false god | 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘵

.02 it's nice to have a friend

The rest of the afternoon was a blur as everyone funneled into the Slytherin common room for first time that year.

Draco, Mattheo, Theo, Enzo, and Blaise hooted as they climbed the common room stairs, shoving each other as they raced to get the best bed in their shared room. Rory looked on in horror, thanking Merlin she wasn't born a boy and didn't have to room with the gargantuan ruffians.

Instead, she and Pansy would share a room with Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, a pair of sisters from a prestigious pureblood family. The Greengrass' often frequented the parties thrown by the Malfoys, and although she'd never met the sisters, Rory had learned quite a bit about them.

Daphne was the oldest of the pair. Her soft blonde hair complimented her flawless, tanned skin, and she always wore a polite, welcoming smile. As the oldest of the two, Daphne was to marry into a good family (Rory had even heard Aunt Cissy talking of an arranged marriage with Draco), which resulted in her keeping a stellar reputation amongst her peers. She was poised and dignified in every way imaginable.

Astoria was the youngest. She was a year younger than Daphne, Rory, and Pansy but was allowed to room with her sister, nonetheless. She contrasted her older sister in all aspects of the word. Her sleek, dark hair fell just below her shoulder blades; Rory noticed the dim color made her skin look almost sickly pale. Astoria was carefree and wild at times, but somehow managed to maintain a nearly pristine reputation.

As Rory begrudgingly unpacked her trunk, Pansy flopped onto her bed, lying on her stomach as she peaked at Rory.

"So? Let's hear it," Pansy urged, glancing over at the Greengrass sisters before lowering her voice significantly, "You shagged Henry Sprout!"

A gasp sounded out from the opposite end of the room. Pansy winced apologetically.

"Merlin, Rory! You slept with Sprout?" Astoria gawked; her eyes wide. Daphne huffed, sending a stern look towards her sister.

"Eavesdropping is impolite, Astoria."

"Who cares? Come on, Black, tell us about it!" Astoria skipped over, dropping next to Pansy.

"Yeah, I've always wondered what it'd be like to bed a Hufflepuff," Pansy daydreamed, rolling over onto her back and gazing up at the ceiling. She dreamily sighed before focusing on Rory, who had yet to look up.

"I told you, I didn't sleep with him," Rory mumbled, taking out an article of clothing and nervously unfolding and refolding it before placing it away. Pansy cocked her head in confusion.

"But I thought Mr. Malfoy caught him shimmying down the side of the manor in nothing but his pants?"

Rory groaned at the memory, dropping her head into her hands.

"He did, but only after I kicked him out. He couldn't exactly perform," Rory snorted in embarrassment, refusing to make eye contact with any of the three girls. Pansy and Astoria's mouths dropped open.

The room was silent for a moment before Astoria choked out a laugh. In seconds, the room was full of hysterical laughter at the expense of the older Hufflepuff boy. Even Daphne paused what she was doing, casting an amused glance towards the other three.

"What?!" "No way!"

Pansy suddenly stopped laughing and leaned in close, "I bet it's all those steroids he's been taking to help with Quidditch," she gossiped with a gleam in her eyes.

"Steroids?" Astoria lowered her voice, leaning into the gossip as Pansy nodded.

"Didn't you notice how good Hufflepuff played last year? Hard to lose when your star Keeper is jacked up on the 'roids," Pansy explained the rumor, wiggling her eyebrows as Rory snorted. Pansy locked eyes on Daphne, signaling for her to join the conversation.