sunlit meadows, winding brooks ✮ slytherin boys

chapter five // four of swords

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Saturday, December 17th, 1994

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The freshly fallen snow crunched under the girls' boots as they walked the rest of the way to Hogsmeade. Snowflakes drifted onto their hats, and Vienna stuck her tongue out to catch a few.

"I didn't realize Neville was such a good dancer!" Charlotte exclaimed, bringing up the Yule Ball dance lessons from the night prior.

"Really?" Sitra cocked her eyebrow. "I wouldn't have expected that from him of all people."

"You really shouldn't have skipped it to study," Vienna insisted. "You missed Ron's horrendous dance with McGonagall!"

"I'm not even shocked, he always had two left feet growing up!" Evangeline chirped as she opened the door to the Three Broomsticks, causing the group to burst into laughter.

The burst of warm air from inside the inn soothed their chilled skin as they stepped inside.

"Right, can you snag a table while I fetch us some drinks?" Charlotte asked as she took off her wool scarf and handed it to Sitra. The Slytherin proceeded towards the bar.

"Good afternoon, Madam Rosmerta!" Charlotte beamed at the elderly woman who owned the pub.

"What would you like, dear?" Madam Rosmerta asked the brunette, notepad in hand.

"Four butterbeers, please. Two regular, one with extra whipped cream, and one with cardamom," Charlotte said as she slid eight sickles toward the woman behind the bar. Madam Rosmerta placed the sickles in her pocket, turned around to grab four mugs, and used a refilling charm to refill the glasses with Butterbeer. She sprinkled cardamom in one cup and dolloped extra whipped cream on the other.

Charlotte thanked Madam Rosmerta as she took out her cypress-wood wand and cast "Wingardium Leviosa" to pick up the mugs.

"I was considering a dress in lavender with lots of ruffles," Charlotte heard Vienna declare as she set the glasses down with a placement charm.

"Extra whipped cream for Evangeline and cardamom for Sitra," Charlotte rambled as she dished the orders to the correct person.

"How did you remember that I liked cardamom?" Sitra inquired.

"I listen," Charlotte smiled, taking a seat across from Vienna.

"Charlotte, what kind of dress are you hoping to find?" the Gryffindor asked her sister.

"I was thinking of an emerald green color with a train of some sort," Charlotte replied, taking a sip of her drink. "Loverboy asked about you at the dance lessons, Sitra."

At the mention of "Loverboy", a name popped up in Sitra's head; her heart skipped a beat at the thought, but she acted naive. "...Loverboy? Who are we even talking about?"

"Snape," Vienna deadpanned, "LEO, dipshit, who else would we be talking about?"

Sitra's face flushed red at Vienna's straightforwardness. "Sorry," the ravenette muttered, "what did he say?" she wondered, taking a sip of her beverage.

"He said that he was madly in love with you," Evangeline sarcastically sang.

Sitra choked on her drink; "him" and "love" were not supposed to be used in the same sentence. "Excuse me?"