Oh Snap (Hunter/Lance)

It had been a long, hard, exhausting week and Aoife was glad when she finished dinner and took the trek back to the Common Room. Her eyes were drooping and she really needed to sleep but it wasn't late enough! She couldn't go to bed straight after dinner! Rather than have a coffee at dinner, which would have been the more sensible option, the redhead had indulged in hot chocolate, which made her super duper sleepy.

Still, when they got back to the Gryffindor tower, a game of exploding snap with Hunter seemed to be in order. She even ran up to the dormitory and got out a few packets of various sweets, muggle and wizard, from her secret sweet stash. It was awesome. She always kept it well filled up so she wouldn't run out of sweets. And she kept it under her bed, next to the diary she never used.

Being Friday evening, the room was completely full, but she had a seat in the corner with Hunter. There was an empty armchair next to them. It wasn't being saved for anyone. But if anyone didn't have someone to sit with, she planned on being NiceAoife and letting them sit down. Providing it wasn't Blake. He didn't deserve it. Even though he had no friends and would probably be alone.

Her best friend was winning the games. Aoife was doing terribly, in fact. So it was a mixture of the sweets and satisfaction of finally winning that made her jump up from her seat when she won. "Oh SNAP!" she shouted, grinning. And she didn't care if people were looking at her weirdly. She'd WON!

So Aoife looked like she could fall asleep while she was walking after dinner. But Hunter was in the mood to kick her butt at Exploding Snap again, for just about the millionth time, so he was glad when she seemed to be up for it! He eagerly went to claim the open corner seat while he waited for Aoife to return with sweets.

Hunter snatched a packet of Haribos from her the moment she returned with them - "Thanks!" he said happily, ripping them open and munching on them as he set up the game. Then, glancing around to be sure that nobody was watching them, Hunter reached into his schoolbag and pulled out his contribution to the game night. "Don't let anyone see you with it, I don't have enough for anyone else," he warned her, handing over a bottle of butterbeer that he'd gotten after work. He'd finally started his new job at Zonkos, and it was awesome to be able to get butterbeer when nobody else in his year could!

He cracked open his own butterbeer and took a swig before stealthily hiding it behind the leg of his chair. And then the games began. And as usual, Hunter was destroying Aoife. "When are you going to just give up and accept that I'm better than you?" Hunter laughed as she lost yet again. But Aoife was stubborn, so they kept playing.

And to Hunter's surprise, the next game was not so easily won. In fact, it wasn't won at all. Hunter just stared at the game in amazement as Aoife practically jumped out of her seat in triumph. "What? But that can't - but - you - " Hunter stammered, glancing up at his friend incredulously. Then, gathering his wits again, he met her eyes. "You cheated!" Of course she didn't, but it was better than admitting that she'd beaten him.

Lance was dead on his feet. His eyes burned, needing rest. Slow, deliberate steps were all he was capable of taking at the moment as he made his way up the Gryffindor tower. He had somehow managed to spend five hours with his eyes glued to a book in the library. He hardly remembered blinking, let alone taking any breaks.


As he trudged into the common room, he fully intended to slump into the first chair he saw. His gaze, however, fell first onto a pair of second years playing exploding snap. They were eating way too much candy, and there was butterbeer there, even though second years aren't allowed to have it. Lance didn't question it. He gave them a beaming smile, walking towards in the armchair near them.  "Hello, it seems you are having a nice game of Exploding Snap. Do you mind if I join?", he called, making his way to the armchair and slumping in it.

"Awesome!" Aoife grinned when Hunter produced butterbeer. That would probably keep her awake a little longer. She was still jealous of Hunter's job in Hogsmeade. Next year, she was getting a job somewhere there straight away. Ideally, it would be at the ice-cream shop or Honeydukes, but anywhere would do. Although, in reality, she didn't need a job. By then, she'd be old enough to go to Hogsmeade anyway. But that was only at certain times, so she was still going with her plan.

She opened the bottle and took a sip, her smile widening at the amazing taste. It was almost as good as first year when they'd snuck out to Hogsmeade. That hadn't ended well, but she'd at least tried the best drink ever. "Thanks," she remembered eventually. Manners were always important. Even if you forgot and didn't use them for a while.

Hunter was such a sore loser. "I did not cheat!" she exclaimed. She was about to say something else to support her case when they were approached by a first-year. He wasn't the obnoxious, Ryan-type of kid so she hadn't really paid much attention to him in the past. "I guess you can join!" Aoife grinned, looking to Hunter for confirmation. Unless he had something against this one as well.