"It's good to be back," Krystal declared as she scribbled down notes.
"Good?!" Avery incredulously replied. "What about Twinkle's chocolate cake?! What about freedom to do whatever you want?! What about quidditch in the backyard?!"
"But MAGIC," Krystal protested. "We have MAGIC now. And Lily, Alice, Mary, Marlene, Melissa, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Frank-"
"I've got it," Avery interrupted. "Honestly, I was joking you."
"Oh," Krystal replied. "My thirteen year old self has trouble picking up sarcasm."
"Well, that makes sense," Avery teased, rolling her eyes.
"But-" Krystal started. "Wait, that was sarcasm, too, wasn't it?"
"Yep," Avery replied. "Anyway, Ciarra likes it better here. Hey, maybe we should check on her after class."
Krystal nodded. "Okay. Scarlet was so happy to be back. I guess she missed her friends." She smiled fondly at her owl's name before going back to her notes.
Lily cocked her head. "Why are you taking two copies of the notes?" she inquired.
"Remus' Great Aunt Winnifred died last week," Krystal explained. "He's at the funeral."
Lily had a thoughtful look on her face. "I could have sworn that Remus had an Aunt named Winnifred die the year before," she finally replied.
"Oh, yeah," Sirius agreed. "I made some joke about 'Lose a Fred'."
"We weren't talking to you," Avery snapped.
"Maybe she was just sick last year," Krystal offered, ignoring Avery. "Or, he could have more than one Winnifred in the family. Sometimes people name their kids after family members."
"If you say so," Lily answered with a frown. She didn't seem convinced.
"Now that I think about it, Remus is gone a lot, isn't he?" James suddenly realized. "I've never really noticed it before."
Sirius nodded. "It's like a monthly thing or something," he agreed. Krystal frowned, mentally freaking out. They were so close to figuring it out! "Maybe he's got cancer!" Never mind.
"Cancer?!" Peter squeaked.
"Poor Peter," Krystal thought. He was so sweet. It broke her heart seeing him worried like that, but she feared the truth would upset him more, at least for a while.
"He could be getting treatments or something!" Sirius continued. "That would explain why he looks so sick after he comes back!"
"I don't think so," Lily uncertainly replied.
"Maybe he's a spy!" Sirius declared. "Each month he reports to his rebel base!"
"No," Avery shot down. "That's too obvious."
"Obvious?" Krystal laughed. "How is that obvious?"
"Besides, Professor Dumbledore wouldn't let him go," Lily remarked.
"Unless Dumbledore's in on it, too!" Sirius realized. "Dumbledore is working for the French!"
"What?" Krystal demanded. "Where did that come from?"
Avery rolled her eyes. "British people."
Tobi smiled. "Gather 'round, children," she called. "And I will tell you the tale-"
"Again?" Julius demanded.
"Yep," she replied. "I'm making it into a yearly tradition!"
"Scaring kids to death at the beginning of the year?" Julius inquired.
"Yeah," she replied. "Duh. Now, come here Morpheus and bring your buddies."
"Okay," Morpheus placidly agreed. "I'm glad I got in you guys' House."
"Me, too," she answered. She affectionately ruffled his hair in a way reserved for either him or Severus. "Me, too. Ready to be scared to death?"
"Yeah!" Morpheus happily responded.
"SNAPE! DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO PRETEND YOU DON'T KNOW ME!" Snape froze in place with a mortified look on his face. "Much better," Tobi replied.
"It's September!" Lily declared. "You two can wait to talk about quidditch! You're first match isn't even until November!"
Avery and James froze in horror. "What did you just say?!" he demanded.
"Wait for quidditch?!" Avery screeched. "Our first match is against Slytherin, our archenemies! They creamed us last season! We have to win!"
"You sound like James," Lily distastefully declared. "When did you start caring that much about a sport?"
"A sport?!" James echoed. "A SPORT?! It's a LIFE!"
Krystal laughed. She loved quidditch as much as James, but she could still sympathize with Lily. Plus, it was just funny seeing them argue about it.
"I've always cared," Avery insisted. "Of course, not as much as James… But, Lily, you can't understand it. The wind in your hair… The cheering crowds…"
"The broken snitch…" Sirius teased.
