OPHELIA HAD ALMOST FORGOTTEN THAT Draco was a prefect, until she saw him at the Slytherin table at the start-of-term feast. Her own brother, a prefect. 

Of course, Lucius was proud to say, that at least, there was one good thing that Draco was good at. Narcissa was elated he became prefect. All summer, he had not forgotten to gloat about it at the table during mealtimes, or keep dropping hints that he now had the authority to boss Ophelia around.

To which, she replied, "Parkinson's a prefect too, I'm sure she'd be delighted to assist you in your prefect activities."

Draco had stalked off without another word, and hadn't mentioned it since.

Now, however, as Ophelia and Colin walked through the double doors of the Great Hall, Draco couldn't help but send a smug grin towards her, until his hands flitted down to their interlocked hands.

Colin and Ophelia were still holding hands. 

Draco's expression darkened, his jaw clenched, and narrowed his eyes threateningly at Ophelia, who caught his eye, grinned widely, and sent him a flying kiss. Then, she made a heart with her fingers and strutted to the Gryffindor table, right in the center, where students parted to give her space.

She walked with her head high, reeking of authority and power. 

Like a queen. And it felt good.

Much to Ophelia's annoyance, Weasley and Granger were also made prefects. It was rather amusing to watch Potter feeling jealous and left out. Although Potter seemed to be fine and told everyone he was thrilled, Ophelia couldn't help but notice that he cast resentful looks towards Ron and Hermione as they helped the first years find seats.

This year, the sorting hat sung a song that was warning them, that something darker was approaching, and also advised them to unite.

But Ophelia, although she knew there was something darker approaching, decided she would never unite with Potter, or any of those godawful Weasleys! Besides, it was just a hat anyway, what did it know?

The feast was the usual affair. Ophelia was reading Antony and Cleopatra underneath the table, as she delicately used her fork to place small pieces of steak into her mouth.

"Is that all you're eating?" Colin raised a brow, nudging her.

Ophelia looked up, before swallowing. "Pardon?"

"I've never seen you eat," Colin explained. "You never finish your food. You just have a few bites of it, then leave the rest."

"I'm eating now, and I always eat the amount I'm supposed to," Ophelia said slowly, observing him carefully.

Colin shook his head. "No, you're supposed to finish what's in your plate," he explained. "Then go for seconds!"

"Seconds?" Ophelia echoed. "I've never gone for second servings of anything in my life." She looked horrified, her lips into an expression of distaste. "That's bad manners."

And Colin burst out laughing. "So it's bad manners to eat?" he raised a brow, incredulously.

Ophelia made a face and pointed at Ronald Weasley, who was talking to Nearly Headless Nick with his mouth so full that bits of steak gravy were flying all over. "When you eat like that, yes."

Colin sniggered. "Fair point."

Ophelia said nothing, as she placed a steamed carrot into her mouth, and left the rest of her food on her plate, unattended.

"That's what I mean!" Colin exclaimed, pointing to her plate. "You haven't finished your food!" he elaborated.

"Yes, but I'm done eating," Ophelia explained. "Just because my plate still has food, it doesn't mean I'm still eating!"

"Why did you put so much then?" Colin asked, raising a brow. 

Ophelia shrugged, before sighing fully and turning to face him. "A lady serves herself a good portion, but must eat no more than seven bites, so as not to gain weight," she quoted off, just as her mother told her. "If a lady empties her plate, it makes her look greedy."

Colin snorted. "So you count seven bites?"

"Well— yeah.." Ophelia nodded. 

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Colin confessed, trying to hide his laughter.

Ophelia looked offended. 

"No—" Colin told her. "I mean, the fact that you have to eat a specific amount."

"Why does it sound so hard to believe? I mean, if I ate as much as I wanted, I wouldn't be as slim as I am now, would I?" she questioned. "I'd have a terrible figure!"

"Ophelia, even if you didn't have a perfect figure, you'd still be the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts," he said quietly.

Ophelia nearly choked on her breath. A light blush coated her cheeks, and she picked up her goblet of water, taking a sip to hide her reddening face.

Before she could think of what to say, Professor Dumbledore stood up to give his speech, and the blonde couldn't have been more relieved that he had chosen that particular moment to stand up, so she didn't have to endure any more of this very awkward conversation.

Everyone stopped talking to listen to the headmaster.

