Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

Chapter 12
Rum, Rage, and Rings

The atmosphere of King's Cross was something Effie could never get tired of. Yet, even the hustle and bustle of the train station could not distract her from the reality that faced her in Hogwarts. Once she stepped in the Hogwarts Express, she somehow knew she was taking herself straight to another possibly disastrous academic term.

She sighed when she settled in an empty compartment with Dominique, wondering if she was overreacting. The anxiety was partly justified given she started her seventh year quite shakily but she also considered the fact that the drama had somehow subsided after Marriot Geller was kicked out and she successfully held her decision against Lysander's questionable suggestions.

Effie realized with a sharp pang in her heart that she missed the crew that worked under her school newspaper's name. The thought of Kira's outspokenness and Spencer's seemingly permanent cheerfulness brought an excitement that Effie had not felt in a long while.

With newfound optimism, Effie plopped on the cushioned seat with a smile and scanned the latest issue of the Daily Prophet.

"What's put you in such a good mood?" Dominique suddenly asked as she lifted her trunk on the rack. "You were brooding all the way here."

"I suppose I'm just excited to run my paper again," Effie said, ignoring that last bit.

"Are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with seeing a certain Andy Jefferson again?" Dominique teased lightly as she sat across her.

Effie blinked twice. She actually had not thought of Andy at all, but only because she was so used to just seeing him after Christmas with little to no contact. She wondered if she should have been guilty for not sparing him a thought but at the knowing look on Dominique, she knew the answer.

Gulping as the guilt built in the bottom of her stomach, she slowly looked up at Dominique.

"Wow." Dominique smirked, all too keen to say 'I told you so'. "Effie Greengrass, the heartbreaker. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Oh, Dom, I'm a terrible person," Effie suddenly wailed, leaning her head back on the wall in hopelessness. "How bad is it that I haven't thought about him at all?"

"Heartless."

Effie groaned.

"You need to talk to him, Ef," Dominique said in all seriousness. "I don't know about you but I quite enjoy having him around."

"Having who around?"

Effie and Dominique jumped at the voice, the former turning wide-eyed expecting to see the very person they were just talking about. Thankfully they were greeted by Louis Weasley instead, grinning handsomely as he leant on the door.

"Merlin's saggy pants, Louis," Dominique snapped. "You scared the shit out of us."

"I'll tell Jefferson not to come around too soon then so you could finish your rather interesting discussion," Louis smirked at her.

Dominique stuck her tongue out childishly. Louis ignored her and turned to Effie with a glint in his eye.

"All right, Greengrass?" he said charmingly.

Effie almost jumped again at the sudden attention. She eyed him warily before replying, "Never been better," a tight smile on her face and voiced laced with sarcasm.

He nodded, looking amused, and cast another smile in her direction.

"Good," he said softly. "I'll see you around."

With that, Louis marched off without looking back. Dominique's eyes curiously darted from the space her brother just left and Effie who minded her business on her seat, unfazed.

"What was that about?" she asked accusingly.

"What?" Effie asked innocently, eyes not leaving the Daily Prophet on her lap.

"Louis."

Effie finally looked up, eyebrows creased. "What about him?"

Dominique scoffed, a smile playing at her lips as she crossed her legs as if she was not letting go of the topic anytime soon.

"He was flirting with you," she insisted.

Flabbergasted, Effie finally tore her eyes away from the newspaper completely and regarded Dominique with utter perplexity.

"What are you on about?"

"I know flirting when I see it, Effie, and that was it."

Effie continued to stare at her as if she had grown antlers.

"He said no more than three sentences to me."

Dominique rolled her eyes and uncrossed her legs.

"Seems like more happened in that little trip of yours to James' country house," she said with a tut.

Effie sighed in exasperation. "Dom, I've told you everything. The most unusual thing that happened apart from my sudden burst of athleticism is James telling me to stay from him."

Dominique slightly stiffened. "Oh, Effie…"

Effie tried to shrug it off and returned her attention back to her paper.

"It's honestly fine. I don't even know why I tried for so long. Clearly he's got a lot of things to figure out before he starts making new friends."

"James is complicated, Ef," Dominique said, pity in her eyes.

"I told you, Dom, I'm over it," Effie said as nonchalantly as she could, her eyes glued to her paper yet her brain not necessarily registering anything she was reading.

Fortunately for her, Dominique dropped the topic with a sigh. The Hogwarts Express slowly began to make its way out of the station and Andy was still nowhere to be seen. Neither Effie or Dominique voiced their worry but both were visibly bothered by his unusual absence.

