"Hey you guys! I got the bottle!!" I screamed joyously through the Griffindor corridor. Heads peeped out of doorways and from behind chairs.
"We knew you could do it, Claire!" The room was buzzing with excitement now. The night before Halloween, we have the essential goods for the 31st. I was the queen! I stole the truth serum right there in detention with Professor Snape. Now all we have to do is get someone to set up the room of requirements. And again I volunteered. This was so much fun!
I trekked up the numerous flights of stairs and walked three times around the seemingly empty stone wall. The archway appeared as I thought of costumes and a cushion-filled area with a convenient little closet at the back. This Halloween Party was going to be the best.
Ten minutes later, I confirmed everything we needed was in there, even a closet for the 'naughtier' Griffindors. I ran back down to my corridor, past the Fat Lady's portrait and straight into the loyal arms of my friends. Ginny and Hermione were already pushing their way to me, and locked their grip on me. I was dragged back into our shared chambers room.
"Ok, Claire, this is your time to capture him!" They said in unison.
"Who are we talking about?" I cocked my head to the side curiously.
"We're talking about Oliver of course!" This time they screamed in my ear. Shock crossed my face.
"Whoa, what?"
"Oh you can't hide it, we're not thick you know." Ginny grinned while Hermione conjured up a pretty little dress, styled for Halloween. It was a gypsy dress, cut short to mid-thigh, with a creamy top, an aqua layered bottom and a tie around the waist. Without my permission, they started to tackle me down and wrestle me into it.
"Ok, ok! Fine! You're putting it on backwards, get off!" I shoved them playfully until they let me be. I fixed the top and pulled my hair from the inside. My long black waves fell against my back and I sighed.
I remembered when I first tried to join the Quidditch and all those girls who gave me such a hard time for my appearance. Goth girl! Watch out, she'll probably let herself get hit on purpose while she's supposed to be deflecting bludgers! I sure showed them. As soon as I flew up into the air and with bat in hand, the bludger came soaring my way, I smashed that wood right into the ball. It flew back and hit the blond square in the face. Madame Pomfrey wasn't too happy, but I know I was.
Unfortunately, taking a hit on the captain's girlfriend didn't bode well. But how was I supposed to know at the time? Needless to say, I didn't make the team. Instead a couple of second years got the spot. Although they were so busy laughing, they almost got hit themselves. Afterwards, the twins came and introduced me to each other.
'Hi, I'm George!', 'No, he's Fred, I'm George.' The usual trick, I got used to. It didn't take me long to differentiate the two, especially when their little brother, Ron, came along. They were always joking around with that poor boy in a variety of ways.
"Ok! We're done!" I blinked up into the mirror facing me to see my two best friends smiling sweetly at their job well done. They had applied a little bit natural tone of make-up and tied aqua ribbons in my hair. My dark skin brought out the colors blended in both the ribbons and the dress. I looked… different.
"Well, are you coming?" They both asked with hands on their hips. I laughed and followed after them. The rest were dressed up for Halloween too. It was a big time for us Griffindors.
"Oh doesn't she look just delightful, Georgey?" Fred came up behind me with a white wig that he picked up from a nearby lounge chair. All he needed was the false teeth. George came around the corner and smirked, fangs showing clearly against his red painted lips. I heard Oliver was going to have a similar look to him for his Halloween costume.
"Positively mouthwatering," he agreed before they both wrapped they arms around my waist and escorted me out into the halls and up to the room of requirement.
"So, who are you going to kiss first, young lady? Little old me, or Count Georgey over there?" He rested his head on my shoulder, while George leaned in and breathed against my neck jokingly.
"Darling, don't let that Big Bad Wolf trick you, you know I'm your slave of love." Count Georgey assured me while we walked several flights of stairs.
"Gypsy's got you wrapped around her finger, aye?" I commented, while slipping from both of their grasps. They'd have to catch me if they expected anything from this gypsy. I wasn't going to pay up to those townspeople.
I ran down to the archway and passed by three times, to come face to face with the rest of our costume party.
"Claire!!" Several people called enthusiastically as I entered the room and those several people hugged me before going back to their conversations. Wow, I feel loved.
