Disclaimer : I don't own anything, except the characters that you don't recognize. The rest belong to JK Rowling. :)
Chapter Four
"I swear on Merlin's beard, if you don't get up right this second, I'll hex you beyond oblivion." Anya was alarmed by Adele. She was pretty with long blonde hair that could probably be nicer if it wasn't caught up in little tangles near the end and had the most pleasant voice Anya had heard. But right now normally soft spoken Adele was speaking in dangerously low tones. Anya sat up straight immediately, plastering a smile on her face.
"I'm up, I'm up!" she called out, jumping out of the bed. Adele was dressed in her black school robes and was tying the blue tie around her neck. "Are we late?"
"It's only seven-thirty, Anya," Iris muttered sarcastically as she walked past, looking sharp in her black robes as well. In fact, it seemed like everyone in the dorm was dressed except for her.
Throwing on her black school robes, Anya hurriedly brushed her hair. It had grown again, she thought in annoyance, and was now a little bit lower than her shoulders. Having long hair didn't suit her – she found it cumbersome to brush every morning so her ends were always a little straggly. Glancing in the mirror, Anya was satisfied with what she saw. It would be optimistic to the point of foolishness for her to hope to look even remotely like Adele or Rosalind, not that Anya wanted to be thin, blonde and beautiful. She was more…resigned. She would never look like her mother (or Aunt Ekat) and that was that. "I'm ready!" she called out, stepping out of the bathroom.
"About time," muttered Rosalind, who was leaning against the wall near the door looking as perfect as always. Unlike Adele who was very pretty in a sweet, almost childlike way, Rosalind was drop-dead gorgeous in a very noticeable way.
"Let's go!" chirped Adele cheerfully, linking her hands through Anya's. The five of them made their way down to the Great Hall quickly.
"Trying out for Quidditch again this year, McKinley?" said a hoarse, slightly high-pitch voice. The girls turned around to see Robin Breedlove and Nanthakumar Patil walking behind them. Robin was an alternate Beater on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team last year but since Angus Wragg graduated Hogwarts, he was probably going to be a permanent. At thirteen, he was rather handsome but Anya thought him somewhat overconfident. Plus, his voice was starting to sound funny.
"I think so," replied Iris, shrugging. "There's a few positions open, aren't there? Two Chasers and one for Keeper?"
"No," said Robin, grimacing. "Koomson's making us all try out again. Says we shouldn't be too lax and take things for granted."
"Oh." Iris grinned appreciatively. That means her favourite position – the Seeker, was available! "That's brilliant!"
"Yeah, maybe for you," he grumbled, moving past the girls with Nantha trailing behind him.
}:i:{
There was no room for mistakes. Peter Pettigrew crouched behind the cool stony column, eyeing the Slyherins that were coming out of the dungeon door. Don't move, don't fidget, and don't even breathe, Sirius had said with casual pat on his back that sent him stumbling forward a couple of steps. Remus usually did the reconnaissance work but he was feeling 'under the weather' today and so here he is. Identify the subject; remove him from the general public. That was his task.
A few minutes passed before the subject appeared. The pasty white boy with slimy black hair was usually unaccompanied and today was no different, making Peter's task all the easier. He was busy reading a textbook while walking, his nose just about touching the pages. There were two other Slytherins behind him, Peter noticed. He gulped. Lifting his wand, his wands trembled slightly as he performed the spell that tore at Severus Snape's leather bag making the other boy curse out loud.
"Stupid Muggle bag," said Severus, leaning down to pick up the items that dropped – a few pieces of parchment, quills and a bottle of ink. He fixed the bag with a quick gesture of his hands and started again. Peter sighed in relief. His job was done.
In the Great Hall, a skinny, tall boy with untameable black hair was hiding behind an armoured suit. The Hall's antechamber was a perfect ambush point. And there was no room for mistakes.
"Here he comes," whispered Sirius, who was standing behind a statue. "He's alone. Good work, Peter."
"On my count," replied James, running a hand through his hair with a grin at his best friend. "One, two, three!" The two boys leaped from their hiding places, surprising Severus.
"What have we here?" sneered Sirius, knocking the textbook out of Severus's hands. "Ickle Snivellus all on his own."
"Get a life, Black," snapped Severus, whipping out his own wand. He should have known it was a set-up. Even though the bag was Muggle-made, it was brand new. His father had only just bought it for him during the summer.
"Get a life, Black," mimicked the taller boy and then laughed ghoulishly. "Is that the best you can do? Let's see how good you are with curses then."
}-i-{
Lily Evans was laughing at an amusing remark Regan Paynter had made when she heard the noise. The girls stopped for a second, clearly surprised at the loud 'clang' that went off just moments earlier. "What was that?" whispered Prudence, clutching Regan's robe from behind.
"I don't know. Let's have a look, shall we?" Regan replied, a mischievous grin appearing at the edge of her lips. Prudence and Regan were both Muggleborns, like Lily herself. Prudence Ward was the daughter of Lord Edmund Ward and Regan was their housekeeper's daughter.
