the city never sleeps

Penny should have known. The Hufflepuffs were so mild-mannered that they simply did not even let themselves get near the wild, impulsive, and insanely unpredictable Audrey Montague. It was too much of a liability. "Oh."

Her next questions plunged Penny into deep shame and embarrassment. Her cheeks turned bright red and she shook her head, stuttering out, "N-n-no reason. Someone I just met, you know."

Audrey stopped in her tracks and pulled her friend's arm, pulling her to the side. "Penny, you should know by now you can lie to me." she laughed, but took an excited tone. "Tell me everything. Who is he? How did you meet? What does he look like? Is he funny? Cute? Smart? Charming? Artsy? Is he a smart, good boy, or a daring bad boy? When can I meet him?-" She cut off for air, still with the same excited aura as before, but she groaned a bit. "Penny, you can't hold out on me like this. Tellllllllllll meeeeeeeee..."

Moments like these are when Audrey forgot some of her own limits, and went a bit overboard. She had always viewed Penny as more than a friend, but more as a sister. They gossiped together, protected each other; Penny gave Audrey some sense, and Audrey gave Penny some fun. It came out to be a full yin and yang.

Audrey was always the one of the two to obsess over boys (and girls.) and she was the first to skip to assumptions whenever Penny had any boy on her mind. She knew Penny didn't mind, so most of the time she just let her imagination conjure up the most extravagant thing possible, and Penny would work it down from there.

Penny turned red. "It's nothing! Do you remember when I was in the hospital wing from the time we stayed out in the rain to watch those cute boys play Quidditch? Well, he was in there too. He tried making a joke that I, being hopeless, took seriously, and we just got talking. He seems really nice and really smart. So I just wanted to know if anyone else knew him, that's all." She looked at her shoes.

Audrey shook her head. "Penny you're as red as I've ever seen you. You like him." she stated simply, and her mind already was skipping to assumptions. "Oh, Penny, maybe we can double date. That'd be so much fun!" she jumped excitedly. "Please fill me in, love. Give my imagination something to work with? If not, I'll just have to blackmail you into a girls night. And you know, everything comes out on girl's nights." she teased.

Weeks before, Audrey had convinced Penny to come along with her and watch some boys from their house play Quidditch. Penny had ended up in the hospital, and Audrey completely blamed herself. But maybe, if she met a nice guy through it, it might have a silver lining? Either way, if Penny was happy, Audrey would be too.

"But speaking of double dates.. there are probably some things I should fill you in on." she mentioned with a sheepish smile.

Audrey began causing a bit of a scene, and Penny's eyes darted around in terror, certain that someone was bound to overhear and uncover the secret she had not even technically admitted to her best friend. It was uncanny how Audrey could say the words Penny refused to say, though she guiltily enjoyed the thought.

"There's n-nothing to tell," she stammered, still brilliant red. "There's nothing. He's a really nice person and - and I think he would be nice to be friends with so.. that's all."

Audrey provided her some escape, and Penny realized her best friend had admitted she would have someone to bring along to a hypothetical double date. She pounced on the idea. "Yes! Tell me - who?!"

Audrey scowled teasingly and gave her friend a look, but decided to let her off the hook. "girls night." She promised, and laughed. Penny's face was scarlet and she looked terrified, and Audrey didn't want to emotionally scar her, so she let the matter rest for the time being. Instead, she let her own girly smile and an extraordinarily rare blush creep onto her cheeks.

"Oh, Penny, his name is Sam. He's the sweetest thing, you wouldn't believe.. He's brilliant." She spoke, in an excited time.

Penny felt the bulk of her tension pretty much roll off of her back in waves as she realized that Audrey was going to let the subject drop. Well, she would let the subject drop... for now. She knew that Audrey would not let such a precious opportunity just disappear from thin air without a fight. It was simply not like Audrey to do.

Penny quickly cooed excitedly, happy that the subject was dropped and now on her friend. "Tell me more," Penny said. "How old? Which house is he in?" She struggled for more questions. "What's he look like?"

Audrey quickly shifted from excited to terribly uncomfortable as Penny asked all the normal questions, and she was slightly afraid to answer. What ever her relationship was with Sam, it would almost definitely be frowned upon by her fellow Slytherins, and quite possibly, even by her best friend, who was always so eager to do the most acceptable thing, when Audrey's fate seemed to have her do quite the opposite.

"He's tall, dirty blonde hair, and bright green eyes. He's a seventh year. And he's a Gryffindor." She said simply, hoping at least that she could get away with that. But she knew her friend's next question. Since he's a Gryffindor, the next obvious question, at least for a Slytherin, is to ask about blood. And that's where it really gets tricky.

Penny bristled with interest, glad that he friend had a boy, for Audrey's sake, of course. It was always a little sad as it meant there was usually less time for the two girls to enjoy time together without the interference of boys, but it also made girl's nights more spirited as they had more to discuss.

"Ooh, so I don't know him - wait. G-Gryffindor?" Ah, leave it to Audrey to make things more complicated. Penny didn't want to ask, but she also knew she couldn't just... allow her friend to make such a mistake.