"Hey, Claire, what CD should I put in?" The DJ, Dean, called me over. I contemplated, but finally decided on the new mix tape with all the latest hits. Next, I was called over to the snack table to get rid of a hex on the pastries before Neville got tangled up in sticky green vines. Then, I had to fix the feud between Ron and Hermione. When I got her away from the fight, she gave me an irritated look.
"You're supposed to be enjoying yourself, and talking to 'you know who'!"
"I am enjoying myself!" And it was true. I didn't mind helping out, because it distracted me from my crush, the captain whose girlfriend I smacked in the face. They had been going out for a while until then, and a few weeks afterwards, she broke it off with him. I don't know why, but I found myself more and more attracted to him. I was falling for his eyes and voice, the way he could be so determined at every game, and encourage everyone else to be just as strong. I liked the way he didn't blame me for hitting his girl, because it really was an accident.
"Claire, go for it! He's not going to reject you, because, honestly, who wouldn't want you?" It wasn't Hermione who said it, it was Fred and George.
"Bloody Hell!" I cursed as I turned to see their bright faces. I had no idea they were right beside me.
"H-how do you guys know?" I asked, hiding a blush of embarrassment.
"Oh, we have our sources!" They chimed before shoving me right over onto the beanbags on the floor. With that, they disappeared into the crowd of ghouls and witches. They didn't even offer to help me back up.
"Ooh, I'm going to get them one day!" I grumbled right as a hand stretched out in my face. My eyes focused on the soft palm until they travelled up to the even softer face of Oliver Wood.
"Maybe you should challenge them in beating bludgers," he said in his smooth Scottish accent. Before I could humiliate myself by fumbling for words, I took his outstretched hand and he helped me back to my feet. "You'd surely win then." He added with a chuckle.
"Well, I don't want to send them to Madame Pomfrey, even though they deserve it." I smiled a little and he returned it.
"I'm sorry about not letting you on the team, you're perfect for the spot. But Kaylee was actually the co-captain and well," he trailed off and scratched his head.
"Hey, don't worry about it!" I patted his arm. "At least I showed her what she had coming," he went quiet then. There was something that notified me there was more to the story.
"Yeah, she was with someone else at the same time, too. She just broke up with him, and wants to come back to me." I caught my breath before I said anything. It wasn't my place to say my opinion. Obviously, this was a tender subject. It would be for anyone.
"Um," that was all I could utter. He gave me a crooked smile and a deeper look. He expected more from the cocky mouthed girl who doesn't normally shy away from what she believes in. "I'm sorry?" he outright laughed, and I flushed with more embarrassment.
"Not exactly what I was expecting, but ok. It's over, and I'm not going to take her back." I don't know why, but I was happy to hear that. Hopefully he couldn't see it on my face. To make sure, I stayed away from his eyes.
"Hey, guys, we're about to play truth or dare! Sit down already!" Someone yelled up at us, and I felt myself being tripped up and fell right back into the beanbag I was in a little while ago.
"Ron!"
"truth," …..
"Harry!"
"dare," ….
"Fred!"
"dare,"…..
And so on.
When my turn came and Hermione was to ask, she stared straight at me with that look. The one she always used to trap me under her palm. Oh, no. Quick, which one do I chose? Truth, everything will be revealed, but dare would mean to humiliate myself by going after someone who clearly doesn't care.
"Claire!"
"Um," I sighed. "Truth, I guess." Next thing I know, George grabs the bottle of truth serum and pours a few drops of it in a glass for me. I give him a pitiful look, that no one saw, but he smiled knowingly before making me drink the concoction.
"Claire, who in here do you have a crush on?" Before I could blurt it out immediately, I clamped a hand across my mouth. I had to hold my breath, until tears came to my eyes out of sheer force. I took a tiny breath and mumbled incoherently.
"We can't hear you darling," Fred grinned. I ran out of breath and had to suck in sharply before I passed out.
"OLIVER WOOD!" I screamed without meaning to. If anyone was talking, it was silent now. It was so silent, that you could hear noises from several floors down. I wish I didn't have to yell, especially since Oliver was sitting right next to me, close enough for him to reach out and touch me. But of course, he wouldn't do that.
