January 8th, 1992
The compartment was full. Meant to hold four to six comfortably, we had stuffed in ten of us.
On one side were Millie, Daphne, Blaise, and Theo. Down on the ground were Vince and Greg, dodging legs as they pressed their backs up against the two ends of the compartment. Draco and I were sat in the middle of the other bench, with Pansy to Draco’s side and Neville to mine.
We were pressed together like sardines but not a one seemed to mind —except for maybe Neville, but he always seemed to have a light pink dusting along his cheeks anyway. I wasn’t worried about it.
“Dea, please tell me you know the charm your mother used at Yule to get her hair to look so lush,” Daphne said, leaning forward with a sharp grin.
I let my expression soften, “It’s a combination of like seven pink charms. Want me to show you?”
Daphne laughed lightly, “What kind of question is that? Yes, of course.”
I nodded and shifted forward, jostling Neville and Draco as I did so.
“Watch it, Dea,” Draco laughed.
“Oop, sorry,” was Neville trying to shift out of my way and get closer to the window.
“Oh, come off it, Coco—Neville, you’re fine.” I said, whacking my brother and then looking back to Daphne.
What followed was several pink charms, some limerick casting, some traditional, others foreign on my tongue, but all that left Daphne’s hair more and more beautiful the longer the casting went on.
Her dark hair was healthy, full and soft. Daphne was running her hands through her long locks and grinning.
“Oh, this is magnificent,” she sighed.
I laughed lightly, my pureblood princess mask securely on.
“I’ll help you learn them —if you teach me that hex you used on the twat that lived last term.” My eyes sparkled with malicious glee.
“Deal!”
“Wait, what?” Neville interrupted, looking between me and Daphne.
“Oh, poor, poor Longbottom,” Daphne said solemnly. “Ignorant to it all.”
Millie snorted, flipping through her quidditch magazine, “Longbottom tell me you noticed how many hexes were thrown last term?”
“Well, yes—“
“Did you not notice when they started?” Vince asked from the ground, looking at Neville like he had two heads. Then, with a disgruntled sigh, said, “I wasn’t allowed to join in.”
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“Join in?”
“Neville,” I said slowly, deliberately, “Did you think I would let Harry Potter get the best of me?”
“What do you—oh.” I watched as realization spread across his face and another blush colored his cheeks. “Oh.”
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Neville watched the snakes with apprehension, wondering when the other shoe would drop. When they would reject him, send him out of their compartment and back to the other lions.
But it never came.
He sat, pressed up against the window, making small talk with the snakes that surrounded him. They were already so close, close enough that Neville felt out of place. But Bulstrode and Crabbe both gave responses when Neville asked about quidditch. More than just responses. They engaged with him.
Greengrass complimented his looks. His looks! She said she could tell he’s been running. That’d never happened before.
Medea included him occasionally but she was mostly chatting with the others —all of them. There were so many. It truly was like a snake pit.
Neville swallowed thickly at the thought.
What if they ate him alive?
But then he caught Medea’s silver gaze, and watched as her mouth twitched with a smile, and his worries evaporated.
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Daphne watched as Longbottom and Medea halfway interacted. She took in the softness that exuded from Medea during it. The way she blunted her sharp words and pulled any punch that she accidentally threw his way.
Once, she caught Neville looking at her freshly charmed hair. So she decided to take a moment and follow in her friends lead.
“You know, Longbottom, you’re looking like you could actually keep up on a run now. Bravo.”
The boy had blushed so easily at that, it made her want to tease him more. Daphne decided it wouldn’t be so bad to have a cowardly lion around. So long as it was just the one.
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Millie and Vince both couldn’t care less about Longbottom, but so long as he didn’t go out of his way to be a fool they were fine.
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Blaise, Draco, Greg, and Pansy simply ignored him unless he spoke to them. Which Longbottom never did without being pulled in by Medea.
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Theodore Nott, Theo, he hated Longbottom’s presence.
But Medea allowed it, so Theo waited for Longbottom to slip up. To say something stupid, something that meant Theo could strike out at him.
And he got his chance.
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“Oh.” Neville said, and a harsh laugh came from Theo.
“Yes, oh.”
I turned my silver gaze to Theo’s, taking in the way his brow was furrowed and a sneer was on his face.
“Do enlighten us, then, on your fresh realization?” Theo said, a mocking tone filling his voice.
“Well—“
I tutted, silencing Neville, and stood. Navigating through Vince and Greg’s limbs I shift to where I was standing right in front of Theo.
“Neville, shut up.” I said lightly, contradicting the harsh words. “Theo’s just curious why I was so angry last term.”
I crouch down to be eye level with Theo, and lightly tapped his cheek with my palm.
“Isn’t that right?” I spoke slowly, my eyes burning into Theo’s, and I watched as his cheeks grew pink.
It wasn’t the first time that Theo had such a reaction to me, and it likely wouldn’t be the last.
“Yeah, Dea.” He grumbled, leaning back and crossing his arms.
The whole compartment went silent, watching the interaction with the intensity only a snake could muster.
I stood up, leaning back on my heels, a sharp smile spreading across my face. “Well, I suppose as the winner of the game, you deserve to know.”
I stepped gingerly around Greg, maneuvering the compartment door open and forcing him to lean forward.
“I won’t be the one sharing though. Neville, go for it.” I said over my shoulder.
“Where are you going?” Pansy said, leaning forward.
“To find the love of my life, of course.” I laughed, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Theo, Draco, and Neville all make identical expressions —eyes wide and noses scrunched.
Pansy just cackled in response, “I’ll come with, I want to say hello to Pucey too.”
“Oh?” I said, stepping into the corridor to make room for her.
“Yes, well, where Pucey is, Warrington is sure to be.” Pansy laughed.
A grin spread across my face and I let the compartment door slam shut behind us.