The Great Hall really did live up to its name, in all its grand hall-i-ness.
It was a long room with four almost as long tables, floating candles and a ceiling charmed as the night sky. At the other end was the professor's table with the tall figure of Albus Dumbledore sitting at its centre to welcome their students back.
Tiffany felt Hogwarts magic greet her. She imagined playful sprites giggling as they rushed under her hair and into the sleeves of her robes.
The golden trio led her to Gryffindor's table and proudly pushed her gently into a seat near them then took place next to her, the other Gryffindors looked at her curiously.
"Wotcher Ron, who's your lady friend?" A familiar but different-faced Weasley slung an arm around Ron, who tried to shrug him away aggressively.
"Bugger off, will you? Ask her yourself."
Another redhead with a similar face slid into the gap between Ron and Harry, leaning over the table to look at Tiffany, giving her a casual hand.
"Weasley. Fred Weasley."
Tiffany's eyes crinkled as she smiled at him. The unmistaken playful mischief in his blue eyes amused her and she took his hand as if he were a maiden and gave it a faint kiss, making sure not to actually touch him.
"Williams."
"A boy?" His twin chimed in doing a double take with wide eyes. "A super, super pretty boy? Looks like this is my tree to bark up. I'm George Weasley."
"She's a girl," Hermione deadpanned.
"Hermione knows." Tiffany teased her, and the younger witch's face bloomed bright red remembering her innocent but still roaming eyes.
"I'm Tiffany Williams, heir of the Williams, a girl." She blew them a kiss.
"Fred, I'm still barking up this tree." George stared at the newcomer with stars in his eyes and she giggled.
"This tree would like it if you didn't bark at her, Monsieur."
"Fred, she called me Monsieur. I think that means we're getting married in French." Fred playfully hit George on the back of his head before turning his attention to Tiffany.
"Ignore him, you'd obviously want to marry the more attractive twin." Fred gave her a smirk, the playfulness amped up once he realised she was just as playful.
"More attractive? Mm, I'd have to see how Charlie's looking again before you can decide that, right?"
"You know Charlie?" George chimed in.
"She knows Percy," Ron mentioned, wanting his brothers to go away.
"That git? How do you know our resident Minster of Magic?" George joked.
"We're penpals~. Your brother is very brilliant." Hermione nodded in agreement, obviously having conversed with the older prefect on numerous occasions.
"Oh no." George groaned, "I can't believe my love rival is Percy." He gagged.
"You mean my love rival." Fred countered.
Tiffany watched them bicker with fondness, reminded of her own bantering brothers. She wondered if they would also be love rivals at one point. She was sure that her in-law would be banging and she'd flirt just to spite them.
"How cute." Tiffany spotted a gaggle of First Years following Professor McGonagall into the hall to the front of the room. "Is that what you guys looked like?", referring to her three juniors.
"Yes." The twins synced and the golden trio narrowed their eyes at them as Tiffany gave a soft laugh.
"No wonder you're so adorable now." She teased, a wagging finger at Hermione.
The Sorting Hat sang its new song and she gave a very enthusiastic applause that got her many looks. But she didn't mind. Mr Hat spent all year making songs, it's the least she could do. The hat acknowledged his number one fan with a, 'Thank you Miss Williams', and Professor McGonagall started reading names off a scroll.
The first few sortings were fascinating. Each child went and sat on the stool, some were sorted immediately, some not so quickly. After four were sorted, Tiffany saw that there were still ten students left and patted her stomach. She only had snacks on the train and she didn't want to spoil her dinner… Maybe just a little.
She opened her robe and pulled out a paper bag, discreetly throwing it across the table to Harry then pulled out another, opening it slightly to offer Hermione a baked good. She took a custard Danish, making it painfully obvious she was bad at discretion. Not that Tiffany was being overly secretive about it.
She took a big bite of her own Danish and almost moaned in delight, solely focused on her food and not on the wandering eyes watching her with interest.
"I like this," Hermione whispered. The older girl looked back and noticed her taking small bites with caution.
"Dippy, my house elf, made it. He's really good at what he does."
"A house elf?"
"Mhm, a helper, manor hand, that kind of thing."
Dumbledore stood as the final applause for the last sorted child ended, and Tiffany's focus was pulled away from Hermione.
