Legacies

The Challenges

Arden had come from her dormitory room with a pile of books in her arms, and a visible rolled up parchment and quill set on top of it. There weren't very many students left in the common room as curfew had just passed. Romina was one of the few students left, and as usual she was sitting on the ground with her back against the largest couch. She too was doing some work so it appeared.

"I can't believe I forgot to do Snape's essay!" Arden plopped down on the couch Romina leaned against.

"I can. I told you last week to get a move on it and you ignored me in favor of staring at some Hufflepuff boy," Romina said without a care in the world. She missed the glare Arden threw at her back.

"You were staring too!" Arden felt the need to remind.

"Yeah, while doing my own essay. It's called multitasking. You might want to try it."

Arden didn't find the joke amusing. She grumbled and began opening her books so she could get started. Her eyes flickered to the parchment Romina was staring at and immediately recognized someone else's homework. "Is that Finnigan's transfiguration homework?"

"Yeah. I offered to look it over considering he made another goblet explode in his face. Turns out rum is difficult to make."

"That's cheating!"

"No. It's just me proofreading it. I'm not giving him the right answers," Romina shrugged.

Arden gave a long look at Romina before speaking again. "Is this part of your little plan to get back on everyone's good side again?"

Romina looked up from the parchment and smiled. "First of all, it's not for 'everyone' because I know that's impossible. I'm only trying to win back the people I actually care about."

"Smart," Arden praised with her own smile.

"And reasonable. That's all that matters." Romina was taking it easy and simple in her new plan to get her friends back, no matter how small gestures she had to do.

"Well you could help me out with this homework," Arden scratched her head the more she stared at her Potions book. "I don't understand how professors think piling on homework when exams are just around the corner is a good idea."

"I think the idea was for us to start practicing and remembering," Romina casually pointed out the main idea but Arden still glared at her again.

"Well, yeah, but they could at least try to be a—" Arden stopped when the wall began to open up and both girls were a bit confused when Draco came hurrying in looking heavily angry. "You're not supposed to be outside," Arden was the first one to say, and paid the mistake.

"Shut it King or I'll curse you into next Tuesday!"

"Wanna explain why you wanna hurt my friend at this hour? You usually do that during the day time." Romina went back to the parchment. She was almost done anyways.

"Well if he was out after curfew, it probably means he got caught..." Arden suddenly widened her eyes, "...and you probably lost points for us! Not cool!"

"Put your wand down, idiot," Romina said without looking up. Based on Arden's assumptions and the nature that was Draco Malfoy, she suspected his wand was somewhere between his hand and halfway taking aim against Arden. Romina put her hands over the parchment and looked up to meet angry grey eyes. "So, being curious too, what's got you all angry at this hour?"

"I have detention when I shouldn't have!"

"You were outside after curfew, what did you think was going to happen?"