TRAINING WHEELS
LEON HOLLOWAY.

035

Amora had only been in the boys' dormitory once before, and that was back in the first year when Leon gave her a small tour whilst the other boys were hanging around inside the common room. She would have shown him the girls' in return, but there were defence mechanisms that stopped the boys entering the girls' dorms. She remembered the room to be exactly like the girls', just messier.

Now, four years later, Amora was surprised to find that it was relatively tidier. Other than some unfolded uniforms sprawled upon unmade beds, it was up to Amora's standards, or rather the standards that she had picked up from her mother who liked the 'overly clean' lifestyle Muggles had.

Amora sat down on the floor, her legs crossed as her friends all did the same thing. It was a tight squeeze for the ten Hufflepuffs, their knees all brushing with the exception of Kathy and Leon who were leaning into one another like always. The brunette watched with curious eyes as Justin grabbed the bottle he'd been holding and unscrewed the cap from the top.

Amora had had Firewhisky only once, and that was right after the first task when Cedric had completed it and the older years allowed the fourth years to have a sip each. She hadn't minded the taste, but she remembered how it had warmed her chest and made it feel slightly uncomfortably tight. Amora wasn't opposed to drinking, not at all, but she'd never been drunk before, and she was relatively certain that some of her other friends around the room hadn't been either.

Unless Leon had with his Muggle friends in London, then Amora was pretty sure he'd never been drunk either.

"I'm not sure about this," Ernie admitted as Justin began to pour some into the goblets they had taken. "I really want to get prefect next year, and if I get caught underage drinking--"

"We're all here, Ernie," Hannah reminded him, "Dumbledore can't just stop all of us from being prefects next year. He'll have to pick two."

"Malfoy and his lot are definitely drinking right now anyway," Zacharias grumbled in agreement. "And nobody will ever find out. If anybody's going to get caught, it's them-- they're the ones probably blasting music and all that."

"If you don't want to drink, you don't have to, Ernie," Kathy said softly, her eyes glancing over the boy sympathetically.

Ernie hesitated, looking between his circle of friends and biting down on his lip. "Fine."

"Aye!" Justin grabbed his best friend's shoulder and shook him proudly. "Atta boy. We didn't get this cheap either."

He passed along all of the goblets and Amora took hers, spinning it around gently and peering inside. She bent her face towards the cup and inhaled, cringing back slightly at the intoxicating scent that felt as if it was already infiltrating her bloodstream. Amora took a sip, not realising that she had been the first until her friends started to childishly hoot around her.

She found it was easy taking small sips, just slightly bitter on the tongue. Leon grabbed her wrist.

"Down it, 'Mora," he said.

Chanting filled Amora's ears and she grinned under the attention before she did as she was told. It spilled past her lips and down her throat in one swift tilt of the goblet, causing her belly and chest to feel warm. Amora's face scrunched up once she'd finished and she raised her goblet to the air.

"Come on then, you cowards!" She laughed, nudging Leon. "You down it too!"

"Your wish is my command." Leon threw his 'shot' back like it was nothing, only a small wince once he had swallowed.

There was a mixed performance from the other Hufflepuffs, some who had drunk clearly more than others. Ernie gagged once he'd drank his, shaking his head and cringing.

"Merlin!" He made spitting sounds as if hacking it all back up. "That was vile!"

"It gets better," Justin promised him. "Anyone want more?"

Most said yes, Amora included. As she sat on the floor of the boys' dormitory, she felt more and more comfortable with Ernie, Justin, and even Zacharias, who she'd only ever speak to if they were hanging out with Leon or one of the other girls. Her comfort pushed her to reach for her second glass, which Leon handed to her all too eagerly.

"Careful, Amora," Kathy smiled as she sipped at her own. "A hangover is the last thing you need."

"No, but she needs to get tipsy, don't you, 'Mora?" Leon grinned, nudging his girlfriend. "We all need to get a bit tipsy. Let loose a little before next year, when O.W.Ls start."

"Ugh, let's not talk about that," Zena grumbled, moving to grab more from Justin.

Amora decided to relax, feeling her head grow comfortably heavy on her shoulders and her eyelids start to droop a little as she forced herself not to smile at literally everything that was happening around her. Around her fourth small glass, Amora was no longer tipsy and definitely drunk, but she was aware of her state, and she found it rather exciting.

"Does drunk feel like... sleepy?" Amora slurred.

