I was done for.
Well and truly.
My mother was going to be furious with me, and I suspected a little smug, too. As for Dad, I didn't even want to think about the disappointment on his face when he would undoubtedly receive the letter from Snape stating how, despite my fathers very clear warning - I had got into trouble, for pranking no less and was now facing detention.
"How many times do I have to apologise?" Mia questioned, clearly exasperated as I begrudgingly trailed behind her on our way to Snape's office.
"You could never apologise enough." I quipped. "I'm going to get kicked off the team for this."
Despite my best efforts, Mia and the twins plan to enact revenge on Draco had been uncovered, just as I had suspected it would, and Snape had refused to listen to my pleas that I'd had nothing to do with it, I knew he hadn't believed a word of any of what I'd tried to say. I couldn't say I entirely blamed him, my previous escapades in the same company certainly went against me. Yet as Mia and I were forced to ignore the Great Hall on a Thursday evening, the smell of food all the tantalising now that we couldn't have it, I wished I'd managed to be just a little more convincing.
"I'm so hungry." I complained as we descended the steps into the dungeon, the mouth watering with smell of the food following us. "So hungry I could heat a horse."
"I thought you were a vegetarian?" Mia smirked.
"I am." I grumbled. "But my resolve is being tested."
"I'm sure you can live without lettuce for a few hours." Mia joked as she knocked on Snape's office door.
"Ha. Ha." I said sarcastically as we both waited silently, October winds battered the diamond paned windows of the empty dungeon hallway.
"Come in." We both glanced skeptically as one another before doing as we were ordered and pushed on the black wood, stepping inside. Snape looked up from his desk in the corner and scowled heavily at the two of us
"Sit." He ordered and we both did, there was never a time for sarcasm or questioning when professor Snape was angry at us, we'd learnt that last year.
"You've outdone yourselves." He began. "Barely a month into the school year." He turned his attention specifically turned to me.
"You are aware, Miss Rosier. That participation in extra - curriculum activities, Quidditch for example, is a privilege - not a right. The same goes for you and your choir Miss Cavett. I refuse to have a repeat of last year - understand?"
We both nodded silently.
"You better. Now, you'll be serving detention with Professor Lockhart. Go. Now. For your sakes lets not have this conversation again. Where the two of you are concerned, I am quickly running out of patience.
We both silently got to our feet and didn't speak again until we were well on our way to Lockhart's classroom.
"I suppose detention with Lockhart must be better than detention with Snape." I suggested.
"Oh, definitely." One mischievously familiar voice stated.
"Undeniably." The second agreed, Mia and I turned to face the messy uniforms and messier hair of Fred and George.
"I take back what I said." I crossed my arms over my chest as Mia broke out in a smile, and Lockhart came out of his classroom, meeting us in the corridor.
"Ah, Miss Cavett, Miss Rosier and both the Mr Weasley's! Almost a full house, would just need a Ravenclaw now, wouldn't we? No matter, Miss Miller is already here - come on. We have plenty to get through!"
"Who's Miller?" George questioned as we followed Lockhart to the front of the class. It was then that I spotted the familiar face of my partner from Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"Faye?" I smiled and upon recognising Mia and I, she broke out into a relieved smile.
"Hi, guys." She greeted sheepishly, waggling her fingers toward us.
"Now, take a seat, all of you. We have got 1000 letters to get through before your curfew. Fortunately, Mr Potter's detention got them all signed but each letter needs placing in an envelope, addresses writing, sealing with wax and then being piled according to destination country. If we're lucky, we may even get up to the owler to get them sent out."
"Lucky?" Mia questioned.
"What was that?" Lockhart questioned, having become distracted by one of his many portraits hung around the room.
"Nothing, professor." Mia quickly replied as we all settled into the front three benches. "I just can't wait to get started."
"Yes, Miss Cavett. It is that attitude that will get you through your task." He clapped his hands together. "Now, Mr and Mr Weasley - you can write out the addresses, your neatest cursive if you please. These are fan responses. Miss Rosier and Miss Cavett the envelops and wax seals. Miss Miller-"
"Piles by destination." Faye nodded, cutting him off.
"Yes, exactly. Well then, I will leave you to your work, remember - tam work is the order of the day." With a flourish of cream satin robes, he scented the small steps to his office and closed the door.
"That man may actually cause me to eye roll myself into another dimension." I shrugged off my robe and lit the small candle hidden underneath the melting some before dropping a number of the powder blue pellets into the small spoon.
"I can't feel my fingers." Fred complained after what must have been hours of writing, stamping, and stacking. The sun had set hours ago but the wind had only intensified.
"I can't feel my whole hand." George chimed in, before looking to Mia expectantly to continue. She elicited a smirk.
