 ~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
“Shall we keep our fingers crossed then? Maybe even our toes?” Big brother Jude was teasing but he could tell how much Keigh wanted Charlie to be a Hufflepuff. Jude kept glancing around at the Hufflepuff Table as he watched it fill up with Badgers. He found himself reminiscing about his own first year, which seemed to have only started just recently, how he had sought out Reagan’s encouraging face as he stood among the other first years waiting to be Sorted. He also recalled how short he had been at eleven. Where had all that time gone?! Thinking about the answer to the question, Jude found himself looking over at Maria. “Why are you blushing?’’ he asked, immediately distracted. He was smirking slightly because Maria’s blushing reminded him a lot of Keigh and the way she blushed when he teased her about Olivia or Charlie. “Hi, Maria! I did! What about you? Spent lots of time with your dads?” The seventh year drew his attention back to the Staff Table. “I dunno but the new Headmaster seems jovial.’’ Kind of like Father Christmas.
Why was everyone blushing?! Well, not everyone but Daniel certainly was. Jude watched the sixth year take a seat not far from him. He was silent, just observing it all: the book, the glance towards the Slytherin table, the dropping of the head on to the book and, of course, that weird sound. “Hi, Daniel. All good?” There was a strong hint of concern in the older Hufflepuff’s tone.
With the Sorting well underway, and with the letters to the surnames B {in Charlie’s case} completed, Jude nudged Keighley. Her boyfriend was officially a Hufflepuff! He glanced towards the Ravenclaw table, at Olivia. In his opinion, his fellow seventh year did not look pleased. Jude instinctively felt a sense of protectiveness wash over him - protectiveness for Keighley. He did not envy her having to juggle splitting her time with those two. Spotting a disheveled Reuben, he waved briefly to him. At least the second year wasn’t blushing. And the grin? Jude thought nothing of it other than Reuben was delighted to be back. “You might want to fix your tie,’’ he called cheerfully. The hair too. It was better a Housemate pointing that out rather than a professor, right?
Jude watched as another freshly Sorted Badger joined them.Ywan, if he remembered correctly from when the boy’s name was called. “Hi! Welcome to Hufflepuff! And to Hogwarts, of course!” Then another but this one, Jude recognised! “Hi, Brandon!” He had been waiting excitedly for Ashley’s brother to be Sorted and was THRILLED that the little guy had winded up in Hufflepuff. Ash had told him all about her little brother. “I know Ashley! I dunno if she’s spoken to you about me but I’m Jude.” His Ravenclaw friend had asked him to take care of Brandon and he intended to follow through. |