Life Between Hogwarts Walls

Chapter 2

They snuck out of the portrait hole as quietly as they could. Katie with a little trouble, holding her skirt down with one hand, and balancing herself against the wall with the other. She had decided on a black skirt, knee socks which she thought were adorable and a red t-shirt which featured the lion of Gryffindor. She was of a homogenous Griffindorian family and liked to show it.

Alice, on Katie insistence had worn denim shorts and low cut top. She was pulling at it nervously, her eyes scanning the corners of the hallway and the point where the stairs led down into the black hole that led to the other floors.

'Hogwarts is creepy at night.' Katie whispered as she looked around her. "and stop pulling at your top, you'll rip it."

"I feel awkward Katie, maybe I should go up and change…"

"Ally, I will bodily force you to the ground before I let you do that. I worked hard to make it seem like you had at least a little bit of a rack. My work will not be in vain." Katie replied, now cool and controlled, scanning the surroundings before she head for the stairs.

Angelina, in jeans and a blue t-shirt with her favorite quiditch team on it, followed her with a shrug.

When they passed the first corner on the fifth floor they bumped in to Dean and Leo who were looking equally skittish.

"Oh, it's just you. I swear to God I just heard the bloody baron floating about in that corridor." Dean whispered fiercely.

"Bloody baron's a ghost Dean, you can't hear a ghost."

"Whatever Leo, I'm telling you, I felt it…"

Angelina rolled her eyes "Let's go."

When they got to the door Angelina knocked and sound was uncanny in the dark. Dean shoulder touched Alicia's, whose bright red cheeks went fortunately unnoticed.

Ernie and Justin finally opened up with big shiny grins on their faces, so much for the image of a reliable prefect. Especially Ernie practically bounced down the marble floor of the bathroom.

"The abuse of power is not something to laugh about Ernie McMillian, young man you should be ashamed of yourself." Katie muttered halfheartedly, her big blue eyes already sparkling with mischief as she took in the beautiful gold tap, the big marble basin, and the pretty leaded lights.

Angelina too momentarily forgot to act cynical and squealed girlishly when her eyes fell on the many rows of pots and jars with scented oils and bubbles. Leo looked at her and raised his eyebrow in question.

'What? They've got Lavender, I like lavender okay?' she answered hotly.

"Speaking of which, do you know if the lovely Lavender is coming?" Ernie asked eagerly.

Katie pulled a face behind his back and stuck her finger down her throat. Angelina tried to compose herself and managed to say:

"Don't tell me you fancy her?"

Ernie turned a little bit red, but he did continue with his usual air of dignity.

"Well, I don't know, I suppose so."

"But you do know she's crushing on Ron these days?" Angelina blurted out, demonstrating once again her exceptional lack of tact. Alicia elbowed her in the side.

"You don't know that." She said, and smiled at Ernie, of whom she thought fondly, even though he could be a pompous brat.

"Yeah, Ron's nice and all, but he's so lanky." Katie mused aloud while she was fumbling with one of the taps. Then suddenly it erupted with a strong beam of rose-coloured water.

"Woops"

All around the basin the other taps began to gush out steaming beams of water and it began to fill up the air with water vapor and aromatic scents.

Justin was the first to shrug off his clothes and jump into the tub, which had filled up magically fast. Next was Angelina, lean and athletic in her blue bathing suit. Katie took some time, winked at Alicia and dropped her skirt which pooled around her ankles. She stepped out and pulled off her shirt in one fluid motion. Then she dived headfirst into the water and arose with a flirty, self-satisfied look on her face. Alicia followed her a little less presumptuously. Last was Ernie whose pudgy body made a big splash as it broke the surface.

He was soon to leave though because of the sudden furious knocking on the door. He opened up and an excited group of student dropped in. There were Fred and George, loud, both in orange and green Hawaiian shirts, a blond girl with a round face who greeted Ernie with a kind smile who had to be Hannah, and Ginny. Alicia's face fell when she saw her competition, Katie saw it and held her hand under the water.

Ginny was skinny and beautiful, with a big smile full of white, Hollywood teeth. She shrugged out of her sweater almost immediately, revealed a skimpy white bikini, and slipped into the water gracefully. Her face was glowing, and she set course for Dean, who'd be her target for the rest of the evening.

Fred and George started a big splashing fight with Leo and Justin, which left the entire room dripping and slippery until Angelina held one of them under long enough to calm them down. After that she began passing a quaffle around with some of the quiditch players. Justin kept himself apart and started whispering with Hannah.

Fred caught Angelina staring at them.

"You know he calls her his little mermaid..."

"I don't know why she puts up with it. I don't even call my mother that!" George continued perfectly in sync.

Angelina had to smile and it softened her features.

"Muggle-mermaids are a lot different from the real deal. Believe me, it's a compliment."

Her eyes had acquired a dreamy glaze, this disturbed the twins. Fred moved in again and popped up next to her.

"You still don't know how to throw a quaffle. Look, this is how you do it." He took the quaffle from Angelina's hands, who was too perplexed to do something about it.

"You put your fingers like this, and you aim it at somebody you really hate.."

"I think you're confusing quaffles with bludgers…"

"No bear with me, Ange." (her eyes widened at the sudden, uninvited, but strangely alluring use of her pet name) "let me demonstrate".

He eyes searched out Dean from across the room who had his arm around Ginny. Then he threw and the quaffle hit him full in the face.

"What the fuck Fred?" Ginny shrieked.

"You keep your hands off my sister you horny bugger. I've got my eye on you!" then he turned to Angelina again, a big, sparkly smile on his face. "and that's how you do it."

Maybe it was the violence, maybe it was the lavender in the air, all Angelina knew was that she had a sudden warm feeling inside that only intensified as she looked into Fred's shiny hazel eyes. Gorgeous.