An hour passed and Dominique had dozed off in her seat, Charms textbook abandoned on her lap. The compartment seemed to get too stuffy for Effie's slightly agitated state so she dropped her reading material and made her way to the restroom, hoping she would run into the snack trolley to calm her nerves.

She liked to think her agitation was due to Andy's unusual absence but really she knew it was due to the inevitable moment of him finally showing up. She was not quite sure how she would react to him looking at her like she was the only girl that mattered when she clearly did not feel the same way.

After a particularly long restroom visit, Effie reluctantly made her way back to her compartment. She passed one after the other, each almost completely filled by happy chattering Hogwarts students. She caught a glimpse of Al in one of them, sitting comfortably with a couple Ravenclaw fifth years.

Effie abruptly stopped, intending to say hello, but after catching a glimpse of the compartment right next to Al's, she was unable to look away at the bizarre scene. Sitting comfortably were Fred Weasley, Gryffindor Chaser Rory Campbell, and James. The odd part of it all was that James had his arm around a pretty blonde, the fourth person in the room.

The charming and almost arrogant grin on James face caught Effie off guard, keeping her frozen in place as she watched him address his friends in a way she had not seen in a long time. It was the same look on his face when he jinxed unsuspecting first years or boasted about his impressive Quidditch team line up.

With the exclusivity and self-importance oozing off his relaxed position on the seat, it was the James Potter Hogwarts was used to and had undeniably missed for the first term of this academic year.

When Rory leaned forward and whispered something to James, he turned to catch Effie's eye. With a squeak, Effie rushed down the hall and back to her own compartment.

Barely registering the fact that Andy was still missing, Effie found Dominique reading her Charms book alone, looking up in surprise at Effie barging in rather breathless.

"Where've you been?" she asked, scrunching her perfectly arched eyebrows.

"You're going to think I'm mad," Effie said, eyes wild as she plopped on the seat opposite her best friend.

"Louis asked you out," Dominique suddenly said quickly.

Effie shot her an exasperated look. "No, Dom."

Visibly losing interest, Dominique returned her attention to her book.

"I've just seen James with a girl," Effie said.

Dominique's eyes shot up laced with pity. "Oh, Ef…"

Effie waved her off impatiently. "No, no, don't give me that look. He was with Rory Campbell and Fred too. He had his arm around this girl and everything and he was… grinning."

"Rory Campbell?" Dominique said, looking flabbergasted. "Since when has he hung around him?"

"Search me," Effie said. "I haven't even seen him with a girl since he dumped Gwen Thompson in sixth year. And you should've seen his face, Dom. It was as if he was… planning another prank on Filch or something..."

Dominique frowned, looking out the window. She paused for a moment before she grimly said, "Well, this'll be a laugh for those who didn't think he had it in him to change."

"Something's up with him," Effie said, leaning against the wall.

Dominique sighed and shook her head. "Just stay out of it, Ef. If what you're saying is true, you won't stand two seconds being around him."

Effie did not reply, eyes following the vast fields of green the train passed. She sensed Dominique giving her a wary look before she resumed reading her Charms textbook.

Effie closed her eyes, the lingering thought of James her last as she drifted into a deep sleep for the rest of the trip.

When Effie woke up, the sky was dark and the windows were damp. Andy still had not shown up. Dominique was getting ready with her trunk, Charms book in hand and coat wrapped tightly around her.

By the time the Hogwarts Express came to a stop, Effie was ready to hope out as well. Banging doors filled her ears and students scuffled quickly to the thestrals, elbowing each other towards the warmth of the first carriages. Effie and Dominique managed to squeeze in with a couple of second years in one carriage and sped off to the castle.

"Where do you think he is?" Effie asked softly, eyes following tree after tree they passed.

"Probably with his teammates," Dominique tried to say offhandedly, but the strain in her voice gave away. "I think Louis had seen him."

"Do you think he's angry with me?" Effie said, feeling sick.

"Get it together, Effie. What would he be angry about?"

"That I don't feel the same way," Effie said bluntly, avoiding her best friend's eye completely.

Dominique however was not surprised and merely shot her a pitying look.

"I'd say it isn't your fault but it sort of is," Dominique said with a shrug. "I told you not to lead him on."

Effie sighed and did not contradict her. The rest of their trip to the Great Hall was silent, both girls focused on getting out of the carriage as quickly as possible and not losing each other in the Entrance Hall towards the massive double doors of the Great Hall.

