WILD FLOWERS ✿ d.malfoy

15.

On the Sunday afternoon, we find ourselves in the common room, huddled around a table with books and parchments covering every little room. I am doing the essay on Inanimatus Conjurus spell, and it is long. I flex my hand and click some bones.

"Ugh, this is bullshit." She shuts the potions textbook and falls back into her chair. Her hair is all over the place. I shake my head.

"You should have done it the day it was assigned," points Tracy, going over Divination.

"That wouldn't make it any less 'bullshit' worthy," groans Carina.

"Fair enough," chuckles Tracy.

"Hey, Caelum - " starts Carina.

"No," he says firmly. "I'm not letting you copy mine."

"What – but you're smart," she whines. I sit up straight, looking between the two. Slowly sipping my coffee.

"So are you," he says, "you just like to put your mind in gossip rather than studies."

"That's important too," she pouts.

"I'm sure gossip will help you get your NEWT's," he counters.

"That's true but I'd rather sit by twenty years later laughing at what shit used to go down than," she motions to all the study material out on the table, "cry about my NEWT's or OWL's."

Caelum crosses his arms, "well, you won't have to cry if you work hard."

I feel like they are going to end up fighting now, but before I have a chance to break it up, Tracy is already on task.

"And that's the tea," she cuts across loudly. "Thank you for coming to Tea with Tracy, you can get back to your work now."

Carina huffs and opens her book again, clearly defeated. Caelum sports a triumphant smirk as he goes back to his Astronomy chart.

"LISTEN UP, EVERYONE."

I twist in my seat to look at the boy – probably a seventh year – with sleek brown hair and a lean frame. [orange.]

"The Quidditch try-outs will be this Friday, 6 o' clock. Sign up your name under the position you would like to try-out for, latest by Tuesday curfew. NO FIRST YEARS ALLOWED. Thank you for your attention, please continue now."

Tracy nudges me, "go sign up."

"Aren't any of you going?" I raise my eyebrows, "you all were pretty good too."

"I like Quidditch but..." Caelum shrugs, "I don't like it that much."

"Neither," Tracy says.

I look at Carina. She clicks her tongue, "I'm a critique, not a player."

"Fair enough," I chuckle and get up.

They all cheer on me, Carina whopping. I shush them down and sign my name up in the Chaser's column. Let's see what happens.

• • •

The night was insipid and grey. The air was still, the land lit up only by the spotlights that the stars shone on us. It was a no moon night.

I run my hands on the windowsill of the Owlery, clutching the letter in my hand. The paper was crinkled even as I had untied it from the owl's feet, making me wince. Guess I still have some of the artist left in me.

Caelum pats his owl on the other side of the Owlery, giving her some treats. She hoots once, pecks Caelum's ear and take off into the night. I look at her until she is no more than a milky speck on the massive blanket of black.