"Hey, that was the highlight of my career," Avery replied. "Seriously. People know me as 'That Girl Who Broke the Snitch'."
"You could be 'Snitch Snapper'," Sirius quipped.
"I like that," Avery thoughtfully replied. "It has a cool ring to it."
"Honestly, I don't get you," Lily replied. "You get along with Sirius, and you rant about quidditch with James all day."
"I do not," Avery denied. Krystal and Alice laughed. "I just want to win, that's all. It's not my fault James is on the team."
Krystal giggled. "I want to be a Seeker," she wistfully remarked.
"Oh, not you, too," Lily groaned.
"No," Krystal admitted. "I would never try to replace Melissa. She's too nice. I might try out when she leaves, though. I've been practicing with Avery over the summer."
"You should try out," Alice encouraged. "Even if you don't make the team, you'll have a lot of fun."
At this point, Avery and James had gone back to their quidditch argument. (Avery assured them it was called 'strategizing'). "But if we came from the left and-"
"No, no, no! Not the left. Above."
"Left, James! There are less Xs on that side."
"We're the Xs."
"Are you sure? I thought we were the Os."
"We were Os! You had us change us to Xs."
"Oh, yeah! So, the right, then."
"Above."
"The right! If we come from the right and-"
"Then, she would move in and-"
"Well, we go above her and-"
"That's what I said!"
Krystal giggled. They spoke with such conviction that she couldn't help it. It was too hilarious. Besides, it was the only time those two ever really got along. Sure, they were "strategizing", but neither of them were shouting or spewing insults, so she counted it as a win. Lily and James couldn't even spend thirty seconds alone without wanting (or trying) to kill each other. Krystal wondered how long it would take for them to start liking each other. She knew that got together in seventh year, but she had always assumed that they had liked each from the start. She eventually admitted defeat after first year. At least they were to the point where they could ignore each other if they were not in their direct lines of sight. As long as someone tactically stood between them, it was usually fine.
Krystal didn't realize that she was lost in thought until the group stopped in front of the Common Room. "Hippopotamus," Avery distractedly declared. "And despite what your garbled brain thinks, girls hate you."
Well, the peace had officially ended.
"Really?" James retorted. "Girls swarm after me like chocolate."
"Chocolate?" Avery snorted.
"They just want to eat me up," he finished.
Avery choked and tripped over her feet. "Excuse me?!"
"She's right, mate," Sirius quipped. "They only hang around you 'cause they're trying to get closer to me."
Remus snickered. "Burn!" Peter helpfully declared. He frowned when James glared at him. "That's what you say, right?"
"Yes," Avery replied, suppressing a giggle. "James is just a sore loser."
"Oh, yeah?" James snapped. "I don't see any guys hanging out with you."
"Um… Are you guys invisible?" she countered. "Because I hang out with you all the time."
"We don't count," James protested. "We haven't figured out how to get rid of you without-"
"-me killing you?" Avery finished. "I'd enjoy killing you."
"I bet I could have a girlfriend by the end of the week," James boasted.
"That's easy," Sirius scoffed. "I could have one by the end of the day."
Avery rolled her eyes. "I've had a boyfriend before I even went to Hogwarts," she replied. "So, I guess I win."
"You have a boyfriend?!" Sirius inquired in shock.
"Well, had," Avery corrected. "It only lasted for like a week."
"I don't believe it, and you don't have proof," James declared. "I bet you couldn't get a boy to go out with you if you bribed them."
"I wouldn't bribe them," Avery snapped. "I would blackmail them."
"No blackmail," Sirius replied. "That's cheating."
"Don't worry," Remus answered. "You wouldn't get a girlfriend, anyway. You don't have any idea what girls like."
"Yes, I do," Sirius indignantly replied. "I've been told I was charming."
"Besides, Remus, you're too nerdy to get a girl," James declared. "You couldn't if you tried."
"Remus could get a girl before either of you," Avery disagreed. "He actually listens to you. Plus, he's not a jerk like you two."
"I'm the best chick magnet," James assured. "No doubt about it."
"You are terrible," Lily announced. "I can't believe you would say something so offensive."
