Beneath the Mask, by Amadah

Katie - age 21

Angelina - age 22

Oliver - age 24

Alicia - age 21

Disclaimer: If you recognize the character, it's J.K Rowling's. Magda and Jenny mine.

Note: I hope this isn't too boring. There's not much dialogue in this chapter, for which I apologize. I'd appreciate any helpful comments – is everything moving too slowly? Too fast?
CHAPTER FOUR: Corrupted Jenny

Angelina, Fred and Oliver came every morning that week before Quidditch drills, and with every day, my awkwardness around them began to ease slightly, though Oliver and I exchanged only a few words – usually an unenthusiastic greeting and a just as indifferent farewell. Alicia and George came a couple of the days as well, but usually they took advantage of the fact that they didn't have to really get up for anything but their hungry stomachs, so often they slept in. According to Fred, George had taken up photography – very unlike him, I thought – and had become sort of an unofficial photographer for Puddlemere United. Alicia traveled with him, seeing as they were engaged and all. Angelina explained that whenever they were in one place for a long period of time, Alicia got a small job somewhere to earn some extra money. While listening my long-time friends discuss everything they had been doing in life, not only did it make me feel utterly second-string compared to them, I realized that I was also jealous that they all had been traveling. Together. Without me.

Although I enjoyed the little morning visits at The Bellsong, I was extremely happy when Friday night came around. I felt like I hadn't been to the Den in ages and I was looking forward to a few hours just relaxing and having fun. Unlike with Angelina, Fred, Oliver, Alicia and George, I didn't feel aloof around all the familiar yet unknown masked faces at the Den.

On Friday evening I walked tiredly up the stairs to my apartment and was surprised to see that I had left my door unlocked – not muggle-locked, but magically locked. Muggle locks were almost completely useless in Riverford, as anyone could lift it easily with a simple spell that even the first-years at Hogwarts could learn. When I entered the room, I yelped in surprise to see Alicia and Angelina sitting on my couch. Then I laughed and covered my face, feeling like a fool.

"We thought we'd drop by," said Alicia, getting to her feet.

"Without Oliver," Angelina added pointedly, "but we wont be staying long. Just wanted to show you our surprise."

When I took a look around my apartment, I was stunned. It was clean. Clean had almost become a foreign concept to me, but now here I was standing in a clean apartment. I had been too lazy and so my friends did it for me. I couldn't determine whether to feel insulted or grateful, but decided on the latter.

"Just...wow," I said, unable to think of anything else.

"You can thank us later," said Alicia, grinning. Angelina looked at my curiously, however.

"We were kind of surprised that you still hadn't cleaned up from...your party," she said, looking me in the eye. I couldn't help but notice a slight emphasis on 'party.' I looked away, hoping desperately that she couldn't spot the panic in my eyes.

"Well...I've just been kind of busy doing, you know, work and stuff," I said, maybe a little too fast. I don't know why is was so important to me that my friends didn't know what I had really done. What I still did. They're my friends, I told myself sternly, but a second part argued, that doesn't mean they have to know. And so they left my apartment that evening, still unconscious to the reality of my life. I'm not sure what it was about any of this, but I found myself vowing that, should I go to the Den, I would not share my body tonight.

The Den was, amazingly, in the basement of a bakery. The bakery itself was owned by The Corrupted Queen, as we called her for fun. She knew very well what went on deep beneath her feet, and the bakery, though quite successful, had been opened specifically for the purpose it served: to hide the Den. Magda was the owner's name. She figured that to have innocence atop a cavern of particularly non-innocence would be very helpful in keeping it all hidden. So while little sweet cupcakes were being sold, very unbeknown to the customers, a secret society bustled below the tables at which they sat consuming the sweets of the bakery.

Tonight I was wearing a strapless dress with a turquoise and white floral print. There was small, short slit down the middle from the top, creating little puckers across the bust and it was completed with a flounced hem. I carried my mask within a medium-sized white handbag – just large enough that my mask could fit comfortably inside without being bent and ruined. As requested of all members, I entered the bakery through the back door, which led directly into the kitchen. What looked like a simple rug upon the floor was actually a trap door. I went to this, lifted it up and quietly stepped down onto the steps, allowing the door to close gently above me as I did.

