Hidden Under Darkness

Chapter 2

**Fairlight’s POV**

“Quick, Fair! Here!”

I grab Ana’s hand and jump into the carriage. I stop dead as I see the three boys. I turn around to jump out again, but Velvet puts her arm out to stop me.

“Deal,” she says. Glaring at her, I sit down opposite Lee.

“Ew, what is that smell?” I ask, covering my nose with my hand. Ana sniffs and cringes.

“It smells like garlic,” she says. Lee looks guilty. Velvet giggles.

“Lee, you didn’t!” she laughs. Fred yanks on a cord around Lee’s neck. A clove of garlic falls out of his shirt. I pick it up and throw it out of the carriage.

“As soon as the smell is gone, I’m killing you,” I tell him.

“She’s kidding, right?” Lee asks Velvet.

“Yeah.”

“Am I?” I mutter.

“Fair,” Velvet sighs.

“Whatever,” I say, folding my arms.

“I’m starving,” Fred mutters as the sorting progresses.

“Shut up, the world doesn’t revolve around you.”

“Fair!”

“What?”

Velvet glares at me from across the table. I arrange my face into a look of innocence and she rolls her eyes.

“Finally,” Fred sighs as the last student joins our table. Dumbledore stands up and Fred groans. I kick him under the table.

“Ouch,” he winces. Ana punches my arm, but I give a satisfied smile.

“My stomach is going to die any second,” George mutters.

“Fair, leave it,” Velvet and Ana say immediately as I open my mouth.

“Dig in!” Dumbledore announces.

“YES!” Fred and George cheer as the plates in front of us fill with food.

“Want some lamb, Fairlight?” George offers. I narrow my eyes at him.

“She’s a vegetarian,” Velvet tells him, taking some lamb. George looks at me guiltily.

“Sorry,” he says, “potato?”

I ignore his offer and take some bread and begin buttering it.

“You know butter is made from animal fat, right?” Fred asks. I drop my knife and turn slowly to look at him.

“Oh, Fred,” Ana groans. I throw the bread at him. It slaps onto the side of his face and sticks there for a moment before sliding down and dropping onto the table. Fred laughs as he wipes his face off with a napkin.

“Good shot,” he says playfully. I fold my arms across my chest.

“Here, Fair, have some beans,” Velvet says, pushing a bowl towards me. I ignore it.

“Hello Fairlight.”

I close my eyes for a moment as Marcus Taylor slides into the seat next to me.

“I hear we both made prefect,” he says sleazily. I ignore him, hoping he’ll lose interest and go away. Sadly, he doesn’t.

“I look forward to getting to know you more,” he says, touching my arm. In a flash my wand is at his throat.

“Touch me again and the only thing you’ll get to know will be your grave,” I snarl. He looks shocked and quickly leaves. I carefully fix my hair so it’s covering half my face again.

“Wow, prefect, huh?” George asks, “don’t scare the first years.”

“I gave it to Angelina,” I snap, “I don’t want to be a prefect.”

“Other than the fact it’s completely tedious, why not?” Fred asks.

I ignore him. Soon after, the food fades away to be replaced by desert.

“Look Fair, vanilla ice-cream!” Velvet says, scooping some into a bowl and putting it in front of me, “if only we had some olives.”

“Why?” Fred asks, looking grossed out.

“Vanilla ice-cream with olives is Fair’s favourite dessert,” Velvet replies.

“No way, that is wrong!” Lee exclaims. I feel my face heat up and Velvet bites her lip.

“It’s actually pretty good,” she lies.

“Don’t,” I tell her.

“Sorry,” she murmurs.

“As if I care what they think,” I say, “they don’t matter.”

“Cut,” Fred says, pretending to look hurt.

“Angelina,” I call up the table, “what’s the password?”

“Pixie dust,” she calls back.

I sit back in my seat, thinking of how relieved I’ll be to get into the quiet darkness of the dormitory and hide away for a while.

After the feast, Dumbledore climbs to his feet and tells us that the Triwizard tournament will be held at Hogwarts this year.

“That’ll be amazing!” Velvet says excitedly. I roll my eyes and listen while they talk about what the challenges could be.

“I’m so sleepy,” Ana yawns as we stand up to leave.

“Straight to bed, then,” I tell her, “come on.”

I stride out of the hall and begin walking up the marble staircase.

“Fairlight! Wait up!”

George catches up with me.

“What?” I snap.

“Can we walk together?” he asks, “it’s a long way to walk alone.”

“I’m not alone,” I reply sharply, “I have my sisters.”

“Oh, really?” he asks, looking back down the staircase. Ana and Velvet are walking slowly with Fred and Lee. Fred and Ana are holding hands.

“Or not,” I sigh.

“So, want to walk together?”

I look at George. His eyes are dancing hazel in the light.

“I’d rather die,” I reply, turning away. I hear him sigh loudly behind me.

“Fair, listen,” he says, jogging after me, “I know we’ve been horrible to you guys, but we really want to turn that around. If your sisters can forgive us, can’t you?”

“They don’t have as much experience as I do.”

“You’re the same age,” he points out.

“I’m seven minutes older than Ana. I have seven minutes on her and five on Velvet.”

“You’re just being petty,” George says, “it’s only seven minutes.”

I sigh deeply.

“Seven minutes is all it takes.”