"He's James," Avery pointed out. "He says offensive stuff all the time."
"True," Lily agreed, "but that doesn't make it any less offensive."
"I will prove that I am irresistible," James declared. "I bet I can have a girlfriend by the end of the week, and Avery and Sirius won't."
"Of course I won't," Avery retorted. "I'm a girl."
James groaned. "Fine, you won't have a boyfriend and Sirius won't have a girlfriend."
"Hey, Avery, do you-" Sirius began with a grin.
"That doesn't count!" James protested. "It has to be someone who isn't under the bet."
"Fine," Avery replied with a shrug. "This will be easy, since girls run when they see your ugly face."
"Avery!" Krystal admonished. "That's not very nice."
"They're not very nice," Avery responded. "Anyway, Potter, you're on."
"Who is that?" James asked in surprise.
"It's my girlfriend," Sirius cheerfully replied, holding a girl's hand.
"Girlfriend?" Avery echoed. "It's been like an hour."
Sirius grinned and shrugged, making the girl he was with giggle. "I did tell you I could have one by the end of the day."
"Do you even know her name?" Avery demanded.
"Yeah," Sirius answered. "Abigail."
Avery looked at the girl, who laughed and confirmed it. "Yeah, I'm Abigail Smith. He told me he needed to ask someone out to win a bet, so… Here I am." She giggled. "I'm a second year, so I don't have any classes with you, but I see you guys in the hall and the Common Room all the time. You guys do some really funny pranks. I'm a big fan." Avery did recognize her, more or less. Abigail had long brown hair that cascaded down her back, hazel eyes, and cute freckles. She was pretty, Avery decided, and funny, if Avery remembered correctly. She was definitely the kind of girl Sirius would randomly ask out, but the girl either didn't know or didn't mind.
"Anyway, good luck losing, mate," Sirius teased. "I'm going to go hang out with my girlfriend."
"Go do that," Avery taunted.
"I'm bored!" Tobi declared.
"You're always bored," Catherine answered. "Or at least, you don't bother finding me unless you're bored."
Tobi shrugged. "Sometimes I need you to do my homework."
Catherine sighed. "Go bother Severus. I'm at the good part of my book," she distractedly informed.
"I tried! He's hanging out with that Gryffindor girl… Evans, I think."
"Bother Sebastian, then," Catherine suggested.
"I've tried. Demons are not easily bothered," Tobi stated.
"That's fortunate for you, I guess," Catherine replied. "Good personal slaves are hard to come by."
"He's not my slave!" Tobi snapped. "He's my henchman demon minion butler." She paused and cocked her head. "You believe he's a demon, now?"
"No, I just got tired of trying to reason with you," Catherine replied. "I pick and choose my battles…" She drifted back to her novel.
"What book is more important than me?" Tobi demanded.
"And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie," Catherine explained. "An old Muggle British author."
"Never heard of her," Tobi declared.
Catherine shrugged. "Your loss."
"What's this?" Tobi muttered as she riffled through Catherine's bag. "Dracula?"
"Terrible. Don't read it," Catherine replied. "The first half was great, but the ending was terrible."
"Pride and Prejudice?"
"Let's just say I'm not a fan of Jane Austin. I don't really do romances."
"Oo! Edgar Allan Po!" Tobi giggled.
"Not that scary, actually, but I liked the stories. The Raven is kind of funny."
"Funny? It's about death, Kitty."
"I thought you got over that nickname a long time ago," Catherine protested.
"Yeah, well, you're almost making me seem normal," Tobi retorted. "So, I had to combat it. I'm the one that's supposed to have dark, morbid humor, not you."
"I don't have morbid humor," Catherine groaned. "Death isn't the part of the poem that is funny. The narrator shouting at the talking bird that was reminding the narrator of his loved one's death is funny. It's entirely futile, but the narrator cannot help himself. It's a metaphor, you see, and cleverly done. That's what is funny."
"Your years as a nerd have warped you," Tobi declared, dropping the book back into her bag. "I don't think I can fix you."
"What?" Catherine muttered in horror.
"What?" Tobi echoed in confusion. "You're hopeless."
"Not you!" Catherine snapped. "They're dead, all dead!" She stared at the book in horror.