Leon grinned from where he was sitting, Amora's head in his lap as he ran his fingers through her hair, Kathy resting her head on his shoulder. He'd been looking after her since she started to feel unlike herself, even giving her a drink or two of his that he didn't want.

"Like, your eyes feeling heavy?" Leon asked.

"Mhm," Amora murmured. "And..." She stuck her hand in the air and marvelled at her fingertips as she slowly moved them about. "Everything's in... slow... motion..." She spoke as if she was in slow motion herself.

Kathy giggled drunkenly from the other side. "You're absolutely wasted, beautiful."

"Awh..." She hiccupped, "You think I'm beautiful?"

"You're one of the prettiest girls in the entire school--" Ernie began, his voice more slurred than anyone elses, only to get whacked by Justin. "I mean... After the long list of girls that are prettier than you, of course."

Amora pouted, knowing she should maybe be offended as Justin whacked Ernie again harder, but the insult slipped away from her brain quicker than you could say 'Hufflepuff.' Her pout slid away and she stared at the ceiling, half focusing on the laughter and chatter going on around her, and half just thinking.

She wondered what Draco was doing right now. Was he drunk like her? Was he having a good time? Did he get a nice birthday cake?

"Cake..." Amora murmured.

Kathy and Leon looked at each other and then burst out laughing. Once the Firewhisky was gone, evenly distributed among the Hufflepuffs who were different levels of tipsy or (in Amora and Ernie's cases) drunk, Leon helped Amora's head off his lap and watched as she groaned.

"My head weighs a tonne!" Her eyes widened. "Room is... dancing?"

"Merlin's beard..." Susan shook her head, cringing. "How embarrassing."

"Give her a break, she's small," Hannah said, "Of course she'd be a lightweight."

"I'm not that drunk," Amora protested stubbornly as she leant back against one of the beds. "I just feel... tingly. On fire."

"Weirdo." Leon shook his head and laughed.

"Am I officially in touch with British Muggle culture?"

"If we were in a field, maybe," Zena replied.

Amora gasped as if she had had the brightest idea. "Let's go outside then!"

"No, no, no," Hannah grabbed her before she could climb up off of the floor, laughing. "I thought I was a lightweight, Amora."

"Leon's not even a teensy bit tipsy," Zacharias scoffed.

"You should have said, mate, I would have given you some more," Ernie said.

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

"Well, this is what being drunk feels like," Kathy smiled as her fingers played with the sleeve of Leon's shirt. "It feels quite nice. Quite... carefree, I don't know."

"This has to be a one-time thing," Ernie spoke, still slurring his words. "I will not allow us to become a house of alcoholics."

"That would be the Slytherins," Zacharias muttered bitterly, making Amora roll her eyes and scoff.

"You do realise that they're not all bad, right?" Amora glared at him. "We all know how pissed you get when people say Hufflepuffs are stupid and gullible and whatnot. Keep that same energy for all the houses, yeah?"

"Oh, right, I forgot how you became besties with Pansy Parkinson," Zacharias replied, "Or how you had breakfast with Blaise Zabini that one time. It seems like they've taken you in, haven't they?"

"That's not the case at all..." Amora felt her heart pounding and her veins buzzing, a mixture of anger and alcohol.

"The Slytherins... They're only nice to you because you're a Pureblood. You're on thin ice with who your mother is, Buckley. I've heard people saying it. That they're only buttering you up to piss off Potter," Zacharias spat.

Amora climbed to her feet, her brown eyes blazing with fury. "You realise I am more than just Harry Potter's friend, right? I'm more than just a Pureblood, or my mother's daughter! Some people want to be friends with me because I'm Amora Buckley. Because I can be kind, or because I'm funny sometimes, or- or--"

"Because it's easy to take advantage of you," Zacharias said, "Because you're gullible."

"Amora!" Hannah screamed as the brunette dove down, landing on top of Zacharias. "Leon, grab her!"

Unlike the little mercy she had shown Draco in their second year, Amora found herself smacking her fists against Zacharias' face, her face screwed up in disgust as he tried to grab at her wrists, moving his head to the side to try and avoid her drunken throws. She barely got four in before Leon had grabbed her and hauled her away.

"Alright, Amora," Kathy whispered as she stood and grabbed her friend's hand. "Smith doesn't know what he's on about."

