Ariella gave Henry a final kiss before pulling back and leaping off of him. Henry Marx was, as per usual, blushing very hard. He could have sworn the stick from the Whomping Willow she gave him would snap in two at any second the way he was clutching it so tight.
"Henry, darling, I wish I could stay longer, but I need to get back. Besides, Cory would be expecting me! Strange how she didn't come back sooner. Must have ran out of ingredients and went to go get some. Either way, I'll see you tomorrow," Ariella whispered in his ear.
"It's alright Ell, you know what would happen if someone caught us," Henry took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Good day."
Ariella bounded happily up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, glaring hard at anyone who looked at her the wrong way. Dinnertime was almost upon them, and she knew Corrin would need to wake from her nap if she was to not become hangry all through the night. Ariella couldn't help but slow her pace. That willow will be the first to uproot when I get my hands on it again! Ariella thought to herself. After muttering the password, climbing up the stairs, and entering her room, she saw her friend.
Corrin was covered in mud, and passed out on her bed. She was still in her dirty clothes, and her medicine drawer seemed to be the same undisturbed mess it always was.
"By Merlin Cory!" Ariella thumped another pillow on the sleeping girl's face. "What in a dragon's nest happened here?"
"No one says that, first of all..." Corrin yawned.
"Shut up, sure they do!" Ariella rebutted.
"And second of all, Sirius Black tripped me while I was on my way to get you more ingredients, which you still don't need, so I got tired and just took a nap," Corrin explained, while trying to go back to sleep.
"He WHAT?" Ariella fumed. She angrily rolled up her sleeves, as she always did before battle, and threw a towel at Corrin. "Get cleaned up. I'll be back soon. Molly! We're going on a trip!" Ariella bolted out of the room to get her other best friend.
"Go get 'em Ar!" Corrin lazily cheered as she wiped her face and resumed to doze off.
"According to how annoyed Lily was, I can only assume that they've left for dinner." Molly informed Ariella as they passed a frazzled Lily Evans on their way downstairs.
"That's where we're headed then. Black has some nerve to mess with us! Do you have what we need?" Ariella hissed between clenched teeth.
"Yup." Molly went along with Ariella's exaggerated play. After years, her and Corrin have gotten used to her over the top antics. Ariella wanted her entire troop to be prepared, so Molly has been carrying around a 'throwing stick' to "further shame our enemies when they've messed with us!". As Ariella liked to put it. In reality, it was simply the stick of a broken quill that was never repaired.
As the two walked towards the dining hall, Molly immediately spotted the four boys laughing in a corner behind the Great Hall, and pointed them out to Ariella, who in return gave a curt nod and barged up to the four.
As soon as they were within hearing distance, she began to fume. "You have some nerve Sirius Black! Some nerve!"
"Oh great work Padfoot. Now you've got Harlings worked up." Lupin muttered to his friend.
"Can it Moony! I've got this." Sirius hissed back.
Before he could even get a word out, Ariella punched him in the face with much force, causing him to tumble back into James and Peter. He let out a grunt of anguish as Ariella dusted off her clothes, glared at the four of them, and marched off. Molly was left to deliver the final 'punch'.
"Sorry boys. Should've left Cory alone." Molly sighed and shook her head as she threw the near weightless stick at Sirius and walked away, recalling the stick back with her wand before leaving the four to bask in their defeat.
"I'm starting to now believe those rumors about her..." Sirius admitted as his friends helped him up.
"I told you that you shouldn't have tripped her! Now come on...it's getting...you know...late..." Lupin whispered a bit scared. They all straightened up immediately, and rushed off to the outside grounds.
"You're lucky Harlings didn't do much damage this time..." James joked around.
"Pick up the pace Prongs! The moon's nearly out!" Peter urged his friend on.
While the four troublemakers left school grounds, Ariella and Molly were helping Corrin get cleaned up in time for dinner. Now fully rested, and in clean clothes, Corrin felt more like herself again.
"Thanks for completing the revenge, Ar. You too Molly. Now, let's get some food, shall we?" Corrin rubbed her hands together in preparation.
"Not so fast, Cory! You didn't get me anything to fix up my leg!" Ariella complained.
"Are you serious Ar? I told you it's fine!" Corrin groaned.
"I need them! It hurts!" Ariella pouted.