"Duh…" Tobi chided. "They wouldn't have called it 'And None Were Left' for no reason."
"But if they're all dead, who's the murderer?" Catherine demanded, ignoring Tobi's taunt. "Someone killed the last character, but everyone else is dead. There isn't anyone left to kill them. Or, maybe she didn't really kill him… but that can't work. Oh, this isn't right. There's got to be something I missed."
"Maybe a ghost did it," Tobi offered.
"No, we already ruled that out," Catherine disagreed. "Besides, I don't think that's Christie's style, really. There has to be a logical answer in here somewhere." She closed her eyes and disappeared from the real world.
"Catherine?"
"What?" Catherine distantly asked.
"I'm gay."
"Okay," Catherine replied.
"And I'm a Russian spy."
"That's nice."
"And I'm renaming you Kitty for the rest of your life."
"No thanks."
"And you're not listening."
"This doesn't make sense," Catherine muttered. "And I wasn't not listening to you. I was ignoring you. You weren't saying anything important. Russians and gays obviously don't mix."
Someone behind them laughed. "You know, she reminds me of someone..." Avery whispered.
"Ember?" Krystal quietly asked.
"Yeah," Avery replied. "She even looks kind of like her. Oh my gosh! They're related! She could be like Ember's aunt or something! It all makes sense."
Krystal appeared to think about it for a moment. "I guess that could be right…" she answered. "But there's no way of knowing for sure. We can't really ask her. Ember isn't even born yet."
"Yeah, but just think!" Avery whispered a little louder than she meant to. "It's the only way to explain it. Catherine's an American, sarcastic, pessimistic, know-it-all nerd with the same horrible hair. It's too much of a coincidence."
"I don't know…" Krystal hesitantly replied. "Hermione is a nerd with curly brown hair, and she isn't related to Ember. Catherine couldn't be related to Hermione, either."
"Well, I think that-" Avery stopped. "What?"
"You're starting to sound like Sirius," Krystal remarked. "You're conspiracy theories are equally wild."
"I- they do not!" Avery angrily replied. "It totally makes sense."
"Isn't it jumping to conclusions?"
"Logical conclusions, my dear Watson."
"What?"
"I don't know," Avery admitted. "I think it's a Sherlock Holmes joke."
"It is," Catherine called. Avery was momentarily started before she realized that the pair had stopped whispering somewhere after Krystal had declared she was like Sirius. "You've never read any of the Sherlock series, have you? It's typical, really. No one ever bothers to read the things they stereotype."
Avery turned to Krystal. "See?" she whispered. "Just like Ember."
"Whatever you say," Krystal said in her normal voice. "Isn't Sherlock that guy with the trench coat and the funny hat? And he carries around that microscope glasses thingy."
"A magnifying glass?" Catherine translated in horror. "I'm going to stop talking to you now before you offend me any further."
"And then there's Watkins, his sidekick," Krystal continued. It looked like she was trying to prove she knew something about Sherlock, but the look on Catherine's face proved all too clearly that she didn't. "They go around looking for footprints and saying, 'it's elementary', or something."
Catherine groaned. "I'm not talking about it anymore unless you read it," she declared with a certain finality in her voice. She looked back down at her book and frowned.
"Hey, isn't there another chapter or something?" Avery inquired as she scrutinized the book. "If they're all dead, maybe that part explains it."
"It does," Catherine admitted, "but I want to figure it out for myself."
"It sounds like a terrible book," Krystal declared. "They all die."
"Everybody dies eventually," Catherine pointed out. "These people just die… prematurely. Plus, you find out that all of the people played some hand in murdering someone else, which is why the murder put them all on the island to kill them in the first place. Anyway, it's a great book. I mean, I kept thinking I knew who the killer was, but then they die and I'm left guesing."
Krystal shuddered, making Avery laugh. "Not my kind of book," Krystal assured.
"Sounds kind of boring," Avery remarked. "Christie is an ancient author."
Catherine gave her a funny look. "She's still alive, you know," she replied.
"She is?" Avery inquired. She never really forgot that she was in the past (she missed her cell phone so much!); but she sometimes forgot that a lot of dead people were no longer dead people. "Oh. Well, she's still boring."
