suppose I've read it enough to give it away to someone who would appreciate it," he nodded, glancing at the Hufflepuff out of the corner of his eye.

Kei smiled and squeezed his arm softly, restraining herself from giving them a tight hug. Silas smiled softly and coughed as he wrote his name, for the seventh time, on the top of his parchment. The bubbly girl seemed to have that kind of effect on people. And then sometime in the spring, she began to hang out with them outside of Arithmancy as they became proper friends.

With the marvellous idea of acquainting all of their friends with one another, Kei set up a date in the courtyard. Gina and Vic were already onboard with meeting her other friends as two of the other people Kei wanted to add to their group were in Slytherin as well. All it left was getting Silas and Tiberius to join the friend group.

Finally finding Tiberius in the library, alone, Kei plopped down next to him excited for her plan. He looked completely bored out of his mind as he did a two-foot essay for Astrology.