Huffily Puffily || Golden Trio

Dangerous Waters || xvi

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Despite thinking Lucy was an insane woman, her friends agreed to keep an eye on Professor Snape during the match, if only because they were curious why she had asked them in the first place. She had to give Anthony the rest of the candy she'd stolen from the train, but she supposed it was a small price to pay if it meant escaping Hermione Granger's wrath.

She didn't want to be set on fire or anything. 

But then all of Lucy's efforts went to waste, because Dumbledore decided to attend the Quidditch match.

"Oh, come on!" Lucy groaned, staring at where the headmaster sat with the rest of the faculty. "You just had to show up now, didn't you, old man? I gave Anthony the rest of my candy for nothing!" 

"Hah! I knew he was coming anyway," Anthony said smugly through a mouthful of chocolate frogs. He swallowed, then grinned at the girl. "I love manipulating ickle firsties."

She glowered at him. It wasn't like she could have eaten the chocolate, but it was the principle of the thing. "You are a menace, Rickett," she hissed.

"I'm glad someone agrees," Daisy muttered from the row ahead of them.

"Welcome to the club, Rochester," Cedric grinned. He patted the empty seat next to him, "Care to escape him fully?"

Lucy made to do exactly that, but Anthony clamped his hands down on her shoulders, forcing her back down in her seat; he was just barely able to dodge the swift kick she sent toward his shin. He turned to Cedric with an outraged expression, shaking a finger at him accusingly, "You will not steal my duckling!"

"It's more of a rescue mission, if anything," Daisy said dryly.

Anthony leaned forward to the other row, resting each arm on Daisy and Cedric's shoulders. "Now, there's really no need for all this hate. What happened to this morning, Locke? I was a perfect angel."

Daisy shot him a flat look and turned back to the Quidditch match, not even bothering with a response.

This, of course, only egged the boy on. He leaned closer, eyes narrowed. "Are you ignoring me, Daisy?!" he said indignantly.

She didn't answer, but the corners of her mouth quirked upward, and she looked over at Cedric. "Do you hear something? I think there may be an infestation of something, because I hear a faint buzzing noise in my right ear."

"Oh, most definitely. The sounds I'm hearing, I can only picture coming from a pesky fly. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh, a fly is too kind a creature for such a noise, Cedric. I'm sure it's a flobberworm."

"Oh, that's it!" Anthony declared. He launched himself over the seats and sprawled across their laps like a cat. "Can you see me now, you lot?! Think you're comedians are you?!"

"God, Rickett, get off of me! I'm a prefect, you idiot!" Daisy shoved the boy onto the floor, then looked around worriedly for any sign of disapproving professors. Seeing nothing, she turned her gaze back to the pouting boy and smirked slightly. "Alright, you're good."

Anthony's eyes widened, and he jumped back into place, sitting between Cedric and Daisy with his legs sprawled across her lap. In this position, everybody was comfortable except Cedric, who was being squished into his arm rest.

"Daisy, you're supposed to hate him!" Cedric complained, shrinking away from Anthony. "Merlin, these seats are hellish— I'm gonna write a letter to Dumbledore. OUCH— Rickett, get your bony elbow out of my side!"