"Tobi already said that like twenty minutes ago," Catherine pointed out. Avery realized that Tobi was long since gone, probably off to bother Severus or whatever she did. "Anyway, good luck on getting a boyfriend."
"Thank you," Avery replied.
"You'll need it," Catherine continued. "I saw Potter threatening some guys that if they went out with you, he would do something nasty. I couldn't hear what, but the looks on their faces were mildly amusing."
"James," Avery hissed, as if the word was a profanity. "I'm going to kill him-" She stalked off to go find him.
Catherine shrugged. "Ugh. I give up. It's too hard to think with so many people in the library today. I'm just reading it."
"What?" Artemisia inquired. "Sirius has a girlfriend already? It didn't take him long."
"He is kind of cute," Penny admitted. "What, Catherine? I didn't say I liked him."
Artemisia giggled. "He is kind of cute, especially compared to James the Jerk. He's got the dreamiest gray eyes…"
Catherine groaned. She had started out just casually commenting on the gossip for the week (the girlfriend/ boyfriend bet), when the conversation had taken a turn for the worst. "He's not cute," Catherine disagreed. "He's a bully who hangs out with Potter."
"That just means he's got that bad boy look," a smaller girl insisted.
"Oh, this is my sister, Amaryllis," Artemisia introduced. "She's new this year."
"Hi, I'm Catherine," Catherine replied. "And you'll probably like Sirius less once they starts being obnoxious again his year."
"Is Remus in the bet?" Katrina inquired. She was another Ravenclaw from their year, and her friends called her Kiki. Catherine wasn't really friends with her; Katrina was a little too hyper and Catherine was a little too secluded. Still, Catherine had nothing against her. She was smart, nice, and a little goofy, with sapphire blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. She would probably get along well with Krystal, if the two ever had a reason to meet. Krystal was perkier, though, and not quite as energetic.
"I don't think so," Catherine answered. "I think he managed to dodge the bullet."
Katrina frowned. "Aw… he was my favorite one of the bunch," she replied. "He wasn't as bad as the others."
Penny laughed. "Aw, don't feel bad. Catherine studies with Remus sometimes. Maybe she could find a way to-"
"I'm not a good matchmaker," Ember quickly and honestly declared. "I'm terrible at that kind of stuff. I mean, I wanted Leo Valdez and Elsa of Arendelle together."
"Well, you don't have to talk to Remus, per say," Penny pointed out. "You could just hint it to one of his buddies to tell him."
Katrina giggled. "You don't have to if you don't want to," she informed Catherine, talking a mile a minute. "It would just be so cool if Remus talked to me or something. He wouldn't even need to ask me out. Oh, don't do it. It would be awkward, and he's not even doing the bet, and- Oh, I don't know. I don't really like him, like him, really. He's just a nice guy and he's smart. I mean, even the Ravenclaw boys are age are so difficult. And I love his hair so much."
"Sirius is cuter, though," Artemisia replied as Katrina stopped for air. "Even if he is more of a jerk, sometimes."
Catherine shook her head. "I don't know what you guys see in them," she stated, "but I don't see it. They're bullies."
"But they're cool," Amaryllis protested.
"And who doesn't fall for bad boys?" Artemisia teased.
"I don't," Catherine declared. "It just doesn't make sense."
"Maybe crushes don't make sense," Artemisia retorted. "I bet you still think boys have cooties."
Catherine wrinkled her nose. "They don't have cooties," she muttered. "They have maturity issues."
All the girls laughed at this. "Suit yourself," Artemisia declared.
Peter sat down across from Krystal. "Need some company?" he inquired.
Krystal looked up. "Oh, hi," she replied. "I'm just kind of lost in thought."
He smiled. "You do that a lot, actually," he told her. "I don't think you notice it, though."
"I don't always notice," she admitted. "So, why aren't you hanging out with James and Sirius?"
He shrugged. "They're busy, and you looked all by yourself," he explained.
