Disclaimer: All J.K. Rowling's shit
Chapter Song(s):
Lana Del Rey, Sing My Body Electric
All Out, Lights (thanks to my sister for letting me know about this song)
I want to thank everyone who reviewed from the bottom of my heart. It really helps me keep motivated each chapter and it lets me know if everyone likes the direction I'm going in with the story. So the moral of that rant is keep the reviews coming and I'll love you.
Chapter 5: Nearly Headless Rose
Lysander and I got back to the compartment, and it was evident that the candy trolly already passed by. The seats were littered with Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans (with only vomit and sweat flavor left) and Chocolate Cards (with only the cards). Camille, who was sitting between a bickering Lily and Albus, looked at us relieved as we entered the cabin.
"How was the meeting?" Camille shouted over Lily, who was in a heated argument with Albus over who got a Helga Hufflepuff card.
"Boring." Lysander said while plopping himself next to Louis who was greedily chomping down on a Licorice Wand.
"We have to work with in teams of two and if we do well enough, we become Head Boy and Girl together." I told her.
"That kind of sucks if you don't have a partner right?" Camille responded.
"Yeah I guess it would- and would you too stop barking at each other over a piece of paper!"
Lily dangled Albus' glasses over his head while he was stashed away the Helga Hufflepuff card in his pocket and attempted to get his glasses back with an empaled vision.
"It isn't just a piece of paper!" Albus said incredulous, "It's one of the few I don't have and I've been collecting them all my life, which incidentally is one year longer than yours!"
The last bit was clearly directed at Lily who was positively fuming.
"Oh excuse me grandpa, I didn't realize you dying earlier than me entitled you to my card." she stressed the last two words as she dropped the glasses into his lap and grabbed the card.
"Merlin, and I thought I was an avid collector of my House Elf Heads," Lysander muttered in the corner. You'd think he was joking when he said that, but he wasn't, I've seen the collection.
The rest of the train ride included the usual. Louis' girlfriend visited, Albus' didn't. I had a feeling that I wasn't the only one with a dismal love life, but I didn't say anything. Louis' newest girlfriend was a strawberry blonde named Jade who was probably stupider than than the bottom of my foot. And to make something clear, I don't just find her stupid because she's blonde. Camille was golden blonde and was one of the smartest creatures in the school.
No, I found her stupid because when I asked her which house he was in, she said she was in her mum and dad's. I don't know which one she's actually in but I figured it wasn't Ravenclaw. Louis ended up getting dragged out of the compartment by Jade into the hallway to go see her friends new haircut, he looked at us apologetically as the compartment door closed. We ended up placing bets on how long their relationship would last and who would break up whom.
The sun began to set and the trains lights turned on. And all of us changed into our school robes. I left early because I had to take the first years to the castle with Hagrid.
"How're ya doin Rose?" Hagrid said to me as I walked up to him with a group of first years.
"Good," I responded smiling, "The family is good too"
"That's great to hear!" His dark eyes twinkled as we made our way to the boats, "make sure you tell all yer cousins and friends to visit soon a'right?"
"As soon as possible." I shouted to him as I boarded one of the last boats with a terrified looking brunette boy. The journey was short and dry (luckily the giant squid seemed to have wandered deeper into the lake). We got back to the feast in good time and I sat at the end of the Ravenclaw table next to Camille and Louis as the first years got sorted. Luckily they chose a spot that was the farthest possible seat from Lorcan.
"Ugh I thought I was going to pass out," Camille groaned as the plates in front of us filled with turkeys and bread rolls. She filled her own plate with a generous amount of kidney pudding, "I haven't had anything since breakfast and that was at five in the morning!"
"Why the hell would you ever wake up at five." I asked.
"Oh, I wanted to get in some more quidditch practice before the tryouts tomorrow." she responded waving her fork around as she spoke. Louis was next to us talking with Jade who stopped by our table to get butter, I saw a Hufflepuff badge on her cloak, mystery solved.