'I can't feel my arm," I sighed as I slid a letter to Faye and felt Mia's gaze on me.
'I can't feel my brain.' She laughed and all four of us turned to Faye who had something reminiscent of a 'deer in headlights' look, obviously not expecting to be included in our silly game.
There was a moment of expectant silence as we waited for her.
"I can't feel my will to live?" She said, though it was more of an approval sought question. She looked between the four of us before Fred and George broke out into laugher, Mia and I nodded in silent approval.
Having apparently heard us, Lockhart's office door flew open and none of us missed how he had changed into a suit of lavender. He looked at us expectantly as if he was hoping that one of us would acknowledge him but none of us did. Instead opting to rush through the last dozen letters.
"Well, you all blew through that lot!" Lockhart commented with his usual trademark sickly grin. "Amazing what teamwork can achieve isn't it?"
"Amazing." I muttered, earning a jab in the ribs from Mia.
As I slid the final letter over to Faye, I blew out the tea light that had little more than a film of wax left in its curricular metal dish. We all looked up at Lockhart expectantly. My stomach rumbling had got so persistent in the past half hour that George had thought it necessary to jokingly throw himself under his desk shouting Earthquake!
He had earned laughter from Fred, a snigger from Mia and a handful of wax pellets to the head from me.
"Well, you've all done terribly well. I think I can let you go now." Lockhart glanced as his gold filigree pocket watch as the four of us rushed to shrug our robes back on, eager to leave.
'Yes. Yes. Best be heading back to your common rooms then. We're well past curfew so best be snappy about it!"
We certainly didn't need telling twice as the five of us poured out into the serpentine corridor and began heading back to the main body of the castle.
'I don't think I will ever be able to write another thing, ever." George stated, holding up his palm as if he excepted it to visibly throb from all the writing over the past four hours.
"We'll sure have to employ a Ravenclaw to do our homework…" Fred nodded, turning to Mia. "Oh, I know. Mia's little boyfriend could do it for us!'
Mia turned and smirked up at him.
"Zach is not my boyfriend." She quipped.
'Yet." George and I said in unison. I could feel the look of shock on my own face before I once again clutched my stomach.
"Our shared brainwaves are to be put down to my agonising hunger. I have got a whole bag of candied orange slices that are going to have to be substitute dinner." I declared.
Suddenly, Faye jumped. in front of us, a grin on her face, amber eyes twinkling with instantly recognisable mischief.
"I have a better idea." She grins.
'Pray tell, tiny Hufflepuff." Fred grinned but it quickly fell when Faye's hands fell to her hips.
"Was that a short joke?" Faye snapped, shooting a look to the twins. Their own grins faded from their faces as they looked cautiously to Mia and I.
"Ignore them." I smiled. "Everyone is short to them."
"They're a pair of beanpoles." Mia grinned. Fred and George mocked identical offence.
'Harsh Ammy. But we will let it go…" George began.
"Just this once." Fred finished "And only because we want to hear tiny Hufflepuff's idea."
The four of us turned back to Faye and she clapped her hands together.
"Follow me." She turned on her heel and the four of us exchanged looks before eagerly scurrying after her. The moving staircases were empty when we reached them, moving of their own accord with no one climbing them. Portraits were beginning their night routines, some of them drawing drapes across their frames, others waking up after having spent their day asleep. We followed Faye as she jumped the steps two at a time, her black Mary Janes scuffing against the well trodden stone.
Once we reached the main hall of the castle, Faye took a sharp left turn down a corridor that I'd paid little attention to prior to now, despite there being no windows, it was lit with yellow light and was pleasantly warm.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the way to the Hufflepuff common room?" Mia questioned. From in front of us, Faye nodded.
'It is. But it is also…" she paused as she tickled a green pear on a tapestry and it dissolved before our eyes, revealing a door hidden behind. Faye knocked on the old oak and almost instantly, it opened and a house elf in a lop sided chefs hat and a stained apron smiled up at Faye with a wide, toothy grin.
'Miss Faye!" It smiled, gesturing her through the doorway instantly. Faye motioned for us to follow after her and as I stepped into the Hogwarts kitchens for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised.
The room was enormous. As big as the Great Hall that I'd figured were directly under. Four large tables were lined next to each other, currently empty as the large clock struck 11pm. I figured that at meal times, they were piled high with food, waiting to be sent to the hundreds of hungry students above.
"Beesey was hoping you would visit tonight! Beesey noticed that you weren't at dinner!" Faye smiled fondly down at the house elf as Mia and I stood awkwardly behind her, still taking in the ginormous room. Large copper pots and pans were hung along the far wall and opposite those was a massive fireplace, roaring happily despite the late hour.