As soon as they found seats on the Ravenclaw table, Effie plopped on the bench feeling completely exhausted and desperate for a hearty meal. Andy finally slipped her mind at the thought at gorging the delicious food of Hogwarts after nearly a months hiatus. The only one in worse shape than her was Dominique who was practically salivating at her empty plate, no doubt imagining what kind of chicken dish the house elves cooked up for them that night.

When the Great Hall filled up, the food finally appeared for the students to eat, and just as Effie was about to inhale the pot roast, a not so friendly face sat opposite her. She lifted her head to address the impostor, face twisting in an ugly grimace at the sight of Lysander Scamander smiling cheekily at her.

"What do you want, Lysander?" Dominique said irately before chomping on her chicken leg.

"Nothing from you," Lysander answered back. "I just want to tell Effie that I've already got our first paper of the term set and ready to go by tomorrow."

Effie nearly choked on her peas. Eyes watery, her head shot up, wide-eyed.

"What?" she said, unable to believe Lysander could have possibly cooked something up, having only been back to the castle for not more than fifteen minutes.

"I've been owling the members all break," Lysander said smugly. "I thought it would be important to have our issue ready by tomorrow so I got articles from everyone and a fantastic headline to set us off."

"I didn't receive an owl," Effie said dumbfoundedly.

"Oh, I know," Lysander said with a shrug. "I didn't need your help anyway. You'd just hog all the work. Anyway I got everything I needed and I just need your approval before Callahan can publish it. It's protocol and a pretty stupid one at that. But when I start handling Owl's Post next year, everything will be different."

Effie stared at him speechless, wondering how just fifteen minutes into her term already turned into a disaster. When Lysander slid a stack of parchment across her, she almost just wanted to say no. But she was just never that kind of leader. She was always hesitant to use her position to her advantage and there was a small chance Lysander was actually giving her something that was worth publishing. All journalists deserved to have their work read.

Hoping for the best, Effie accepted the stack and skimmed through the articles. She felt a bit of weight off her chest when she realized the articles were not bad at all. Spencer, Sarah, Kira and Al all had their additions in their respective and fields and they were very good and well-written. For instance, Kira managed to report on another rare sighting of a new dragon off the coast of Romania and Al elaborated on a table of statistics that described the chances of winning of each team. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were neck and neck.

The last article was Lysander's. Effie's breath hitched. Sounds fumbled around her ears and she could barely feel the parchment through her fingers. Her stomach churned uncomfortably, almost excusing herself to vomit if she had not been frozen in place.

Lysander's headline read: 'Rum, Rage, and Rings: Your Latest Update on the Potter-Weasley's Christmas Fiasco'. The photo right below it featured Dominique, James, and Effie seated across the table, Dominique looking furious, James looking blank, and Effie looking utterly confused. Effie vaguely remembered a flash going off after everything went downhill in the dinner party but her brain could not seem to pinpoint who took the photo.

"How did you get this?" Effie said shakily.

Dominique seemed to sense something was wrong. She dropped her utensils and peeked over Effie's shoulder. Her face turned white.

"Get a bloody life, Scamander," she snapped, snatching the article out of Effie's hand before she could read it and viciously crumpling it into a ball.

"I've got copies," Lysander said calmly.

"Who gave you this information?" Dominique demanded.

"Can't say." Lysander tilted his head. "Part of the deal to get what I wanted. Nice try though."

Dominique shot him a glare that would have gotten Professor McGonagall cowering behind her desk. Lysander did not so much as flinch. He simply turned to a still frozen Effie and addressed her coldly.

"There's nothing you can do because the team already agreed with publishing it. Everybody thinks it'll do our paper some good. I just needed to show it to you before Callahan could approve it."

"You're not allowed to publish that," Effie said softly, voice shaking in anger. "I can't let you."

"Really?" Lysander said mockingly. "You won't let me? Well, you've always put big decisions to voting and sadly it's five against one."

"Al couldn't possible have–"

"Oh, he took some time but he didn't want to get kicked out of the only group of friends who accepted him without whispering behind his back."

Effie started to hyperventilate but Dominique rubbed her back in a attempt to calm her down. The blonde seemed to let her curiosity take over and uncrumpled the article. As she read, her rigid posture relaxed and her fury shifted to a mere face of annoyance.

She handed Lysander the article back and said, "Do what you want, you bloody creep. Just leave Effie alone."