"I'm fine," Krystal cheerfully answered. "I was just thinking…" She stopped herself and frowned. Krystal used to tease Ember for saying that. Ember would say that all the time, and she never even realized it until Krystal pointed it out. With Ember, all of her old memories from home flooded her. It used to happen to her often, but as the years went by the flashbacks got shorter and sporadic. This time, however, none of the memories felt real. They felt hazy, as if they were the distant dreams you slowly felt yourself losing in the morning as soon as you tried to remember them.
"Are you okay?" Peter queried, breaking Krystal out of her disconcertment. Krystal nodded, forcing a smile onto her face. She was acting silly, really. "What did you remember? You were saying something, and you just froze."
She couldn't help telling Peter the truth. He looked too concerned. "I was remembering my family and stuff," she explained. "From America."
"Oh," he quietly replied.
"I'm better now," Krystal assured. "It just happens every once in a while. So, how's the weather today?"
Peter gave her a funny look. "Are you sure you're alright?" he slowly inquired.
Krystal giggled. "Yeah, that sounded better in my head," she confessed. "I'm not good subject changing yet. Avery should really teach me how to. I've almost figured out what sarcasm is."
"I think you're fine the way you are," he replied. She almost thought he was blushing, but that couldn't have been right.
"That's sweet," she thanked. "Anyway, was there something you wanted to ask me?" He thought for a moment before violently shaking his head "no". He seemed conflicted, though. "Oh, it's alright. You won't offend me or anything."
"Well-" he started. "Um… So, you know how James and Sirius have girlfriends…"
"James has a girlfriend, now?" Krystal inquired. "I must have missed it. Who was crazy enough to date him?"
"Mary MacDonald," Peter informed. "He hasn't officially declared it, though. I was his wingman person since Remus was busy."
"Oh," Krystal replied with a shrug. "I think the whole thing is silly, really. I mean its third year, and none of them really even have crushes on people… that I know of. Avery and I don't, at least. That I know of."
"Oh," said Peter. He sounded a little deflated.
"So, what's the question?" Krystal queried.
"Well…" He seemed even more hesitant. "Since everyone else was getting girlfriends… I thought maybe…"
"You don't have to if you don't want to," she declared. "And by everyone, it's really just James and Sirius, and no offense, but they aren't the greatest role models."
"I know," he answered. "But I thought maybe James and Sirius would think it was cool if I got a girlfriend, too."
"You could ask Marlene if she would be your girlfriend," she suggested.
"No, I-"
"There's Alice. She's nice, and I don't think she's told Frank she likes him yet."
"She likes Frank?" Peter inquired in surprise.
"Well, they're destined to be together," Krystal answered. It was true.
"Um… No Alice, then," Peter responded. "I was thinking of-"
"Krystal!" Avery bellowed. "I need your help!"
Krystal giggled. "Ignore-"
"KRYSTAL!"
"Or maybe not," Krystal laughed.
"You better go," Peter squeaked. "She won't be quiet until you do."
"KRYSTAL!"
"Yeah…" she replied. "Oh, and you should be brave and ask her, whoever she is. You'll never know unless-"
"KRYSTAL, KRYSTAL, KRYSTAL!"
"Bye!" Krystal called over her shoulder before racing up the stairs.
Peter sighed, thinking about what Krystal had said. "You should be brave and ask her." Even after he had decided that morning that he was going to, it had still taken most of the day for him to get his courage up. "You should be brave and ask her." Couldn't she see that was what he had been trying to do? Well, he had tried, at least.
"Why are you holding hands?" Krystal inquired as she found Avery in the Great Hall with a boy.
"He's my boyfriend, duh," Avery replied. "You know, to win the bet?"
"Okay," Krystal replied with a shrug. She was hungry for pancakes. "I thought you would date a Gryffindor like the boys did."
"James threatened all of them and the Hufflepuffs," the boy explained. "So, I'm being her boyfriend for a week or so until it all blows over. Avery told me it would irritate them."
"Okay," Krystal repeated. "I'm Krystal, Avery's sister." The phrase no longer felt weird to her anymore.
"Hi," the boy replied. "I'm Jamie Cruise." He politely shook hands with Krystal using his free hand. Avery looked surprised and pleased, but Jamie was too busy watching the approaching boys to see it.
"Avery, you like nerds?" Sirius quipped.
"He is not a nerd," Avery fought. "Not all Ravenclaws are nerds."
