Numinous [A Wizarding World Story]

ii.

The first feast of the school year, somehow, always seemed to be the best, Adelaide mused as she spooned roast potatoes onto her plate. Across from her, Dean Thomas was recounting a story involving a bowtruckle and the gnomes in his uncle's garden, swearing up and down to Seamus Finnigan, to her left, that it had chased them all out with a group of its friends.

Seamus had simply scoffed a few times, then shoved a piece of pork in his mouth, ignoring Dean's protests that of course he was telling the truth, why would he make this sort of thing up?

"What do you think, Adelaide?" Dean turned to her impatiently, clearly haven given up on Seamus, who had instead stolen some of Dean's crackling, and was crunching on it contentedly. Adelaide glanced up from her potatoes, surprised at being called on, then slightly annoyed at being disturbed.

"Sorry Dean, but I don't really care all that much about the wimpy gnomes in your uncle's garden." She replied quietly. Seamus gave a short guffaw around his mouthful of Dean's crackling. Dean, on the other hand, sat back in his seat, a look of mock hurt crossing his face as he lifted his hand to his heart.

"Miss Hayes, you wound me!" He cried. Adelaide rolled her eyes, turning back to her dinner plate and helping herself to some carrots.

"You're lucky I tolerate you at all, Mr Thomas." She replied, wry grin hidden from the two boys as she reached for the gravy. Dean shrugged, snatching a piece of lamb from Seamus' plate – ignoring his protests – and pointing his fork at her.

"Yes, why do you still do that, after all these years?"

Adelaide cocked her head to one side, sweeping a stray lock of hair from her face and leaning back so she could look at both boys at once.

"Because you two – " She made a sweeping gesture down the Gryffindor table. " – are the only two idiots in this entire house who aren't half as nosy as they look." She replied. The boys shared a glance, then nodded to each other.

"Fair enough." Seamus conceded.
They lapsed back into easy silence after that.

Truth be told, Adelaide had struggled to make friends in her own house, especially during her first year. It was only after Wil and Ava had staged an intervention one afternoon, not long after Christmas break that year that she had actually started to make an effort. It hadn't taken long for Seamus and Dean to make themselves a semi-regular fixture in her life after that.

Glancing over to the Slytherin table, she caught Ava watching her, a small grin on her face. She stuck her tongue out at her, but returned the smile, then watched as the other girl turned back to her housemates, laughing and grinning widely. Everyone loved Ava, and for good reason too. She was kind, smart, and pretty – three of the things that people seemed to value most in a teenage girl. Adelaide sometimes forgot just how lucky she was to have her as her best friend.