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Bundled in multiple layers and a small rucksack, with her Gryffindor scarf proudly on display, Lori headed to the Clocktower Courtyard to sign out of school for the day. She joined the back of the queue which was longer than usual, probably because of the excited third years who were ready for their first outing to Hogsmeade.
"Didn't think you were gonna show." Cedric admitted, making Lori jump slightly as she turned to look at him and his two friends: a brown haired boy and a ginger girl.
"Happy birthday, Cedric!" she pulled him into a hug before she delved into her bag, "I got you a present."
"Lori, you shouldn't have." he said, though he couldn't quite keep the smile off his face.
Having found what she was looking for, Lori straightened and held out the small, neatly wrapped package to him, a yellow and black bow adorning the wrapping paper, "I'm sorry it's nothing big."
Cedric smiled as he opened it carefully, revealing a chocolate frog, "Is this our thing now?" he laughed, this time pulling her into a hug.
Both of them had forgotten about Cedric's two friends, who were watching the interaction with smiles on their faces, the girl wrapped in a Hufflepuff scarf, the boy in a Ravenclaw one.
"You going to introduce us, or shall we?" the girl joked as her and the boy stepped forward.
"Right, thanks," Cedric gestured to her, "this is Ellie," then to the boy, "and Danny. Guys, meet Lori."
Danny and Lori smiled at each other politely, whereas Ellie pulled the Gryffindor into a warm hug, "Sorry, too soon?" she asked, stepping back, "I'm just a very huggy person."
Lori smiled, Cedric going to sign the four of them out with Filch, "That's fine, so am I. Just not at," she glanced at the clocktower above them, "half eight on a Sunday morning."
Cedric returned shortly after, the four of them beginning the journey into the village. Despite it being only September, the cold bit hard at them and all four of them pulled their hoods up over their heads.
"So," Ellie's voice battles the wind, "Cedric told us you made prefect and Quidditch captain this year."
Lori had to shout back, "Yeah, I wasn't expecting either, to be honest."
"Cedric's said for years that you fly well." Danny added, before being cut off by an elbow to the ribs from the Hufflepuff girl beside him, "You were surprised about getting chosen for both?"
Lori hummed, though it was lost in the wind, "I thought Oliver would make Angelina Captain and I hadn't even thought about prefects."
They were passing into the village before they knew it, heading straight for the warmth of Madam Rosmerta's pub for a glass of Butterbeer and a fire. Danny was the first through the door, heading towards a booth at the back away from the bustling bar.
Lori and Ellie sat opposite each other, unwrapping themselves from their hoods and scarves, Cedric sliding in beside Lori, "Danny just went to get everyone butterbeers."
He couldn't help but smile at Lori as she shook some hair from her face and pulled her coat off.
The Ravenclaw threaded through the noisy crowd a few minutes later, four amber glasses between his hands as he placed them on the wooden table and sat next to Ellie, already drinking from his own glass. Lori pulled her own across the table, taking small sips from the warm liquid, having missed it so much over the summer.
"What's your plans for after school?" Ellie asked, smiling at Lori.
She set down her glass, "Well, I have the pipe dream fantasy of being a professional Quidditch player which would never happen in a million years. But more realistically, I want to be an Auror."
"That's awesome! I was thinking Healer at St Mungo's but my Potions grade isn't great, I'm too scared of Snape."
"I could help you study? I'm no professor but it's one of my better subjects." Lori suggested.
Cedric smiled at her, "She once said that Snape wasn't that bad of a teacher, so she's basically amazing." Lori's cheek flushed red at his compliment and she averted her eyes to the table.
"Are you sure?" Ellie asked excitedly.
Lori looked up, "If you want to be a Healer, then of course."
Ellie's smile, even it was even possible, grew even larger, "Cedric, can we keep her?"
Lori looked between the three in happy confusion, "I guess?"
Cedric chuckled, taking a sip of his butterbeer, "Ellie must really like you."
"Why?" she chuckled, turning to face him, noticing that he now had a line of froth just above his lip, "Oh, Cedric, you have a... It doesn't matter, I'll get it."
Lori slowly brought her hand up to his face, cleaning the butterbeer of with her thumb, "There you go."
Both of them blushed, Ellie smiling in delight and Danny sending Cedric a discreet thumbs up when Lori had gone to return their now empty glasses to Madam Rosmerta.
*
An hour later, and the four of them had survived the journey back up to the castle and were warming themselves by one of the fires in the Great Hall. Breakfast had finished, so it was completely empty apart from those putting their name into the Goblet. Lori rubbed her hands together and inched closer to the fire.
"You still freezing?" Cedric asked her, taking her hands in his one of his own and pulling her into his chest, using his spare hand to take off his jacket and place it around her.
"Cedric, you don't have to," Lori looked at him, "you'll get cold."
"I'm already warm enough and I'd get killed by your brothers if I let you freeze."
They sat like that for a while, at least it seemed that way to them, with her back against his chest, just watching the flames roar in the hearth.
*
Shrugging off her coat, Lori hung it on one of the corners of her bed, changing into some warmer clothes for dinner.
"Lori Weasley," Katie smirked as she entered the dormitory, "a little birdie told me they saw you go into Hogsmeade with Diggory."
She couldn't contain the smile that broke out on her features, pulling Katie onto her bed an recounting the details.
"It was his birthday, just a butterbeer with him and his friends."
Katie gasped, holding Lori's hands, "You've met his friends!"
"Yeah, they seem really sweet, actually. I've said I'd help one of them revise for Potions," she smiled, "Ellie, the Hufflepuff. Danny was quite quiet, but apparently he's always like that."
Katie all but screamed, "This changes everything! You've met his friends, on his birthday, in Hogsmeade and he invited you!" Katie hugged Lori, the pair of them falling back onto the bed and just lying there, like they had done a lot in first year.
"I don't get why everyone's making such a big deal of it." Lori confessed, "I mean, sure, it's Cedric. But he must have hundreds of girls throwing themselves at his feet, so why would he choose me?"
Katie shot upright, "You have liked that boy for as long as I can remember. You're Lori effing Weasley, show those girls who's boss."
