In Your Shadow ✓

Chapter 42

After meeting with her father, Mia decided to spend the rest of her day in Hogsmeade.

She went to Honeydukes, then bought some new writing supplies in Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. Lastly, she went to Tomes and Scrolls, where she was so distracted by the books, she lost track of time and only left when the shopkeeper told her it was closing time.

When she stepped out of the store, she saw that it was much darker out and it was snowing lightly. She tightened her coat around herself and fixed her scarf that the wind blew over her shoulder.

She was about to start walking back towards the castle when something caught her eye in the distance.

"What the –" she muttered.

She hurried down the High Street, ignoring the harsh wind that kept messing up her hair.

"Potter!" She exclaimed when she stepped next to the Gryffindor, who was only wearing his underwear.

He narrowed his eyes, then broke out in a smile when he realised it was her. "Oh, hi!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing, dressed like this in Hogsmeade in this kind of weather, huh?! Have you gone completely mad?!" She stared at him in disbelief.

"Just a dare," he shrugged, crossing his arms across his bare chest. "It's not that cold."

"Not cold, yeah?" She scoffed. "So those dots on your skin are not goosebumps?"

"Nah," he shook his head, shivering.

"Where are your clothes?" Mia asked.

"My friends took them back to the ca-castle," he explained.

Mia raised her eyebrows. "They left you here like this?"

"It's okay, I-I'm almost at the castle now," he nodded.

"No, you're not," she frowned. "You'll freeze by the time you get there."

"But – but –"

"Wait a minute," Mia squinted her eyes. "You're drunk, aren't you?!"

He tilted his head to the side. "Uh, maybe a little tipsy, but –"

"For Merlin's sake!" She ran a hand through her hair. "What were you thinking?! Actually, let me guess. You weren't thinking, were you?"

He was about to say something back when the wind made him shiver and he closed his mouth.

"Oh, here," she rolled her eyes as she took her coat off and dropped it around his shoulders.

She grabbed his wrist and started dragging him down the snowy road.

"Where are we g-going?" James asked.

"Away from humanity," Mia mumbled. "This is basically public nudity, you can't be seen like this."

She guided him up to the Hog's Head and threw the door open, pulling him inside. She let his wrist go and walked up to the bartender.

"Excuse me, do you happen to have any free rooms?" She asked.

The old man narrowed his eyes as he looked at them. "Aren't you two supposed to be at Hogwarts? It's late."

Mia let out a frustrated sigh. "You see, Sir, my friend here doesn't have any clothes on for some reason, plus he's drunk out of his mind –"

"Am not!" James protested, then he took a step forward and tripped on his own feet. "I'm fine!" He reached his hands out to steady himself.

She shook her head and turned back to the bartender. "Listen, Sir, I can't take him back to the castle like this. I gave him my coat, but it's too small for him, plus we would probably both get sick if we went back like this. Perhaps if you could give him some clothes –"