Leon stood as well, shooting daggers at Zacharias as Kathy guided Amora towards the door. The blonde girl suggested that they headed down to the common room which was now empty, so Leon could sit with them too. Kathy placed herself in an armchair, across from Amora and Leon as he gently grasped her hands and ran his thumb over her red knuckles, shaking his head whilst the brunette glared at the rug on the floor.

"I'm not besties with Pansy..." Amora slurred, rolling her eyes. "We just speak occasionally. You're my best friend, Leon."

"All right, Amora," Leon whispered, rubbing soothing circles against her bare arm. "You don't need to clarify that with me."

"But I know you don't like her, and I don't like some of the stuff she says, especially about 'Mione, but she's not all bad..." Amora ranted quietly, "Like, she's helped me before. A lot. And I think maybe she has her own things going on that makes her so..."

"Bitter?" Kathy suggested lightly, earning a small nod from Amora. "I think so too, Amora. I don't know her well, but it can't be easy to be a teenager growing up with some of the families those lot have. So prestigious and proper."

Amora thought about how Pansy had told Amora she was a lesbian, and how she was probably one of the only select few that knew. Pansy had made out that it wasn't a big deal, but she'd told Amora after that she had no feelings for Draco and that she only cosied up to him to make her parents happy. Amora realised that Pansy must not be out to even her parents and thought about how difficult it must be pretending to be something you're not all of the time.

"You okay?" Leon clicked his fingers in her face. "Zoned out on me there, Amora."

"Mhm," she murmured tiredly.

Kathy released a loud yawn. "Well, I'm absolutely shattered. I fancy a lay-in in the morning. You coming, Amora?"

Amora shook her head. "In a bit, Kath."

"Night, Kathy." Leon leaned up and kissed her as she walked by. "I love you."

Kathy smiled. "Love you too. Night, Amora."

"Night."

Amora sat there and thought about what she had just done. She had thrown punches at one of her own housemates, which was so unlike her. She rarely got so angry, and definitely not angry enough to get violent. Suddenly she decided she didn't like being drunk much. It scared her.

"What's... time is it?" She whispered.

"It's two in the morning," Leon said, "Why? Was there... somewhere you needed to be, perhaps?"

She didn't detect the change in his tone. The brunette rubbed at her face, her eyes drooping like she could fall asleep any moment now.

Amora's face scrunched up as she thought for a moment. "Hmm... no? Don't think so..."

"Huh," Leon replied, brows raised. "And, um... where were you before you got back this evening?"

"With Harry, Ron, and 'Mione..." Amora said, bored, not catching onto the investigation taking place in her drunken state. 

"Before that?"

Amora thought. She remembered Draco and how she'd realised she was in love with him today. How nice his hair had smelt when she'd hugged him, and how perfect his lips had for against hers. She recalled his laugh and smile that seemed to be reserved for her and his sweet words that had caused her heart to melt into a puddle.

Amora began to giggle. Her cheeks were blazing and she laughed and laughed, staring at the ceiling.

"What's funny?" Leon demanded, frustrated. "Who were you with?"

"You wanna know?" Amora asked, still beaming. "Are you sure you wanna know?"

Leon nodded. "Yes!"

"Come here..." she whispered, beckoning him closer with her hand.

The brunet boy leaned down eagerly, ear close to her mouth.

"I was with..." Amora whispered, "your father."

She started to laugh hysterically, throwing her head back and clapping her hands whilst Leon clenched his jaw and moved away. Her body tilted as he stood up from the couch, running a hand through his floppy brunet hair. He paced for a second before turning back and glaring at her.

"You don't tell me anything anymore!" He huffed, silencing her drunken giggles. "How can I be your best friend if you don't trust me?"

Amora frowned at him.

"Who were you with, Amora?" He breathed out, trying to calm himself down. "Were you with Parkinson? Zabini?"

The brunette blinked at him. "Nobody, Leon. Leave me alone."

She climbed from the couch and began to storm towards the exit of the common room. She would have gone back to her dorm, but Leon was in the way.

"Where are you going?" Leon growled, "To meet up with Blaise Zabini?"

Amora froze in her spot and whirled around. "What?" She hissed.

"Blaise. Zabini. Don't act like you suddenly don't know him."

"What about Blaise?" Her heart was pounding harshly in her chest.

"You're dating him, aren't you? You've had that stupid crush on him since the first year, and I reckon you've been sneaking out to be with him since he asked you to the Yule Ball! And don't think I didn't see that note that he passed you in Herbology last week!" Leon ranted.

