Competition

Chapter one

Delilah huffed relaxing back into her seat on the Hogwarts express. Her arms were tired from carrying all her luggage through the platform and all the way to the back of the train with her best friends Riley and Taylor. "I swear is it me or does this train get longer and longer every year." Delilah grumbled.

"No but every year we get more and more students." Riley huffed. She was not a fan of first years, second years or third... or anyone who needed a babysitter.

"I liked the walk! I hardly got any exercise today!" Taylor exclaimed putting her long blonde hair into a ponytail. She was a Hufflepuff through and through. She never met a person she couldn't make smile. Hell
Delilah had even seen Snape's lip twitch upwards into something that resembled a smile when Taylor walked in. She lit up any room she walked into. Riley however... it was still a mystery how the raven haired wonder had made it into Hufflepuff. Her scowls could (and have) scared Slytherins. And then their was Delilah the confident leader of the trio who had almost been placed in Gryffindor, but had requested Hufflepuff because of her extreme desire to make as many friends as possible. Let's just say being an only child in a small slow town didn't agree with her. But that did not mean she would take anyone's bullshit. She was a chaser on the Hufflepuff quidditch team and her grades rivaled Ravenclaws. The three made a perfect trio. Delilah had jokingly called them the power puff girls but nobody had known what she was talking about. Riley and Taylor were both pure bloods who had grown up in the wizarding world. Delilah was the only half blood in the group, but she was proud. She loved that she had the best of both worlds.

"That's because you traveled here by port key." Delilah said digging through her bag to find money when she heard the trolley. "I had to walk all the way from platform one to here. I'm exhausted.
Oh don't be such a big baby liles." Taylor said pinching Delilahs cheek. "So how were your summers?" Delilah asked. Taylor held a bubble in her mouth to silence her excitement and let Riley talk first. "Go ahead Taylor I'm sure your summer was better than mine anyway." Riley said waving her hand dismissively. Taylor clapped her hands together excitedly.
"It was so much fun! We got to visit my aunt in Paris and climb the Eiffel Tower and eat fancy pastries and buy all the latest on muggle fashion and...

Delilah has stopped listening when she had seen a blur of red hair out her window followed by a shriek. She stood and walked out to check out what the commotion was. She heard laughter and peered her head down the long hallway to see Ginny Weasley covered in colorful powder from a smoke bomb. The entire inside of her compartment was covered in it to and Delilah could hear several students who she didn't recognize coughing in there. "You two are dead! You put a smoking spinner in my lunchbox?!" Ginny shrieked wiping the color from her eyes. "That'll teach you to steal my lunch!" Fred Weasley called from several compartments down where him, George, and Lee Jordan were sat all having a laughing fit. Delilahs lip quirked up into a small smile she had always had a soft spot for the twins. She admired their clever pranks and even sort of wished she had been sorted into Gryffindor so she could be in on them and maybe talk a little more to Fred Weasley...

"Just go talk to him, you chicken."
Riley said leaning against their compartment door with a knowing smile.
"What're we looking at?" Taylor said popping out of the other side of the door. "Delilahs crush since third year."
"Not true! I'm simply admiring their work."
"Yeah maybe their parents work... you have had the hots for Weasley ever since he turned all of the Slytherin quidditch teams hair pink."
"Ooohh that was a fun one! But I liked it better when they filled the prefects bathroom with frogs! So cute!" Taylor said
Delilah grimaced she hated reptiles.
"What would I even say? Hi Fred I know we've maybe exchanged ten words in the five years that we've attended the same school but I'm Delilah and I really want to snog you."
Taylor giggled. "Just go ask them if they need help with their next prank. I know you've been wanting to get in on the action since they turned Penelope Turnpike's nose into a snout for a whole day." Delilah laughed at the memory. "I don't know...

Come on Liles you're the confident one! You've got this and if you get flustered just picture them naked!" Taylor said reassuringly. But Delilah's cheeks turned bright red at the thought. "I don't think picturing them naked would help her feel LESS flustered Tay." Riley giggled. "Why? Three boys naked on a train together, it's objectively hilarious." Delilah snorted and Riley patted Taylor's back.
"Oh honey you know I love you but please never say that again okay?"
"What, why?"
"I'm going!" Delilah said squaring her shoulders and holding her head up. "Atta girl!" Riley said proudly.
Delilah walked to the compartment where the twins were talking animatedly, no doubt planning their next prank. Delilah took a deep breath. Sure she was the confident one of the group but she was still the only one who'd never been in a relationship. She had intimacy issues.
She knocked on the compartment window and waited. George Weasley opened it wide grinning. "Oi did either of you order a Hufflepuff?" Delilah rolled her eyes. "Hi
George." she said brushing him off.  He looked at her quizzically. "Oh don't tell me, I know you... you're on the Hufflepuff quidditch team right?" She nodded nervously. "Oi George isn't that Taylor Lauren?" Fred asked from behind his brother. Oh great he knew Taylor's name... "Delilah Morgan! Chaser for the Hufflepuff team and known for her last minute victory over Slytherin last year!" At least
Lee knew who she was. "The one and only." Delilah said with a wave. "To what do we owe the pleasure little badger?" Fred asked patting the seat next to him. Her heart was doing leaps in her chest at her new nickname by the fiery haired boy. "I saw the little smoke bomb prank you played on your sister and I wondered... if maybe you needed help with your next prank. I actually have a few ideas for some really good pranks this year! I've seen your work and would love to help you guys out if you want..." Delilah said wringing her hands out. George smiled excitedly at the thought of having a Hufflepuff connect. Delilah Morgan also had the trust of all the teachers and Filch. She had good grades and got along with everyone. "That'd be-
Disastrous." Fred cut him off. "Sorry little puff but we already have the dream team and if we let you in you could let some of our plans slip to little miss prefect over their" he said pointing to Taylor who saw and promptly waved excitedly. "Also if we let you in now we'd have to explain everything to you. Plus you're a Hufflepuff who are notoriously bad at keeping secrets and keeping a poker face." Delilahs face started turning red with embarrassment and anger and she clenched her fists at her sides. "First of all Weasley my name is Delilah not Little Badger or little puff. Second of all it was courteous of me to offer my help with your little hair brained operation. I could prank circles around you clowns and will! I wanted to be allies but if you want to be rivals then so be it." She smirked coldly before heading out of their compartment and back into hers.

"How'd it go?" Taylor asked hopefully.

"How would you guys feel about becoming the new kings of pranking at Hogwarts this year?"
Delilah said with a smile.