Little Grey cells

We sat through all our classes the next day in a daze. I think I was less shocked then the others because I don't exactly take it as seriously as they do. For Lione this was her life. I think she felt like something that was especially for her, and us, had been intruded upon and something sacred had been destroyed. Gregory always thought of himself as one in a line of pranksters. His Uncles weren't the only other Weasley Pranksters on the plaque and I think he always secretly thought of it as a Weasley only trade. The idea that someone else could be touching what was privately ours (we were allowed because we were his best friends so I suppose we were technically helping him. That's what I think he thought anyway) was terrible. For Lucy, whoever was in there had committed a most horrific crime. Lucy loved that plaque like anything and this person had ruined it by smudging it up. And they hadn't left their name down the bottom. For one who was obsessive about the list of pranksters, a rogue was not a good option.

I think I should place here that I was not very good at reading people, so if you're looking for completely accurate descriptions of Lione's, Gregory's and Lucy's psyche at that moment then don't take these. This was just what I thought was going on but, actually, for me it was quite good.

It was lunch and we had just come from Potions.

"I gotta go," said Lione, still putting things in to her bad and fastening it as we walked away.

She seemed to be in an unnatural hurry.

"Why?" asked Gregory. "It's lunch time. Food?"

Lione struggled in her bag again, pulled out some sandwiches and waved them at him. "There. Happy? I've got food, I will eat, but I've got to go."

"Where?" Gregory persisted.

"I've just... gotta go. I'll catch up with you later."

She darted off.

"What is up with her?" Gregory asked no one in particular.

"She's probably still angry about what you said at Quidditch try-outs," said Lucy conversationally. "She's been really distant these past few days."

"She can't still be angry," said Gregory. "Not after this long."

"It hasn't been that long," Lucy told him. "Girls hold grudges. Oh! Did you hear? Jane got the seeker position. You know, Jane Jordan from Slyth-"

"I think we all know which Jane you're talking about," I said.

"Yes well that means the commentator place is wide open."

"That's it then!" cried Gregory. "She must be taking commentating lessons."

"Lione's Mum owns a Quidditch grounds, I think she knows how to be a commentator. How hard can it be?"

"But she has been talking to McGonagall recently."

"I suppose she did hang back after Transfiguration the other day."

We sat entered the Great Hall for lunch and sat down at the Gryffindor table. After only five minutes Lucy jumped up to leave.

"Okay, I gotta go."

"Oh no you don't," said Gregory, pulling her back down. "I know exactly where you plan to go and I'm not letting you."

"I was just going to the library..." said Lucy innocently.

"Lucy," said Gregory sternly. "You know we can't risk going there in the middle of the day."

"What? The library?"

"The prankster room!"

"Oh there. Oh no, I wasn't going to go there."

"Then why have you got paper towels in your bag?"

"What paper towels?"

"You were going to clean the plaque!" I cried, finally realising what they were talking about.

"No I wasn't," said Lucy panicky.

"Then what are the Paper towels for?"

"Oh, all right, I was. But only because it's filthy! There's custard all over it."

"It's only one little spot," I said. "You can barely notice it."

"I notice it," said Lucy. "Come on guys, you know how much I love that thing."

"You've got to leave it there as evidence," said Gregory. "We need to know what it is and where it is to help us know why it is. There. It's a clue."

"But we know what it is!" cried Lucy desperately. "It's custard! It smells like custard, it tastes like custard."

I couldn't help noticing that some Gryffindors were looking at us and glancing at the pickle sandwiches with confusion.

"It's custard. Why do we need to leave it there?"

"I told you. It's a clue. We need to be able to gather all the clues together to solve this and we can't do that if you destroy the evidence."

"Let me guess," I said. "You've going to use your little grey cells."

Gregory and Lucy looked at me. "My what?"

"Your little grey cells. Your brain cells. That's what Poirot says. He's a Belgian detective from an old book."

They looked at me blankly.

"We're not detectives," said Lucy. "Exactly! We're not detectives, Gregory. We wouldn't know what to do with a clue unless we could blow it up."

Gregory seemed to think about this. "True, I suppose."

"Great." Lucy got to her feet. "I'll be off then."

Gregory pulled her down again. "Not so fast, you."

