Big Mouth

When lunchtime came around, the two cousins walked into the Great Hall to find it buzzing with laughter and eager talk. They took their seats at the Ravenclaw table and looked around curiously.

Tiger Lily turned to Bianca. "What's going on?"

"How should I know? Maybe we should ask someone."

"Yeah." She turned to a second year boy that was sitting across from them. "Excuse me. Yes you. What happened to the greasy git this time?"

"W-what? Y-you haven't heard?" he asked nervously.

"Heard what? What happened to Snape this time? C'mon, I'm anxious."

"Are you all right?" Bianca asked the boy with concern.

"Uh . . . Of course I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, trying to hide his apprehension.

"We were just wondering," Tiger Lily said. "You're stuttering like mad."

"Oh . . . I . . . Well, i-it's just, well, it's not every day that two beautiful seventh years talk to a lowly second year like me. Not to mention brilliant beaters."

The girls giggled, and both said, "Well aren't you a dear!"

With more confidence than before, the boy said, "Well it has nothing to do with Snape."

"Really?" the girls asked, taken aback.

"Well?" said Tiger Lily. "What happened to who?"

"Well, you know that new professor?"

"Yes?" said Bianca.

"Well from the looks of it, he had himself a nice little snogging session this morning."

With her huge emerald eyes widened, Tiger Lily said, "Huh?"

Bianca raised her eyebrows. "Really? With who?"

"Well no one's sure, but there are a few unbelievable names flying around."

"Like . . .?" asked Tiger Lily, trying not to let her uneasiness show.

"Well, there's Professor Sinistra, the astronomy teacher. There's talk of him calling an old flame through floo. And then there's . . ."

"Who?"

"Well . . . You. But that's just rubbish, because that's gross and it's against the teacher/student conduct laws."

"Right. Thank you." She let out a relieved sigh.

The girls looked up at Professor Malfoy, almost like it was a reflex, and he was talking merrily to Professor Snape. Bianca raised her eyebrows again, but Tiger Lily felt her face heat up.

"Oops . . ." she said quietly.

Her cousin turned to look at her, stood, then grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out of her seat. "I need to talk to you, Tiger."

"But I'm hungry, Bi!"

"Now!"

"Okay," she said sadly, but as she was being dragged away by her evil Head Girl cousin, she looked back at all the food mournfully.

She was towed into an empty classroom, on which Bianca immediately put a strong silencing charm. Then Bianca turned to her, looking more like Tiger Lily's aunt, Hermione, then ever.

"What do you mean by 'Oops.'!"

"Um . . ."

Knowingly, the redhead said, "So, I guess whoever left that thing on Professor Malfoy's neck must have a pretty big mouth."

"Uh!" Tiger Lily turned a dark shade of red and bit her lip. "Oops . . ."

Bianca's eyes widened. "I knew it! Tiger, what were you doing!"

She chuckled. "Really, Bi. I should think it was obvious."

"I mean--What were you thinking, Tiger!"

"Exactly what was I thinking?" she asked with a faraway look, a twinkle in her eye, and a smirk on her lips.

Bianca narrowed her eyes at her teasing best friend and growled, "Tiger."

"Bi," she said with an angelic smile.

Rolling her eyes, the younger girl sighed and shook her head. A few moments later she couldn't stand anymore. She had to know. "So?"

"So what?"

"Hello! How was it?"

"Have a seat."

"Huh?"

"Hey, you asked for it. Sit down."