Never Second Best

Chapter 9

It's a fine Friday morning, and like always, I wake up half an hour earlier than the other girls in my dorm to do my strength training for a day. I start with jumping jacks.

"Holly, can you please come off it for one day!" Angelina yells sleepily from under her covers.

"Stuff it, Angie. It's for my benefit and yours. Gives you a half an hour warning and time to get up. Gives me, a smokin bod." I smirk. Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet and Angie Johnson think I'm doing these exercises solely for the body. That's 65% of the reason. It's really important that I stay in shape if I want to be successful at my tryouts in April. I move to the bathroom to do my daily routine which consists of a quick body shower, brushing teeth and hair, and a quick layer of makeup. Usually after I'm done my whole routine, the girls are just making their way out of bed.

"You know, Holly, I might have to start getting up with you. Look at your ass!" Katie says enthusiastically inspecting my body when I start changing. I gleamed red.

"Oh, shut it."

"No I'm serious! You'll have all the boys in the school running behind you like an entourage in no time!" Katie says matter-of-factly. Alicia scoffs at the statement.

"As if Fred's going to let that happen." Alicia says as she rolls her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I say, pulling my robes over my Hogwarts shirt and pants.

"It means, no ones gonna even dare to look at your body because they're so afraid Fred's gonna clock or prank them."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because you guys have been chasing after each other since second year, Holly! Come on, understand a little faster please. Godric for such a brilliant witch you can be so oblivious." Alicia's always been a little snippy before her coffee. I don't blame her though, I'm the same way. I would have been just as snippy as she is this morning if I wasn't doing my first preparations for my animagus transformation with Mcgonagall today.

"Okay, enough!" I say, trying to hide my red face. "Fred doesn't fancy me!"

"But you fancy him." Angelina adds, popping her head out of the bathroom.

"No!" I say, a little too loud to be convincing. The girls don't say anything, they just smirk at one another. "I'm going to breakfast. I slide on my shoes and grab my wand, making my way down to the Great Hall, where I see Fred and George already sitting. "Funny seeing you two here." I say as I sit beside George. "You guys are never up this early, what's the occasion?"

George coughs lightly. "Uhm, just eager to see the Quidditch results."

"I told you guys you're already on," I say taking a suspicious glance at Fred.

"Uh- we wanted to see the new keeper." Fred lies quickly. I take a sip of my coffee.

"Okay, boys, what's really going on here." I say filling my plate with eggs and sausage and a single slice of bread. They both say nothing, when I see a familiar book spine poking out of Fred's bag. "Accio!" The book flies into my hand, and it's none other than my own spell book. I look at the boys. "Have anything to say, boys?"

"Nope. Neither do you!" George says as he attempts the lip thread spell with his wand. A single piece of red thread shoots out of George's wand, hitting Professor Flitwick lightly on the forehead, then falling in his coffee. I give George a smirk.

"You can't perform that spell with a wand. It's a hands only spell." I laugh, while digging into my fruit. Fred and George sigh in defeat, and start to eat their breakfast as well.

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Later that day, we all gather around the black lake to await the arrival of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. It was a little chilly today, and I had already changed into more comfy clothes, including some baggy sweats and an oversized t-shirt I nicked from Dudley's closet. I start to shiver when I notice a carriage flying through the sky.