Little Reminder: The fabulous world of Harry Potter does not belong to me, no matter how much I may want it. Thus, I credit JKR for her amazing work. Also, check out Weasley and Brown if you have an interest in following Professor Weasley and Brown in their work as WarMages.
Chapter Nine Strawberry-Kiwi and Drag Queens
"What do you think you are doing?"
Jenny and Alan both turned to see the Gryffindor first years staring at them. Having just entered the common room after returning from Christmas break, Jenny and Alan were joking about the new Gryffindor password: "Self Restraint". Lizzy stood up slowly; her eyes glued to Jenny.
"I thought you hated each other?" said Lizzy as she came to stand before the pair.
Alan coughed slightly and looked at Jenny from the corner of his eye; the look was unmistakable, she was starting to stew. Taking his leave, Alan levitated his trunk and headed for the boys' dormitory. Curiosity getting the better of them, Matt and Tristan followed Alan upstairs.
Jenny gave Lizzy a cool look before turning and heading for the girls' dormitories with her trunk in front her. Knowing that Lizzy and Ari would soon follow her up, Jenny settled her trunk back at the end of the bed. Struggling out of her winter cloak and setting it on her bed, Jenny looked around the dormitory. A new Quidditch poster was above Lori's bed; Oliver Wood, not bad, thought Jenny as she grinned slightly. Jenny's cousin Adele had a new pair of shoes under her bed and Lizzy had a new poster of the cast of Wicked above her bed. Ari, however, had a large stack of books on her bedside table that caused Jenny walked closer to see the titles. Which Witch? by Jane Parston, The Phoenix War by Thomas York, So Your Mum's a Muggle by Vicky Wise, The Boy Who Lived by Ryan Ice, Scarlet and Gold: Famous Gryffindors of Modern History by Evan Grey, Hogwarts, A History and Hogwarts, A Modern History sat in a neat stack.
"Well?" said Lizzy as she banged the door open; Ari right behind her.
"Hey Ari, once you have a chance to read these, would you mind if I borrowed one or two?" asked Jenny as she walked back over to her bed and picked up her cloak.
"Of course! I have already read Which Witch? and The Phoenix Wars! They are both great reads and really inspiring. Although, Wars was more of a history while the other…"
"Don't let her get off topic, Ari! She is going to tell us why she is friendly with Alan Potter since we saw you last," said Lizzy loudly, interrupting Ari. "Well?" said Lizzy again rudely.
Jenny shrugged and hung up her cloak off a hook by her bed, "Why does it matter to you Lizzy?"
"Well let's see, you have spent the every day since I met you saying how much of an idiot Alan was. What else?" Lizzy paused dramatically, "Oh yeah, Alan and his little gang are always making life miserable for us, that's why."
"Well, things have changed. Alan and I have come to a bit of an understanding."
Ari finally spoke up, "Well you can't be sleeping with him; you're too young," she paused, "I think."
Jenny's jaw literally dropped, leaving a nice little nest for some wayward bird. She couldn't believe that Ari, of all people would think that of her. But then seeing the twinkle in Ari's eyes, Jenny started to laugh.
"Ari, you're the greatest! You know that, don't you?" said Jenny after she gained some control again.
"Your laughing about this?" demanded Lizzy who had been staring slack jawed at Jenny and Ari.
"Yeah, I am! Think about it, Lizzy. No matter what, I would never sleep with Alan. Plus, this is innocent, little Ari. That's why it's so funny."
"Well, now that we have that cleared up," interrupted Ari in a matter-of-fact tone, "would you please explain this new arrangement? And, does it mean that we will be liberated from Alan and Tristan's pestering?"
Jenny chuckled as Lizzy threw up her hands and sat down on her bed, "I don't know about the pestering, but Alan and I have decided that it would be easier on all of us if we were friendly. And no, I will not give details."
Lizzy and Ari, however, questioned Jenny the entire time she unpacked. It was very "subtly" done because they wove the questions in to general statements like "Have any new, guy related, experiences?" Jenny just laughed and brushed them off gently before finally announcing that she was starving.
Down in the Great Hall, Alan, Tristan and Matt were already starting on their dinner with Lori, Adele, Adrian and Arthur. The group was rather loudly debating when Alan and Tristan should attempt their next prank.
"Wednesday night sounds good, we have Astronomy that night and you could use it as an alibi," said Adrian as the girls sat down.
"That wouldn't be a good idea," said Jenny, "we have a Potions exam on Thursday morning; best not to tick off Professor Dunstan by keeping him up the night before."
The other first years looked at Jenny dumbstruck; Jenny never approved of Alan and Tristan's pranks. Alan, however, gave Jenny a thoughtful look, "That would make life difficult. Tristan, mate, let's hold off until Thursday night, Professor Weasley won't mind as much."
"Uh?" said Tristan. "Did the world just stop turning? I could have sworn that you just took Granger's advice."
"Jenny has a point," said Matt, "Besides having a horrid exam, we have class with the Slytherins to boot. Just think how bad it would be if the Slytherins did better than us because of something as stupid as a prank."
Tristan sighed dramatically and put his face in his hands, "That's it, the world as I know it just ceased to exist. Please, someone take me out back and put me down easy."
"Why go out back? I'm sure everyone would love to witness that. And just think, we could all use that as an excuse miss class tomorrow morning," said Jenny with a grin.
Tristan gave Jenny a withering look before reaching for the pumpkin juice. This made all of the Gryffindor first years laugh as they tucked in for dinner.