"Well, then," Dean said a little awkwardly from the deafening silence. He looked around at all the shocked faces. Kaylee, whom was sitting in a lounge chair behind Fred, was seething. "I'll take the next one, if you want. I'm going with dare." And that was it. The game went on even though my heart was pounding in my ears. He had to hear, didn't he? My face was frozen in horror at what I had done. I knew it was coming but, did it have to be that bad?
When it came to Oliver, he picked truth as well. By now, I was making it plain on hiding my face in my knees. I tried my best to ignore all around me, and still try to have a good time. But I couldn't help watching as he drank some of the truth serum.
"Oliver, what do you think of Claire exactly?" he hesitated for a moment, trying to fight the truth. I was really ignoring now, right? Definitely not.
"She's unlike any girl I've talked to, and has one hell of a batting arm," He swallowed, finished. My heart was sinking subtly.
"Well, Damn." A half of a minute went by but everyone had their share of truth or dare. It had been spoiled by that little moment.
"Alright, how about we play some music now?" Dean jumped up, and saved the silence with another mix CD. I watched as Kaylee gained a noticeably large smirk on her face. She cut her eyes at me and I could see the taunt in them. But, as I got up, I was snatched into the closet and pressed against the wall.
"And I've been in love with you since the first day I saw you at try outs." Oliver's accent, his words made my heart swell. I felt his lips press against mine gently, then a little more firmly. I kissed back while my knees went weak and it was all him, holding me against the wall. His hands slipped against my sides, and his palms pressed against the wall. A barrier was made around me, though it wasn't uncomfortable.
He drew back and leaned his forehead against mine. "I'm going to tell the whole world, but only if it's ok with you. That's why I didn't say it out there." I breathed harder and harder until I couldn't take the temptation. I leaned up and kissed his lips again. And again. He hugged me, his barrier dropping to my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck. He trailed his tongue into my mouth without having to worry that it wasn't what I wanted. Because it was exactly what I wanted. He battled my tongue in the inside of my mouth while kneading my sides softly. When he pulled away, I was gasping for my breath that he stole.
"I think I found the Gypsy and her next slave of love! George, you're out of luck!" Fred suddenly threw the closet door open and revealed us, Oliver's hands resting on my hips and his lips brushing across my neck. He didn't even bother to move away from fear of being seen or anything. He just pulled away slowly and reluctantly.
"I'm just wondering how he learned to get away with not telling the truth after drinking the truth serum." Fred stepped away from the doorway to let us out, and George joined us.
"Obviously, he didn't drink it."
"Oh no, I drank it. If you don't believe me, I'll drink the whole bottle, and then tell everyone." He leaned down and pecked my lips. I kissed back, not caring about anyone else who were all watching us, happy that it turned out ok. Everyone except Kaylee that is.
"You said you didn't like her!" She stomped over to us or to me really. She glared daggers at the marks from Oliver's white vampire makeup across my cheeks.
"I said nothing of the sorts. I just refrained from saying anything for a few minutes." He grinned devilishly. She narrowed her eyes at the both of us.
"That's ok, I had clean firsts, and you're only sloppy seconds. I feel bad for you, since he's nothing but a wuss and is a horrible kisser." She smirked towards me. I smirked back.
"I beg to differ! And that bludger might have been an accident, but this sure as hell wasn't!" With that, I punched her in the face. I was nice, it wasn't that hard, just enough to teach her a lesson not to mess with me or the ones I care for. Oliver, along with everyone else, stared, a little stunned.
"Bloody hell!" The guys cheered for a good catfight. Kaylee had stumbled back, clutching her nose in pain. After a moment, I went a little softer and while she pressed her fingers to the cartilage, I muttered an incantation that Luna Lovegood taught me and Kaylee's nose popped back into place. It only left a little trickle of blood which she wiped away with a napkin Ginny, while holding back her laughter, handed her.
I left after that, but the party went on. Oliver walked with me, and we talked about game plays, strategies, the good and bad of Viktor Krum, wondering if wishing upon stars worked since the Astronomy teachers begged to differ, and stared into the fire crackling inside of the Griffindor common room.