AN: This is my first uploaded story, I suppose. I've been working on some other, much more serious works, but for the moment, I figured something light-hearted would do. Maybe with enough feedback, I won't actually abandon this, as I do with most of my other works, so please let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Harry Potter, as much as I wish I did.
Happy reading!
From where she sat in one of the many couches in the Hogwarts library, Lysandra Tate could hear laughter echoing through the halls. In fact, so loud was it that Madam Pince knocked over her cup of tea and leapt from her seat, muttering something about those "blasted Weasley twins," before hurrying from the library. The girl set down her copy of Gorglan's Guide to Gnomes, and stood, glancing casually around the library. A few Ravenclaws were murmuring amongst themselves, and even a bushy haired Gryffindor, that Hermoine Granger, could be spotted, huddled over a massive book, but none payed attention to the small witch.
Stepping lightly, she hopped the chains that separated the Restricted Section from the rest of the library. Hovering her fingers over the spines of the books, the girl finally selected two large tomes from the shelves and shoved them into her bag.
A small explosion rocked the school, and the large chandelier hanging over Madam Pince's desk clinked as is shook.
"Shit," she muttered to herself.
She made her way back to the armchair she had previously occupied, and snatched up Gorglan's Guide to Gnomes, snapping it shut and tossing it onto a random shelf. Straightening her green and silver tie, she left the library, offering a sympathetic smile to Madam Pince as the professor strode back in, her glasses askew. The young witch hurried up staircases and past classrooms until she found the spot she was looking for.
In the South hallway on the twelfth floor, stood a statue of a knight, sword in hand, and mask firmly shut. She had discovered him quite by accident in her second year, having tripped over Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, while trying to flee from the dreaded caretaker himself.
She landed on her bum, her hand flying back to catch herself before her head smacked into the base of the statue, and she accidentally pressed the "T" at the end of "The Knight." The statue had stepped from his place and stood aside as the bricks behind him had pulled away, revealing a small room, in which sat two fiery-haired twin boys. Taking a fearful glance back into the yellow, gleaming eyes of Mrs. Norris, she had leapt in without a second thought, the bricks sliding back into place with an ominous scraping.
"Hullo," the one on her left spoke up. "I'm Fred."
"-And I'm George."
"-How'd you find our spot?"
Lysandra stared back and forth between the pair, rubbing her eyes before responding, "I'm Lysandra." She murmured to them, noticing the red and gold ties that clashed awfully with their hair.
"Well-" George said, looking down at a slip of creased parchment in his lap.
"-You're very lucky-"
"-You just missed Filch-"
"-But he's still out in the hall, so you might as well stick around."
Hesitantly, she took a seat on the stone floor, peering at the paper in the boys' laps. Something wiggled on it, and she raised her eyebrows. "What is it you have there?" The boys grinned at each other, and then at the girl.
"This here's the Marauder's Map!" They spoke simultaneously.
"We nicked it from Filch last month in detention."
Leaning closer, she could see that it was indeed a map, a map of the whole school! "Wow," she breathed, noticing the tiny footprints and their labels wandering about the school.
"Hey! You're a Slytherin, aren't you?" Fred spoke up.
She met his gaze evenly, "I am."
"'Clever and ambitious,'" George quoted, eyes flicking back and forth between his brother and and the Slytherin witch, seemingly having a silent conversation with his twin. "We may just have a proposition for you, Sunny."
It had been nearly four years since she had joined forces with the twins, she reminisced, a bit sadly. They were in their sixth year and were well-known about the school as the trouble-making geniuses.
"Oi! Quit your daydreaming and open it up!" The Slytherin girl's head shot up and her fingers depressed the letter. The twins were strolling down the halls, trying and failing at looking inconspicuous. Floating a little ways behind them and blowing raspberries, was Peeves, the mentally unstable poltergeist. Lysandra's eyes widened, and as soon as they got close enough, she grabbed the sleeves of their robes and shoved them into the small room, quickly climbing in behind them, hearing a demented cackle as the Knight slid slowly back into place.
"Peeves," George muttered, "I didn't even notice him. I wonder how they'll keep him from wreaking havoc on the tournament…"
The Tri-Wizard Tournament had been announced at supper just a few nights ago, along with the arrival of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students, also looking to compete for the Cup. Fred and George had been in an outrage when it was announced that only students seventeen and older were allowed to put their names in, being only a few months shy of their seventeenth birthdays. Of course the conniving duo had come up with a plan, enlisting Lee Jordan and Sunny Tate as their help; and despite her misgivings about the solidity of their idea, Sunny decided to just roll her eyes and go along with it.
Fred grinned, looking at the thoughtful witch expectantly. But instead of smiling, her brows pulled down into a frown as she regarded the pair sat before her.
"You lot are absolutely hopeless, you know that, right?" She muttered disapprovingly as she saw all the dirt on their faces, "It's a bloody miracle you didn't get caught! The amount of dirt on your faces is a neon sign of guilt." She threw a handkerchief at them as she pulled the two books from her satchel. One of them, she set aside, placing it in her lap. The other one, she opened up, turning pages until she found 64, the header reading "Aging Potions."
"You're brilliant, Sunny."
"-And have we mentioned beautiful too?"
"-And clever-"
"-And selfless-"
"-And perfect-"
"-And amazing-"
"-And beautiful-"
"Oh, shut it, you're repeating yourselves now." She snapped, but her eyes twinkled, "And I believe you forgot kind?"
"Oh!" Wailed Fred.
George threw his arms around her middle, clinging to the smaller witch, "We've insulted her!"
"-Forgot 'kind!'" Fred cried, copying George.
"We'll be sent to the dungeons!"
"No supper!"
"No bedtime story."
Rolling her eyes, Sunny waited until the pair got over their dramatics and let go of her.
A grinding of stone alerted the trio to someone else entering the little room. Sunny stiffened, but the twins just grinned in anticipation as the bricks opened up to reveal none other than Lee Jordan. He surveyed the lot and bowed with a flourish before dropping to the floor to lounge beside George.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't our potions master himself?" Fred laughed.
Lee shrugged, motioning to the book, "Pass her here." Fred and George immediately leapt up and grabbed Sunny instead, pulling her off the floor and dropping her into Lee's lap; the book flying into the opposite corner of the room in the process.
"You gits!" Sunny yelped, crawling off of Lee and back to her place. The twins were cackling in glee as she picked up the book and knocked them each over the head with it before tossing it to Lee.
"It's page 64." She grumbled.
Lee flipped the pages, finding 64, and slid his fingers across the pages until he found the right one. His eyebrows raised as he mouthed the ingredients to himself, and a slow smile spread across his lips as he looked up at the trio.
"Looks like we'll be paying Snape's stores a little visit."