The big day, or days, finally dawned and things came to a momentary pause for most of the student body. The fifth years had their testing as well, but the seniors all seemed a bit too preoccupied. Surprisingly enough, breakfast stayed relatively quiet, with the rest of the students respectfully staying quiet for those to finishing cramming. Devon was reading a book her two fingers gliding along the pages as she quickly, and loudly, flipped through.
"Tap the brakes, killer." Sirius put his hand on her book to stop her irritating flutter of pages.
"Some of us are trying to study!" she grunted through her teeth, shooting a glare at him.
"Should have done that a while ago," Sirius laughed. "Or so I'm told."
Not appreciating his laughter, Devon shoved his hands off, and with a snort, went back to her haphazard reading. Ava looked up at this, and was bewildered by the noise that had just come from her friend. Silently laughing she closed her book.
"Well, I either know it or I don't." she declared. "The rest of what's going in now is just short term junk. Be in my head for, oh, about 5 seconds."
Sirius gave her a shrug, "tried to tell you."
"Would you kindly shut up?" Lily politely spat out. "Only the good Lord knows how you even made it this far. Even James has studied more than you, and touched a book."
"Oh, ickle Jamsey," Sirius made a face at her. Lily shot him a big-eyed 'shut-up' look. Yeah, yeah, yeah he thought with a nod.
Some students gradually put their books down, coming to the same conclusion as Ava. The wait game began. However in the cluster group around the Marauders, only Sirius and Ava weren't reading. Waiting for breakfast to end and the tables to be cleared for desks, they contented to make faces at each other for entertainment. Some how Lily could sense this and it interrupted her reading, as she would hiss at then to stop. Ava laughed at her friend's Obsessive Compulsiveness silently, not daring to do it aloud.
Ava stared around the room looking for the great clock that hung on the wall. Fifteen more minutes. Okay, she thought. How to entertain herself for the rest of the time. Without making noise. She looked around the huge hall more, until her eyes fell to the slytherin table. Slytherins, she mused. While everyone in the Gryffindor house despised them, Ava did have to admit, but only to herself, a morbid fascination with them. Very odd people were those slytherins. It was like a sideshow, or staring at a wreck as someone drives by. Natural curiosity. She had no earthly urge to be one, but she got pleasure out of observing their ridiculously haughtiness. Who did they think they were fooling? Only themselves she decided.
Her eyes drifted down the table, her gag reflex still in tact when she found herself staring at Bellatrix primping herself in her compact. Stupid cow. Continuing along, she found her eyes on one Lucius Malfoy. Not someone she had ever exchanged words with, but a strange character nonetheless. He didn't seem to react to much in life. She knew him to be betrothed to that wanker Narcissa, but that's about all she knew of him. She had had a good laugh to hear how they were already engaged, pure blood families were quite peculiar she found. She did feel bad for the poor guy actually, to be stuck with that consolation door prize for the rest of his life. Probably deserved it.
As if he felt her eyes on him he looked up and locked his gaze on her, the steel colored eyes hardened. Not that she tried, but she couldn't take her eyes away from him to break the contact as she stared him down. She did almost double over in laughter from the pompous way he looked at her. Probably thinks I fancy him, she mused. It was too much for her as she broke out into laughter at the thought. Anyone and everyone in the vicinity looked at her, many sending her angry look. Lucius was not amused. However she never gave him a second glance.
Lily gave her a none-too-soft kick under the table. Ava tried to stifle her laughter, but failed. Miserably. She found it even more humorous when Lily moaned in frustration and threw her book at her. Almost on cue a bell rang for breakfast to end. Lily huffed at her and ran to the bathroom, Devon in close tow.
"Must be the nerves." Ava shrugged as the rest of them stood up to move to the side. The desks would appear shortly.
"My dear," Sirius started, placing his arm on her shoulder, "we all know that Snivellus is quiet a comical spectacle, however you must control yourself." He playfully scolded.
"It wasn't that I was cackling at." She told him matter-of-factly. His look said 'oh?' She took his arm and twisted it around his back. "Maybe I was laughing at you."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Remus shot in there before Sirius could say anything. Ava and he exchanged grins at that.
"And not the last I'm sure." Sirius played hurt.
"Builds character my lad." James thumped him on the back.
"Sounds familiar…" Sirius mused. Isn't that what he used to say to James instead?
"All those times Lily shot you down!" Peter laughed at James.
"Guess I built enough." James gave a wicked knowing grin as he walked over to meet Lily, who was walking back towards them.
"Why are you lot standing around here?" Lily reprimanded them. "N.E.W.T.s are slightly, if not more, personalized than O.W.L.s. Get you to class!"
"Easy tiger Lily," Remus patted her on the back. "You know they insist on talking to use like we are brand new to the whole institution. Intros, schedules, week agenda," he shrugged, "You know how it goes."
"What could they possibly have to tell us?" Lily had her hands on her hips.
"Where the exam is?" Ava supplied with a sarcastic questioning. "Times, silly details like that."
Lily gave a slight eep, and covered her mouth with her hands as she flushed a gentle pink. Recovering, she laughed it off. "Guess I could do with knowing that." She gave a sheepish smile.
--
"And all at once, it seemed over with." Ava laughed with Lily, who wasn't as amused.
"Maybe for you!" Lily moaned. "I went to the wrong room at the wrong time! I had flashbacks to my apparate test!"
