•Memories• ||D.M.||

8. Fightclub Backyard

"Are you sure it was Snape?" I asked my sister as we walked.
"Yes, I set him on fire!"
The boys then joined. "We're going to ask Hagrid about it right now, you'll see." She insisted as she dragged me along.
---
"Now, you listen to me, all four of you. You're meddlin' in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel."
Poor Hagrid was spilling everything, and I sighed. I had experienced literally none of this, but was immediately as guilty as my sister and her friends...
"Who's that?" Harry questioned.
The big man fumbled up and out, talking about how he should've have said anything.
"Who's Nicholas Flamel?" Harry asked again, and I turned to my sister, who for once in her life didn't know what was going on.
---
"Happy Christmas!" Christina wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me. "I can't believe your parents let you come with us!" She squealed.
"Well, they felt bad for not getting me the new broom so I just gave them puppy dog eyes and they fell for it." I decided to spare the truth.
They didn't care. In fact, they were so eager to push me into the wizard world, it was scary. It's never been in the same way they treat Hermione.
But, they've always been robotic, so I didn't mind.
"It's that sneaky Slytherin heart..." Jeremy joked as he wheeled his suitcase over.
"Elizabeth!" I heard from the other end of the train station, and Chloe waved at me aggressively as Donna shook her head. Isabella and Simon both offered small solutes at me.
"I'll be right back, guys." I hugged Chris, and she seemed a bit down but smiled sadly as I ran and hugged the two girls.
Jeremy's mittened hand came crashing onto Chris's head, and he made sure to ruffle her hair up.
Chloe and I had gotten closer after each of my games, with the whole house saying how I was easily better than the other team's keeper, and I was starting to understand the Slytherin pride a bit more.
Chloe crashed into me, nuzzling into my jaw because of her height.
"I'll miss you!" She cried.
"I'll make sure to write!" I hugged her tighter before she let go, and I hugged Donna too.
"Don't come back hating me please." She joked, a bit of sincerity behind it.
"Don't do anything stupid, kid." Isabella warned as she leaned down and hugged me, joining the conversation.
"Break some shit, pipsqueak." Simon whispered as he gave me a hug.
"Let's go, El!" I looked back and a man was now with the three, and he resembled Jeremy a lot, opposed to the bright pink hair Jeremy sported.
His was jet black and slightly... gray.
I'm hilarious.
I ran over with a smile and the man immediately softened. "That has to be the nicest smile I've seen on a Slytherin in my life, and my sister was one!" He complimented.
I thanked him shyly and he lead us to a car.
"Now, I know you three know all the rules but we're gonna have to go over them again for our newcomer." The man announced as we drove.
The others groaned.
"One, I am Charlie Gray. Call me Chip, Charles, Charlie, but we're all friends. I don't wanna hear any of this 'Mr. Gray' garbage." I smiled as the other three ignored him.
"Two is just to not be too loud while I'm working." He dismissed.
"And the last is to spray Jay if he acts up."
"What?" I questioned, and Chris leaned to the glove compartment and flipped it open.
"See, this isn't just a spray bottle, we call it the Jay bottle. When he acts up, squirt him into submission." Chris explained.
I laughed out loud. "This Christmas is gonna be awesome!"
---
"Look at you!!!" Chris hugged me as we looked in the mirror.
She and I were matching, both in cute, pink and blue gowns with bows in the back.
We tried to do makeup, but the door to Christina's bedroom in the Gray manor opened, and a girl with crazy hair, almost like mine, stood at the door with wide eyes.
"Theo!" Christina yelled as she crashed into the older girl's side.
"Aw!" She grunted at the 11 year old's force. "What is on your face?!" She teased. She had a Scottish accent that was thick in her speech.
"Elizabeth?" She turned to me. "You're the one who defeated my boyfriend earlier this year?" She crossed her arms and I cowered.
"Good job!" She ran over and gave me a high-five.
I almost forgot that she was a Bouxbaton girl, just by how much she swore as she did our makeup.
"No wonder Jay went on about you and how you looked like me!" She added as she powdered my cheeks.
"So, you excited?" She asked. "These parties are always fuckin' boring until the kids get together and run off, so don't worry." She gave me advice as Chris waited downstairs, and she fixed my blush.
