Lights and Shadows

Chapter Ten

Artistic Way to Start Your First Day, Huh?

Author's Note: Thank you, lisa602, for reviewing so amazingly! I'm glad you are back and alive online again! And because you said that you loved it when Serafina and Tom talked to each other, I will try to add more dialogues in this chapter! All of you - happy reading! Don't forget to review, darlings!

By the way, Demi Lovato's Heart Attack is absolutely amazing! Do check it out! And I'm so glad that Avril released a new album, hehe!

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Tom was chasing me in the dark alley as flying rabbits overhead threatened to murder me. I continued running until my back hit a wall. Oh, no, this was the end! I thought desperately as he smirked evilly, walking closer to me, holding his deadly weapon.

A banana.

I screamed in horror, searching frantically for something to defend myself. I finally got something as I grinned in triumph. Uh-huh, a strawberry! I held it out in front of me.

Tom stared at it for a moment before laughing incredulously, pulling out another banana. 'Really, Serafina? Two bananas versus one strawberry? I thought you are better than that! But apparently I was wrong. Now tell me, where is the ice-cream? Give me the best ice-cream or die!'

'Never!' I shouted bravely, 'Vanilla ice-cream is my favourite! You'll never have it!'

His face flushed in anger. 'How dare you! You lie! You lie! Strawberry ice-cream is the best, not vanilla!'

'Please, I have chocolate ice-cream, you know!' I held my head high, as if I was fearless before screaming out, 'Arwen, Arwen. HELP! He's going to kill me because I don't have the ice-cream!'

'Stay away from her, Riddle!' Arwen appeared out of nowhere, holding two powerful monkeys in her hands. 'Or the monkeys will eat your bananas!'

Tom started to back off as suddenly, the two monkeys turned into Emerald and Rosetta...

I blinked. I was in my dorm, lying comfortably in my bed. Where was Tom and his bananas? I started to panic as I remembered that I still had not given him ice-cream.

Wait, what?

Sitting up bolt straight, I glanced around. Both Arwen and Emerald were sleeping peacefully in their beds, having sweet dreams of their own.

And speaking of dreams...

I suddenly realised it all and buried my head in my hands in embarrassment. My cheeks were starting to burn and the image of Tom holding two bananas as weapons standing threateningly in front of me was too much to bear. I broke into giggles and as I recalled everything in my dream: the evil flying bunnies, the chaos caused by ice-cream, Arwen holding the monkeys that turned into my two friends... I can't take it anymore and soon my controlled giggles turned into ear-piercing high-pitched laughter. Although I placed a hand firmly over my mouth, it did nothing to help the frightening crazy laughter from ringing out and waking my dorm mates.

'What's happening? Somebody help, the cookie-stealing mudbloods are robbing Abraxas!' Emerald whimpered as she turned over. Then as if suddenly awake, her eyes snapped open and she started to get really red in the face.

I was now lying flat in my bed, laughing like mad.

Arwen sat up as well, rubbing her eyes looking annoyed. 'What is the meaning of waking me up so early in the morning by such horrible laughter, Serafina?'

'How do you know it was me, anyway?' I pouted cutely, 'Emerald is laughing too, look!'

She sighed almost lovingly, 'I can't miss your...your...unique laughter from a mile away! Anyway, what has gotten into you two? Don't you even sleep?'

Me and Emerald exchanged glances as she answered, 'We did sleep, and that's the problem.'

'Yeah,' I added, 'and overly ridiculous should be sent to Azkaban first before painting my sleep with unwanted colourful patterns!'

The two girls laughed and I, in an attempt to avoid the first question, turned to Emerald and asked innocently and mercilessly, 'So, what's it with those mudbloods stealing cookies from Abraxas?'

The dignified pureblood was now reduced to a whining red tomato. 'Oh, Serafina, it was nothing but a stupid dream! I have no idea why mudbloods would want cookies - and less idea still at why they were robbing Abraxas!' Then she smirked, 'What about you and Tom, then?'

'Whatever do you mean?' I deadpanned.

'Well,' Emerald answered, starting to chuckle again, 'it is obvious, isn't it? If your dream was so funny, it must have included him, right?'

I stared at her, confused, until Arwen answered for her, 'Well, I think what she meant to say was that wherever you go, Tom would be present.'

The other girl nodded and I sighed in fake annoyance, 'My gods, how did you find that out?'

'Mmh, let me think...' Emerald faked musing, 'Oh I get it! We have eyes!'

My eyes widened in mock shock. 'Really, you do? Wow that's astonishing news!'

Then the three of us doubled over laughing again.

I glanced at my watch, it was still early - early enough to play a nice dress-up! I smiled at both of them, 'Who wants a good dress-up?'

'Oh me, me!' Emerald held up her hand eagerly.

'Oh no, no!' Arwen looked horrified as she rapidly turned into a fox. She was never the girly type of girl, if you knew what I mean.

