Chapter 9

                                    

                                          
Sophie slipped into her pyjamas in the dark. Instead of going to bed, she walked to window and sat on the window seat. She stared at many stars shining above her head in the dark sky.
"You took your time" she heard Lucia saying from her bed.
When Sophie did not reply, Lucia got down and sat beside black haired girl.
"You know Terence fancy you" Lucia said softly.
Sophie tried to leave but her friend caught her arm. "I am sorry, Soph, Nat told me what has happened"
Sophie looked at blond girl who looked too pale in weak night light. "You didn't even listen to me, Higgs. You don't believe me at all. And look at me, stupidly thought I have my best friend by my side"
"Don't say that,Soph, I believe you! Oh I do"
"You told him about me"
"I did not. Trust me. I don't know how he found that out"
Sophie watched her silently.
"I never thought Terence would be that bad. Now please forgive me,Sophie. Just punch me on the face if you wish" Lucia pleaded."But don't break my nose" she added sheepishly.
Sophie couldn't hold it back. "I know you love your nose most" she laughed.
"Oh I am so sorry, Sophie,I really don't want to lose my best friend" she sobbed.
"You are my best friend too" Sophie patted the girl as she hugged her back.
"Um... guys, then who am I? Batman?" Natalie said from under her covers.
"You were listening?" Two girls asked Natalie.
"All the time" Natalie grinned as she jumped out of bed to join the hug.




                          
After that day Terence did not talk to Sophie as Lucia sworn to Terence that she would not stand if he ever come closer to her friend. Whenever Sophie see twins in hallways or in classes, she would nodded at them, but still she would not smile at them asshe thought it is unnecessary, and anyway she was not used to. As the OWLs getting near, every fifth year seem to study hard with few exceptions, notedly include the twins.



                          
Natalie and Sophie came out from the greenhouse 3, where they had Herbology class with Ravenclaws. Lucia left them as she said she had to meet Adrian. As the two girls walk, more books on their arms, they heard giggling sound, almost like a rooster, which was followed by a group of students' laughter.
The two Slytherin girls looked at eachother and went little closer tothe group gathered. In the middle of the crowd stood Terence, giggling from his throat. The sound came quite funny, making everyone around them laugh. It seemed like he didn't want to laugh or giggle, nevertheless he did it more often. Natalie and Sophie burst into laugh, but stopped as Natalie brought her books infront of her face to shield and asked Sophie, "I am not supposed to laugh, right?". She was trying hard not to laugh, to which Sophie nodded as she tried her best to control it.
"Terence should learn not to pick up random things and eat" two boys, Fred and George, who stood few feet away from Natalie, commented.
"I mean, not even it fell on his lap" the boys made 'tsk tsk' sound.
'Giggling gum' Sophie remembered. The girls exchanged a look as they started laughing again.The twins watched girls are laughing, winked at them and went closer to see how Terence making fool of himself.



                          
It was few days earlier the exam,Sophie was in library looking for an adavanced text book of potions, as she sat crosslegged on the floor against a bookshelf to read the book she just found. She heard someone call her from above her head, "Psst, Dixon, over here" She looked up to see Fred Weasley, sitting on a ladder, waving wand at some books, which float in the air beside him.
"Fred?"
"Yes"
He climbed down the ladder, careful not to make any noise and sat beside Sophie, against the bookshelf. He pointed the wand at books still floating above and whispered "Accio". The books landed near him with big thud, making the librarian came straight to them and said, "Silence". "Sorry" Fred said in hushed voice as the librarian left.
"I never knew you read this many books" Sophie whispered as she pointed to pile of books beside Fred.
"Me neither" Fred grinned.
"So you are studying for OWLs, I recon" Sophie offered.
"This?" Fred pointed at the book pile, "No, that's for our new product, we still couldn't find ingredient to use for producing hairy nails. A real long hairs, you know" Fred said casually.
"What are you two doing?" Sophie asked surprised.
"Um.. making toffee that grow hair in nails" Fred said slowly so Sophie could catch every word.
Sophie looked at him in disbelief. "The exam is just a week away, and you are making toffees?"
"Yes, you got it right. Actually if we can make it happen before exams, it would be really good. People going to love it" Fred said happily.
Sophie almost screamed but suddenly turned it into a whisper as she said, "Fred Weasley, are you out of your mind?"
Fred stared at her not understanding what she meant.
"What on earth you are doing when you exams any soon? How can you go around making funny things when you have OWLs? You have to study, Weasley. How are you going to make it to NEWT if you fail OWL? For Merlin's sake, you are 16 years now.When are you going to take things serious? What if you have to leave the school?" Sophie felt breathless as she had to whisper all throughout her long speech.
Fred looked at her amused. He rested his chin on a hand and looked at the girl excitedly. "Wow, that was the most number of words you ever talked to me!", Sophie felt her ears burning from embarrasment.
                          
Fred smiled, "Are you worried about me, right now?" To which Sophie groaned.
"Come on Weasley, I j-just..."
"George and I will be fine, we will do it enough to make it to NEWT, and you too Ms.Dixon, should just relax and smile." Fred looked into the girl's dark eyes behind her glasses. "Because , you look most beautiful when you smile, Fi"
                          
Sophie taken him by surprise as she stared at him, not being able to process what he just said. The smile on Fred's lips faded as he continued to look at the girl. Then to his own surprise, he bent towards the girl and pressed his lips against hers. He kissed her little more, under the candle lights lit along the library ceiling, in the middle of thousand books, until Sophie placed her hand on his chest to pull apart.