River Vollertod: The Raven among Snakes

Oliver Grimsley or Charlie Weasley

After Herbology class was over, River grabbed Winnie by the sleeve and dragged her out of the classroom.

"River?" Winnie said in shock. "I didn't think you would come to class, are you feeling alright?" she asked as River led her into the Artifact room, closing and locking the door behind them. "River?" Winnie said as River turned to face her. "You're scaring me, you haven't said one word to me since... that." She said.

"I'm having a crisis." RIver blurted out, taking the letter out of her pocket and handing it to Winnie. Winnie looked at the folded up paper in her hand.

"What is this?" She asked.

"My brother hates me, and... and then, that." River pointed at the letter. Winnie opened it up and read it over. "Who would write such a thing? To me?" River began pacing.

"Oh... River!" Winnie exclaimed, River looked to her Hufflepuff friend and saw her beaming at her. "Who wrote this? Someone fancies you... and it's a mystery. You have a secret admirer! Oh this is so exciting!"

River stared at Winnie for a long time.

"You think so?" River let out a breath.

"I know so! Who do you think it was?" Winnie asked, deciding to use this as an excuse to get River's mind off of her brother. River took the letter from Winnie and looked it over before handing it back to her and shaking her head.

"I don't know. Maybe... Maybe it's a prank." River crossed her arms.

"A prank?" Winnie giggled. "Where did you find the note?" She asked.

"Well..." River blushed a bit, unseen on her tan skin. "Well I woke up from a nap and it was... on my bedside table with... with a tray of sweets..." she muttered. Winnie smiled even wider.

"And you think it's a prank? River!" Winnie grabbed her shoulders. "Oh... Oh!" Winnie let her go and began pacing herself.

"What?" River made a face.

"Whoever it was saw your duel. Do you know what that means?" Winnie said.

A silence fell over the two girls as River stared at Winnie with complete and utter confusion.

"Oh I bet it was Charlie." Winnie covered her mouth. River's dark brown eyes widened behind her glasses.

"Ch-Charlie?" River stammered. "Charlie Weasley?" She gasped, holding up the letter. "Wrote this?" Winnie was pacing.

"You know he's always defending you, oh and he ran after you at the Forbidden forest, and he asks you to study with him. That boy hates to study. How did I not see this?" She said, giggling and laughing.

"I...I, um..." River was at a loss for words at the unprecedented amount of sense her friend was making. It was bad enough that she wasn't a Slytherin, her parents would have her head if she began seeing a Gryffindor.

But then Winnie jumped and faced her again.

"Or Oliver! He's very hard to read but he seems quite taken with you. You two a pretty close, maybe closer than you are with me or Charlie." She pointed.

"I don't think I'm closer with anyone than I am with you." River chuckled at her friends musing.

"Oh he's always looking at you, and he helped you train for the duel, that time you told me about him helping you sneak into the Slytherin room. So romantic!" Winnie swooned. River's head was spinning.

"I doubt it was either of them." River said, shaking her head.

"You should go ask them." Winnie said.