"You have tryouts tomorrow?" I wasn't that shocked, Amy Spencer was the captain and was notorious for caring about quidditch too much. A year back there was a rumor that she shrunk her ribcage so she could fly more easily. I wouldn't put it passed her to plan trials as soon as the quidditch field was opened.
"Yeah, what about you? I heard there was a Prefects meeting for you."
"Oh no, that's next week. I'll probably just pop into Mcgonagall's office to tell her that I'll be partnered with Lysander and talk about another location for tutoring since Peeves keeps-"
"-Lysanders not going to the meeting." Louis' voice chimed in from behind me, I noticed that Jade was walking back to her table looked dejected.
"Did you just break up with her?" I asked him stunned. It looked like Albus won the bet, again. I silently considered whether Albus somehow convinced Louis to break up with her.
"Oh yeah, I did but did you hear me? I said Lysanders not going to try for Head."
"Thats what she said..." Camille whispered behind me as his words sunk in.
"He's not what?" It's amazing how stupid shock makes people.
"Um, didn't he tell you? He was offered a column in the Daily Profit for traveling to magical locations and writing about it." His voice was quiet.
"No, he did not tell me. And I don't see how it will affect us working on a project together…" slowly the pieces began to fall into place, "It's for next year isn't it?"
Louis nodded looking stressed.
"He wouldn't…" my shock was slowly transforming into rage. He knew how much the Head Girl position mattered to me. I scanned the Gryffindor table for the familiar patch of dirty blonde hair. I found him next to Albus, of course, who was laughing his head off at Lysander who was throwing tiny pieces of turnip into Frida Creevy's hair.
"I think I will have a talk with him later."
"Oh Merlin, should I be worried?"
"I'd say very worried, she's clutching that buttering knife mighty tight." Camille observed. I looked down and indeed, I had my buttering knife in a death grip.
Once the feast ended, I followed Lysander's steps slowly until he went off to the bathroom leaving Albus to go back to the common room by himself. I silently thanked the fact that only girls went to bathrooms in groups.
Luckily the Belby girl seemed to have the shift for walking the first years to the common room so Lysander was free to go off by himself and last year Lorcan and I decided that he would walk the first years.
Lysander walked out of the bathroom zipping his fly before running into me.
"Oh hey Rosie Cheeks. How's it-?" He smiled at me goofily.
"-Levicorpus!"
Lysander yelped as he was suspended in midair upside down by his ankle. I put my wand back into my cloak pocket.
"Let me down will you!" He begged struggling to get down.
"Oh, I think we probably should have a nice chat before you run off don't you think?"
"I don't run away, I'm a Gryffindor!" He kicked around in the air a couple more times before giving up, "look, if this is about the fact that I borrowed your broomstick for a couple weeks, it was only because-"
"-you're the one who took it?! Well, never mind that now. No Lysander. This is about how you failed to mention to me that you were not going to attend Hogwarts next year."
I crossed my arms and watched as the blood flow to his head increased causing his face to turn pink. I had around five minutes before he would pass out from increased blood flow to his brain.
"Well dear, I am touched that you feel so strongly of my leaving. Don't worry I'll floo in and write every once in a while."
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm just in utter awe of your lack of responsibility. How do you think I'll become Head Girl next year if I don't have a partner for this project?" I demanded him.
"Go talk to Mary or something! I dunno, since your the school's shining star student I'm sure they'll make an exception!"
I pulled my wand back out and in my head I muttered the counter jinx Liberacorpus and turned as I heard a thud that indicated that he had fallen to the floor. I walked back into the Ravenclaw common room and climbed up the girl's tower stairs. In the dorm, everyone was asleep. Camille was eagle spread on her four poster snoring loudly. I pulled off my clothes and slipped into my night gown as I planned the course of action I would take tomorrow to salvage any chance I had at being Head Girl. I didn't get a very good nights sleep.