Amora quickly realised that he had seen Blaise and her passing the notes discussing Draco's birthday. She shook her head at him.

"You're wrong," she said truthfully, "I don't like Blaise and I'm not going out with him or sneaking out to meet up!"

"Why did you go to the Yule Ball with him then?"

"Because he asked me! And he's not exactly ugly, is he, Leon? Plus Harry had been trying to corner me for, like, a week, so I needed an excuse not to go with him," Amora rambled.

Leon's face scrunched up. "You sound like such a bitch when you say that. What did Harry ever do to you?"

"He'd been fighting with D- Malfoy about me, talking about me like an object or a prize or something--"

"Defending you--"

"Malfoy was the one defending me!" Amora bellowed, taking Leon by surprise. "And he's the only person in this whole bloody school that seems to care about what happened to me last year!"

"What hap--"

"The Whomping Willow!" Amora felt like her throat was about to rip apart, tears forming in her eyes out of anger and frustration. "Where Harry, Ron and Hermione left me--"

"You're not still on about that?" Leon cut her off, "They were going to come back, and they visited you in the Hospital Wing--"

"I will still go on about that because it hurt me! Not just physically, Leon. A-And the only one there for me at the time was Malfoy! Draco fucking Malfoy! How is that supposed to make me feel?"

"He only goes on about it like he cares because it's the only thing he can hold over Harry--"

"Not everything is always about Harry!" Amora suddenly screamed, Leon flinching back. "You heard exactly what I said to Zacharias-- I am my own person! Sometimes, Leon, no matter how ridiculous it clearly sounds to you, people like me or they want to help me because of reasons other than Harry Potter."

"I didn't say that..." Leon huffed, "I just meant that Malfoy and his Slytherin cronies aren't to be trusted."

Amora swayed on her feet as she moved closer towards the common room door. Leon called her name but she ignored him, wiping away the furious tears that had managed to escape at some point during their argument. She heard the doors close behind her, leaving her in the basement room filled with barrels.

Her fingertips grazed their wood and metal pieces as she moved into the hallway, past the kitchens which were silent in the middle of the night, and up the stairs that led into the foyer outside the Great Hall. Amora blinked, stumbling up the stairs and landing at the top on her palms and knees. She didn't know what she was doing, all she knew was that she had to get away from Leon before she blurted something she would come to regret.

Filch and Mrs Norris didn't seem to be about. Amora was in her own little world as she moved through the empty corridors of Hogwarts. It was slightly chilly despite how hot it had been that day, but Amora didn't mind the coolness against her exposed skin. It felt good in contrast to her flushed cheeks and heavy chest.

"Amora?" A familiar whisper came from behind her.

Amora turned, blinking. There was nothing there. She diagnosed herself as plastered and realised that it probably wasn't a good idea to be stumbling around the corridors of her school after having an underage drinking session. If she got caught, she could potentially drag her entire year group of Hufflepuffs down with her, and she didn't want that-- even if she was extremely pissed at Leon and Zacharias.

"Amora, it's me." Harry's head popped out of nowhere, making Amora stumble back.

She started to giggle. "Harry," she drawled, realising that he had been tucked under his invisibility cloak. "What's up?"

"I was clearing my head," Harry replied, moving closer to her. "You?" His nose suddenly crinkled, causing his circular glasses to shift about. "Are you drunk, Amora?"

"Mhm," she murmured, "We all thought it might be fun just to experience it. Leon didn't want half of his, so he was giving me extra, I suppose."

Harry looked concerned and a little annoyed. "Why are you out here now? You should be in bed."

"Doing the same thing as you," she replied, "Clearing my mind."

"From what?"

"Leon and how much of a dick he is. I hate him."

Harry frowned. "No, you don't," he said gently. "Whatever he's said or done has annoyed you, but you don't hate him. He's your best friend."

"No, he's not."

"Amora..." He sighed, unsure what to say. "When Ron and I fell out at the start of the year, we made it back to each other fairly quickly. You and Leon will do the same."

The brunette bit her tongue. She couldn't help but feel as though the difference between Ron and Leon was that Ron, despite being the Gryffindor, was much more loyal to his best friend. Ron loved Harry unconditionally, bringing him into his home like another brother, whereas, Amora was pretty sure if she told Leon that she was dating Draco Malfoy, that would be it for them. Her slight friendship with Pansy Parkinson had already created cracks, lies, and mistrust in their relationship.