"Where even is it?" I asked, not expecting to know.
She stopped.
"It's always at the Malfoy manor, like usual! You sound like a muggle, (Y/n)!" She laughed.
"(Y/n)?" I scrunched my nose. "Who's that?"
"Oh, my bad! Was thinkin' bout someone else! Forgot you were muggle born for a minute there!"
"Right..."
---
"So, we all know the plan?" Jay whispered as we all walked down the long corridor-like garden.
"Say hi to everyone, meet up in the courtyard, wait for everyone else." Jeremy repeated.
"Liz can go ahead, I'll take her." Theodora put her arm on my shoulder, leading me into the manor, barely getting a glance from anyone as she weaved is through hallways and then through the kitchen, all to the fresh air.
I looked around in awe, hedges as tall as my house, vintage sculptures covered in vines. It was all visible in the light of the newly set sun, and Theodora brought me to a bench.
"Just wait here for 10 minutes, tops." She gave me a smile before running back in, getting told off by a chef.
I sat, kicking my legs as I grew even more content.
"She resembles your personality, unfortunately." A loud, chocolatey, feminine voice got me to stand.
Only, it wasn't coming from outside, it was like I heard it in my head.
"Oh, but she's got your looks, and I'd say that's a bigger downside." Another, higher pitched female voice teased.
"Hello??" I asked, looking around. "Who are you?"
"Elizabeth Granger...?" Someone asked before I turned around.
I smiled at the voice, turning.
"Blaise!" I yelled, running over to hug him.
"You didn't write!" He whacked my hand once we let go.
"Ow!" I whacked him back. "You never told me to!"
He put his hand over his heart. "I didn't know I needed to ask!" He said dramatically.
The deeper female voice from before let out a chuckle.
I looked around again.
"Elizabeth? Are you-"
"Sorry! Won't happen again!" Jay opened the door, the cook cursing at him as he dragged Theodora out.
"Zabini?" Theodora asked in distaste.
"Is that Agirre?" He said with the same tone, before smiling. "what scheme do you have this time?"
"Actually, I was-"
Jeremy ran out, Christina on his back as more of the kitchen staff cursed at us.
"Okay! Demount the boy, Chris!" Jay warned.
"Theodore!" Blaise yelled as three more people followed.
"Chloe! Donna!" I called as I ran over and group hugged them.
"Why's she here?" Theodora asked in distaste.
"Her family is one of the highest sitting members of the ministry, that's why she's here." Chloe defended, as Pansy walked out, seeing the split in people.
I gave her a small wave.
"She's just a brat with too much money." Jay spat.
The members of my house all pooled around Donna.
"Guys, can we not do this?" I asked.
"Why don't you go home, Webber? Too ashamed to be poorer than the Weasleys?" Donna insulted.
"At least our mom isn't a murderer, which is more than can be said about you!" Christina hissed, tears in her eyes.
"Elizabeth, come here." Theodore ordered.
"Liz, don't." Jay ordered.
"El!" Donna called for me aggressively.
"No!" Theodora yelled.
I looked between the two sides, conflicted.
I finally burst.
"No! I'm not choosing between two important sides of my life!" I faced my house. "You all need to play defense more! There's no way this will ever stop with your bloody throat biting insults!" I spun to the rest. "Almost all of you are older, so act like it! Tonight I'm taking the first train home, back to my parents, back to my hometown, and away from all of this.. this... bullshit!"
I yelled before storming back into the kitchen, bumping shoulders with a familiar blond.
"Watch where you're going." He turned up his nose, before furrowing his brows at my teary state.
"I didn't push you that hard.." he mumbled awkwardly.
I stood up myself. "No, I'm fine... um, cool party." I nodded to Draco before continuing to find Charlie.
He stood there watching me leave.
He stepped out of a room, seemingly angry as he met my eyes, expression changing.
"Charlie?" I asked and he nodded. "Thank you for being so wonderful, but I'm feeling quite homesick.." I rubbed my arm, feeling bad for lying.
"Would you like to leave?" He asked.
"Yes please..." I mumbled.
"Right, I'll have our house elf pack your things and bring you to the station." He said with a smile.
"It was lovely having you."