Issa stood staring at the announcement blackboard. She searched for the dates of the first Hogmeade visit. Issa wasn't really interested in spending the day at the small town. She didn't like Butterbeer and the long walk to get there in the cold winter snow wasn't always worth it. Besides, it gave her a chance to place pranks all over the school while everyone was gone. Unfortunately, she was running out of Dungbombs and a few other materials. She could just ask her friends to bring her provisions, but  Reagan had gotten tired of carrying Issa's very specific and dangerous ingredients. 

On the board, the next visit to Hogsmeade was on October 29th. That was just two days away.

It was too cold for October, she felt like it could be snowing already. Issa wrapped her scarf around her neck tightly, and headed toward the Owlery.

The Owlery's floor was covered in a sheet hay and owl waste. Owls flew overhead, squeaking as she entered. Some stopped to peck her and pull her hair. Owls were probably the only school animal that she didn't detest. She was allergic to cats and toads were gooey and ugly to her. She didn't own an owl though. It's not like she had many letters to send.

Issa quickly hopped over to the nearest owl, trying her best to avoid the rubbish. The brown farm owl extended its leg and she inserted her letter into the pouch. She was sending a letter to her mum, thanking her for bringing her "The Standard Book For Spells Grade 5" textbook that she had forgotten at home. Issa also sent her a box of chocolate frogs. A Ravenclaw boy had given them to her underneath the table in Charms class. Issa was confused as to why he would give her her least favorite candy, and why he started avoiding her after that class. 

* * *

Albus sat on the comfiest and softest corner of a sofa in the Gryffindor Common Room, he was finishing his homework. His N.E.W.Ts were this year, and instead of having fun in the Quidditch field, he was stuck there by the fireplace and a load of papers to write. No fresh wind was toying with his hair, or bugs swatting on his cheeks.

 Albus dipped his special Ink-Erasing quill into the ink bottle as he heard someone approach him.

 "Hi, Allllbus." A girl called him. Albus sunk his head farther into his papers. The girl sat down rather heavily on the other side of the sofa, making him jump and mess up the word he was scribbling.  The word which had been massacred by the sudden movement began to sink into the parchment paper and then resurfaced a moment later written neatly in his handwriting. 

"Hullo, Vic." He greeted, impossible to pretend now like he hadn't noticed her there. Victoria or Vic, as he sometimes referred to her was Lily's best friend. Which meant that Albus had spent most of his Christmas and summer holidays around her in some way. She was just the type of girl who was always up in his business, but never had anything fun or interesting to say to him. 

"Oooh is that a special quill?" She asked, leaning so close to him that their shoulders were touching. Sometimes, Albus wanted to remind her that she was best friend's with Lily, not him. 

"Yeah, it's Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Now Victoria, if you don't mind, I really need some space and quiet to finish this homework." He kept his eyes on the paper as he spoke, trying to make it clear that he had no time for her. 

"Oh yeah, I totally get it. I can't work at all when it's all loud in the Common room. I usually just go to the library." She said, not moving an inch away from him.

"Yeah well, the library is closed by now so." Albus re-read the sentence he had just written for the seventh time.

"Oh, that's right. Anyways, I was wondering, are you friends with that Malfoy girl? I'm only asking because I've seen you guys hang out a lot lately."

The question was so out of the blue that it took him a moment to respond. Albus's quill came to a stop. 

"You mean Narcissa?" Albus asked rhetorically. He knew that Victoria was well aware of her name. Pronouncing full name felt different in his mouth. "You talk to the Fat Lady, does that mean you're friends?" Albus rolled his parchment paper and gathered his stuff, he couldn't concentrate anymore. His words felt harsh, but sometimes it was the only thing that would make her back off. 

The thing was, he enjoyed Issa's company and he had a feeling that she didn't mind it much either, but he knew that the attention about it was annoying to her. When he's around people like Victoria he can understand where her anger comes from. People like to make a big deal out of things that could just be brushed over.

 Though it was kind of fun to pretend like they hated each other.

He liked to annoy her in his own way, but that didn't mean that others could do it, too. 

Victoria grabbed his quill and twirled it around, brushing the feathers against her cheek. Albus ignored it and turned to head to his dormitory, forgetting about the quill, but Victoria gently held his shoulder back. "I didn't mean anything about it, Al. It's just, you have to be careful around them. You know, I've heard her father has a huge collection of dark artifacts. You don't know what she could be carrying." 

Albus exhaled through his nostrils. He scaled up one step and the hand she had placed on his shoulder dropped to her side. "Thanks for worrying about me, but I think I'm fine."

He was by the door when Victoria called out. "There's a Hogsmeade visit tomorrow, would you like to go to The Three Broomsticks with me? And Lily of course." 

