I am so sorry that it took so long to update. My kid with his Grandma this weekend, and I actually have nothing to do! My life has settled a bit, so I really hope I can update more often. In the meantime, check out some of my other stories. Some of them are really good.

Thanks for all the nice reviews. I hope to see more soon. Happy reading!

Chpt. 15- The Vow

By the time Lyric reached the Gryffindor common room, her heart had finally stopped racing and her legs felt steady again. A number of students occupied the common room, playing games of chess or studying. Tristan sat near the fireplace laughing with Peyton and Keith. A group of fourth and fifth year girls sat across room giggling over Tristan and his friends. Iona was talking to Amarantha, but stopped when Lyric entered the room. Lyric caught her eye for a moment, but turned away and headed to her dormitory. Iona followed.

"Lyric," she called when they reach their room.

Lyric ignored her. She had far too much on her mind right now to deal with anyone.

"I know you're mad at me right now and I deserve it, but I was worried about what Rita was going to do." Iona said, pausing for acknowledgement. "I shouldn't have given you the cold shoulder today. I deserted you when needed a friend most. I'm sorry."

"Okay, whatever," Lyric mumbled as she began to pull off her school clothes and put on a pair of pajamas.

"That's it, we're alright then?" Iona asked cautiously.

"Fine, Iona, it doesn't matter," Lyric said annoyed.

Iona was silent for a moment, obviously hurt by Lyric's lack of concern. "Are you alright?" she asked her friend.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Lyric said, tears welling up in her eyes. She had finally reached her breaking point. In a single day, Lyric had been betrayed by her best friend and abandoned by the other. She had disappointed her uncle, the only family that Lyric had ever liked. And she was once again confronted with the conflicting feelings she had for Severus Snape. Lyric wondered how it was even possible to be so entirely fascinated by a man that she so vehemently hated.

"Oh Lyric," Iona cried as she pulled her friend in for a hug, "was detention with Snape really that bad?"

Lyric longed to tell someone what had just happened in Snape's office, but she was pretty sure that Iona would think she was crazy. "It's just everything!" Lyric said through her sobs. "This isn't how I imagined my last year of school. I was so looking forward to it, and now it's all messed up."

"It'll be okay," Iona said, "we'll just have to make up for lost time." Iona said, breaking the hug so she could look at Lyric. "I'm sorry I was a cow."

"It's okay," Lyric said wiping away her own tears. "I'll handle Skeeter. It's me she'll want to crucify anyway."

"Yes, but knowing her, she'll take down anyone else in the process. It's 'The Skeeter Way' to ruin everyone's life," Iona said with a laugh.

"Remember in fourth year, when Rita wrote that Amarantha was born the boy twin, but a mistake with the circumcision forced her to be raised as a girl?" Lyric began to laugh.

"Yeah, then Amarantha got the Beaters to swing a Bludger at her during the Quidditch game. Broke her nose in three places," Iona dissolved into giggles.

The girls sat on Lyric's bed and talked for nearly an hour before the subject of Tristan came up. "Have you talked to him?" Iona asked.

"We talked. But Tristan thought that I would just laugh it off and forgive him. I asked him why he did it, but he said that he couldn't tell me."

"You mean, you don't know why he did it?" Iona said.

"No, do you?" Lyric asked.

"I have a pretty good guess," Iona said looking around the room.

"Tell me," Lyric pleaded.

"I can't, this is something you have to hear from him," Iona said sliding off Lyric's bed and moving towards her own.

"Please, tell me. I need to know," Lyric pleaded again.

"Think about it, Lyric. It's not that complicated. Good night," Iona crawled in her bed and pulled the curtains closed.

"Iona!" Lyric yelled at her friend. But it was no use. Lyric laid back into her bed with a huff. Once again, her questions had gone unanswered. What was worse, was that several more questions had popped into her head. What exactly had happened between her and Snape in his office? Was it just another scare tactic of Snape's, or was there something else there?

Lyric tossed and turned the night away trying to come up with some answers. Dawn came, and Lyric still had not figured anything out, including her own feelings for the potions professor.