Lysander gladly received the crumpled piece of parchment and stalked back to the Gryffindor table. Effie gave Dominique a curious look, wondering what triggered her change of demeanor but she did not give it much thought. She only wondered what she did to put her entire team against her and what she had to do to get her paper back.

"What a bloody mess," Effie said glumly. "I'll have my paper suspended by the end of the year."

"It wasn't that bad, Ef," Dominique said. "It was just a bunch of stupid rumors. Harmless, really."

Effie shot her a weird look. "You were furious about it just a minute ago!"

Dominique sighed. "Well, I read it and it's just some rumors that I'm sure have already spread in the castle. We're used to that, Ef. Anyway I realized Lysander's just trying to rile you up and you shouldn't let him walk all over you like that."

"I am not–"

"Yes, you are, Effie," Dominique snapped. "You should've seen yourself when you read that headline. You looked like you were about to pass out. Lysander wants you to feel scared and vulnerable so it's easier to take your people and your paper from you. You have to show him that it's not going to be easy!"

"How do you suppose I do that then?" Effie huffed. "He's right. I can't just tell him not to publish something because I said so. I don't work that way and it certainly wouldn't look good being a hypocrite."

"You're really going to sacrifice your paper because you believe in democracy?" Dominique said. "This is your paper, Effie. Don't forget that."

Dominique ended on that note and continued to gorge down her food. Effie was still suspicious of her sudden change in demeanor but ultimately decided she was partly right. Her eyes searched for Lysander who sat alone by the Gryffindor table looking too pleased of himself. Effie sighed knowing she gave him that satisfaction by acting like a complete wuss.

Before she could ponder on it further, a familiar brown-haired Ravenclaw sat on the vacant seat Lysander left behind. With blue eyes lacking their usual twinkle and a smile that did not reach his ears, Effie almost did not recognize one of her best friends sitting across her.

"Hey," Andy said.

Dominique squeaked. Effie was tomato red. Andy regarded them both with an air of his usual confidence, but the banter was not there. He also just seemed to direct his eyes at Effie who almost sank under the table to avoid them.

Surprisingly getting the memo, Dominique swallowed her last bite, rushed out of her seat and said, "I think I heard Chang calling me somewhere over… er…" She pointed at a completely unoccupied part of the Ravenclaw table. "There. Bye!"

When Dominique anxiously ran the opposite direction from where she originally indicated she was going, Effie contemplated casting a dillusionment charm over herself, running to her dormitory, and locking herself in. Unfortunately Andy spoke before she could think of a game plan.

"How are you, Ef?"

Effie blinked twice and finally looked him in the eye. "I've been good."

"I feel like we don't talk anymore," Andy said, a sad look in his eye. Guilt invaded Effie's chest.

"I'm sorry, I've just been–"

"Busy with the Potter-Weasleys?" Andy said, not sounding as resentful as she expected he would be. The sad look in his eye was still there but he did not seem all that surprised at the way this conversation was going.

"It was a dramatic Christmas," Effie said, although dramatic was still an understatement.

"I know, Dom wrote me."

Another pang of guilt stuck her heart. "Oh, Andy–"

But Andy waved her off, trying to look nonchalant like how he usually was.

"It's alright, Effie. I shouldn't have forced it when I knew you didn't feel the same way."

"Andy, of course I–"

"The least you can do is not lie to me, Effie," Andy said with a slight frown.

Stung by the comment, Effie shut her mouth and let him continue.

"It just feels like such a mistake because we can't even sit together without being like super awkward and its bollocks. I mean I've known you for so long and I don't want this to ruin how we were. I miss you, Ef."

"I miss you too, Andy," Effie replied instantly. "It's just every time I tried writing you back, something would happen and I'd completely forget about it. Or maybe I don't really know what to write to you since we were… you know…"

Andy nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get it. It really wasn't natural at all. I guess I was just caught up in it all since I liked you so much. I didn't think about you being too nice to end it."

Effie opened her mouth to tell him she was not like that, but the look her gave her made her shut up before she could even speak. Perhaps deep down she knew he was right, but it was hard to admit it to herself.

She mentally berated herself for leading him on. She hated herself for not liking him back. He would have been perfect for her and for some strange reason she knew that if he told her sooner, maybe it would have worked out. Seventh year was just too late and she was not sure why.

"I'm not angry, Effie," Andy said with a real smile this time. "I just want to be friends again. Like how we used to be."

Effie sighed in relief and held his arm. "Of course, we'll be friends again. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you. I don't think I can handle Dom myself."

