Chapter Text
Eleanor Anderson was unable to control the shock, and simultaneous confusion that arised, as her jaw practically dropped to the floor.
"You cannot tell a single soul Ellie, I mean it." Penelope Clearwater pleaded to her friend of five years.
"Are you seriously laughing." She said crossing her arms, face turning red.
"I'm not, swear." She said between breathes trying to compose herself.
"Well for the love of Merlin are you going to help me, or are you just going to laugh at me." Penelope complained.
"Both." She said causing her friend to roll her eyes. "I'm only kidding Pen, it's just surprising that's all."
"How do you I feel, I've been trying to forget about him all summer."
"No luck clearly." Eleanor laughed. "When Taylor said you would be together for prefect duties I thought you were about to have a fit."
"I wasn't that bad, I was just shocked." She quipped.
"Not that bad you were practically foaming at the mouth." She laughed at her protesting friend. "Must have been all that time at the Ministry together." She said wiggling her eyebrows.
The Ravenclaw girl had managed to snag an apprenticeship at the Ministry of Magic over the summer. Although she spent half of her time chasing after middle-ages balding wizard. Penelope knew that it was an essential part in her process of working in the Wizards Council.
Especially considering the fact that she was a Muggle.
"Oh shove off Ellie, this is actually a disaster. I mean, what were the odds that we would both be prefects?" She questioned causing her friend to wrinkle her nose.
"Slim to none, it's not as if you've both been manifesting this the second you walked into the great hall." She said. "Look, think of this as a good thing, spending time with him now only means you're one step closer to having your own army of little ginger know it all's." Elenor said nudging her friends shoulder
"Come off it now El, seriously." She pleaded. "Besides, he's not a know it all you know, he's actually kind of humble." She blushed.
"I wasn't calling him the know-it-all." Eleanor deadpanned. "But look at you defending him, very supportive girlfriend of you. Also quite the change from last year, if I do remember correctly you said something along the lines of I hope Percy Weasley falls into the crevices of the Black Lake and combusts into flames." She laughed.
"Cant say that's ringing a bell."
"Seriously though Pen, don't be worried, all you have is act normal. I won't leave you alone with him if you don't want me too." Eleanor said wrapping her arm over her friends shoulder. "And I won't tell anyone." She said sincerely. "I mean it."
"You're the best Ellie." Penelope said flinging her arms around the girl.
"Don't you even begin to think that it's the last you're hearing about that ginger army of yours." She smiled.
The girls embrace was quickly interrupted by a knock on their carriage door. During Penelope's confession, the two prefects seemed to forget about the whole concept of time. As well as the fact that they were supposed to be patrolling the halls of the Hogwarts Express.
Since the train has set off from Platform 9¾ , the pair had spend a grand total of five minutes assisting the knew first years get situated, before getting extremely side tracked and entering a carriage of their own.
"Not a great start to the year." Percy Weasley tutted.
"Piss off Percy." Eleanor sang. "You're not head boy yet. We were just heading back out weren't we Pen."
The Ravenclaw girl looked as if she had just seen a ghost. She could do nothing but nod her head dramatically before making her way towards the carriage door.
"Don't bother, Taylor said we can go back to our carriages, we'll be arriving soon enough."
"Even better, let's go find the others Pen." Eleanor said while attempting to drag her friend with her.
"Wait!" The Weasley boy exclaimed. "I was wondering if I could talk to you Penelope, just for a few minutes." He questioned.
Eleanor was trying to think of excuses, but nothing or value came to mind. When she spared a look at the Ravenclaw girl she was greeted with a swift nod.
"Alright then, I'll leave you lot too it." She chirped. "No funny business now, we are still on prefect duty after all." She added as she made her way out into the hall.
"Very funny." The pair said simultaneously, causing the blush on both of their cheeks to darken even more.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
“Why do you look so disheveled.” Carmen Bell cackled as her friend barged through the carriage doors.
“Did you just get trampled by a troll.” Beatrice Zabini quipped, glancing up from her array of cards.
“Close enough.” Eleanor sighed. “Some first years toad is thundering down the carriage, they’ve been trying to catch him for the past fifteen minutes.”
“Suprised it didn’t come running to you.” Beatrice joked. “You’re frog choir royalty after all.”
“Ah yes, my people.” She laughed. “Although, I’m afraid to say my Frog Choir days are soon to be behind me.”
“Piss off.” Carmen spat. “What happened to it being your so called passion.”
“That lasted about a week.” Beatrice chuckled.
“These O.W.L.S are already stressing me out.” Ellie admitted. “And I think that first year’s toad traumatized me too.”
“Who would’ve thought the Frogettes would be the first to go.” Beatrice frowned.
“It wasn’t actually, Quidditch was the first to be cut.” Ellie added.
“No way!” Carmen screamed.
“Prepare to be gutted by Wood.” Beatrice said. “How did he take it?”
“That’s the thing, can we just keep it between us for now, I doubt he’ll even care but I need to tell him at the right time.”
“Even care?” Carmen screeched again.
“This will ruin his day, his whole life even.” Beatrice said.
“And that’s the best case scenario, why are you quitting El, you love Quidditch.”
“I’m not quitting.” She defended. “Think of it as a career break.”
The three girls conversation was rudely interrupted by a sound of scratching at the door, causing them to jump.
“You must be joking.” Carmen scoffed running over to the door. “Some perv has been listening to us.” She said grabbing the wired ear.
“This school is full of freaks.” Ellie grimaced.
“We’re Prefects you tossers, we’ll get you kicked out in a minute.” Beatrice threatened, causing her to gain puzzled looks from her friends.
“By association.” Ellie added.
“Don’t tell them that.”
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
The rest of the journey to Hogwarts happened seamlessly. Despite a few crying incoming first years, another search for the lost toad and a few more pranks from the third years, of course.
It goes without saying that Ellie would have preferred to have spent the whole journey with her friends, but the whole Prefect thing truly wasn't bad at all. It was just like glorified babysitting and free entertainment all in one. Adding to the list of advantages, she also got to keep a close eye on her little sister Imogen.
'Go on El, place your final prediction' Carmen said lightly kicking her friend underneath the table.
"Blaise is Slytherin, no doubt." She stated. "Immy has me torn though, she could be anything." She questioned.
"I'm thinking Ravenclaw." Hannah predicted. “She can be a mini Penny.”
“She wants Ravenclaw.” Ellie sighed. “Told her that’s not how it works though.”
“That’s exactly how it works.” Nathan Bailey added. “How else do you think Ollie here got in.”
“Not sure.” Oliver replied. “Maybe my severe loyalty and extreme bravery?”
“Definitely your humbleness too.” Ellie laughed.
“My vote is Ravenclaw, the old hat will let her have it.” Nathan smiled.
The old hat certainly did not let her have it. Imogen Anderson was a hat stall. The poor girl sat at the top of the Great Hall for a whole six minutes. Despite it feeling like a whole six years for Elenor, the Sorting Hat finally decided to place her sister in Hufflepuff.
“My Mum will be fuming.” Ellie scoffed. “She was convinced one of us would be in Slytherin.”
“Just don’t tell her.” Carmen suggested.
“That’s true.” Ellie added. “I doubt she’ll care enough to even ask.”