Having given up on sleep hours before, Lyric crawled out of bed and walked to the bathroom. She turned on a hot shower and let the water absorb her. Thoughts of the potions professors still ran through Lyric's mind as she showered. Try as she might, she couldn't help but envisioning Snape standing in the shower with her. He refused to touch her, but simply watched. Lyric, fed up with being observed by the imaginary professor, got out of the shower and dressed quickly.

Lyric sighed when she realized that all her roommates were still asleep. No one would be up for at least another hour. Lyric thought she better get to work on some of her homework. She had been far too busy to think of any work yesterday, and she had a large bit parchment due on the migration patterns of the Northern Irish Selkie populations. Lyric grabbed a quill and set to work on her assignment. She was nearly finished by the time all of her roommates had risen and gotten ready for classes.

"Ready to go to breakfast?" Iona asked Lyric after getting dressed.

Lyric's stomach gave an involuntary rumble at the mention of food. She had not eaten since breakfast yesterday, and even then, she had only managed half a piece of toast. Hungry as she was, Lyric was not looking forward to facing the school, her uncle, or Snape. Worst of all, she dreaded Skeeter. Rita would no doubt use this opportunity to destroy Lyric as much as she could.

"I'm not hungry," Lyric lied. "And I need to finish this essay," she lied again.

"Nonsense," said Iona, "you haven't eaten since yesterday morning. Come on, we're going now."

"Iona, I can't," Lyric pleaded. But her words fell on deaf ears as Iona grabbed Lyric by the hand and dragged her down to the Great Hall.

As Lyric entered the hall, no one took notice of her as she thought they would all do. Students seemed all too absorbed by the green pieces of paper they were all reading. Lyric groaned. Rita had no doubt been busy last night.

"Ignore it," said Iona as she took a seat at the Gryffindor table.

Lyric sank down beside her friend, trying to hide her faces among the other Gryffindors.

"I do feel as though my name and reputation has been slandered. Such attacks on the name Rita Skeeter will no doubt ring forever throughout the halls of Hogwarts, despite my lack of involvement," Amarantha was reading from the Wart Report.

"Stupid cow interviewed herself. Of all the self-centered, narcissistic things," Amaryllis grumbled.

Iona, Lyric, and Amarantha looked at the usually quiet twin in surprise. "What?" Amaryllis said defensively, "I hate the bitch!"

Lyric smiled at her friend, "Thanks, I needed that."

Students all around had begun to notice Lyric presence in the Great Hall, but Lyric was too involved with her friends to notice. The girls were soon talking and laughing, while Lyric devoured a very large breakfast. It wasn't long before Rita reared her ugly head.

"If it isn't my favorite headline," Rita laughed as she sat down next to Lyric.

"This is the Gryffindor table, Skeeter. We don't welcome rats." Amarantha said smiling.

Rita ignored her, "Tell me, Lyric," she said, fishing for her pen and notebook, "Can you tell me the reason behind your insane plot?"

"You're treading on thin ice, Rita," Iona warned, "I would hate to have to kill you right now."

"Death threats, throw around like Fanged Frisbees, are no deterrence to brave journalist Rita Skeeter, who valiantly pushes forward with her line of questioning." Rita said aloud, as she wrote in her notebook, "Lyric,

The four Gryffindors, having finished their breakfast, decided it would be better to head out to their classes than to be misquoted my Skeeter. They quietly stood up and left the Great Hall. Rita eagerly followed them, all the while continuing to ask questions.

"How has this affected your relationship with your Uncle Albus, Lyric? Is he disappointed by your actions?"

Lyric turned on her feet, stopping Rita who was walking directly behind her. She grabbed Rita acid-green quill and promptly snapped it in two. Rita, looking horrified was about to protest, but Lyric slapped her across the face.

"You'll pay for this Lyric," Rita said as a small trail of blood leaked from her lower lip. "I don't know when and I don't know how, but I vow to get even for this."

Lyric was about to slap Rita again, but all three of her friends jumped up with their wands. "Stupefy," they yelled in unison. Rita instantly fell backwards, stone stiff.

Lyric kicked at Rita's leg. "She'll be out for awhile, we better get to class."

"Bitch," Amarantha said under her breathe as she spit on the unconscious Rita.

Lyric found herself once again happy, despite Rita's ominous vow.

That's enough for now. More to come soon.