Chapter 5: The Fat Lady in Pink

          After the meal, the students were told to return to their houses.  The prefects lead the first years separately in a different direction.

            "They go the long way," Alicia explained to Callie.  "Lets them get a look at the school."  Callie followed the rest of the older Gryffindor students out the door, down one flight of stairs and toward a large painting of a rather corpulent women in a pink dress. 

            "Oh oh! Let me!" George ran ahead of the group and stood in front of the painting.  Callie thought he was crazy.

            "Password?" the women suddenly came to life and asked.

            "Mackled Malaclaw." George said quickly.  The women nodded and the painting opened revealing the warm glow of the common room.

            "That was bloody brilliant!" Callie exclaimed.

            "You'll have to learn and memorize the password, it changes every month or so… or after someone from another house knows what it is…" As George answered he looked directly at Lee.  As the group entered the room, Lee insisted.

            "It just slipped!"

            "Lee dear," Alicia began. "You announced our password at one of the Quidditch matches!"

            "Well, its not like I meant to," Lee said with a pout.  Callie rolled her eyes and smiled as she saw the common room.  Everything was deep red and gold, a few pictures dotted the walls and comfy couches and chairs surrounded a roaring fire.  As soon as they entered the room, the older students jumped on the chairs and found places on the floor next to the fire.  Callie sat down on the couch next to Lee.

            "Don't we have to go to bed?" She asked.

            "All the first years are asleep and some of the other younger kids go to sleep, but we stay up as long as possible before ole' McGonnagall hollers at us," Lee answered.

            "Sounds smashing," Callie said with a yawn.  She settled back into the couch, closed her eyes and sighed happily.  When she opened her eyes a second later.  A book was again floating in front of her face.  She threw her hands up in surprise.

            "Bloody…!" Callie's exclamation was halted as her hand came into contact with something.  She turned around and there was Oliver holding his nose and swearing repetitively under his breathe.  The book fell into Callie's lap but, it fell off as she quickly turned around to see Oliver.

            "Oh Bollocks!  Ollie I'm sorry!  Are you okay?"  Callie put her hand on Oliver's shoulder.  With her other hand she grabbed her wand out of her cloaks.  As she lifted it, Oliver put his free hand up in protest. 

            "Repairum." Callie said simply and pointed her wand at Oliver's nose.  He closed his eyes expecting pain, but opened them in surprise and dropped his hand when he felt relief.  His nose was no longer bleeding or in pain, he wiggled it a few times to make sure.

            "I'm really sorry Oliver.  That book thing didn't work last time either did it," she said with a sorry smile.

            "No matter love," he began.  "Pretty good bit of magic you did, to fix up my nose."  He walked over and picked up the book.

            "I think I'll try it the normal way this time…. Here."  Callie took the book from his hands and looked at the cover.

            "Quidditch through the ages!  Ollie you didn't have to… I mean." Callie stumbled over her words.

            "Well you looked as though you really wanted it.  And I needed to by something after knocking the entire bookcase over.  It made the shopkeeper a bit less angry," he said with a smile.  Callie jumped up and wrapped her arms around Oliver neck.  He looked a bit surprised then smiled and put his arms around her waist, lifted her up and swung her a round in circles.  She squealed and they both fell over onto the rug in front of the fire.  By the time they stood up, everyone was laughing.  Callie blushed when Oliver looked over at her. 

            "Thanks again Wood," she said with a little laugh.

            "No problem Cal.  Hey if we get to roll around on the floor together every time I give you a book, I'll buy you a whole library…" he said with a sly smirk.  She grabbed a pillow and hit him in the face. 

            "Ohh!"  he yelled. "Now your askin' for it!"  He wrestled the pillow away from Callie and swung at her.  She ducked and he whacked Fred in the back.  Everyone was silent.  Fred turned around and in one swift motion grabbed a gold, velvet pillow and attacked Oliver.  As with the candy, a war broke out in no time, except there were at least ten more students involved in this case.  Feathers flew everywhere.  By the time everyone was worn out, Callie was on Wood's back, Alicia was sitting on Lee stomach, George was hanging upside down of the back of the couch and Fred and Angelina were hiding behind two of the arm-chairs near the entrance. 

            "Oh my, we'd better clean this up!" Angelina commented.  All the students placed the pillows back in their proper places and collected the loose feathers.  Alicia made George climb up and remove the pillow he threw into the chandelier.  Callie jumped down from Wood's back and dusted him off. 

            "Everyone!  I think McGonnagall is coming!" one of the students whispered loudly.  Everyone began scrambling toward the stairs.  Oliver picked up the book from the floor and handed it to Callie once more.  He smiled and grabbed her hand pulling her toward the stairs.

            "I can take her from here Wood," Alicia said with a roll of her eyes.  Oliver let go of Callie hand and began running up the white, stone stairs.  He stopped half way up and looked back.  He caught Callie's eye and smiled out of the side of his mouth.  Callie laughed and bit her lip. 'Oh my, I'm not going to be able to walk up the stairs after that smile,' she thought.  She found herself being dragged up the stairs up Alicia.  When all the girls were in the room, Alicia threw her hands in the air.

            "Honestly Cal!  You and Wood should just get to snogging and spare us the endless flirting!" she exclaimed.  Callie blushed and looked down.

            "Oh really?" she asked suddenly with a smile.  "I wouldn't be talking Alicia!  I wasn't the one sitting on Lee's chest was I now?"  Angelina looked up and laughed out loud.

            "She's got you there 'lice…"

            Alicia blushed.  "Okay Okay.  But hey, I definitely wouldn't object to a bit of snogging with Lee…"

All the girls giggled, before changing into their nightclothes and getting into bed. 

            "Night everyone," Alicia said with a yawn.  A chorus of 'nights' followed.  Callie turned over in her bed and smiled.  She couldn't wait until tomorrow when she could see Oliver again.  'Maybe he'll give me another book…" she thought hopefully before slipping into a deep slumber.