Snivellus

35

Ron's eyes lit up as he saw her. He half ran, half walked over to her. 'Hi! I- er like what you've done with your hair.' He smiled genuinely then noticed Pooky, barely able to see over the top of the books pile. 'Bloody hell.'

Another girl then made her way over. It was Hermione. She was carrying a large, ginger cat. 'Oo Unfogging the Future. I see you're taking Divination.'

'Darah looked down at the books Pooky was wobbling about. 'Yeah.' She smiled. 'You?'

'Yeah, me Ron and Harry are all taking it. I hope it's interesting.'

'Yeah, hope so.' Darah shrugs. She looks around the room and sees a bunch of people who have the same coloured hair as Ron. 'So what are you all doing here?'

'Vacation.' Ron joked and Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

'We're here for some last minute shopping. Also Harry was here so we came to visit him.' She smiled.

'Harry's here?' Darah looked at them questioningly.

Ron and Hermione both looked down to the floor.

'Yeah he had a mishap with the ministry.' Hermione explained. 'He ran away from home and the night bus took him here.'

'The night bus is real?' Darah's eyes lit up. 'I thought it was just a myth!'

Hermione laughed. 'Yeah, it's for the stranded witch or wizard. Hard to come across I suppose.'

'Why'd he run away though?'

'Blew up his Aunt.' Ron said simply.

Darah looked at him. 'He what?'

Hermione gave Ron a dirty look. 'He accidentally used magic.' She kept her voice low. 'He didn't do it on purpose of course.'

'I wish I could've been there. The way Harry described it.' Ron couldn't finish his sentence without giggling.

Just then Harry entered the room. He looked around and finally spotted Hermione, Ron and Darah in the corner.

He made his way over to them. 'Hi guys.'

'Hey Harry.' They all muttered in unison.

'We were just telling Darah about your Aunt problem.' Ron told him, still spluttering.

'Oh that.' He said simply. Darah looked at him, her eyes wide, waiting for him to tell the story.
'Oh, right. I blew her up and she floated out of the house.'

'Like a balloon!' Ron bust in.

'Yeah. I think they got her back eventually. The ministry let me off though?'

'Maybe you have that thing where the ministry lets you use magic outside of Hogwarts with special permission?' Darah tells him.

Hermione, Ron and Harry all look at her, dumbfounded.

'That's not a thing, Darah.' Hermione explains gently.

'It's not?' She replied, taken aback.

'No.'

'Oh.'

'Blimey. Imagine if that was possible though? Fred and George would be pulling pranks all over me!' Ron gasped.

Just then two more red heads appeared behind Harry, Ron and Hermione.

'What about Fred and George?' They both said in unison making the trio jump.

'Bloody hell! You two almost made me wet my pants!'

'Well it's good job you didn't. You've got light coloured trousers on.' The twins said.

Ron looked down at his trousers and then back up at the twins, scowling.

'Hi. I'm Fred.'

'And I'm the better one, George.' The twins smiled at Darah, whom they'd never properly been introduced to.

'Darah.' She smiled back.

Pooky then squealed behind the tower of books that had almost fallen on top of his head.

'We should get going.' She said and started to head off.

'Meet us on the train.' Ron pleaded. 'At least for a little bit.'

She turned back to him and smiled. 'Sure.'

'Ronald.' Fred jabs him in the ribs jokingly, smirking.

'Careful there. She's still a Slytherin you know.' George continued as Darah went out of earshot.

'I know.' Ron trailed off disappointedly, watching Darah walk away.