"But it's over!" Isobel cried. She fell backwards onto her bed with a sigh of relief. "Smooth sailing from here on out."
"Should do," Devon beamed. "Only left to party."
"And that wretched ceremony" Ava grimaced. "But, we'll worry about that-Later."
"Technically, we aren't suppose to celebrate until after the ceremony on Saturday…" Lily mocked.
"We just won't tell anyone." Devon shrugged.
The girls had a good laugh at the thought of postponing their fun just for the sake of ceremony. Things like this couldn't be put off. Technically they hadn't graduated yet, but it could be ignored.
Ava hopped up and out of her bed. "I have the best idea!" Isobel sent her a dubious look. Ava returned a wicked smirk. "Well, or we could just sit here all night."
"What is it already?" Devon exclaimed getting excited. "Don't keep us in suspense. Or me anyway, I don't care about them." She got up from her bed and flopped onto Ava's, gesturing her back over. Ava whispered in her ear. Devon jumped up quickly and started putting on a pair of shoes.
"Let's go girls" She already had her sandals on and was holding open the door. "Up, up."
Uncertain, but the nevertheless doing so the rest followed. They left their dormitory and quietly came down into the house common room. Devon went and sat down at the table where the marauders were stationed. The rest of girls sat down or stood quietly around the table, the guys becoming very suspicious.
"Yes?" James glanced around with reserve.
"What are you up to tonight?" Lily asked simply.
"What are you up to?" Remus eyed the pack.
"Fun." Ava said in an undertone. She got up after exchanging a glance with Devon, and headed out the porthole, the rest of girls once again following. The marauders, all with smiles to match, quietly stood up and followed out.
Devon decided that Ava wasn't walking quite fast enough and decided to take charge, Ava, content enough to let her. Devon led them out in to the courtyard and was about to keep on walking until a professor walked by and she turned her back to the light. Before the rest could be seen, they stopped behind the corner upon hearing Devon hiss. However, she wasn't as lucky.
"Miss Hunt?" The professor came over to her, somehow recognizing her back. "Are you all right?"
Devon sniffed. "Mm-hmm." Her mind reeled at what reason she could come up for being out her.
"What are you doing out here, at this time of night? And alone at that. Not that anyone should be out here, alone or together…" She rambled on, soon stopping herself.
"I-I" Devon stammered. Soon her words came in an outpour. "I'm just so happy and sad all at the same time! My exams are over, but soon I'll be leaving Hogwarts! It's so sad."
"Oh luv," The professor put her arm around her and escorted the sniffling sobbing Devon back to her house.
The rest of the troop hid in the shadows until they past. Ava took over the led reluctantly since she knew where they were headed. Once she had them to the gates she walked out through the gates and headed towards the village. The rest continued to follow after like puppies.
"The village? Isn't that a tad illegal?" Lily asked her as the rest caught up.
"Haven't you ever wanted to do something illegal?" was Ava's only retort.
Sirius smirked. That's my girl. How many times had the marauders snuck out to faff about? Not that they had ever had this much luck. Filch had always been about, But they had had the map! Lucky girls. Poor Devs, stuck as decoy. "Devs is going to be pretty upset when she catches back up to us."
"Eh," Isobel shrugged, "One of the pitfalls of leading."
The walk to the village was much different than any other. The night filled the quiet air between the group, none speaking until they reached the village. While most of the place was dark and quiet, some lights were still on. Many the pubs were lit and full, slight noise could be heard. While the marauders were not surprised at all, having encountered this plenty of times, they played straight faces. So? They seemed to ask. What to do?
"Pub?" Some voice seemed to ask. Not that anyone argued.
Some odd pints later…
"We thought you'd never gat here Dev!" A drunk Peter told the tipsy Devon, who was guzzling trying to catch up.
"I didn't think so either." She laughed. "Though I'm a sneaksy one, and here I am!"
"Yeah," Isobel slapped her on the back, "we thought you'd be trapped in there forever. 'Devon, Devon- come out where ever you are!" she collapsed in giggles holding here bottle.
"Now there's an idea." Devon mused.
"And what's that, luv?" Remus asked her his arm draped over her.
"Hide and Seek." Devon even laughed her self as she mentioned it. "Think about where better to play it? Illegal? In the dark?"
"Or sardines." Sirius said snickering as he sat down on Remus' other side.
"No," Lily gave a drunken giggle. "I wouldn't want to be stuck anywhere with you alone Sir-us," her hiccup cut in.
"C'mon, Not it." Devon called, soon followed by a chorus of 'not its'. They stood up and walked over to the bar where Ava and James sat doing shooters.
"So, who's it going to be?" Isobel laid an arm around Ava. "It or no?" Ava gave her a funny look.
"We have decoded to be really childish, in more ways than one, and play Hide-and-seek, and you are it." Devon slurred out at her.
"Mm, you're the one who thought it up, I take it." Ava accused her with a crooked smile. "So I think you should be It." she slapped her on the shoulder and ran out of the pub. The rest seemed to scatter as well. Resigning her self, Devon sat down and tried to count to fifty, but gave up and went after them.
:: Well, I see that they are up to a little trouble. But (shrugs) what's new there? The next chapter will tell more of what they are up to, but you will have to wait-so sorry- for that. Can't crowd a chap and all that….
