𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞.
.   .   .   .

"𝙄s it true?" Brianna came running towards Elena, who nearly fell over when she suddenly just stopped right in front of her. "Did he die?" She asked, a huge grin on her face.

"No Bri." Elena sighed. She didn't know why Jake called Brianna when he knew exactly how excited she would get over the news that Cedric got food poisoning. "It's just food poisoning you know? He's alright and he's meeting us after we're done, which reminds me, we should be going."

"Well, you can only do so much when life gives you shit." Brianna mumbled, shaking her head. She had dyed her hair red since the last time Elena saw her, which was two days ago, and she looked like a Weasley because she already had the freckles and the green eyes. She had tried to convince Elena to dye her hair a light brown but Elena kindly refused, saying that her mother won't allow it but she knew her mother would allow it anyway.

"I think you should flush it down the toilet." Jake appeared, holding out a packet of sweets towards his two friends and they happily took a handful. He then handed them each a fudge brownie, already biting into his.

"Shut it Hornby." Brianna mumbled, pouring the sweets in her mouth, using her hand as a funnel and she nearly chocked. Jake fought off the urge to laugh and he cleared his throat instead.

"When you're done being a pig, can we go?" Elena asked, unamused at her friends antics and she turned around, trotting towards Flourish and Blotts, with Jake and Brianna behind her, talking in hushed voices.

"What's wrong with her?" Jake had asked Brianna, raising a brow and he saw the now redhead shrug.

"I reckon it's the monthlies, they're awful and whenever they visit, Elena turns into a different person." Brianna replied, snatching the fudge brownie from Jake's hands and the boy blinked at first, surprised at the action, which had happened in a blink of an eye. "Unlike mine, I want to murder everyone every day but they make it worse."

"That was my fudge brownie. I gave you yours." Jake whined, watching with a sad heart as Brianna dropped the brownie in her mouth.

"Ditto kiddo, mine fell a while back." She shrugged and sure enough, when Jake looked back, there lay an unscathed brownie and his eyes nearly watered.

"But you could've asked like a normal person, and I would've given you a piece."

"Now there's two things I don't like about that sentence Jakey. One, the fact that you called me a normal person. Two, the fact that you would've give me a piece." Brianna huffed out, trying to blow away the hair that had decided to fall over her eyes. She halted in her steps, determined to blow it away and not use her hands.

Jake watched her struggle for a bit and he bit down on his bottom lip. He was tempted to tuck it behind her ear for her but he knew he'd just embarrass himself or fail miserably. He glanced to see Elena talk politely with Hermione Granger, who had her ridiculously ugly ❨ in Jake's honest opinion ❩ cat nestled in her arms and he looked at Brianna again, who was now turning a light shade of red in the face and Jake sighed.

"Here, let me help." He spoke softly, hands already reaching for the strands of silky red hair and his breathing hitched when he tucked it behind Brianna's ear. Maybe it was because Jake was secretly in love with Brianna and he wanted her to love him back, but he swore he saw her blush.

"T ━ thanks." Brianna mumbled, feeling awkward and her eyes landed on Elena, who still stood with Hermione but had been joined by Harry and Ron. "Come on, El's waiting for us."

"Yeah." Jake replied, blushing a bit and he trailed behind Brianna, silently scolding himself.

Elena turned her head just in time to see her friends stop by her side, both looking flustered but she knew better than to mention it. She could feel a pair of eyes on her and she found Harry staring at her like a creep and she raised a brow at him.

"Are you alright? Do I have some fudge on my face?" Elena asked, wiping at her mouth with her sleeve.

"No! I mean I'm alright but you don't have any fudge on your face." Harry chuckled nervously. "Bye!" Elena never got the chance to ask him about why he looked so embarrassed or what Ron meant when he told him that went smooth. She shrugged it off however and entered the shop with her friends.

Once they got everything they needed, they waited for Cedric at a nearby coffee shop, sipping idly on their coffees or in Brianna's case, cappuccino. The boy looked flustered when he did finally show up, his hair messy and Elena noticed a trail of small hickeys trailing down his neck.

