Always There For You (Harry Potter OC X OC)

51. Suspicious Friendliness-

Weird. So weird. Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe greeted Dandra when they passed by. Pansy Parkinson asked her about the weather during lunch. What was going on? Why were the Slytherins acting so nice? At charms class, Astoria Greengrass wanted to partner up with her. Lizzy was confused and was about to protest.

'Alright... Green--Astoria, let's partner up,' Sandra said.

'Oh, that's great Sandra!' she said in the fakest smile she had. Sandra knew it was fake as the girl wouldn't give such smile to her sister, Daphne Greengrass.

Lizzy went away to join Markus and Carl. The boys were confused.

'Wait...' Markus was dumbfounded. 'Why's my cousin with Astoria Greengrass?'

'I have no idea...' said Lizzy.

This kept going until the older kids from hufflepuff began to take notice. Who was the hufflepuff who made friends with the slytherin pureblood purists? Older kids were taking notice to Sandra's frequent interaction with them and they were worried about it.

One day, in the common room, the hufflepuff's headboy and headgirl approached her by the study corner. Sandra looked up, confused as the two of them wanted to talk to her.

'Hi, Sandra,' said the headgirl. 'Can we talk to you for a second?'

'Uh, sure,' Sandra stood up and followed.

Sandra settled by a round table and two chairs. The head boy took another chair nearby and propped it over at it. They all sat down.

'Sandra, we noticed that... pure- kids from slytherin, have been talking to you a lot,' said the headboy.

'I think so, yeah,' said Sandra, quietly.

'We want to know,' said Morgan. 'Are they friendly? Or are they bothering you in some way?'

'So far they've been friendly to me. I'm not in harms way.'

'We've noticed that most slytherins who approach you are very... how do you say it, Morgan?' The headboy asked the headgirl.

'Very... um... you know, pro pureblood,' spoke Morgan.

'Yes! Pro pureblood, Sandra!' spoke the headboy in too much enthusiasm. He realized and cooled down. 'We're worried if you're being led into their... what do you say?'

'High standards... and fascination to the pureblood regime,' said Morgan.

'I understand. You're probably worried about me,' said Sandra to them. 'You're afraid I'm going to be someone like Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson and the likes of them, but I assure you, they haven't talked anything about joining me to their circle.'

'That's the only thing they care about,' said the headboy.

'It's unusual, but it's possible to be friends with the slytherin. We can be friends with whoever... but the thing is, they're flocking over you like birds. Don't know if that's just how they make friends, but it seems a bit shady, don't you think?' said the headgirl. 'You should be careful and keep your eyes and ears open.'

'That's right...' said the headboy. 'Don't let them take you to the dark side... if you sense something wrong, please tell us or Professor Sprout. Tell prefects. Tell teachers. We'll help you.'

'He's right. They're not bullying you, are they, Sandra?'

'N-no, they're not. Thank you for saying this to me, though, it means a lot,' Sandra said.

They smiled brightly.

'We're glad if you say you're okay,' said the headgirl.

'We're always here to help, we're hufflepuffs! We're always there for each other!' said the headboy merrily.

'Sorry for taking you hostage,' humored Morgan.

'Yeah,' said the headboy in a laugh. He took back the chair then went away with the headgirl.

Sandra felt relieved that they left. But she was unsettled at the thought that they might be right. The slytherin students had never approached her until now. She suspected Astoria told them about the little encounter. They wanted something.

***

Joel had mastered the fire spell. He conjured it with ease, big or small, he coukd control it as he wished. He could do it long or short; or forming balls of fire or elongate it from the tip of his wand. The others had mastered it as well. Terry had moved on to learn the advanced wind spell.

'Ventus!' spoke Terry. A gust of wind shot out of his wand at Anthony's head, ruffling the boy's hair.

'Terry!' complained Anthony, combing his hair neatly.

'You're vain. Even if you don't admit it,' said Terry.

'I'm not vain!'

'Oh come on. If you're not vain you won't mind looking messy.'

'Anyone who gets attacked by a wind charm would react the same way,' defended Anthony.

'Watch this. Joel. Ventus,' he aimed at Joel.

Joel laughed and stroke his hair back.

'You counter out your own point, Terry,' said Anthony smugly, 'look, Joel's fixing his hair.'

'Yeah, but not as severe as you! And complain like a wimp! Ventus!' Terry aimed at him.

'Stop!' he groaned, and fixed his hair again.

'Now I know why you have fangirls flocking about. You like the attention when they say you're cute or handsome or whatnot.'

'I don't have fangirls.'

'Liar! I know you know you have fangirls! Ventus!'

'Protego!' Anthony chanted, swinging his wand. He managed to fend off Terry's spell.

'It'll be interesting if we all duel once in awhile,' Terry said, feeling inspired.

'No, not here,' said Michael quickly.

'Yeah, not here,' said Joel. 'Not on this very rooftop.'

'That's right,' said Anthony. 'See, brain is to be used, not to fill it with air.'

'Now you're provoking me, Goldstein,' said Terry, feeling challenged.

Anthony wouldn't open fire first, but he certainly wouldn't back down from a fight.

'Mates,' spoke Michael. 'Triwizard's first task is on Saturday, right?'

'Oh yeah, I almost forgot we have that going on us,' said Anthony.

'How can you forget when you see veela all the time?' said Terry.

'Why you ask?' Joel asked.

'I wonder what the first task will be and if it's as dangerous as they say,' said Michael.

'Well, people did die before,' said Anthony.

'Y'know that's a problem with wizards,' Joel started. 'If people die like sometimes, on events, they continue to think... oh let's try again, maybe this year someone won't die. Muggles disband the game permanently once someone had died, you know,' said Joel. 'That's the difference.'

'Muggles are so sensitive. Death possibilities make things interesting,' said Terry, playing his wand around his fingers.

'Yeah, it builds character,' said Anthony in a rare moment that he agreed with Terry.

'Either you all are brave, stupid, or suicidal. Either one of them, I tell you,' Joel said.

'Might be in the genes,' said Michael, grinning.

'Well I'm team I-know-death-trap-when-I-see one---I think Andika agrees with me, don't you?' Asked Joel.

Andika was surprised to be included. 'Yeah-- bez-- oar,' he struggled. The boys laughed, not in mockery, just out of humor.

'See?'

'But,' Terry spoke. 'I bet you'll still apply on it if you can, don't'cha Joel?'

Joel weighed it upon it.

'It's the thrill, Joel, the thrill.'

'Yeah, you're right...'

Terry smirked. 'I know I'm right.'