-------------
Thursday came too quickly for the Gryffindor first years who hadn't studied for the Potions exam. Professor Dunstan was tough as usual and many of the students left the classroom with headaches. Lunch was a quiet affair where the only three who seemed conscious were Matt, Ari and Jenny. Herbology with the Ravenclaws after lunch was easy to get through without much thought. However, in Transfiguration, Professor Brown had a "special surprise" which turned out to be a pop quiz. Mumbling about peppy professors, the first years headed back to their common room to drop off their books before dinner.
Through dinner Tristan and Alan finalized their plans for that night and with the help of Matt, set up when they would get out of the common room with an excuse. Jenny and Ari pretended to not hear the boys while discussing an article in the Daily Prophet. All of the first years returned to the common room to do homework for Defense Against the Dark Arts that was due tomorrow and to start on their new Transfiguration homework.
Around nine-thirty, Tristan and Alan went up to their dormitory to fetch Alan's invisibility cloak. Both boys didn't notice that they had forgotten the Marauder's Map as they left the Gryffindor common room and headed for the North Tower. The way there was quiet enough save a close call with Peeves the Poltergeist singing, "Oh, professor, who would have guessed her," which left both boys more than a little confused.
Finally reaching the door to the platform, Alan and Tristan found it locked as usual. Quietly muttering "Alohomora" Alan and Tristan eased the door open quietly and stopped dead in their tracks.
Professor Weasley had Professor Brown pinned to the stones and was kissing her heatedly. The couple was in state of semi-undress and both were sweating profusely. Unnoticed by the pair, Alan and Tristan stood in shock for a moment before quickly pulling the door shut.
As soon as the door snapped shut, Alan and Tristan heard Professor Brown say, "Did you hear that?"
Not waiting to hear the rest, Alan and Tristan ran as quietly as possible back to the safety of the Gryffindor common room only taking off the cloak when they were right outside the portrait. Their fellow first years looked up as the pair entered the common room out of breath with a cloak under Alan's arm.
"What happened to you two?" said Lizzy, "I thought you two were upstairs still."
"We climbed out the window," said Alan between breaths quickly.
"Well? How did it go? Is the Hogwarts crest cut into the grounds?"
"No, you'll never believe what we did see though," said Tristan excitedly as he took a seat.
-------------
By the time the Gryffindors entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom the next morning, the entire school had heard of the Weasley/Brown incident. However, Professor Weasley acted as if nothing had happened and the students worked on their papers comparing any two defense spells of their choice. At lunch when the students were all in the Great Hall, the Gryffindor first years over-heard the fifth years saying that Professor Brown had been in a foul mood. Supposedly she jumped down Katie Elliot's throat for flirting with Daniel Newton in class and told her to "stop being so loose." Because of that remark the entire school was soon buzzing with rumors involving Katie Elliot and random young men as well as the story involving Katie, Professor Weasley and a bottle of strawberry-kiwi lotion. Thankful, the Professor Weasley rumor was not true.
However, the worse was yet to come for Alan and Tristan. On Monday morning, Professor Brown found out about the boys through a colleague and had had time to plot her revenge on them. In the middle of Transfiguration, Professor Brown asked for two volunteers who just so happened to be Alan and Tristan.
"Today we will be trying something more advanced. I doubt that many of you will be able to complete it but don't worry; it is just for fun today. A way to make up for your work last week, if you will. Now, well shall be working on transfiguring clothing. It is a handy bit of transfiguration if any of you plan on entering in the Ministry in the future."
"Professor, that sort of transfiguration isn't for anyone who is under fifth year," said Ari quickly as she raised her hand.
"That is why it is advanced and I don't expect many of you to actually complete it. Now, Mr. Potter, Mr. Rush, please come forward. I shall show you all how it is done by transfiguring these boys' robes into Renaissance wear. Make sure you pay close attention now. One. Two. Three!"
On three, Professor Brown raised her wand and transfigured the boys' robes. However, instead of wearing tights and tunics, the boys wore Renaissance dresses. Alan was sporting a low cut gold silk dress with a white head cover while Tristan wore a matching crimson silk dress with a black head cover. Both boys stood in shock as the class burst out in laughter at the royalty before them.
"Now," said Professor Brown sweetly, "you just don't see enough young men in period drag anymore."
Jennifer realized Professor Brown was retaliating for what the boys had seen and looked over at Ari who sat there in shock. Jennifer coughed and Ari looked up. Jennifer jerked her head towards the boys and Ari nodded. "I know the counter-spell," said Ari and quickly whispered it to Jenny. Nodding again, Jenny and Ari stood up and pointed their wands at the boys leaving them back in their school robes.
Probably deciding that the boys had paid their dept, Professor Brown turned the class to working on transfiguring pins to needles. After class, Alan and Tristan ended up in a heated debate that ended with the boys fighting on the floor over who was to blame. Upon receiving detentions for fighting, Alan and Tristan refused to speak to each other for the rest of the week. It was because of this, that Alan spent more time with Jennifer and Matt during that time.
"Alan, get over it. It got you the same result in the end didn't it?" said Jenny exasperatedly on Friday evening when she and Matt were trying to study in the library while Alan tagged along.
"What is that exactly?" said Alan slowly.
"A laugh," said Matt as he turned the page in his Potions book.
"Besides, Professor Brown was right," said Jenny casually as she looked down at her book.
"About what?" said Alan in a clipped voice.
"There aren't enough men in period drag," replied Jenny sweetly as Matt burst into silent laughter.
Alan stormed out of the library without his books. Later that night, when Jenny and Matt returned, they were greeted by all the Gryffindor first years singing a heated chorus of, "Jenny and Matt, sitting in a tree…" lead by Tristan and Alan.
Just to Let You Know:
Props to my roommate for amazing quotes and all her help in this chapter. If any of you have an interest in the Weasley/Brown ship check out my parallel story, Weasley and Brown I wrote recently and encourage you all to read. I think by now we all know the deal: Please Review.