Chpt. 4- Hula Skirts and Dark Thoughts
Lyric walked into the Gryffindor common room to find Tristan clutching a Butterbeer and leading the first year boys around in a conga line dressed in nothing but grass skirts and coconut bras. Tristan was back in the scarf loin cloth number. Lyric was not surprised at all by the spectacle. Every year, Tristan did something horribly stupid and embarrassing to the first year boys as two of his roommates, Peyton Pembroke and Keith Adler, took pictures. The next day, the pictures were developed and posted all over the school to serve as an animated reminder that first years should never trust Tristan Merton.
Last year, he waited until all of the first years were asleep. He then snuck into their rooms and wrote silly remarks on their chests in permanent ink. Those second year boys are still referred to by what was written on their chest. Right now, "I Like Boys" "Balls are the Best" and "Will Strip for Acceptance" were happily watching the new students, knowing that their teasing would soon stop.
And the year before that, Tristan had convinced the first years that on the first day of class, all students painted their faces in their house colors. He then mixed up some permanent face paint and set to work on the boys. It was nearly Christmas before the last face was entirely free of red and gold paint.
Tristan's greatest feat was not pulling off these pranks, but never getting in trouble for them. Tristan had such the personality and charm that professors just laughed at the pranks, citing that no one every got really hurt. Even his victims loved him, as Tristan treated them all like his best friend after having a laugh at their expense.
Lyric found Iona sitting in the corner enjoying the show, Iona smiled and tossed her a Butterbeer. "So what did he tell them this time?" She had to talk loud to be heard over the music.
"Something about the traditional hula dance of Godric Gryffindor. He told them all firsties have to do, lest the ghost of Godric will come to haunt them," Iona had always been jealous that she could never think of anything to get the girls. "Suppose we tell them it's tradition for all first year girls to go streaking on the Quidditch fields. You think they'd go for that?"
"Iona, this is something boys do. Girls, even first year girls, are far too smart to fall for something like this. And besides that, I'm beginning to believe that boys just enjoy getting naked, or half naked. Without any reason or purpose. They just like it."
"Yeah, well, I still want to get the girls," Iona pouted. She stared at the boys for another minute before asking Lyric about her conversation with Dumbledore.
"He said that I am to trust him," Lyric yelled over the conga. "I want to, but Snape gives me the creeps. He came into Uncle Albie's office while I was there. Every time he spoke, I think my heart stopped. It was weird, though, went he went to shake my hand, I expected it to be cold and bony, but it was actually quite warm."
"So, you're going to base this man's character on the temperature of his hand?" she asked sarcastically.
"Well…no, I was just saying it was warm," Lyric trailed off. Iona got a silly smile across her face, "Oh, God Iona, that's completely pervvie."
Iona kept on smiling, "Well, you were the one to make a big deal out of his hands."
"I didn't mean to suggest that he was masturbating!" Lyric yelled. The entire room was very quiet. The music had cut out just as Lyric had gotten to the end of her sentence. The Gryffindor common room erupted into laughter as Lyric turned an unflattering shade of pink. "Well, now that I've managed to embarrass myself," she called to the whole room, "I'll be off to my room." This drew even bigger laughs. "Not to do that! Honestly, you'd act like you're all a bunch of unruly, hormone-ridden teenagers."
"To hormones!" Tristan yelled as raised his Butterbeer high in the air.
"To hormones!" shouted the rest of the Gryffindors.
Lyric made her way up to her room to find Amarantha already unpacked and in the best bed. She didn't waste anytime in getting down to facts. "So, did you talk to your uncle about the new professor?"
Lyric wanted to ignore the question, but she knew Amarantha would never shut up if did. Not that Amarantha would ever shut up. "I did," she started reluctantly, "and he asked that I just trust him."
"Do you?" she asked
"I don't know," Lyric was truly at a loss. "On the one head, he is my uncle, and I have always trusted his judgment before."
"But…" Amarantha egged her continue.
"But, Snape just makes me feels strange inside," Lyric made a face as she talked.
"What kind of strange?" Amarantha was listening intently.
"What do mean?" Lyric asked defensively.
"Strange, as in creepy? Strange, as in he's about to eat your soul? Strange, as in butterflies in the stomach and sweaty palms?"
"All three?" Lyric wasn't quite sure herself.
"Oh…My…God!" Amarantha stretched out her words.
"What?" Lyric was confused.
"You like him?" Amarantha said with a smile.
"Who, Snape?" The idea made Lyric want to vomit. "God Amarantha, that's disgusting. He's got to be at least in his thirties."
"So, that appeals to a lot of girls who miss their daddies." Amarantha was a nice girl, but she sometimes crossed the line.
"Okay, that officially ends the conversation. And if you mention that to anyone, I'll shove your precious broomstick right up your ass." Lyric quickly put on her pajamas and crawled into bed. As she tried to drift off to sleep, she had visions in her head of a certain Death-Eater killing her uncle and torturing her to no end. She sat up in bed. "I hate you Amarantha!"
"Yeah, why's that?" she asked amused.
"Cause now you put this idea in my head."
"Sorry, love. I just call them as I see them." And with that, Amarantha switched out the lights and crawled into bed. Leaving Lyric alone in the dark with her thoughts.