"You've got a friend in me,

You've got a friend in me! "

It was evening and we were in the common room doing our homework. Lione had vanished again after dinner. Melanie was singing and we were ignoring her, which was hard since people had started to join in and Lucy had started humming it under her breath. Lione came through the portrait hole. We had our backs to it, so didn't see it - but we could tell she had because Melanie (thankfully) stopped singing.

"Hey Leigh!" she cried.

"Hi, Melanie. Whatcha singing?"

"You've got a friend in me," Melanie replied.

Lione sat down opposite us. "From Toy story? Hi guys."

"Yeah. Do you know how to play it? Will you fetch your guitar?"

"Sorry, I don't."

"Oh."

Melanie wandered away.

"Where've you been?" Gregory demanded.

"I went to see McGonagall. She said that all applicants for the commentating job should go see her after dinner. I got it!"

"Where were you at lunch?" asked Gregory before Lucy and I could come in with 'Congratulations!'

"Somewhere," said Lione vaguely.

"Well somewhere wasn't with us. Where was somewhere?"

"Gees, you're turning in to my Dad."

"Really?"

"No, my Dad is less demanding. What's it to you, Greg?"

"I just wanna know. You weren't... you weren't with Robin Little were you?"

"No. And even if I was it'd be none of your business."

"I'd stay away from Little if I was you, I don't trust him."

"Just because we first met him right before the first vampire attack doesn't mean he's bad news."

"Well it's highly suspicious don't you think."

"You're not suspicious of 'Arry."

"Well I think someone with half a name isn't a danger. I happen to believe that only people with proper names can hurt you."

"Then you're an idiot!"

"I'm not the one being idiotic! You're the one hanging around with a boy you barely know anything about!"

They were slowly getting louder and people were beginning to turn and stare.

"You know even less about him and you think he's evil!"

"I'm just trying to watch out for one of my best friends."

"Well that's what I am! I'm one of your best friends. I'm not a puppy; you don't keep me on a lead all the time."

"At least then I might know where you were."

"It's none of your business where I was! Can you not even consider that I might have a life that doesn't concern you? Are you so self centred that you can't imagine me existing without your permission?"

"You're twisting my words! I'm not saying that at all. Maybe if you paid attention at all you wouldn't be putting yourself in danger all the time."

"Well I'm paying attention now, what do you have to say?"

She went silent and glared at him. Gregory took a deep breath and started speaking calmly and quietly. Well... more quietly then they had been speaking up to then.

"The only reason I want to know where you are is because I care about you and don't want to see you hurt. Now I think that Robin Little is bad news and I don't think you should be seeing him. And it would be nice to know where you were just in case you need any help at all. After all, every time you have done something in secret you've got in trouble. Remember the first time you went behind the mirror and nearly died?"

Lione stared at him looking shocked and angry. "How dare you throw that back in my face," she said to him in almost a whisper. "I'm still scared about what happened last year. And what about you? You would have done exactly the same thing."

"Yes but-"

"But what? But I'm a girl. Is that what you were going to say? This is all because I'm a girl? I am twice as good as you Gregory Weasley. You don't forget that."

That night I dreamed.

Everything was black and white like one of those old films and the old 'rescue' music was playing. Lione was in one of those long dresses tied to a railway track. Everything went black for a moment when the word Scream appeared. Gregory walked in wearing a very dodgy suit and an even stranger hat. It went black like before - except this time the message was "I'll save you because that's what I do". He untied Lione from the tracks. Suddenly a crowd of girls, lead by Lucy, rushed in dressed like the old ladies from Monty Python. They were all holding handbags, which they used to hit Gregory, round the head. Up came the words "You naughty boy!" The crowds disappeared leaving the scene of the railway track empty. Browen entered from the right dressed up as a bad guy from the old films. He had a top hat, cloak, cane and everything. He twiddled his thin moustache and the curtains came down.

I woke up with a start. Gregory, the only other person in the dormitory, stared at me.

"Is it normal to dream in subtitles?" I asked him.

"No," he replied.

"Ah."

A/N: What happened in the Prankster room? Who was it in the hall? What is Lione up to? How much trouble is Gregory now in? Is it indeed possible to dream in subtitles? Find out next time and don't forget to review!