Confident | Fred Weasley

Chapter 24 | Mermen

On January 26th, the residents of Hogwarts got the absolute pleasure of going to Hogsmeade for the day. Little did many of them know (that was until they went down to the village) that it was going to be absolute hell.

River, Sarah and Spike were outside the Three Broomsticks, being nudged and shoved all over the place.

"It's crowded! Choc-a-block!" River shouted to Sarah over the bustling crowd. The three held onto each other tightly so that the crowd couldn't split them up.

"For fucks sake. All I wanted was a butterbeer," Spike cursed, making Sarah laughed.

"We could go to Hogshead?" Sarah suggested, the crowd forcing her against the wall of the Three Broomsticks.

"What? - and get done over by human traffickers? No, I don't think so," River replied, his voice strained as a woman tried to bustle past them.

The woman was short, yet slim. Her dirty blonde hair was in ringlets, which she tucked behind her hair with her red nails, as long as talons. Clutched in these very talons was a notepad and a green quill. Sarah recognised her immediately.

"Rita?" Sarah gasped, clutching River's arm tighter.

Rita glanced at her, as if not recognising her at first. Then, Rita did a double-take, her eyes drinking in the sight of Sarah.

"Oh? Oh! Now, isn't it little Sarah Copper?" Rita gasped, her voice bittersweet, feigning a fake smile. Sarah almost laughed, but managed to keep her composure.

Before she could reply, Spike said, "Wouldn't really describe her as little. She's like way taller than you."

This time, Sarah laughed, "She's just acting like she's superior to me. Always have, haven't you, Rita?"

Rita's fake smile dropped, "All grown up now, aren't you? On your high horse?"

"If anyone's on a high horse here, it's you." Unlike Rita, Sarah hadn't stopped smiling. This situation was far too funny.

"Listen here, Copper - " Rita finally snapped, her pencilled eyebrows arching, " - I don't have time for little kids who can't cope after their mommy and daddy died. I have important things to write."

For once, the comment about her parents didn't even affect Sarah. She grinned, "Don't have time for little kids with dead parents, yeah? So, how come you've been getting all up in Harry Potter's business?"

Rita, wo had pushed past several people in the crowd, stopped dead at the mention of Harry's name. Sarah walked forwards cautiously with Spike and River behind her.

"Stay out of my business," Rita sneered at Sarah, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"Stay out of Harry's," Sarah snapped in reply.

She'd never had the press attack her, but her mother had. Sarah remembered how it had drained Trinity Copper, trying to impress everyone. Sarah didn't want Harry to go through the same thing, him ending up dead.

"Don't test me, girl," Rita hissed, wagging a finger at her.

"Or what?" Sarah replied coolly, tilting her head at Rita.

Rita huffed, before turning away. She shoved past the people in the crowd and soon, Sarah couldn't see her blonde ringlets in the heads of the crowd.

"Blimey, that woman's mental," River muttered under her breath.

After finally getting seats within the Three Broomsticks, they ordered butterbeers.

"This doesn't have the same effect as Punch Prosecco, eh?" Spike joked to Sarah, who laughed.