"Sorry I'm late, I had ━ er ━ something to do." Cedric apologized. "Oh and I'm better, thanks for asking Brianna."

Both Jake and Elena raised a brow at Brianna, who looked confused beyond the word confused. "I didn't say anything, and I would never ask for your well-being Diggory."

Cedric only shrugged, a content smile on his face. "Don't worry Brianna ━" Cedric didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, for Brianna had jumped out her seat, nearly scorching herself and Jake with her fallen cup of cappuccino, already strangling Cedric.

"He should have stayed home." Elena sighed, shaking her head. "Merlin, he really should have."

.   .   .   .

"𝙃ey Bulstrode? Go fucking die."

If it had been any other day, Elena would have scolded Brianna for talking like that but Millicent deserved it. She had been bullying a kid that looked like he could be in his fifth, and he looked extremely terrified.

"Hey Kelps? Shut up before you end up like your brother." Millicent growled, glaring at the redhead and Elena saw Brianna's fists clench at her sides.

"Take that back." Brianna growled, almost sounding like a demon and Elena wondered if she should intervene. As she lifted her arms, as if to step between the two fuming girls, Brianna had already swung and her fist collided with the bridge of Millicent's nose. For a moment, Elena was stunned, staring at the bleeding girl and at Brianna, who looked enraged beyond the word enraged.

Like Brianna had mentioned before, Trelawney had predicted Brad's death when he was in his sixth year, predicting that he was going to die somewhere in his thirties. He was nearly twenty when he fell ill. At first, it had been a simple lung infection. He became alright after that, went to work like he used to before he became ill. It all happened so fast after that, first came the liver infection, then they found a tumor growing in his lungs, it turned out to be cancerous. Elena won't forget the day Brady Kelps turned twenty.

She had gone to the party, where Irene Kelps gave her and Brianna a taste of alcohol. Elena then decided that she absolutely hated it. Everything was going smooth, the music had them dancing until Brady coughed up blood. Everyone had panicked then, rushing towards him. Brianna had reached him first, holding his head up and Elena wished she never heard the last words Brady uttered to Brianna.

"I ━ I think we should leave." Elena softly spoke, shock still evident in her voice and she swallowed hard as she looked at the fuming Brianna. She had tears streaming down her red cheeks. Elena has counted the times her friend has cried. Only four times. Once in the third year, when Brady died, at his funeral and now. "Don't act so surprised Millicent, you did deserve it."

"Wait till Professor Snape hears of this." Millicent glared at them one more time, stomping away from them.

"I'm sorry El, I couldn't help it." Brianna sniffed, wiping away her tears. "She spoke so freely about him, like she knew him, like she was there when he..."

"It's fine Brianna, I understand your pain." Elena smiled sweetly at her. "Sit here, I'll get Jake." It was then she remembered the child Millicent had been bullying. "Be nice Bri."

Brianna let out a watery chuckle before she sniffed. "Yes mum."

Elena rolled her eyes before she stopped before the boy. "What's your name?"

"Amir Padukone, I'm new here." He sniffed.

"I'm Elena Eve, and that's Brianna Kelps. Nice meeting you Amir, I hope we become friends." Elena smiled at him, extending her hand and Amir blushed violently as he shook it.

"I hope I'm in Hufflepuff." Amir whispered when Elena walked out.

"She's quite the catch, isn't she?" Brianna asked, smiling as she did and she saw Amir blush again. "You can say it, she's absolutely gorgeous."

Amir visibly relaxed. "She is. And I've know her for five minutes but she was so kind to me."

"That's El for you." Brianna nodded. "She's got a twat of a boyfriend though, it's a pity, really. I think she and Harry would make a great couple."

"She's got a boyfriend." Amir repeated, more so to himself than to Brianna, who nodded anyway. "What house is he in?"

"Slytherin. Don't be fooled by his good looks though, he's evil right down to the core."

"Right." Amir nodded, a sour taste spreading in his mouth and he swallowed hard, only relaxing when he saw Elena arrive with a small gang following close behind. What he didn't know, is that Cedric knew everything.