"Most are," James replied.
"Not all Gryffindor's are stupid," Jamie replied. He looked directly at James. "Most are."
Avery laughed, a very pleased look on her face. "You know, I like you," she declared.
"You are dating him," Krystal pointed out.
"Only to win the bet," Jamie pointed out. "I was the first Ravenclaw boy James hadn't scared off yet."
"Which is cheating, by the way," Avery called in James' direction. James just stuck his tongue out at her.
"I'm not the one dating someone with a girl name," James retorted.
"Mary is a girl name," Avery countered. James rolled his eyes.
"You know, you guys' names are backwards," Sirius declared. "Jamie should be a girl, and Avery should be a guy."
"For the last time, Avery is UNISEX!" she shouted. "And Jamie is a perfectly fine boys' name. Right, Jamie?" He nodded. "See you at lunch, boyfriend."
"See you, girlfriend," he teased before walking off.
Avery smiled. "You know, for just randomly picking a guy, I did pretty good," she declared.
"Pretty well," Krystal and Remus corrected at the same time. Krystal giggled and Remus looked up, surprised."
"Whatever," Avery answered. "It doesn't change my point." She caught Krystal and Remus' shared, awkward look. "You know, you two should be together."
"No!" Krystal laughed. "I am not dating someone just because of a stupid bet." Peter looked down at his food with a glum look on his face. "Oh, Peter, I'm not criticizing anyone who does. You can do whatever you want. How did it go, by the way?"
Peter looked up with an embarrassed look on his face. "I didn't exactly get a chance," he replied. "I mean, I sort of hinted it, but…"
"Well, I'm sure she just didn't realize it," Krystal cheerfully responded. "Why don't you try again? I bet she didn't mean to reject you or anything."
"Okay," Peter answered, but he seemed uncertain. "Krystal-"
"Hi, Abby," Sirius called. "Over here! I saved you a seat!"
"Really?" Abigail replied in surprise. "I can sit with you guys?"
"Sure," Sirius replied. "You're my girlfriend. Why not?"
Krystal laughed. "Wow. Sirius is taking this more seriously than I would have thought."
Peter frowned. He wasn't never going to get to ask her, was he?
"Remus, could you pass me the hot chocolate?" she inquired. "No, I won't drink it all. I promise! Remus! Thank you. See? There. I didn't drink it all. I swear, you love chocolate almost more than I do."
No, he probably wouldn't.
Catherine was sitting on her bed when she heard a tapping sound on the window. She sighed and threw the window open. "What?!"
"You should have finished the book by now," Tobi whined.
"How did you get up here?" Catherine demanded. "And I finished the book like three days ago."
"I'm on my broom, duh," Tobi replied. "And since you're not doing anything, I'm kidnapping you."
"I am doing something," she protested.
"You're not doing anything important, at least," Tobi corrected. "I'm the only important thing in your life."
"I'm sure," Catherine sarcastically muttered. "And I am not sharing a broom with you."
"Why not?" Tobi queried.
"I don't like people touching me," Catherine replied. "Ever."
"So you don't like hugs?" Tobi asked in horror.
"No."
"Or high-fives?"
"Well, those are okay, I guess."
"Or tickling?"
"No. It's just weird."
"Or poking?" Tobi poked her for emphasis.
"Nope," she replied, shrugging out of Tobi's reach. "You brought a second broom, didn't you?"
"Of course," Tobi replied. "I knew you were anti-gay."
"I'm not against gays," Catherine disagreed. "I just happen to be straight."
"Whatever," Tobi answered. "Stop talking back! This is a kidnapping, remember?! I'm taking you hostage!"
"Whatever," Catherine teased. She awkwardly climbed through the window and dangled her legs off of the side of the tower. "Where am I being taken to?"
"It's a secret. Now, put this on," Tobi demanded, charming a black blindfold to cover her face. "There you go."
Tobi gently guided both of the brooms up and away. "We better not get caught," Catherine warned.
Tobi playfully poked her. "That's why you're my hostage," she explained. "You wouldn't do it if you had a choice 'cause you're too much of a goody-two-shoes to do anything fun."