Andy grinned from ear to ear and his playful aura came back almost instantaneously. Looking pleased and absolutely normal, he moved to Dominique's vacant seat next to her and finished the pumpkin juice in her goblet.

They caught up throughout dinner, Andy telling Effie about a surprise trip to France with his family and Effie filling him in on the drama that went down in the dinner party and afterwards. He looked visibly annoyed at the part about James unexpectedly turning against her but did not comment any further when Effie begged him to forget about it.

"I told you he was no good to be around," Andy said disgruntledly.

"I honestly just don't want to think about it," Effie said with a shrug. "Maybe he decided he didn't want a friend after all."

"Bloody weird, if you asked me," Andy said. "I could've sworn…"

Effie never heard the end of that sentence. Before she could ask, heavy steps and murmuring flooded the hall and it signalled that it was time to head back to Ravenclaw Tower. Andy was swept by the crowd when his teammates called his attention, leaving Effie alone to walk back to the common room.

She felt significantly lighter with a spring in her step, Lysander's threats were completely submerged by the highs of happiness and relief. She was grateful to have Andy back as a regular friend and she realized perhaps this academic term did not start so terribly after all.

When she reached the bronze handle, she knocked once and the cool voice spoke.

"What three words are said too much, yet not enough?"

Effie frowned, not a single idea in her head. Thinking maybe she heard it wrong, she knocked again and the same question voiced out. Panic started to fill her chest, thinking how she was going to explain to the next Ravenclaw that she had no clue how to solve such a simple riddle that she usually would have no trouble with.

She knocked again, hoping it would help her think. What three words usually fell in one sentence, said quite often but also not at the same time? How are you? I am sorry? Please excuse me?

Footsteps echoed faintly from the bottom of the staircase. Effie desperately knocked again.

"What three words are said too much, yet not enough?"

"I love you."

Effie jumped, nearly losing her balance and slipping on the step. Someone caught her arm to steady her as the door of the Ravenclaw Tower opened with a creak. She looked up only to get caught in a familiar pull of Veela attraction. She recovered less quickly than she usually did and hastily shuffled away from Louis Weasley, into the warmth of her common room.

Knowing he followed her inside, she almost did not want to turn back and thank him, but ignoring common courtesy was never her forte.

"Thanks for answering it," she said, turning back slowly and avoiding his eye.

Louis chuckled. "I needed to get inside too. How long were you stuck there?"

Effie's cheeks grew hot and she cleared her throat. "A few minutes."

"No shame in missing a riddle once or twice, Effie Greengrass," Louis said cheekily. "Too bad I had to witness the easiest one."

"I would put that one up among difficult," Effie said defensively.

"It was so simple," Louis laughed. "A first year could have answered that. Or anyone who's been in love."

"That's ridiculous," Effie said with a doubtful frown. "All you had to do was think of the most overused three words in sentence formation and you would've had it. It's a riddle. There's no required experience in answering a riddle."

"Then why didn't you get it then?" Louis asked, eyes twinkling.

Effie blinked twice and watched him head up the boy's staircase with a handsome grin on his face. Feeling significantly disgruntled and all skippy happiness gone, she headed up her to her dormitory, ready to tell Dominique how insufferable her brother could be sometimes.

OWL'S POST
Hogwarts Monthly: January

Rum, Rage, and Rings: Your Latest Update on the Potter-Weasley's Christmas Fiasco
By Lysander L. Scamander

Christmas without drama isn't Christmas at all, or at least, that's how it is with the Potter-Weasley clan. Our inside sources tell us exciting rumors on the ongoing turmoil within the very circle of the Potter-Weasleys, many of us eager to know more about the latest Christmas dinner party held in the Potter's country house.

One very significant event was the announcement of the engagement between our very own Hogwarts alumni, Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley. Yet, our sources tell us that somebody wasn't very happy with the news. At a last ditch at sabotage and her actions blinded by the wails of her heart, Dominique Weasley was reported to have exposed herself to her entire family, claiming Teddy was in love with her and not Victoire.

Not to worry because the wedding is still on and Hogwarts' power couple is still very much in love. Dominique had to be restrained by her cousin James who seemed to have earlier troubles with drinking. James' support would not have meant much, considering he was not operating in the right mind, a habit, our sources say, that was quite prominent during dinner parties. (Read more on page 2)

Hello I'm back :) I just finished my academic term and I'm off for two weeks so if I get enough support for this for the next few days, maybe I can update more than twice over this term break! Thank you for sticking around. Leave a review so I know what you think!

-Finner