Professor Dumbledore gave his usual speech on how no student was permitted to enter the Forbidden Forest, and elaborated once more on Filch's excessive rules, for which Ophelia zoned out.

"Now, I'd like to announce two staff changings this year," Dumbledore announced, and Ophelia looked up. 

"We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly Plank, who will be taking the Care of Magical Creatures—"

Colin groaned. "Aw man, I was looking forward to telling Hagrid about my—"

"—And Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." 

There was a round of unenthusiastic applause, and Dumbledore continued, "Quidditch tryouts will be held on the—"

He broke off. 

Ophelia cast a look at the teacher's table. 

Professor Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was standing up. Frankly, Ophelia could make out that she was rather stubby in height, and she wore a hideous, fluffy pink cardigan. A small bow was thatched onto her hair like a fallen leaf, and she looked like she was an overgrown doll from the fourteenth century, sewn by hand.

"Hem hem."

When Ophelia looked at Professor Umbridge again, she noticed that the professor was dressed entirely in pink.

Her favorite color.

Pink dollies covered her feet, and she wore a pink checkered shirt underneath her fluffy pink cardigan, and Ophelia had the sudden urge to throw up.

"She stole my color!" she whispered to Colin with wide eyes, outraged.

Colin couldn't help the snort that escaped him. "Ophelia, calm down, it's just pink—"

"Which happens to be my favorite color!" Ophelia urged. "She's ruining it! Look at that cardigan!" she grimaced, her eyes worried. "It's an insult to pink, and to the world of fashion!"

"It's just—"

"I'll have you know that pink is my trademark color!" Ophelia whisper-shouted, pouting. "And she stole it! I already hate her," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Colin sighed and shook his head, suppressing a smile. He knew Ophelia wouldn't let it go. She was the type of person who wanted to be the center of attention, and with Professor Umbridge having dressed in all pink, it was a blow to her ego that someone else had similar choices as her. Albeit, Ophelia was definitely more stylish, but pink was usually her trademark and signature.

Colin fondly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You definitely wear it better," he remarked, as the new Professor began speaking.

Ophelia looked smug after that.

Her voice was shrill and very girlish. "Thank you, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome."

Ophelia found herself disliking the Professor even more.

"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such bright, happy faces looking at me."

Ophelia and Colin both snorted. "Nobody looks happy here," Colin whispered into her ear, and Ophelia fist-bumped him underneath the table.

"Hi, I'm Ophelia, and I go to Hogwarts school for five year olds," the blonde giggled softly, and Colin had to disguise his laugh by emerging into a fit of violent coughs.

"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," whispered Parvati Patil, to her friend Lavender Brown, who were both sitting right near Ophelia.

"If she keeps abusing my signature color like that, I won't be her friend," Ophelia remarked, loud enough for the few Gryffindors around her to hear. 

Parvati laughed. "Please, she can make any color look like vomit."

Lavender only sent Ophelia a wary glare, and nudged Parvati to stop talking to Ophelia.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again, "Hem hem."

"Sounds like she's saying 'hen hen,'" Colin whispered, "Should I tell her 'egg egg' to show her I'm listening?" 

Ophelia's lips pressed into a thin line as she tried not to smile, shaking with stifled laughter. Her hand clapped over her mouth as Colin made more chicken jokes.

"Why did a chicken cross the road?" Colin murmured.

"I don't know, it's a chicken," Ophelia replied back monotonously, shrugging. 

"To get to the other side."

She turned to face her best friend. "How is that even funny?" Ophelia face-palmed, her head swiveling back to look at the teachers' table.

Colin shrugged. "It's very funny once you understand it."

"I doubt it."

Colin shrugged.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young wizards and witches to be of vital importance—"

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" Colin whispered again.

"To get to the other side," Ophelia muttered, rubbing her forehead.

"Wrong," Colin smirked. "Just beak-cause he could."

Ophelia sighed and shook her head. "Bad joke, Creevey. Terrible."

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" Colin asked again. 

This time, Ophelia did not answer. She kept her lips pursed, and faced Professor Umbridge, trying her best to listen.

"Because he was free-range."

Ophelia could have very nearly banged her head on the table loudly. "Stop," she groaned. "Just. Stop," she rubbed her temples. "Those are terrible jokes."

"Okay, last one," Colin told her. "Please?" His brown eyes widened, and he looked at her like a puppy, desperate for her attention.

"Fine," she sighed, turning slightly to the side to face him.

