𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 | 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝗺𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀

It is a fairly normal day at Hogwarts for Cherry Parkinson. She has a bit of a heavy course load, what with the eleven total subjects she is taking, but surprisingly she hasn't found it stressful. She is taking the seven core classes, of course, as she's only in fifth year, but she is also taking Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. That made for nine day subjects, so she has one spare period which is coming in very useful at the moment, now that she is in O.W.L. year. The other two subjects she is taking (Ancient Studies and Magical Theory) are classified as 'extra-curricular', so they usually happen right before dinner.

Right now, Cherry is in the Great Hall, eating her lunch at the Hufflepuff table with her friend, Dorcas Meadowes. She and Dorcas have been attached to the hip since their first year at Hogwarts, and they can practically read each other's minds now. It would have been wonderful if they were together for all of their subjects, but unfortunately, Dorcas has taken Ancient Runes and Cherry takes Arithmancy. It's only one class, but it felt like the end of the world for thirteen-year-old Cherry.

As Cherry is reminiscing, James Potter, her crush, stands up on the Gryffindor Table, casts a sonorous and says, "LILY EVANS, WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?!"

Cherry, who was startled when she heard the borderline scream, could feel her heart sink. She had noticed that Potter's gang of friends had not targeted Lily during their pranks this year, but she had hoped it was because he wanted to focus on his O.W.L.s. She sees now that she was naïve to think so.

She turns to Dorcas and sees a sympathetic smile. But, she needn't have worried. Apparently the lack of pranks pulled on her wasn't enough for Evans to stop hating James.

Evans, whose face is as red as her hair (though from anger or embarrassment is unknown) stands up and says, "NO I WILL NOT GO OUT WITH YOU, POTTER!"

She promptly walks out of the Great Hall, fuming.

Cherry isn't sure if she's supposed to be happy or sad by this turn of events.

"Hey, as long as she doesn't give him the time of day, you have a chance!" Dorcas exclaims, munching on a mouthful of her shepherd's pie.

Cherry rests her chin on her hand, still staring at James. "There's that . . ."

He really is great . . .

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     *ੈ✩‧₊˚ 𝓯𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

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"Parkinson, Cherry!"

Cherry walked out of the line of first-years, terrified out of her mind. She had been quite certain that she'd be an instant Slytherin, but then the Black heir had been Sorted into Gryffindor of all houses, and suddenly she wasn't so sure.

Still, Cherry tried to keep her composure as McGonagall slid the Sorting Hat on her head.

Please, please, Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Slytherin or Ravenclaw.

"Interesting, very interesting . . ."

What's interesting?!

Cherry was taught that little girls like her should be seen and not heard. They were just pretty things to look at. So, being interesting was bad. Or, well, she could be interesting, but she had to be interesting in a way that no one knew she was. That's what being in Slytherin would mean.