Victoria kept climbing up the stairs. It had never been fair how the boy's dormitories couldn't keep girls away as well.

"I'll see if I can, I promised Hugo I'd go with him to get some things..."

"Oh perfect, we can all go together. I really like this quill. I'm thinking of getting one myself." She smiled and handed Albus's quill back to him. 

***

Albus handed Filch his permission slip and stepped outside the Hogwart's doors. Gravel crunched underneath his boots and the cold bite of freezing air pinched his cheeks as they turned pink. Hugo and Rose were waiting for him next to a withering bush. He waved at them as they noticed him.

"Hey." They both said together.

"Hi, would you care if we went to The Three Broomsticks, I'm meeting Lily there with her friend." Albus asked. He knew that there would be no chance of avoiding Victoria anyways. He rather get there himself than be dragged there by her.

"Actually, I was going somewhere with Rick, but see you two later, okay?" Rose said, and left. Her puffy apple red hair bobbing.

"Rick is annoying." Hugo said when she was out of hearing reach.

"Are they...together?" Albus asked. Hugo only stuck his tongue out and pretended to vomit.

***

Hugo gave Albus a disappointing look when they entered The Three Broomsticks and Lily and Victoria waved at them. Albus just whispered, "Just drink it quickly and we'll leave."

They all sat down and ordered Butterbeer. Madam Rosmerta came back a few minutes later with 4 golden foaming drinks.

Albus was halfway through with his drink when he excused himself to use the bathroom. Hugo chose this moment to escape, and he left for Zonko's.

Albus's mood began to drop as soon as Hugo was gone. He stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hands on his now even messier hair. 

"Why don't we leave now?" Albus asked the girls when he came back. They agreed but Victoria grabbed his mug, "don't you want to finish your drink before we go?" She asked him, giving it a swirl.

Albus took the mug and gulped it down in one chug. He left a few Galleons on the table and they left the bulding. Thankful for his longer legs, he marched ahead of them hoping to get lost in the crowd but they kept close behind. After a while, he lowered his pace and they walked side by side. He wasn't sure as to where they were going but a dizziness had taken over him as soon as they had left The Three Broomsticks. Maybe it was from the sudden change of temperature. 

He was feeling cold, but he felt a nearby heat which he tried to kept close to. It wasn't until he heard the girls giggling that he noticed that the source of warmth had been Victoria and that he was pressing onto her as they walked. They locked eyes for a second, and it felt like this was the first time that Albus had really seen his sister's friend. Her honey brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail and she wore some silver owl earrings that kept reflecting at him. Her eyes were brown like burnt honey and soft and just looking at them already made him feel warmer. She smelled good too, like cinnamon and pine cones. Not that Albus was smelling her.

Albus pressed his eyes hard. The wooziness was making it harder and harder for him to think. The warmth had started to spread into his hands. When his eyes focused for a moment, he noticed that the warmth in his hand was actually another hand, and that that hand was attached to Victoria. He was holding her hand! With wide eyes, he looked over at Lily for an explanation. She only smirked and shook her head. 

"Albus!" Victoria called his name but he was too dazed to recognize it. "Al!" She smiled at his dumbfounded face. They locked eyes for a moment and then, without thinking, he came forward and wrapped her in a hug. All of her heat spread over him like a first sip of hot chocolate. Albus snuggled his head in the crook of her neck and smelled her cinnamon hair. She hugged him back and it made his chest tingle with weird sparks. A moment later he realized they had been holding each other for a long time and he pulled back with an embarrassed look. He tugged on the strings of his sweatshirt awkwardly, her perfume was still swimming in his head.

He looked over at Lily, who now had a confused look on her face. "I don't know why I did that, sorry. You're just so warm." Albus said. It had been like a sudden urge to do it. He couldn't explain it, every time he tried to form a coherent thought in his head, all he could hear was her name over and over booming and ricocheting inside his skull. 

Victoria blushed, which made his cheeks burn hot as well. Her name became even louder, it was almost all he could hear. 

"Why don't we go back to Hogwarts?" Lily asked. Albus couldn't see his sister with the constant buzz in his head, but he recognized her voice.

"I want to stay here." Albus said. Victoria seemed like the only person he could concentrate on so he locked his eyes on her. She lowered her gaze shyly.

"It is getting a bit cold, we should head back." Victoria said, holding herself.

"I agree." Albus nodded. He quickly took off his scarf and wrapped it around Victoria's exposed neck. 

Many students walking among them had turned their head to look at them or were stealing glances. Specially a lot of guys, Albus thought. With a sudden urge, he slid his hand around Victoria and didn't let  go until they reached the dormitories.