"Why did the turkey cross the road?" Colin asked, quizzically sending her a smirk.

"To— get to the other side?"

"To prove he wasn't a chicken," Colin corrected.

Ophelia couldn't help herself. Shutting her eyes tightly, she shook her head, trying to hide her smile.

"Why did Professor Umbridge cross the road?" Colin asked under his breath, trying to make her laugh.

"Because she was being chased by a chicken."

Ophelia choked on her breath, and clapped a hand over her mouth, shaking with stifled laughter. 

The mental image of that was too funny.

Professor Umbridge paused on her speech, and Ophelia used that time to catch her breath, and pick up her goblet of water, raising it to her lips.

"Hem hem," Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again.

"Egg, egg," Colin whispered, and Ophelia coughed slightly as water went up her nose, a painful sensation filling her, and she sent a harsh glare to the muggleborn.

"Excuse me," Ophelia murmured politely, picking up her napkin and daintily coughing into it, as the Gryffindors beside her cast her strange looks. 

"You're eggs-cused," Colin replied seriously, which made Ophelia laugh again, and in trying to hide her laughter, she coughed harder into her napkin.

"I should be a comedi-hen, shouldn't I?" Colin suggested. "Since I'm making you laugh so— OW!"

His voice broke off into a yelp of pain, and the other students at their table looked at Colin, who was scowling, his leg clutched in pain.

Ophelia had kicked him underneath the table. 

"One more chicken joke out of you, Creevey, and I swear I will make sure you eat eggs for the rest of your life," she threatened.

When she cast her head back to listen to Professor Umbridge's speech, she found that she had missed most of the speech. 

"—into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning whatever practices that ought to be prohibited."

And then, the professor sat down.

Ophelia glared at Colin. "You made me miss the speech!" she accused. 

"It was boring," Colin shrugged.

"Yes, but important!"

Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet once more. "As I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held on the—"

"Are you trying out for the Quidditch team this year?" Colin murmured.

"I tryout every year, why wouldn't I?"

"I think you'll get in," Colin said with a smile. "I hope you get in."

Ophelia smiled softly. After those words, he was forgiven for his terrible jokes. "Thank you. I hope I get in too."

As Colin and Ophelia made their way to the Gryffindor common room, most of the students nearby were imitating Professor Umbridge.

"Hem hem," cried a Ravenclaw fifth year, as they walked through the corridors, clutching her head dramatically.

Colin and Ophelia exchanged looks, then burst out laughing.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to stop thinking of chickens, whenever I see her now," Ophelia groaned, shaking her head. 

"I've got more jokes, if you'd like to hear—"

No thanks!" she cut him off. "I've had a lifetime supply of lame chicken jokes already."

"Anyway, what do you suppose Professor Umbridge's classes will be like?" Colin changed the subject.

"I'm not sure," Ophelia answered, as Colin said the password to the fat lady to enter the common room. "I think her classes would be just as boring as her speech."

"So you admit it was boring! Ha!" Colin exclaimed.

"I didn't say it was interesting, I just said it was important," Ophelia countered. 

"It just meant that the ministry will be more involved in whatever goes on at Hogwarts," Colin shrugged. "But she said it in a thousand words."

"I wonder how she'll manage to keep the attention of the class, if she spoke like that when teaching," Ophelia pondered aloud.

"She wouldn't manage to handle us," Colin sent Ophelia a mischievous grin.

"Would she like— actually teach us?" Ophelia wondered. "No, but seriously, what sort of teacher would she be?"

"I'm not sure," Colin quipped, winking at Ophelia, "but I'm sure she'd definitely have us working around the cluck."

"CREEVEY!"

It was safe to say that after that, Colin would definitely think twice before mentioning the word chicken to Ophelia, or daring to make a chicken joke in front of her.

{ i finally finished my essay. here's the next chapter. i hope you liked it. i really enjoyed writing this. our favorite duo is back after almost a week !!
please show colin and ophelia (and this story) some love by clicking the vote button, commenting, following, and sharing. thank you all for 8k. yesterday we were at 7k. i can't express my gratitude !
anyway, take care of yourself. instead of asking a question like i usually do, here's something else for you guys:
why did the chicken cross the street?
to get away from kfc.
lame joke, i know, all chicken jokes and puns are lame. but it seemed fitting to put that in there. take care y'all, ilysm. love, jasmine.}

{MAR 25. 2023}