Chapter 233: The Date: First Half (1/2)
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The link is also in the synopsis.
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On the morning of the Sunday, a big herd of Hogwarts dressed particularly carefully. They arrived at the great hall that smelled of delicious house-elf-cooked food like it did every morning, but today, there was something different in the air.
”Looove's in the air,” said Marcus sitting opposite to his two best friends, a grin splitting his face.
Quinn looked up from his newspaper. ”Is that teasing that I detect? That's rare for you.”
”Look at you both, dressed so sharply,” Marcus glanced at Quinn. ”Even you're dressed sharply for your standards.”
Eddie was dressed in his white-and-yellow jumped and black pants. While Quinn put on a green sweater over a white shirt and tie above grey checkered pants.
”That's obvious. I have a date to hit out of the park. I need to dress the part,” said Eddie, his chin high and arms crossed.
”It's a gentleman's duty to be dressed appropriately when he's escorting a lady,” Quinn repeated the wise words from a certain butler back home. ”What are you going to do today? Any plans for your lonesome today?”
Marcus took out an envelope from his robes. ”I'm going to a party.”
”A party? Today? I don't recall there being a party today,” said Eddie.
”That's because you're not invited,” Marcus lightly waved the invitation in his hand.
”What's the party about?” asked Quinn. Even he didn't know about this party, and he usually got an invite to everything.
”It's a tea party, but instead of tea, they're going to serve hot chocolate.”
Eddie and Quinn looked at each other and communicated with a couple of discreet wiggles and eye movements.
”The host.. . it's Luna, isn't it?” said Eddie.
Marcus nodded.
”Who else is coming?”
”Me, Luna, Astoria,” said Marcus, and Quinn nodded, foreseeing the answer, ”and Madam Pomfrey.”
Eddie did a spit take, and a forkful of broccoli slipped down on Quinn's plate as he stared incredulously.
”I thought it'd be safe if we had a faculty member nearby in case Umbridge decided to vulture around,” said Marcus, ”so after some discussion, we decided to hold it in the back part of the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey,” he looked Quinn, ”I exploited your relation with her to be allowed to set up the hot chocolate party in THE hospital wing, so thank you for that.”
”You didn't ask me for permission.”
Marcus waved Quinn's query off. ”Don't sweat the small stuff.”
Ever since DA had begun its operation, Marcus had taken it upon himself to maintain the group's secrecy. In every DA representative meet, Marcus stressed that the members needed to be very strict regarding the mention of DA outside the Room of Requirements. It was no secret that he didn't like Umbridge and what she represented, so he did everything he could to make sure DA remained a secret only known to the members and no one else. His efforts had been paying dividends as DA had remained a secret; there wasn't even a whisper of a rumor about a secret group operating in Hogwarts.
”Eddie.”
The voice brought a smile to Eddie's face. He got up and hopped onto his feet under the gaze of his two grinning friends.
”Ready to have fun,” he asked.
Tracey Davis nodded. ”I am. I hope you have a fun day planned.”
”I have the first part of the day planned out,” said Eddie, ”I hope you have your own half planned out. I have great expectations.”
For their date today, Tracey and Eddie had divided the day into two halves. The first half was taken by Eddie, while Tracey took the latter half.
”Mine is going to be better than yours,” said Tracey.
Eddie chuckled, ”If you believe that, then you don't know me. I'm really competitive,” he jutted his chin towards Quinn and Marcus, ”ask them, they will tell you.”
Quinn and Marcus nodded.
”Then I must tell you that I am called the Slytherin's queen of fun,” said Tracey.
Eddie opened his mouth but was hit by a grape. He looked at Quinn, ”What?” he asked.
”Quit while things are going good,” said Quinn, ”no need to put an ax to your foot.”
”Quinn, you should also get going. Daphne's waiting for you,” said Tracey.
”Oh my, she's already there,” Quinn put down his utensils. A bluish-green glow scoured his hands clean, ”well then, can't make her wait, can we.”
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- (Scene Break) -
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Daphne Greengrass stood a little to the side of the oak front doors, looking pretty with her long flowing hair, attracting a lot of eyes from the people gathered in the entrance hall, waiting to be allowed to exit the castle to go Hogsmeade. Daphne was one of the most beautiful girls in the school; even with the reputation that had gained her the moniker of Ice Queen, she was one of the most sought after girls in Hogwarts — having to face many confessions and offers to go out on dates — the rejections, cold as ice as the rejectees had known to describe, were a part of why she had gained the moniker. It fit. Daphne, the plant, her namesake, were entirely poisonous, especially the colorful berries they produced.
Many Hogwarts students preferred to stay in their school uniforms throughout the day despite the rules allowing casual clothing after classes. So today, Daphne Greengrass dressed in casual clothing further enhanced the blonde's attractiveness.
Daphne was minding her business, internally all agog about today, when a large gang of Slytherin girls passed them, including Pansy Parkinson.
”Greengrass,” screeched Pansy to a chorus of snide giggles. ”Alone today, I see. Where is Davis? Usually, she buzzes around you like a fly. Oh, I remember; isn't she going out today with that blockhead Carmichael. I thought she would develop a sense of refined taste in your company, but it seems I was wrong,” she snickered at the end.
”You wouldn't know refined if it was staring you in your face, Parkinson,” said Daphne in a calm, leveled voice. ”Why don't you and your cackle stand a distance away from me. I don't want to catch anything.”
Pansy turned up her nose in scorn. She was always like this, treating others as if they were people were beneath her. She snorted and turned away, searching if Draco had arrived.
”Sorry to keep you waiting.”
”I haven't been waiting for long.”
”You look absolutely stunning today.”
”Thank you. I like your sweater; green suits you.”
”Ah, before I forget. I got a gift for you. Just a little something I thought you'd like.”
”You didn't have to.. .”
The conversation behind tugged on Pansy's ears. For one, she was curious who it was, curious about the pair, who were clearly about to go out on a date on Valentine's day. But the second, more pressing reason that pushed her brows to her hairline was that her ears identified the second voice as that of Daphne.
Pansy turned, and the sight made her fly open wide as her breath caught. The voice she recognized was indeed Daphne, but it was the other person that lit the burning sensation in the chest or stomach.
Why was it always her? Why did everyone choose her, even though she was always so obnoxious and arrogant. Was it because of her looks? Did the vixen's charm ensnare even the one who almost every girl in Hogwarts sought after?
”I was recently working with crystalline solids when I came across a mix that reminded me of your eyes,” said Quinn West, with a smile capable of making hearts flutter. In his hands was a blue lotus made entirely from an electric blue crystal radiating a glimmering shimmer.
”It's gorgeous,” said Daphne, her eyes entranced by the things of beauty in her hands.
”I'm glad you liked it. How about you try giving it a tap from your wand.”
Daphne glanced up, her electric blues searching for an explanation while her hand went to her wand.
”Take the flower in your left hand and give it a tap.”
Daphne did so, and the moment her wand tip touched the crystal flower, it broke into dozens of tiny cherry-blossom-shaped petals, all tricking down Daphne's fingers, through her palm and the back of her hand, arriving at her wrist, where the united back to form a crystal wrist ring band, gracing her wrist with a mesmerizing electrifying blue.