"Good Evening, Young Wizards and Witches…"
Tiffany half-heartedly listened, wanting to fill her stomach, look around the castle then write her mother a letter.
"… Tuck in."
Dumbledore was given a round of applause and by magic, plates of food appeared on the table. Chicken pieces, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and gravy. There was a goblet filled with orange liquid that Tiffany hesitantly sniffed before taking a small sip, before realising it probably wasn't her favourite.
Tiffany plated a little bit of everything, adding some extra mashed potatoes and a piece of corn. She was introduced to a wolfish side of Ron, who all but stuffed his cheeks like a squirrel, and Harry, who took small bites of his food like an actual squirrel.
With a bit of chicken and mash with gravy on her fork, she took her first bite of real food for the day and was delighted, eyes lit and a small smile as she chewed. Hogwarts' food was as good as she expected it to be. The chicken was juicy and the mash was creamy but not overly heavy. She was also surprised the gravy wasn't too salty.
As she polished her food, Percy, Hogwarts newest Head Boy approached her. Tiffany took him in, watching as he subtly showed off his head boy badge. If Tiffany wasn't his long-time friend, she probably wouldn't have figured out he was doing it.
"Percy!" She hugged him enthusiastically, surprising the other Weasleys as he hugged her back, swinging her slightly. She pulled away and his ears were bright red. He knew if he had rejected her, she'd embarrass him more. Still, it was nice to see his best friend again.
"I'll give you a tour." He murmured, his tone neutral as he tried to gather his professionalism.
"A tour? By the Head Boy himself? Lucky me~," She teased and the blush that had only just receded had bloomed full force across his cheeks and the back of his neck.
"Don't do that." He hissed at her.
"Do what, Percy Darling?" She sang.
He took a deep breath, visibly calming himself then stuck an elbow out to her, his jaw clenched as he kept his eyes looking straight ahead. Tiffany smiled, her arm slithering into the crook of his and she turned back.
"I'll see you all tomorrow then. Have a good evening~." And with that, the pair left a hall of gaping mouths and three redheads in disbelief.
Tiffany whispered to her best friend as they continued down the hallway.
"You're not actually angry, are you?" She asked softly. Her eyes wandered over the portraits on the walls. She spotted one of a man lying on his daybed that sent her a wink and made her smile.
"Tif, you know I'm not angry."
"I had to make sure. Even if I like teasing you, I want you to tell me if I hurt you."
Percy understood. His friend was enthusiastic, charming and intelligent. His only real gripe would be her insecurities, some stemming from her childhood and about her appearance, but most were her connections with people.
She needed constant validation, and reassurance that they were still okay with each other. He'd happily tell her over and over that she was his best friend, that they were stuck with each other. But it hurt him that she has yet to believe him.
"Pen, we're best friends until the day we die. I can't have you wandering around, knowing all my secrets. You must stay where I can see you."
Tiffany lets out a choked laugh and Percy gives her a moment to gather her emotions. He gave her a briefing about the moving stairs instead. It swung around a bit before letting them off on the third floor.
"I was a bit overwhelmed today." She whispered to him. "I almost turned to go back but my mother had apparated away, as if she knew and didn't have the heart to reject me."
"Merlin, I love Queen Athena." Percy joked fondly. "Why were you overwhelmed? I thought you 'had Hogwarts in the bag'?"
"I did— I do! I just— They won't like me."
"When? When they find out you're a normal human being and not as flirty and outgoing as you were when they first met you?" Tiffany gave a small nod that made Percy groan.
"Pen, you are great when you are extraverted. When you give advice and speak passionately about what you believe in. You are just as great when you're quiet or when you annoyingly read under your breath like a psychopath— OW." Percy rubbed his ribcage from the pain of being jabbed with a bony elbow. "All I'm saying…is that you are greatness personified. They'll like you and if they don't, they were never really worthy of knowing you."
The tense arm on Percy's elbow slackened slightly as Tiffany began to relax. The older boy thanked his past self for revising how to speak and comfort a young lady for these exact moments.
"If only you spoke this well with your family, Percival." Tiffany sighed. It was now his turn to tense and she was quick to remedy, "No judgement, Percy. Never judgment," She rubbed his arm as they continued to walk around blindly.
"They are hard for me to talk to," Percy confessed. "I cannot voice my care as freely as you do. If I did, it would make my brothers…disgusted. No, not that. Um—,"
"Uncomfortable?"
