'Chinese Fireball Red'
Rory Payne's mind was working overtime. It was 1:30 in the morning on the day before her first, huge Transfiguration test and she had not even opened her book or notebook since Tuesday morning in class. It was definitely Thursday night. It was only a month into her sixth year and she had already gotten herself a detention. Usually it took her three months or more to accumulate enough annoyance to get a full-fledged detention. This detention was from Professor Lupin, of all people. Rory had made a shrewd remark about him, what exactly she said, she couldn't remember, but she had gotten a huge detention for it; this being polishing every last trophy in Trophy Room...twice. Her hands hurt, her arms hurt. She'd rather spit on the Quidditch Cup than win it this year.
At least she didn't have to face Professor Snape, her Head-of-House. He was already rather sour with her and the rest of his sixth-years because they had decided to put a few rather intelligent mice in his storeroom at the very end of the last term. The mice had mutated into these awful little creatures with abnormalities like four heads and foot long fangs; there was even one with a horn as long as a grown unicorn's. Marcus Crane had gotten some hilarious pictures of Snape when he walked into his store room after eight weeks of abandonment. Since the nine of them were in Slytherin, he chose not to punish them; they didn't complain.
'Chinese Fireball Red,' Rory's nails were an opaque, perfect red color. The only problem with that was it hadn't been nail polish that had given her this flawless color; it was hair dye. Her formerly brunette hair was now a bright, shiny auburn. Shiny: because she hadn't washed her short ringlets in days. Auburn: because of the box of Dragon Dye Kylee had bought for her when she went on holiday to Tokyo over the summer. Kylee insisted she try and dye it, so she did, but hadn't read the really, really fine print on the box where it said Will stain fingernails and clothes. So Rory ended up with flawless red fingers and a black tank top with visible red spots. The top was fine, but no matter how hard she tried, the color would not come off her nails. Kylee apologized profusely, but it wasn't her fault. Rory had forgotten to read it before she poured the bottle of dye into her hair. Rory stood outside the ebony door that led into her dormitory, afraid to go in. It really didn't make sense to her why she didn't want to go in; she knew what was on the inside. It wasn't like in her early years when she and Kylee would explore the castle corridors for hours and made an attempt not to wake their dorm-mates when they returned at all hours of the morning.
Kylee Connors had been Rory's best friend every since the first year. Both of them had shared the same troubles in their first few years of Hogwarts. They helped each other through school, work during the summer, and, of course, boys. Kylee had strawberry blond hair and huge, bright blue eyes that were elements of torture if they stared at you long enough. She had an obsession for blue, similar, if not identical to Rory's for black. The two of them had procured the "Black and Blue Phenomenon" a theory that stated that if Kylee wore something blue, Rory would wear the same type of thing in black. Strangely enough, it worked almost everyday. For about four years now Hogwarts had abolished the "Strict uniform" rules. One would have to gets robes and a cloak and a hat and stuff, but they were allowed to wear street clothes underneath. Everyone liked this policy better. The kids' parents would scoff and lecture "When I went to Hogwarts..." They would go on for hours about how strict the rules were and how picky the teachers were 'Way back in the day'. The kids just forget to mention that the teachers are still picky and, technically, they're not allowed to take off the robes during school hours. But half of the teachers could care less. So the "Black and Blue Phenomenon" raged on.
Lilibeth Sidelle was one of Rory and Kylee's friends. Lilibeth was the only redhead in the whole of Slytherin. At least naturally; Rory had been a red head for a week or two at that point. Lilibeth was always really hyper and really happy, no matter what happened to her. If she got a bad grade; still happy n' hyper. Rory liked her because Lilibeth was the only one crazy enough to do stupid things with her. Like run around the grounds acting like fools or having a very fake argument at top volume in the corridors between classes. Lilibeth and her boyfriend Theo Cassius, another sixth year, had been together for years. All of the other sixth years were not-so-secretly planning their wedding.
Thalia Bane was possibly the dirtiest girl in the whole school. And she showered every morning and night. She and her boyfriend, Jag Vines, couldn't keep their hands off of each other to save their lives. That's not all they couldn't keep of off each other, make no mistake. Every person in the sixth year knew perfectly well that they were more involved with each other than they let on. It was way more than just a little PDA...oh no, the whole enchilada. Thalia was attractive enough, with brown hair and skinny as a rail, though not the sharpest tool in the shed, she was nice nonetheless.
Rory leaned on the wall next to the door. She glanced at her watch "1:35" it read. She had been debating about whether to go in or not for the last five minutes. I'm pathetic. She said to herself as she pressed a hand to the door and concentrated.
Rory's mother, a telepath and telekinetic, had taught her a few things about her mind. Anyone can tap into their natural powers, it's hard and it takes ages, but in the end, all that work is most defiantly worth it. Rory now could sense the feelings people kept deep inside and even communicate with some of her friends in school. There weren't that many telepaths as of yet, unfortunately. If Kylee was asleep she wouldn't be able to sense that Rory was pushing some power through the thick ebony. If she was she'd probably even give smart-aleck remark about getting out of her brain and getting her little ass through the door. The nice thing about having a best friend that read your mind is you never have to explain things; it made things easier for the both of them. Kylee more so; Rory was very good at talking, but very bad at explaining. The bad thing is, they know just about everything about you, whether they want to or not.
Rory could tell right away that Lilibeth and Thalia were asleep. Kylee was wide awake. Rory heard Kylee's voice in her head. Nice to hear from you, I was beginning to think you died. Rory pushed open the door. The curtains around all of the bed were drawn except for two; the curtains on the right side of Kylee's bed and the left side of Rory's. Rory trudged over to her bed and opened the trunk that sat at the foot of it. She pulled out her pajamas and her monstrous Advanced Transfiguration book and her notebook full of notes. In just a month the whole thing was half-full. McGonagall had certainly not lost any knack for giving homework. Rory pulled on her huge cotton T-shirt and her tight-knit capris, and hopped into her bed. She heard the springs creak and whine, but paid no attention.
In her right hand Kylee clutched her wand from the tip of which a dim light was being emitted. She too had her Transfiguration notes spread all around her. She gave her the oh-so-Kylee sideways look.
"Welcome back," she said, "need I ask where you were?"
"Thank you, and no," Rory said opening to the chapters they were going to be tested over the next morning.
"Detention?" Kylee began counting on her fingers, "Sneaking around? Having a romp with another boy? You're lucky I don't tell your mother," she said and laughed.
"What's the point? She probably knows already! She can read my mind," Kylee obviously hadn't thought of this and they both had to put their face in a pillow to stifle their waves of hysterical laughter.
"Good point," Kylee said as they recovered from their fits.
"Lumos!" Rory muttered and a dim light appeared at the tip of her wand.
It was two thirty in the morning before Rory decided to put up her notes. She closed her book and gathered all of the calculations she had practiced and collected the rat she had been turning into a silver pot. The rat was obvious very tired of this change, but for a night he would have to be a silver pot; Rory didn't like the thought of small mammals running round her room at night, possibly eating her precious notes.
"I don't know how were going to get up in the morning," Rory muttered as she dumped her book and notes into her trunk and latched it.
"I told Lilibeth and Thalia to jump on my bed until I cursed at them and then we would all go and sit on you," Kylee said with a mischievous grin and a short giggle.
Rory looked daggers at her. "Splendid, allow me to put my joy into my brand new silver pot!" Rory said sarcastically. They had to once again stifle their laughter with their pillows.
"Night then, love. See you in the A.M." Rory said and pulled her curtains to.
"Nighty-night," Kylee said and in less than a minute both girls were out like lights