The Hufflepuff Girl

Chapter 3

       I recognized the voice, and the two that followed it - my mother had found the twins. I did my best to ignore the shouting, licking away at my ice cream and listening to Fred and George speak animatedly beside me, but the calls only grew louder. Finally, I heard Kaitlyn sigh, asking - to herself or the twins, I didn't know - where I was.

        "Charlie said-" I heard Emmanuel begin.

       "Charlie? Who's Charlie?" Kaitlyn interrupted.

       "A friend, mum. Anyway, he said they'd be at the ice cream parlour."

       I could just barely begin to see them through the crowd when James clapped his hands together, "great, I could use some ice cream."

       "None for you." Said mother.

       The crowd cleared some and I saw that they'd come near to where I was. Kaitlyn called my name once more, eyes roaming the tables until she found me. The look of concealed anger on her face drove me to hid my face in my sweater sleeve, disregarding the Weasley twins amused questions of "are you alright"?

        "There you are," Kaitlyn huffed, stomping up behind me. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

       "Actually," James began, "you wouldn't listen to Gryffindor here about where our dear little sister was."

       Kaitlyn shot a glare over her shoulder at my brother, who smirked proudly as Emmanuel elbowed him in the side, a gesture he gladly returned. "Where'd you get the ice cream?" Kaitlyn suddenly asked.

       "I gave it to her," said Molly, "thought it'd be a shame to waste it."

       "Oh! You really didn't have to." I could see the redness of embarrassment begin to grow in her cheeks and silently cursed to myself; she was going to kill me when we got home.

       "No, it was my pleasure, she seems like a sweet girl."

       Arthur next poked his head into the conversation, "that and she's somehow managed to keep the twins in their seats."

       Before my mother could haul me away, Molly rose from her seat and made towards my mother, holding a hand out to her. "I'm Molly Weasley," she introduced with a smile.

       I watched as the blush began to fade from Kaitlyn's cheeks as she took the offered hand. "Kaitlyn Harrison," she replied, "pleased to meet you. Sorry about Belle."

       "Oh, no!" Molly gasped, "don't be sorry, she's been no bother. Would you like to sit? You look like you've had a rough day."

       "Yes, I would, thank you."

       Kaitlyn smiled at Molly as she lead her to where Arthur and Charlie were sat, talking about something "muggle" related - whatever that was. The twins spared a glare at Fred and George before they took a spare table near the entrance to the parlour, eyes intently on me. I went back to my ice cream, ignoring their stares, and the twins returned to their chatter, but now it wasn't just nonsense they were speaking but questions directed towards me.

       "Belle," said Fred after a bite of his ice cream. "What's your favorite color?"

       "W-What?" I sputtered, taken back by his sudden question.

       "Favorite color," his twin repeated, "what's yours?"

       "B-Blue," I stuttered, "I guess."

       "Favorite animal?" Asked George.

        "I've always loved bats..." I confessed shyly.