"I think we're wasting our times," said Katherine Adams dryly. She had curly brown hair that got frizzy and tended to stick up oddly. "It's probably the Marauders."
Ah yes, the Marauders. How could Lily have forgotten? It sounded like something the silly boys would be up to. She wasn't quick to judge, it's just a fact that ninety-nine percent of the time they were the culprit behind the crime. "It better not be them." Walking quickly past the other girls as she turned the corner, Lily bumped into Severus Snape, knocking him several steps backwards...and found herself in the line of fire of a very bright orange light.
"Oh, no!" groaned a voice she recognized all too well. Lily could feel her blood boiling under her pale skin and screamed loudly, not caring if it woke up Salazar Slytherin himself. She was seeing red and it wasn't just because her hair was strewn all over her face. James Potter had it coming for a long time now and normally she wouldn't stoop to his level to even think of revenge but with the large, pus-filled vesicles that were spreading along her arms, Lily Evans was going to get him and she was going to get him good.
}-i-{
Abigail Sutton didn't know what hit her. One moment she was walking – no, hopping – along the corridor and the next, she was jolted to the floor by an unseen force. And pain. Looking down, she merely grimaced at the sight of her leg. It was turning black and blue already with white spots appearing and disappearing quickly on the basis of the bruising.
"You idiot!" screeched Rosalind, coming forward to Abigail's side. Her green eyes were furrowed and full of concern. "What were you thinking, you brainless twit? Oh, that's right. You weren't thinking. Stupid Gryffindors, always rushing into things."
Adele and Anya were already in action, waving their wands in this and that directions to decrease the swelling of the fallen girl's leg to no avail.
"I'm so sorry," started Lily, panic evident in her voice. "I was aiming for Potter but he ducked and the hex must have hit Abigail. I know the counter-curse, if you'd let me do it."
"You've done enough," snapped Nantha and pushed the approaching redhead roughly by the shoulders. The contact made her wince as the pain from the oozing vesicles worsened. "We'll take her to the Hospital Wing."
"You better watch it, Patil," said James, coming to Lily's defence. She was flanked protectively by him and Sirius Black, wands at the ready. "She said it was a mistake."
"I don't need your help, Potter." Lily glared at the bespectacled boy furiously. "If it wasn't for you and your stupid publicity stunts, none of this would have happened." Turning around, she quickly made her way to Severus Snape, who was standing uneasily at the side, a nasty burned gash on his hands. "You lot go on to breakfast, we'll be going to the Hospital Wing. I might have lost my appetite anyway." With a final look to James, Lily walked away with Severus.
"I'll go with you," offered Katherine quickly, following Lily from behind. Robin and Nantha trailed behind them slowly, one on each side of a limping Abigail.
"Tough luck eh, mate." Sirius rested his forearm on Peter Pettigrew's shoulders. It had seemed like a perfect plan to get back at Snivellus but it was all shot to hell. If only they had known in advanced who was coming down to the Hall...
"Better luck next time." James shrugged casually, leaning back against the cold stone wall. Sure, they were guaranteed a spot in Filch's afternoon detentions for the rest of the week and probably the next one too but you have to learn to cut your losses. There had been no casualty on their part so all in all, it was a good attempt at a prank. Next time, they just had to be more careful and perhaps it was best if Peter wasn't their only recon.
"Next time?" The boys turned to look at the girl who had spoken. "There will be a next time? Are your skulls so thick that you never ever learn?"
"Well, that's not entirely true...we did learn to never ever curse Lily Evans. She's awfully handy with her wand."
"Agreed."
"Thank you for your concurrence, Mr Potter."
"You're quite welcome, Mr Black." The two boys bowed dramatically to each other with solemn faces.
"Enough!" Adele screeched, standing up from where she was previously kneeled and walked over to the boys. "Isn't it time you gormless prats stop with this ridiculous grudge and get a move on already? Knobheads!" She stomped away, the other girls hurrying after her but not without throwing great dirty looks at the two boys.
"That confirms it," said James, throwing a hand around Sirius' shoulders with a careless grin on his face. In the distance they could hear the shuffling of footsteps that could only mean Professor McGonagall was coming. "Ravenclaws are completely crackers!"
Sirius laughed, leaning back against the wall. It would be futile to run, anyone in their right mind would know this had Sirius and James stamped all over it. "No arguments there. A shame though, the best looking girl in Third Year is in that blasted house."
"I wouldn't say that." James grin turned into a impish smirk. "Lily Evans is not that bad to look at..."
"Sirius Black! James Potter!" The cry was loud enough to straighten both the young boys up but they did not bother to hide the amused grin on their faces. What was another detention anyway, to boys who have spent almost half their time in school doing exactly that?
A/N : Please R&R, even if its to say that I suck. :) Your time is much appreciated.