It was a hot summer night, the kind that demanded sleeping on top of one’s blankets, numerous attempts to find a cool piece of mattress, and general sleeplessness. Katherine Vance was no exception, as she lay sprawled across the colourful patchwork quilt that she had watched her grandmother stitch together years before. Her insomnia, however, was not product of the heat, but a particularly nauseating phone conversation drifting through her wide-open bedroom door. If she had to listen to Lily lament the length of summer holidays (which officially ended in less than twelve hours!) one more time, there was going to be a serious Bat- Bogey Hex in the near future.


She was spared the effort by a familiar silhouette moving suddenly into the garish, yellow glow of the hallway light fixture. Lily crept soundlessly into the darkened room, oblivious to her best friend’s measured glances- if Lily thought that she was asleep, there was no reason to derail her belief-for now, anyway.

Kate waited until Lily had closed the door and was creeping carefully onto the mattress before she flopped quickly onto her opposite side. “So, how is the old git anyway?”

Lily started so quickly that she fell sideways off of the bed, landing on the floor with a thump that rattled the many picture frames lining the room. Her head, fiery even in the darkness, poked irritably up from the floor. “Kate! Were you trying to give me a heart attack?”

The query went unanswered for several seconds as the subject in question rolled around the bed and attempted to catch her breath between guffaws. “You-should have-s-seen-your-face!” She finally managed before dissolving into giggles once more.

Lily heaved herself onto the bed with a slight humph. “It wasn’t that funny.”

“Oh, but it was.” Kate laid a hand over her heart; arms and legs splayed wide as she attempted to calm her breathing.

A nudge in the ribs courtesy of Lily’s foot affectively led to a change of position. “Scoot over. You’re hogging the whole bed.”

“It’s mine.”

Lily sighed. “Scoot over or I won’t tell you what Alex said,” she tried in the sort of singsong tone one uses to placate a young child.

“You won’t tell me anyway,” Kate grumbled as she obligingly shifted to her left.

“Only ’cause I know you heard the whole thing anyway.”

“If you were more chatty, I wouldn’t have to eavesdrop to get information,” Kate whined, but Lily could hear the smile in her voice.

“If you had a boyfriend of your own you wouldn’t have to rely on Alex and I for entertainment,” Lily shot back teasingly.

“Ouch. I love you too, Lils.”

Lily winced sympathetically. “You’re right, that was bad.” She fell backward onto her friend, pretending to faint dramatically. “Whatever can I do to make it up to you?”

“Not much.” Kate’s voice was slightly muffled because of Lily’s strategic position, but the sarcasm in her tone was very evident.

Lily sighed and rolled off the bed, albeit much more gracefully this time. Kate could hear her rustling though her trunk and smiled in spite of herself; Lily knew her too well.

“I have Cadbury’s, Aerobars-”

“Gummy bears?” Kate broke in hopefully, mentally cataloguing her friend’s Muggle candy collection.

“You drive a hard bargain,” Lily grumbled sarcastically, but the telltale crinkle of cellophane gave her away.

They were an unmatched pair, Kate reflected as she grabbled a handful of her favourite Muggle candy and ate the bears from least favourite to most, savouring the yellow and green. Lily was a brain who had easily earned twelve OWLs last year, while Kate had been pleased to earn ten and receive a D (for dreadful) in Arithmancy. Lily had a steady boyfriend and a string of admirers who she paid little, if any, attention to, while Kate was friendly with many boys but nowhere near as sought after. Lily was much more analytical and relished classes like Potions and the structure of Charms, while Kate preferred the story-like quality of History of Magic (everyone was still trying to figure that one out), and the flexibility of Transfiguration.

Their friendship was solid, though, as was proved only months before, when Kate had found her then-boyfriend in a broom cupboard with another girl. Kate grimaced at the memory and hurriedly took a second handful of candy.

As if reading her thoughts, Lily launched into a monologue of Alex (her boyfriend’s) pathetic apologies for his friend’s behaviour. “He says Liam swears he didn’t mean anything by it,” Lily said for the umpteenth time this summer. “H-”

Kate flapped her hand dismissively. “I’ve heard this all before.”

“Alex says he’s miserable without you.”

“Good.” Kate rolled away, staring resolutely at the wall and ignoring the strange tightening in her throat that happened every time she thought about that horrible moment.

There was a long silence then. Kate could feel Lily’s eyes boring into her back, but she refused to have this conversation. Everything would be fine if people would leave her alone.


“I’m sorry,” Lily said quietly a moment later. “I don’t mean to pry or anything. It just doesn’t seem like you’ve really delt with any of this. You need to wallow.”

“Wallow?”

“You know, eat nothing but junk food, watch sad movies, make voodoo dolls, and listen to every song that meant anything to you as a couple, that kind of thing.”

A laugh bubbled out before she could stop it. “Sounds…uplifting.”

Lily laughed too. “It’s awful,” she admitted, “but it does help in some strange way.”

Kate flopped onto her back and stared a the plastic glow-in-the-dark stars she had stuck to the ceiling when she was nine after listening to her sister Emmaline’s description of the Great Hall. “And when, pray tell, would I do said wallowing? Tomorrow on the Hogwarts Express in front of everybody?”

“Well, no, but there’s always next weekend!”

“Because nothing says ‘I’ve moved on’ like a full-on wallowing session in the dormitory.”

Lily reached over and hit her in the face with a pillow. “Well excuse me for trying to be helpful.”

The mood became much lighter from there as the girls talked about everything from the practicality of using voodoo dolls to their upcoming sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


“Any chance you’ll be changing your stance on a certain Gryffindor Chaser this year?” Kate asked, eyes closed as she fought to remain awake some hours later.

Lily heaved a mock-tragic sigh, her tone dripping with sarcasm even though she sounded about as awake as Kate felt. “Kate, you know Callum has finally agreed to stop trying to put me through the goalpost. I still don’t think he really understands that I’m not a Quaffle, but-”

Kate snorted loudly, the only way of expressing amusement that she had the energy for. Callum McHollister had played Chaser alongside Kate for the last four years and gave special meaning to the term “dumb jock.” He was talented, but Lily and Kate were often surprised at the fact that he managed to find a way back and forth from the Quiddich pitch.

“Cal’s a nice guy,” she managed. “You know who I mean.”

“Oh, you mean the dashing, debonair egomaniac? Let me put it this way: are you planning on taking NEWT level Arithmancy?”

“Totally not a fair comparison. Potter’s actually very fit and he can find his way around the castle unchaperoned. Arithmancy is simply the most evil subject known to man. Plus the metaphor really doesn’t work because -”

“Spare me the English lesson, Kate. I was just making a point. Plus, I’m taken. I can’t pay attention to anyone, regardless of how fit they may be.” Lily yawned widely. “And now I’m going to sleep so I’m not a complete zombie tomorrow.” She rolled onto her side and snuggled under the covers.

Kate was suddenly wide-awake. “Was that a confession?” But Lily either didn’t hear her or refused to answer (Kate suspected the latter). She exhaled sharply and allowed her eyes to flutter open to study her ceiling once more. So much for that plan. Maybe she should just give up on convincing Lily. It wasn’t going to happen. Ever.

And she was willing to bet an entire bag of green gummy bears on that.

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A/N: Well, that's all, folks! Hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Any reviews would be greatly appreciated...This is my first fic and I'd love to know what ya'll really think! : )