"Yes, uncomfortable. It's not how we express love. Which is strange with how openly our mother expresses love. To the younger four, I'm the boring older brother. To the older two, I'm the reliable one. That gives them all the rights to being the cool brothers or the fun ones."
They entered another hallway and were now surrounded by trophies and memorabilia. Tiffany took a cursory look over the Quidditch trophies and medals, pausing at a Chess Championship trophy then left with her companion as he led her away.
"My parents had always taken liberties with my time and relied on me to watch the twins since the older two were at Hogwarts and my dad was at work and mum needed help." He paused his talking, muttered a password and the portrait of a lady swung open to reveal a red common's room.
"Gryffindor's common room." He muttered then led her to a secluded corner. She sat on an older-looking armchair, letting it swallow her into its leathery cushions. Percy pulled over an ottoman so they could continue talking, making sure to put up a privacy ward.
"Nice spell, Dux." Tiffany complimented. "You were saying?"
"What was I saying? Oh— I have always been given the role of disciplinarian. It doesn't help that Mum likes to use me as an example. I hate it, the twins hate me for it. It feels like I must play the Devil's Advocate."
"I can see where using you to curb the twins' mischief could be detrimental to your relationship. But you were all young, surely there will be a little more maturity now."
"They just don't like me. I'm not even mad anymore that they sent me into a frenzy when they first stole my prefect badge."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Honestly, I forgot," Tiffany snorted, "It's true. Anyways, I just— want it to be easy to talk to them. Like how I talk to you."
"Well, you remember how uppity and proper you were when we first started talking?" He nodded, "and how it took many, many letters, many conversations and tears for us to get to a point where we don't hide from each other," He nodded, awareness setting in.
"So I should make an effort?"
"Just start the conversation. Start with your parents. Your dad is the one you look up to the most. He's also the one secretly encouraging the twins and their pranks. I can see he is someone who wants the best for his children. Talk to him first."
"What about mum?" He questioned after a moment of silence.
"What about Mrs Weasley?" She countered.
"What do you think about her?"
"Mrs Weasley… I like her. A homely woman who made a home for herself and her children. She's traditional and pragmatic."
"But?"
"No, but. I have no right to judge your mother. I wouldn't want anyone to judge mine."
"No one would have the gall to judge Queen Athena, the Great."
"Athena the Great? I like that one." She murmured to him and he gave her a rare smile.
"What's your schedule like this year?"
"Booked."
"Completely?"
"No, not completely. I want more time with Mother so I cut ballet."
"That's tough."
The golden trio had walked into the common area and paused. Percy and Tiffany were sitting close together. The witch's legs were crossed at the ankle and stretched next to Percy with the latter's hand on Tiffany's ankle. It was a very intimate-looking scene.
"Ron, is Percy dating her?" Hermione asked curiously.
"I thought he was dating a Penelope? That's who his letters are usually addressed to." George paused after taking in the couple. "Are they dating?" He repeated confused.
"No clue," Harry spoke up.
Fred bypassed the crowd in the doorway and made his way to the unsuspecting pair, George hot on his heels.
"Tiffany, funny seeing you here with unexpected company." Fred eyed Percy up and down before turning to Tiffany with a flattering smile.
"How unexpected can it be? You saw us leave together." She raised an eyebrow.
"True. But I didn't expect you both to be so blatantly intimate. Since Percy's girlfriend might not like it."
"Percy's girlfriend?"
"Yeah, Penelope. He's been writing to her all summer and all last summer. Honestly, I never expected it from him."
"I'm pretty sure he's been sending letters to 'Penelope' longer than the last two summers." She joked, then looked at Percy, "How long has it been exactly?"
"Five years."
"Mhm, about five years."
At this point, the twins looked between the two and felt this was too scandalous to be his brother. Two girls?! And one knew about the other?!
"It's almost curfew. Head up." Percy gave Tiffany's leg a pat before getting up himself. "We'll talk again…?"
"Sunday. After lunch is my Leisure Block."
"Mm, Sunday then. Library?" She nodded, extending the back of her hand to him. He gave a look, then kissed the back of her knuckles. "Goodnight Pen."
"Goodnight Dux."
The twins continued to gape and Tiffany pulled Hermione to her side to guide her through the girl's dormitory.
"Goodnight boys~." She sang, and the two girls were gone.