"Yeah," she said instead, voice croaky.

"Well, how does it feel?" Harry attempted to lighten the mood. "Being drunk?"

Amora cracked a small half-smile. "Kinda feeling like shit as of now."

"Ah, so you wouldn't recommend it?" Harry continued teasingly.

"Maybe just not as much as I had," the brunette's smile widened. "I'm going to wake up with an awful hangover in the morning."

D.M + A.B

Amora was right. Upon awakening the next morning, her head and stomach felt unusually heavy, and it wasn't long before she was leaning over a toilet and puking everything up. To make matters worse, the summer sun raged on outside, and her hair was sticky with sweat, her skin pale and shining sickeningly.

"Oh dear..." Hannah muttered, moving behind Amora and tugging her hair back into a makeshift ponytail. "Somebody get me a hairband, please?" She called over her shoulder.

Zena trudged in, dark circles beneath her eyes and her curly hair a mess upon her head. She lazily pulled a black hairband off of her wrist and handed it to Hannah, not even acknowledging Amora as her feet scuffed across the floor until she stood in the mirror.

"Ugh, I look gross," she muttered, "I'll tell you something for nothing; wizarding alcohol is a lot bloody stronger than Muggle alcohol."

Amora wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as Hannah loosely tied her hair back. She heaved again, her stomach muscles clenching whilst she released all of its contents into the toilet. Kathy shuffled inside with a frown on her face.

"Amora, are you alright?" She gasped, joining Hannah on the other side of the brunette.

"Yeah, I'm good, what about you?" Amora replied sarcastically.

Kathy sighed and stroked her back as she threw up another time. "It's all right. Just let everything out, you'll feel better after you've had a shower and eaten something."

"Yeah, you didn't have much for dinner last night, so that probably didn't help," Hannah added.

They helped Amora clean up and left her to shower, the brunette exhausted but forcing her body to cooperate with her needs. She couldn't stop thinking about the argument she'd had with Leon last night and how shitty she felt now, both physically and mentally. Once she'd brushed her teeth not once but twice, and rinsed her mouth with an excessive amount of mouthwash, the brunette moved into the dormitory.

As she slipped on her clothes, a pair of black shorts and a black cropped top that ended just above her belly button, Zena came up behind her and plaited her wet hair into French braids so it would be out of her face in the summer heat. Amora groaned as she shrugged on an oversized checked flannel over her shorts and top, flowy enough to keep her cool and big enough to cover her skin.

She moved down to the Great Hall, dread filling her stomach as soon as she saw Leon already sat at the table. He looked nearly as shit as she did, despite the fact that he had barely drunk last night. He forced a smile at her when she sat down, one that she didn't return.

"Amora, I'm sorry," he blurted, "I really am. Words cannot describe how sick I feel with myself. I stayed up all night just replaying what I said and feeling like the world's biggest idiot and the worst best friend ever. I was just... scared I was losing you to other people, I guess."

Amora frowned at him, not saying anything as she reached for her usual porridge. It didn't sound like a proper apology. More like he was trying to get her to feel sorry for him.

She ignored him and reached for her usual bowl of porridge. Before she could even look around for the jar of honey, it was being shoved on her face. Amora sighed as she accepted it from Leon, not looking at the small, nervous smile on his face. She poured in more than usual, needing some sort of reward for how sour her night had turned yesterday.

She stirred it about and raised her spoon to her mouth, taking a large mouthful of porridge when Cedric grabbed her arm. Her eyes snapped up to him, wide, and she quickly swallowed her food.

"What--"

"Outside. Now," he snapped in a panic.

His demanding tone didn't leave Amora any room to protest, and if she was being perfectly honest, she was glad for the distraction from Leon and ready to accept an apology from her cousin for the way he acted towards her yesterday. It would take one person off the list of people that she was currently holding a grudge against.

Amora stood from her seat, following her older cousin out of the hall. They walked down the corridor until they were in the courtyard, the morning sun already warm on Amora's skin and causing Cedric to wince at the brightness.

"Are you ready to talk about Draco now--"

"That honey, Amora, I think-- Merlin's beard-- I think Leon might have put Veritaserum inside it!"

...

worst friend of the year award goes to... leon holloway! desperate mf

anyways, i hope you enjoyed this chapter! i was literally editing this as England was put into lockdown 3, so i might have a lot more time now to write like i said before :))

thanks sm for reading

dyiansobrien <33