By the time we finished, me doing some light but elegant make-up, we went to the Common Room. To my horror, Tom was there. Normally I would be cheerful to see him, but now... Well, after that dream, I felt terribly embarrassed and had the urge to laugh every now and then. I just hope that none of my two friends would tell him -

'Hey Tom!' Emerald grinned mischievously and before I can stop her she said, 'Serafina just had a very interesting dream about you. Thought you should know that.'

'Oh really?' He smirked at my desperate expression. 'Pray tell, what was it about, Ms. Lestrange?'

'How I would I know?' She winked, 'I'm curious as well, actually, so I hope that she would enlighten us all with the wonderful story.'

I glared daggers at her while the others just watched amused. 'Hymph, and I wouldn't tell anyone that you dreamed of Abraxas being robbed by, what was that again? Oh, "cookie-stealing mudbloods"!'

To my satisfaction, both Emerald and Abraxas blushed furiously. I saw Rosetta was very pleased to see her rival embarrassed while Nicholas gave her disapproving looks.

'I still say that we listen to Slytherin Angel's dream first, wouldn't you agree?' A naughty voice said from behind me and I gapped in shock to find that it was Arwen.

'What the - Did you actually team up with Tom?' I asked incredulously.

'Uh, hell no!' She exclaimed than smiled slyly, 'I was just backing up Emerald.'

'Whatever.' I said carelessly than turned serious. 'Okay, I will tell you what my dream was about, on two conditions: 1) I will only tell the persons that were involved in my dream; and 2) Emerald must tell us everything about hers right after I told you mine. Do we have an agreement?'

'The deal is struck.' Tom said victoriously, and I gestured for him, Rosetta, Emerald and Arwen to follow me to a safe, quiet corner.

'All right...' I sighed at their expectant faces. 'It was absolutely ridiculous. I was at a land that can only be called the World of Insanity, and I was hunted by flying rabbits. Wait don't laugh! That is only the most sane part.'

I continued after they've recovered. 'So uh, Tom was chasing me. Gods, Rosetta, not in that way! And well, he tried to get ice-cream from me by threatening me with a banana...'

After I told my story with difficulty, laughing constantly myself, Tom raised an amused eyebrow at me, with that smirk that he knew would get him anywhere with me. 'Well, Serafina, that was certainly an artistic way to start your first day, huh?'

'Oh, shut up!' I smacked him playfully on the arm which Tom replied with a haughty/flirty smirk, coloured by the collective 'Aww's from the girls in the room. Although in Arwen's case, it sounded more like an 'Ew'. I honestly cannot blame her, at least she didn't interfere this time.

'Ladies, shouldn't we head to breakfast now?' Abraxas and the other boys joined us, 'Morning to you all.'

They were closely followed by several annoying girls, one of them, to my annoyance, was Hornby.

Tom seemed to sense exactly what I was feeling and gave me wink. I raised an eyebrow in confusion before he arrogantly strolled to her, making her squeal and blush. I rolled my eyes in disgust.

'Morning Ms. Hornby,' He flashed her a charming smile, 'did you notice that you've got something on your nose? You know, right there...'

We muffled our giggles for Hornby's face were perfectly fine, apart from the fact that it belonged to her, that is.

'Oh, thank you, Tom, you mean...here?' She rubbed her nose on the left side, hard.

'Uh, no, actually, you see it is - there.' Tom mocked helpfulness.

'Here?'

'No, there.'

'Aha, there!'

'Um I mean here...'

... Until finally, 'Good, Ms. Hornby, your nose is alright now!'

'Thanks a lot, Tom!' She flashed him a sickening flirty smile and walked toward me, a challenging look on her face.

I can barely force out a 'Morning to you too, Olive dear!' in between coughs of laughter, for her previously fine nose were now rubbed a dull red.

'I don't believe I was talking to you, inbred!' She scoffed bringing an instant outrage to the room.

'Hey, that's mean!'

'Didn't your parents teach you to talk like a lady should?'

'How can you speak to our angel like that?'

'Your what?' Hornby asked incredulously.

'Our angel.' Said Emerald, Rosetta, Arwen, and well, about everyone in the room in unison, 'Slytherin's Angel.'

Hornby eyed us with disgust, 'I don't think so, she looks too ugly to be an angel!'

At this, Arwen instantly turned into a fox and began to scratch the offending girl's face.

'No, Arwen, stop!' I pulled her back as she turned back, panting, her amber eyes flashing angrily.

But the harm was done. Hornby's face was now decorated with three exquisite red lines.

She began to cry, mumbling something about telling the teachers. But soon ran back to her dormitory for every else swore to make her life living hell if she told a story that contained anything else than she breaking a vase and cutting herself.

Tom looked back at me, smirking proudly, imitating shapes the scratches on Hornby's face with his fingers. 'As I was saying, Serafina, that was quite the artistic way to start your first day!'

A smack.

'Aww!'

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Author's Note: OK, darlings, hope you like this cute little chapter! Sorry for the wait. You see I have this disgusting mid-term exam coming on and I've been preparing like Tom Riddle! (...) So won't be too quick on updating during these two weeks! I promise I'll keep writing this story, don't worry! Wish me luck on the exams!