"Perhaps you can just give her a little?" Molly suggested. "It'll keep her shut throughout dinner at least." Molly muttered when Ariella was busy whining.
"Oh fine, but you'll use up the last of it!" Corrin sighed as she drew out the remnants of her medicine drawer and applied the appropriate herbs to Ariella's leg.
"Thanks Cory! Now let's get to dinner!"
As Corrin stuffed her face with as much meat as humanly possible, Ariella would sneak a wink at her beloved Henry every now and then when no one was looking. By now, any onlookers would have been used to seeing Corrin eat as messily and rushed as she wanted, but few knew the truth why.
"Cory, honestly. I know Hogwarts is your home away from home, but please some manners would suffice! And no I do not sound like your mother, father, or sister when I say so!" Molly chastised.
"You can try and try to change my ways, but nothing will stop me from enjoying this!" Corrin pounded her fist down lightly on the table as she spoke with her mouth half-full.
"Oh Molly, let her have this one. Besides, we all know what's coming up soon for her." Ariella reminded them.
"Don't even say it!" Corrin clamped her friend's mouth shut before anything could be uttered.
"Okay...just letting you all know. Your dear mother is going to make a sudden move sooner or later. Can't let the family fortune run to waste when all is lost and perished!" Ariella pretended to faint dramatically.
"Yeah, I know. I just don't want an arrangement to actually happen. That's what Carol and William are for." Corrin pointed out.
"Well, hopefully your mother will understand. And don't thing on it too much. You're only fifteen! Your mom won't marry you until at least other than Carol. Even her and William aren't married yet!" Molly exclaimed.
"True...true...very true. Although it's pretty clear they're meant to be. At least they're alike, that's all I can say. One perk of being whatever mother tells you to be," Cory giggled lightheartedly.
"Well if they're already secured, then your mom will let you marry whomever you wish," Molly stated.
"Not every high class Pureblood has it as simple as you, Molly." Ariella punched her friend lightly.
"You do!" Corrin pointed out.
"Oh yeah...Well don't fret yet Cory. Still time to enjoy the slower life." Ariella smiled sheepishly.
One by one, dishes began to disappear and everyone, except Corrin who still stayed to marvel at the freedom of dinner, went to bed. After the last teacher left, Corrin made her way upstairs and spent most of the night chattering excitedly with her friends about really nothing in particular. After another shower, she flopped down on her bed and was quite well prepared to sleep in very late the next day.
"Cory...Cory...Coooooooorrrrryyyy!" Ariella whined.
"What?" Corrin said in an annoyed tone.
"My leg hurts still! Can't you do something about it with your healing stuff?"
"I told you, I used up all my ingredients on your leg before dinner."
"But it still hurts!"
"Can't you wait until the morning?"
"Would you rather wake up even earlier to get me ingredients?"
"Then I just won't get you anything! Good night!"
Corrin angrily turned away from her friend and began to peacefully doze off. Just as she was about to fall asleep, Ariella hatched a brilliant plan.
"Oooooooowwww..."
Corrin squeezed her eyes tighter, trying to drown out the noise.
"Oooooooowwww..."
Corrin ducked her under her pillow and tried to cover her ears with it.
"Oooooooowwww...!"
"Oh my Merlin's Beard! Would you shut up if I get you those meds?" Corrin threw her pillow at Ariella. The girl nodded in satisfaction and threw Corrin back spare clothes. The tired girl, in return, gave a low droning groan of disgust before putting on her clothes, grabbing her flower-picking basket that lay near her drawer, and slowly sneaking out of the castle.
"What do you mean you lost him?" Peter hissed angrily as they stared at the hole in the run down cabin, where a rampaging and slightly injured werewolf had just broke through the wood and ran away like a scared dog.
"He just ran outta here! I guess the moon hit him the wrong way. He ran into the forest!" Sirius explained.
"The forest? Galloping gargoyles, Padfoot! He could get to the school! Who knows how far he'll go? Someone might catch him!" Peter knocked his fist on Sirius' head.
"Come on! It's nearly morning! We can't let him get too far!" James urged the other two to follow in his lead as they transformed into a proud stag, a shaggy dog, and a skittering rat. The rat hopped on the dog and they all ran for the Forbidden Forest in search of a missing werewolf.