'Sorry Beesey. We had detention." I heard Faye apologise, my attention returning to the small house elf. It looked over Mia, Fred, George and I and continued to smile. Suddenly my stomach rumbled loudly again and I clutched it in embarrassment.
'Nina!" Mia grinned, eyes wide.
"Sorry. I'm hungry." I grimaced desperately, the bag of sweets in our dorm were practically crying out to me.
"Oh yes, of course! Beesey will feed Miss Faye and her friends!" The house elf suddenly cried. 'Please, please sit! Beesey will cook whatever you want!" The house elf looked at us expectantly as we all took a seat on the long benches, a number of other elves approached each of us, placing cutlery, plates and goblets in front of us. Mine instantly filled with iced water and I gratefully gulped it down before it refilled itself.
Fred and George grinned identically as they 'cheered' their goblets of pumpkin juice and gulped them down almost in perfect sync.
"What would Miss Faye like Beesey to make?" The house elf questioned, stood on the table at the same eye height as Faye.
'Same as always, Beesey." Faye smiled. "You make the best cheese toasty in Hogwarts." The elf bushed, nodded and called orders to some others who started cooking straight away. The elf then turned to me and smiled just as wide.
"Beesey has not had the pleasure…"
"Nina Rosier." I smiled politely and suddenly the elf adjusted its hat and flattened its apron.
"Miss Rosier! An honour, truly. Beesey knows of Cipkey! Cipkey is Beesey's cloest friend. Cipkey speaks very highly of Miss Rosier and her family!' I smiled awkwardly, feeling the surprised stares of Fred, George and Mia bore into me. The elf continued to stare at me expectantly before I suddenly remembered the point of our interaction.
"Oh. I'll just have a spinach omelette, please." The elf bowed its head and I grimaced, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.
"Of course, Miss Rosier!" The elf barked out similar orders and another elf got to work.
'I'm Fred…"
"…and I'm George." The twins introduced, next to me.
'Ah! Mr and Mr Weasley! Beesey has heard much of you, sirs! Peeves enjoys your company greatly. Us house elves hear of all your mischief!" Fred and George grinned smugly.
'Oh? Do go on." George encouraged.
'Could you not?" Mia interjected. "I would like to get some sleep before classes tomorrow."
'Grouchy." Fred grinned. "What do you fancy, Georgie?"
"Surely only our favourite will do, Freddie."
"Agreed. Two of your finest bangers and mash if you please." Fred smiled and Beesey nodded.
"Onion gravy too, if you don't mind terribly." George added. Beesey nodded again and turned to shout orders only to see sausages already frying away in a pan.
Finally, Beesey turned to Mia and I knew exactly what she was going to request before she said it.
"BBQ chicken wings." I mouthed alongside her and after Bessey had jumped down and the smell of various cooking food filled the air, Fred turned to me.
"So…" he began. I looked up to him and crossed my arms over my chest.
"So?"
"You have house elves?" George questioned. I couldn't quite tell it it was accusatory or not.
'Elf. We have one. And you heard that one, ours speaks highly of us."
"Wow."
"That one." George grinned sarcastically.
"How elitist of you." I squinted my eyes at the two Gryffindors as our plates of food were presented to us.
"I can't be that elitist if I associate with you two." I turned away and delved into my omelette which was delicious, as it was every other time I chose it for my dinner.
The house elves cleaned up as we ate, all with the exception of Beesey who dropped into conversation with Faye as though the two were old friends. It quickly became clear the Faye spent much of her time with the elves in the kitchens. It was only when the clock struck midnight that the five of us realised how late it'd gotten and how not even the excuse of detention would pacify anyone who caught us out of bed so late.
"Than you, Beesey." Faye smiled as we all got to our feet, each of our stomachs satisfied and our brains now longing for our beds, weary limbs wishing to be wrapped in the warm blankets and resting on the firm mattress of our beds.
As we left the kitchen, Faye waved us goodnight and headed for the Hufflepuff common room. Once we'd reached the grand entrance hall, the twins did the same and headed up to the Gryffindor tower as Mia and I defended into the dungeons.
"I am thoroughly exhausted." Mia yawned as we approached the hidden entrance of the Slytherin Common Room.
"Agreed." I yawned. "Imperium." At my stating of the password, we climbed into the common room that was deathly silent. The fireplace was one red hot cracked log that was crumbling before our eyes but we paid it little attention as we headed down the hall to the dorms.
'I like Faye." I said suddenly, having not anticipated my own words.
"Me too." Mia whispered as we sipped into our dorm, not wanting to wake Millie, Pansy or Sally.
We quietly changed into our pyjamas before I jumped into bed and tugged the duvet over myself, not looking forward to how tired I was still going to be in only a few hours when we'd wake again for another day of classes.