Chapter Ten

The Big Night

Sometime on Saturday, Lainie found herself being shaken awake by someone. She tried to push them away but they persisted. She blearily opened one eyes and found herself being dragged out of bed by one arm.

"Bloody hell, get off me" she mumbled drearily. She opened the other eye, she sat up and as her eyes opened, she recognized James bending over by her bed.

"James, what the hell are you on about" she groaned.

"Come on, Lainie, we're going to go flying. You'll love it"

"Fine. I'll see you in the common room in five."

"Cool. Bring your broom"

Lainie glanced at her clock which said 2:16am and groaned. Then she hauled herself out of bed and pulled on some clothes. She grabbed her broom (the newest broom to come out, the Nimbus) and left her friends sleeping as she stole silently down stairs where she saw James, Peter, Remus and Sirius waiting for her. They stole through them sleeping school and then they stole out to the edge of the castle. All four took off and James's signaled for them to fly over the Forbidden Forest. The all hovered over a clearing and stared down into the circle of grass. James grinned at them and signaled at them to be quiet. Lainie had to clasp her hand over her mouth to stop the gasp that came out. Down in the clearing was a group of animals, no, hang on humans. Lainie realized they must be centaurs. They were all gathered around a red light. Suddenly a bang went off behind them. They whirled around and saw a green fireworks explode behind them. They centaurs must've have been expecting this as they were still looking at the red light. Lainie grabbed her broom and saw the others do the same. They all flew as fast as they could back to the castle. Just as they were about to land Filch, walked out with Mr. Norris his cat.

"Shit James, what are we going to do" whispered Lainie

"Follow me "he replied He led them round the castle to the courtyard. He signaled for them to gather round.

"Right we know Filch is out here. So we land and run back to the tower. We will stand a better chance if we split up. Got it"

"But what if we get caught" said Peter worriedly

"You deal with it." Said Sirius

"Right, let's go. Every man for himself. Got it." James said.

Lainie pulled her broom into a sharp dive and landed softly on the grass in the courtyard. Then she crept into the doorway. She tried to pull the handle but it was locked. She snuck round to the next one and got in. She tip toed up the stairs and then began to walk along the hallway. Her footsteps echoed on the stone floor. Suddenly she heard someone else's footsteps! Filch was walking towards her! She froze. Sirius was across the corridor having just avoided Filch himself. He saw Filch approaching her. All James's words went out of his head. He called as quietly as possible to her. She heard him, and then he beckoned to her. She ran towards him and he ran off and told her to follow him. Filch ran after her.

"I'll get you now you, you miserable little worms" he called as he ran after them. Lainie tried to follow Sirius, she was gaining on him then he disappeared. She could hear Filch puffing as he tried to keep up. She kept running in the direction that she though he had gone. Just when she was starting to despair a pair of arms reached out and grabbed her around the waist and pulled inside. She almost screamed when a hand clapped over her face.

She was pulled up right against someone. Some one slightly taller than her. Someone who was quite muscled. She processed this information.

"James" she whispered. The stranger shook his head.

"Sirius" she asked This time he nodded. She relaxed against him, which caught him off guard. The next thing that happened, neither of them could explain. Lainie looked for his watch and he went to pull down his robe. They hands bumped hands with each other, then Sirius reached down and grabbed her hand. It wasn't as if they were scared stiff and needed to comfort each other, it just happened. Lainie was almost as shocked as Sirius was. So they two of them stood behind a portrait as Filch came closer.

He called in his nasty greasy voice "I know you're there, so you might as well just come out. I will find you" He looked around the corridor. Then walked off.

"Phew" whispered Sirius "I thought Filch was going to catch us."

"Thanks for saving my neck, Sirius. I would have been being tortured by Filch by now if you hadn't "

"That's alright. Didn't mind it a bit" he said grinning and looking straight into her eyes. She smiled back. After a while they started walking back.

"So what happened to James's every man for himself thing" she asked with a grin.

"Ahhh....., that's when James's went wrong. He didn't include women in that"

They arrived back at the Gryffindor common room. Just as they were walking up their staircases

Sirius turned and said "We should do that more often"

"What, the centaur thing or the escape from Filch."

"Both"

Lainie shook her head "Night Sirius"

"Night Lainie"

She arrived back at her own room and flopped into bed. She was asleep in two seconds.