"Inside is a skin cream I developed. It keeps your skin smooth and makes breakouts less likely." As she spoke, Muya scooped out two dollops with her index finger and smeared them onto Fred and George's faces.
"Oh, we can sell this to the girls, and to that bunch of annoying Slytherins." The two rubbed the cream into their faces, then spoke at the same time. "Ya Ya, look."
"Fred, your face has never been this smooth."
"George, your face is as slippery as a slug."
"Stop, stop, stop. Both your faces are slippery now." Muya pulled the two apart. "Work's over, work's over."
After packing everything up, the three carefully avoided Filch and Snape before safely returning to the common room.
"Want a skipping-class prop? A Fever Fudge?" Muya was selling their wares with Fred and George.
"Just 5 Knuts each—an absolute bargain!" The Weasley twins suddenly popped up behind Muya, startling a group of Little Badgers.
"I'll take five Fever Fudges."
"I'll take three. Do you have any other kinds?"
"Of course. We have plenty of products for everyone to choose from."
"I'll take one Fever Fudge." A voice all three recognized came from the crowd. It was Ginny.
"Our adorable little sister, what are you doing here?" The Weasley twins dealt with their "customers" while still finding time to tease Ginny.
After all, back at home, she had never really liked the prank items they made.
After giving Ginny a piece of candy, Muya watched her take it, leave behind 5 Knuts, and hurry away.
"Why did she run off so fast?"
"We weren't going to use it on her."
The two clearly had not realized that Ginny had just bought a piece of "skipping-class candy" from them.
After they sold out, Muya gave each of them a piece of nougat. "Don't you think Ginny's been acting strange lately?"
After stuffing the candy into their mouths, the two exchanged a glance, then shook their heads at Muya.
Muya pressed a hand to her forehead. How could someone have such unreliable brothers?
Recently, Muya had rarely joined the prank squad's activities because she was preparing birthday gifts for her two friends, Hermione and Cedric.
For Hermione, she made something that could drift with snowflakes, with a little witch resembling Hermione sitting on a tree stump and holding a thick book.
But she had not yet decided what to give Cedric.
So she went to find Sean and Vester.
"What does Cedric like?" Sean smoothed his hair, his other hand resting on his chin in a thoughtful pose.
"Quidditch?" Vester looked up and popped a strawberry into his mouth.
Sean seemed to think of something and laughed. "Come on, Vester. Cedric isn't a Quidditch fanatic like Wood."
Muya rested her head on her hand in frustration. "Sigh, I can't exactly just ask him directly, can I?"
Actually, she probably could.
Muya sprang to her feet, said goodbye to Sean and Vester, and went to find Cedric, who had just finished training.
A few students emerged from the pitch, but Muya did not see Cedric.
After waiting where she was for several minutes, Muya saw Cedric walking toward her with his things.
"Ya Ya." Cedric spotted Muya the moment he stepped off the pitch.
Cedric ruffled Muya's hair. Muya grabbed his hand and pulled him toward another spot. "Ced, there's something I want to ask you."
"What is it?" Cedric followed behind Muya with a smile, looking so obedient that she thought of the gentle senior students in novels.
"I actually wanted to ask what you like?" Muya looked earnestly and expectantly into Cedric's eyes.
Cedric's ears turned red at Muya's blunt question. His Adam's apple bobbed before he answered, "Probably Quidditch and... good food."
"Ya Ya... oof!" Cedric was caught off guard when Muya flicked his forehead. He shut his eyes and covered it as if it hurt badly.
Muya panicked a little. No, she had not even used much force!
"Ced, does it hurt? I'm sorry. Let me see, okay?" Her hand covered Cedric's.
Suddenly, he lowered his hand and let out a quiet laugh. Muya cupped his face, only to find that there was not even a faint red mark on his forehead.
Muya stared at Cedric in disbelief. Their house's perfect gentleman had actually been pretending to be pitiful just now!
"I'll like anything Ya Ya gives me." His gray eyes were bright now, and though his expression remained gentle, he looked a little cute as well.
In the end, Muya painted Cedric a picture of himself riding a broomstick and holding the Golden Snitch, along with a birthday cake.
October arrived, and Muya was very happy. So far this term, she had not been put in detention even once.
Dumbledore was very happy because Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape had no time to lecture their sweet-toothed bee of a headmaster.
The other professors were miserable because Lockhart had made them even busier. He was always making things worse instead of helping, and accidents often happened during practical lessons.
As temperatures dropped, the flu became increasingly widespread, and the School Hospital was packed with students suffering from colds.
Madam Pomfrey was so busy she had no time to rest, and she also had to worry about the dwindling supply of Pepperup Potion.
Other than teaching, Snape spent nearly all day in the dungeons, endlessly brewing potions, so he had been in an awful mood lately.
Just yesterday, he deducted 10 points because a Gryffindor student had been running in the corridor.
What left Muya most speechless was that she had even lost 3 points just for greeting Snape.
"Miss Muya, do you think your professor has time to stand here and listen to you greet him?"
He was deducting points indiscriminately, so she decided to volunteer to help Snape brew Pepperup Potion.
Muya stood outside Snape's office door and knocked. "Professor Snape, I thought you might need some help."
The moment she finished speaking, she was hauled inside. "Now then, Miss Muya will serve one week of detention for disturbing a professor while he brews potions."
Fine, they still had to put on an act.
But when Muya saw Snape's heavy dark circles, she was still startled.
That afternoon, Muya brought the freshly brewed Pepperup Potion to the School Hospital and told Madam Pomfrey that Snape had no time to come himself, so she had brought it in his place.
"Oh, thank you so much, dear. I've been run off my feet lately." She was currently examining a little Ravenclaw witch.
Muya replied with a smile, "You're welcome, Madam. You've worked hard."
Just then, Percy came in with a sickly-looking Ginny. When he saw Muya, he nodded in greeting, then led Ginny over to Madam Pomfrey. "Madam, I need a dose of Pepperup Potion."
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