Catherine sighed but didn't fight her. Instead, she drummed her fingers on the broomstick. "Where did you get the brooms?"
"I broke into the quidditch supply room," Tobi casually answered. "Almost there… Now."
"Now what?" Catherine inquired.
"Just wait," Tobi demanded. "Sheesh. You can get off the broom, now. But be careful! I'm not responsible if you fall and kill yourself. A captor isn't responsible for any hostage caused death." Catherine carefully got down onto a steep slope and sat down to keep from falling. She was on something rough and gravely feeling. Someone muttered, but the sound was muffled.
"Is Severus gagged?" Catherine quietly inquired.
"Yeah," Tobi admitted. "He wouldn't let me kidnap him." Angry mumbling followed. "Alright, ready, guys?" She heard more mumbling. "Now!"
Catherine's blindfold flew off. She was on the roof of one of the taller towers, looking up at a perfect view of the cloudless starry sky. Small streaks of light flashed by.
Severus, to her left, made a grumbling noise, and Catherine looked down. He was hogtied and ticked off, but wasn't blindfolded anymore, at least. Past him was Tobi, hopefully watching them to see if they liked it. Sebastian was to the far left of the group, lying down and contentedly staring at the meteor shower.
Catherine sighed and free Severus. Before he could speak, though, she cut him off. "Just look at the sky." He rolled his eyes before glancing up. The group stared up at the night in silence for a while.
"Do you like it?" Tobi finally inquired.
"They're usually visible for Draconids," Catherine remarked. "Very nice."
Tobi rolled her eyes. "Stop being nerdy, and tell me if you like it."
"It's beautiful," Severus admitted, "but we're-"
"Shut up," Catherine demanded.
"What?" Severus snapped, turning to face her with a mixed look of outrage and surprise.
"You head me," Catherine answered, her eyes glued to the stars. "You're making me look like less of a stick-in-the-mud. Just let it go for tonight."
Severus stared at her, unsure of how to respond. Normally, she never even spoke to him unless he spoke to her first, and she rarely went along with Tobi's plans. Here she was, though, telling him to shut up and break the rules. He didn't understand… until he caught Tobi's disappointed look in the corner of his eye. By the time he turn, it was gone, but he sighed anyway.
"It's amazing," he replied, lying down and pretending like he was cool like Sebastian. "It's just amazing." That much was true. Once he stopped worrying a bit, it actually wasn't that bad. The weather was nice, and the stars twinkled like diamonds scattered across black velvet.
Tobi turned to him. "Really?" she asked.
"Really," he answered. "Why would I lie?"
"Because you're my best friend, and you don't want to hurt my feelings?" Tobi proposed.
"I'm your best friend?" he inquired, truly surprised.
"Duh," she replied. "You don't see me up here with Potter, do you?"
"Huh," he replied as he looked back up at the sky. "I guess not."
A/N
Yay! Chapter 28 and 97 reviews! :D Not to mention 15 favs and 21 followers. Thanks to everybody who reads this!
Special thanks to my awesome reviewers: Lady Loophole, Akozu Heiwa, Hopeful Star, TheNextGreatAdventure, Lily-Griffin-Potter, and Lovewriting12!
Sorry this took so long. It's kind of a long one, though.
Oh, and I anyone who wants one can ask me to add character for them. I can always use a few more people (Especially if you want to be a Hufflepuff! We're kind of low on them). Disclaimer: Sorry, but no more main characters. It's crazy enough as it is. If you don't believe me, just look back: Avery, Krystal, Ember, Tobi, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Severus all have at least one or two scenes from their point of view. That's 9 people, folks. I can't promise how often you'll show up, but I do promise that you will. If you're interested, reply with a comment and:
Character's name (please not you're real one, though)
Gender (doesn't have to be your real one)
Description (ie: tall/short/ funny/etc)
House (G/R/H/S)
Favorite Marauder (Or Snape, I guess, if you must...)
Tobi: I must. :)
Of course.
Now, even though it's very redundant at this point:
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, or any of its people/places/terms/ etc. If I did, I would write a prequel. ;)
Tobi: But you are…
I meant I would publish it.
Krystal: But you sort of are...?
Stop ganging up against me.
Avery: But-
Ugh. :)
