Erica opened her eyes. She was in her bed, was that all a dream?

She looked over to Vicky who was sleeping. 'Pay back' Erica thought.

Erica tip-toed over to Vicky's bed and jumped on her straddling her.

"OH MY GAWD! VICKY, I STALKED MATT SKIBA IN MY DREAM!"

Vicky opened her eyes to see her best friend straddling her and shaking her.

"Erica, get the hell off me..."

Erica was still screaming "AND THEN, RICHARD ROXBURGH APPEARD AND GRABBED ME BY THE WAIST AND KISSED ME AND THEN ANTHONY HEAD CHARGED AT HIM LIKE A BULL AND GOT UP AND TOLD ME HE'D MARRY ME AND THEN-"

"ERICA SHUT THE HELL UP!" and she grabbed her friends waist and lunged her across the room.

"Payback" Erica said getting up..

"But I didn't straddle you!" Vicky spat pulling on a pair pants.

"Dude, I had a weird dream." Erica said looking in the mirror poking her stomach.

"Yeah I did to, we got wasted and—"

"DUDE, It wasn't a dream, and we, then I, oh no!"

"I TOLD SNAPE I LIKED HIM!" Erica said less happy.
Vicky got up and pulled her pants up and buttoned them.

"You're screwed, anyway we have to go to lunch, and we haven't eaten in two days."

Erica and Vicky walked into the great hall; Erica looked to her left and saw Malfoy being chased, then over a bit to see a Raven claw flirting with Harry. Her head Snapped back to Malfoy.

"Vicky, Malfoy's being chased by Ashlyn!"

"GO GET 'EM ASH!" Yelled Vicky.

Ashlyn was the Lead singer of the band Erica was in. She had dirty blonde hair, somewhat below her shoulders, blue-grey eyes. She was beautiful and chasing head boy around the slytherin table.

Ashlyn stopped, and walked over to her house table.

She sat down beside a guy, Erica didn't know his name, had blonde hair, the colour of Draco's and it was longer than Draco's. He had blue eyes. Ashlyn sat down beside him and smiled and he said something and they had a conversation going, then she stood and they both headed out of the hall towards the Slytherin common room.

Erica turned to see where her best friend's attention had drifted off too. Vicky had already sat down at the table stuffing her face staring at Lupin. Erica walked and sat beside Vicky.

"I'm sure the rest of the school would like to eat too..." Erica said reaching over for a plate.

Vicky glared at Erica.

Dumbledore looked at Snape.

"Severus, my boy, how are Ms. Barton and Ms Atkins?"

"Fine I presume, Ms. Atkins is back to eating like this is her last meal, and Ms Barton still blushes when Oliver Wood stops by for a visit."

Lupin started giggling madly, Snape looked to him. "What now Remus?"

"nothing" But his eyes showed everything of the night's previous

Snape rolled his eyes. "Thank you Remus I've only spent the past 2 days trying to forget that."

Dumbledore cut in. "oh my, does someone have something to tell me?"

"We all know well by now you care about her."

"No I don't!" His hatred for Remus spread frankly across his face.

"You have grudges Severus; I just want you to know something, because for the past couple of years I haven't had a chance to tell you." Lupin was now down to a whisper." That night out beside the whomping willow, it wasn't my fault, I had no idea what Sirius and James were up too, and I damn well know that if I would have I would have stopped it, because while you and them were talking I was in the shack changing! So don't blame me for because you can't get over a childhood prank"

After a couple of moments, Lupin mumbled under his breath of what sounded as an apology.

"Severus, I hate to state the obvious, but when the chance is approached, it'd be nice to say sorry to poor man." Snape turned to the headmaster but he was looking at his food.

Snape let out a breath. "It's fine" he said, not really convincing Lupin by the way of his tone.

Vicky looked up to see Lupin looking down at his soup looking bothered, she knew Snape had something.

"Erica, why is it that you have to have a crush on the asshole?"

Erica stood up.

"You think I want to be in love with him? He makes me miserable! I hate these feelings!"

Vicky looked down at her plate. "Dude, I was joking..."

"listen, I'm going to shower, I'll meet you here for dinner, and I just need to be alone." She hit Vicky on the back "later dude"

Vicky kept still looking down at her plate. After Erica had exited Vicky got up and glanced at Snape who was looking at her with a questioned expression. She just shrugged her shoulders and went around to Hermione and asked to use her private shower room.

Erica got out the shower and walked into her un-private room. She dried off and dressed in some jeans a black t-shirt and put on her cloak.

She walked around the school for a while before she walked towards the door When Dumbledore appeared.

"Ah, Miss Barton, How are you?" he smiled at her.

She smiled back, a one not so reassuring. "I am fine Headmaster, yourself?"

"Oh, I'm getting by I presume, may I ask you something?" he said putting a hand on Erica's shoulder.

"Of course Headmaster..."

"Its about Professor Snape...Has he been acting, strange towards you and Vicky lately?"

"Err...what do you mean, like, nicer, or do you mean, more Snape than called for, like...10 Times 100."

He chuckled. "No, I mean Nice."

"I suppose, but I was..." Don't think I should tell the headmaster I was drunk, not a good idea

"Go on Miss Barton, its ok, I'm well aware of, your recent...activities." He looked past his glasses and winked.

'OH CRAPPPPP THE OLD MAN KNOWS I GOT WASTED!'

"He treated me, and helped me a lot, and I was amazed that he didn't grab me by my feet and chain me to a wall and torture me. In fact, I wont be surprised if it happens soon, I'm pretty sure I didn't get on the good side of him"

"you didn't" Came Lupin's voice from behind Dumbledore. They turned to see him.

"What do you mean Professor?" Erica asked.

"He finally cares about someone, and he hates it. He doesn't hate you; don't think that for a minute, but he hates not hating you. Now...if you'll excuse me, I have a willow to attend to" He nodded and walked out the door.

Dumbledore looked at Erica and smiled. "See you at dinner Miss Barton" and he walked away.

'Well that was confusing as hell' she headed the great hall.

She sat down next to Vicky, not looking up to look at Snape. Afraid she'd see hatred in his eyes, despise what Lupin said.