"Lumos," I murmured, and my wand began to glow in the darkness. After sliding on my mask, I made my way down the circling stone stairway – it never ceased to amaze me how much work it must have taken to construct such a dazzling place. No doubt it had taken quite a bit of magic – and it was rumored that Magda's cousin was a Magical Architect. The climb down was a walk that took nearly ten minutes and I passed various masked people on their way out. Some of the masks I recognized, some of them I didn't. New people were always being invited to join, so naturally I wouldn't know them. Some members also had more then one mask – this way they could choose who they wanted to be each time they came.

I could hear the music even before I entered the huge main room, the Centrum. I remembered the firs time I came here – I had been completely breath-taken and awestruck. Colorful lights had been charmed to bounce off the walls and people wildly – a takeoff from Muggle disco balls. The best part of those lights, though, was that you could feel them – should one land on you, it would tickle. Because of this, often people would laugh for seemingly no reason at all. Looking up, I could see people walking around on top floors or leaning over the artistically-carved railings with a beer in hand, watching the action contentedly. Torches lined the walls, which ever seemed to remind me of the days at Hogwarts. A dais sat in the center of the first floor, where I was. Live music was always playing on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The rest of the time, instruments played themselves. Out of sight, there were other rooms on all floors, some full of food and drink while others were meant simply for lounging. The music playing in the Centrum could be heard throughout the entire Den, I knew.

"Nox," I said, and my wand dimmed. I no longer needed its light in here.

Though the Den was highly decorated with various things – lights, moving paintings, sculptures – the most embellishing decoration of all was the people. Masks ranged anywhere from totally simple black things to huge ones that covered your whole head. Some of the outfits people wore were absolutely outrageous, while others were more simple, like mine.

I heard a step behind me and turned to see a woman about my age sliding on her mask. Her features were all too familiar.

"Jenny?" I gasped. She jumped.

"Who - who are you?" She stammered. I could hear the panic in her voice – and I didn't blame her; all the members usually remained completely anonymous to each other.

"It's Katie," I laughed.

"Holy shit," she replied, "you scared me big time." She had scared me, too.

"When the hell did you join The Corrupted?" She wanted to know as we proceeded to walk the rim of the dancing crowd. I shrugged.

"Two or three years ago...God, I can't remember at all," I retorted, making a face. It was true; I couldn't remember. It felt like a lifetime a go...

Jenny and I hung out for a while until we began to gravitate our separate ways. I found that it really excited me to know she was also a member. I hadn't realized how good it felt to do something fun with someone I actually know.

"Ladies and chaps," came the familiar voice of Big Jake, our popular announcer, "a couple weeks ago we did that Muggle dance that someone suggested. Anyone want to try another one?" After noone called "aye," as was the common reply to a question like that in the Den, I did, and stepped up to the dais.

"Hello there, Domino," said Big Jake cheerfully. I grinned at his use of my Corrupted nickname. "And what would you like to suggest?"

"Cotton Eyed Joe," I told him. He laughed. "I know that one, it's fun." Then pointing his wand at his throat, he muttered "Sonorus," making his voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Cotton Eyed Joe it is! Domino here will lead it. Any gents out there know this one?"

It took a couple of minutes, but finally one guy stepped forward, who's mask I didn't recognize. It was cream colored with a pointed nose and little gray-and-white feathers popping from the top. The music started playing, and we began. Grasping each others hands, we stepped to the music – left over right, kick left foot, polka stepping backwards along with various other steps. My partner was extremely good and we laughed together as other people started filling the dance floor once more, trying to imitate our steps. It was nice to be rid of some of the dirty dancing, for once.

And all I could think of was how Oliver and I had loved this dance.

Thanks for reading. :) If I got any of the spells wrong, please let me know. Oh, and the Den might seem really, really improbable which is why I just had to mention the Magical Architect and besides... it is a magical place, so hopefully it's kind of at least believable in the Harry Potter world! Thanks to:

Celi

Firenze

Karen Walker

Spexy

Katameran