AN: Written for the finals of QL.

Prompts, "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." George Augustus Moore, The Brook Kerith, dilated, torrent and "The next time I tell you it's a bad idea, how about you try actually listening?"

Word count: 1,002

Pranking

"The next time I tell you it's a bad idea, how about you try actually listening?" Rose hissed at him through the darkness of the broom cupboard. "So we don't get stuck in a situation like this again."

It was a tight squeeze with four of the Weasley's huddled in the tiny space. Rose was sure her foot was probably stuck in a bucket and Albus' elbow was digging into her side.

"I never said you had to come with us," James retorted.

She let out an exasperated breath. "I wasn't going to just stand there and let you do something stupid. Besides, whether I like it or not, I'm an accomplice now because I was there."

"And Linkwell won't care whether or not you were actually involved in James' and Freddie's prank," Albus added. "Just the fact that we were both there is enough for us to get in trouble too."

"Linkwell is a prat who hates everyone," Freddie stated. "And therefore he is deserving of what James and I had in store for him."

"I still don't see why you even bother anymore Rosie," James said.

"Maybe because I'm trying to get you to not get any farther on Linkwell's bad side than you already are," Rose retorted. "He already hates you as it is, you're just making things worse."

The faint sound of footsteps caused him to turn his gaze away from his cousin and towards the door to the cupboard. It was two sets of footsteps and they were growing closer towards their hideout

James quickly shushed them and leaned towards the door, wanting to hear what was being side. Through the wood, he could make out two sets of muffled voices becoming more and clearer as they came closer.

"I'm telling you, Minerva, it was Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley," Linkwell's voice carried through the wood.

"I thought you said you didn't seem who it was?" McGonagall questioned. James could just picture the older woman crossing her arms with an annoyed expression on her face by her tone.

"It was those two," Linkwell was adamant.

McGonagall sighed. "Unless you saw the two of them, neither one of us can do anything, Professor. You know that."

"It doesn't make any sense for it to have been anyone else."

"I'm afraid there's nothing to say about the matter," McGonagall stated. "Assumptions are not how we hand out punishments here and I'm sorry that you dislike the two of them enough to just assume it was them."

"It had to have been."

"I'm afraid there is nothing I can do," McGonagall said, her voice fading. James could hear her footsteps fading as she drifted further and further from the corridor.

James listened as Professor Linkwell continued to mutter to himself before his footsteps faded as well. After waiting a couple of moments, he slowly eased the broom cupboard's door open and peeked out into the now empty corridor.

"I think the coast is clear," he whispered over his shoulder.

He slowly edged out from the confines on the small closest and made his way further into the corridor. He stepped in the opposite direction of where he thought Linkwell had gone. Freddie, Rose and Albus quickly followed him.

Once he was sure he was a far enough distance away, he broke out into to sprint back towards the Grand Staircase. The sound of three sets of footsteps told him, Freddie, Rose and Albus were still behind him.

After he reached the fifth floor – a two floor buffer between them and Linkwell, he came to a stop. He worked on slowing his breathing as he slowly turned and leaned against the wall.

"Remind me again to never willingly follow you two again," Rose said, panting as she glanced between James and Freddie.

Freddie shrugged. "Not our fault you don't know by now that we don't take no for an answer."

"And don't listen to reason," James added.

Albus tugged on Rose's arm. "Let's just get back to our common rooms before we get pulled into something else these two plan."

"Don't you want to know what we did?" James asked.

"It's probably safer if we didn't," Albus responded.

Freddie and James shared a look, wordlessly deciding to tell them anyway. "Well let's just say," James started.

"That Linkwell is probably covered in blue goo," Freddie continued.

"As is his office,"

"And classroom,"

"Thanks to a Weasley Wizard Wheezes' product,"

"That we have my dad to thank for," Freddie ended.

Rose shook her head and let out a sigh. She knew that no matter what she said, Freddie and James weren't going to listen to her. Especially if the Head of Slytherin was involved.

"Just do try and be more careful," Rose finally said. "Because even if Linkwell didn't see, he still knew it was the two of you."

"It's perfectly fine, Rosie," Freddie responded. "He can't prove it was us – even McGonagall said so."

"And maybe next time, you two won't be so lucky," Rose stated, crossing her arms over her chest. She turned away from the group and started making her way back towards the Ravenclaw Common Room. "I'm going to bed before the two of you come up with something else to get us in trouble."

"Oh just live a little, Rose," James shouted up the stairs.

"And where are you going Al?" Freddie asked, causing James to turn his head.

"Following Rose's lead and going back to my common room," Albus stated. "Well I can't be dragged into the middle of one of your pranks anymore."

"Don't be such a buzzkill, little brother," James said with a lopsided grin.

"So what do you suppose we do now?" Freddie asked.

James thought for a moment. "I say we head back to our dormitory and thank up more elaborate pranks for Linkwell."

The two shared a grin before they headed up the next two flights of stairs and down the corridor that would lead them to the Gryffindor Common Room.