DOROTHEA {fred weasley}

twenty

Slytherin's mood was understandably low after Elvira and Marcus' argument, he'd apologised to her, afterwards, blaming alcohol, and then ridiculously confessing a crush on her, and then turning to blaming jealousy at her being with Gryffindors all the time. The girls in the dorm had found it hilarious, with Lilith declaring that he ought to just "admit he's a prick." Leila was a little reserved, around Dorothea in particular, but she had always been quiet, and she hadn't seen her with Adrian since, so she supposed that at least some good had come from their argument.

By mid March, tensions had ceased, Elvira avoided Marcus like the plague, and he continued to hound her and profess a crush, to the point where the Weasley twins found out after overhearing him asking her on a date, and proceeded to tease the witch endlessly. She'd played nighttime quidditch with the Gryffindor boys a few more times, bringing Dorothea along once, but always inviting her.

"No Rosier this evening?" Fred asked one night, picking up the witch's broom as she exited the common room. Elvira smiled, her best friend and the Gryffindors didn't exactly get on, but they certainly didn't hate each other as much as they used to. There had been endless jibes over the years where Dorothea had been called a death eater, or she had commented on how below her the Weasleys were.

"No, think she's patrolling."

"Ah, boring," he replied, holding the door open to the passage.

Oliver Wood stood on the other side, grinning, he tipped an imaginary cap to the Slytherin girl, "Elvira."

"Oliver."

"Decided it's the two of us versus the twins tonight," he said.

Elvira cocked her head and smiled, "aw, did the boys refuse to split up?"

"He chose you, Jones," Fred said cheerily, "I didn't wanna play with Georgie, gonna have enough of that over Easter. But Ollie unfortunately-"

"It's only fair to you," Oliver interrupted, looking at the girl. "You're the worst, so you get to be partnered with-"

"The best?" She asked sarcastically. "Thea and I have beaten you lot more times than I can count."

"Ah, but Thea isn't here now, is she?"

Dorothea was sulkily walking the halls with Ezra Nott beside her on their evening patrol. Elvira had invited her to play quidditch, and despite the company, she would have much rathered be there. Ezra had become a sort of loyal dog to her, he'd scolded his friends Marcus and Adrian, for their behaviour at the Hufflepuff party, and had distanced himself considerably from both - even though they had been best friends since very young - and was choosing instead to spend his time with Felix and Leo, or, much to their annoyance, with Dorothea and Elvira.

"Dad wants to know if you want to come away with us at Easter?" He asked hesitantly.

The witch slowed a little, "why?"

"Well, we're, you know-"

"I'm not your girlfriend, Nott," she snorted.

Ezra looked hurt, "I was more speaking about our arrangement, actually."

"It's not our arrangement," she snapped, "it's our parents'."

The wizard huffed a little, "we're going to Italy?" He said hopefully.

Dorothea shrugged, "been."

"Theo is bringing Draco," he winged, "please come."

"No, I haven't seen Clementine in ages," she said, trying to sound sincere.

He snorted at that, "that's how I know you don't want to come, never heard that one before."

"You going to tell Barnaby you'll be taking my name then?" She asked innocently.