CHAPTER 2
(Day one)

I woke up the next morning sprawled like a starfish on the carpet in front of the fireplace of the common room. Very unattractive, I know. Good thing somebody thought of covering me up with a blanket. It was a soft, powder blue blanket that was thinning perhaps from the many times it has been laundered. But it was just the type I liked. It was cosy and smelled really nicely too. Like Vanilla.

I tugged the snuggly covers over my mouth, eyes trasfixed at the chandelier dangling above. Suddenly, I had morbid thoughts of what an untimely demise it would be if it suddenly fell on me. No one would know. No one would save me since everybody was in the Great Hall enjoying their breakfast. Or probably in their classes poured over some…

CLASSES! I had first period Potions that day! And I was late!

I glanced out the tall windows and the bright sunshine greeted my drowsy eyes. In one swift motion I was up and about, grabbing the blanket and rolling it up in a ball as I ran towards my dormitory, silently wishing that Snape was not in a particularly foul mood that day. I pushed the door open. BANG!—obviously exerting more force than was necessary because both Angie and Alicia woke with a start. They were there. Sleeping. Well, they were sleeping but…

"Motherfu—" Alicia brusquely tugged her nightmask off and propped herself up on her elbows as she glared at me in search for an explanation.

Angelina, with her black hair all over the place and a thin trail of drool on the side of her mouth, asked, "Kate?"

"I… I—I'm sorry. Thought I had a lie-in… and Potions…" I explained rather inarticulately as I stood on the doorway, cheeks burning in embarrassment. I felt so stupid. I should've just checked the time.

"UUUUUUGH!" Alicia buried her face in her pillow and Angelina flicked her wand so that the curtains of her four-poster fastened shut.

"I'm sorry guys," I said as I walked in tippy toes towards my closet, chucking the blanket on my bed. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand. It was an hour before breakfast. At least, I'd have my first decent bath since I got here. The girls and I had a habit of sleeping in late and the bathroom was usually a battlefield every morning. One in the showers, one in the sink brushing her teeth, and the other, well, use your imagination. There was a time that Alicia and Angie jumped into the showers together because we were really pressed for time. But it was not lesbian or anything of the sort. The two are far from it, actually, having their own boyfriends.

Ever since that fateful day when Fred hurled a paper ball at Angie, who we consider the mother of the group, during study hall to ask her to the Yule Ball, they have been inseparable. Alicia, on the other hand, has been going out with Lee for a couple of years now. We always joked that Alicia simply bullied Lee into the relationship, because quite frankly, no one saw it coming. There were no hints, manifestations, or secret ploys. It just happened like that.

It was quite unnerving to think that I was the only one in the group without a fella. Well, save for George. (But I'm sure he didn't want a boyfriend anyway.) Sometimes, Alicia and Angie would harass me to make the moves on George since he was available. But he wasn't really my type. Sometimes I wish he was because it would work out really nicely. I knew him very well. I was just comfortable around him especially because we spend most of our Hogsmeade trips together since the rest of our friends decided they wanted to snog each other.

Then again, dating him would not work well with my 'friends should remain friends' principle. Wouldn't be practicing what I preach, yeah? More importantly, it would be a bit odd dating somebody who looked exactly like your best mate's boyfriend, wouldn't it? Merlin knows I still get Fred and George mixed up sometimes even after six years of knowing them. I'm just glad they stopped wearing those identical jumpers.

Speaking of 'my type,' there he was beaming at me as he clutched the Quidditch cup with both his hands and thrusted it up in the air. I untacked Oliver's photograph from the collage of pictures behind my closet door and watched as more and more confetti poured from the skies. He was hoisted in Fred's and George's shoulders, his face a picture of pure bliss after we won the much coveted trophy last year. I liked this picture. I've stared at it for more times than I care to count, really.

And now it was time for it to retire. I was determined to do this 28-day thing so I have to be committed. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and ripped the photo in two. I opened my eyes. Oliver stopped moving. The confetti stopped. I killed the moment that the picture captured. And I really felt bad about it, but I binned the photo afterwards. Determination, I told myself, though a small part of my brain was wishing that Colin Creevey had a spare copy of the picture. You know, just in case.

……….

After bathing, throwing on my uniform, drying my hair and putting on my make-up (just lip gloss for school days), I went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. I was usually accompanied by Alicia and Angie, but they were both still snuggled up nicely in their comforters and I didn't want to wake them up. I just couldn't risk pissing them off twice in one morning.

I found the lads sitting in our usual spot. Two bright red heads and one in dreadlocks. Yep, that was them.

"Morning!" I greeted with a grin as I sat on the bench beside George, placing my book bag on my left.

"Fancy a cuppa?" he asked, smiling warmly at me.

"Yes, please." And he poured hot tea from my cup, the heat from the brown liquid spiraled into the air.

"Where's my fat cow?" Fred asked, pushing the basket of toast towards me.

"And mine?" Lee inquired.

Charming, how those gits address their girlfriends when they aren't around.

I raised my eyebrows at them, making sure they cottoned on that I wasn't happy with their language (although I knew they meant in lovingly), "Sleeping in."

Fred shrugged and returned his attention to his porridge.

Under the premise of buttering my toast, I surreptitiously looked for Oliver in his usual place in the table. He was always an early bird and should right about now be reading the Daily Prophet.

"Oy!" George called my attention. I then realized that I was actually buttering the back of my palm.

"Bugger," I said, taking the napkin he offered and wiping the cream off.

"Thought you were, umm… 'chucking' Wood?" He laughed at his own pun. Whatever, George.

"I am." I said matter-of-factly, crumpling the tissue and placing it beside my plate. "I don't even know who you're talking about."

"Right," George said with a malicious glint in his eyes.

I completely ignored his teasing and took a couple of cream puffs and placed it on my plate beside the toast.

"See there's your bloke," He said suddenly, pointing covertly at someone on my left. I quickly whipped my head around and found Marcus Flint entering the Great Hall with those massive front teeth of his sticking out of his mouth.

"Oh, shut it, George," I said, making a face at him. "Not funny."

"But I made a point, didn't I?" He said.

I rolled my eyes, annoyed at him for being spot on. He always did that me. Fine. I was still actually interested to see Oliver. If the way my head made a 180 degree turn from my neck just to look at him was any indication. This 28-day business was going to be hard work. In any case, at least I still had these delicious cream puffs to cheer me up. One of the cream puffs I took was different from the other one, different from the lot actually. The rest was sort of golden brown, while the odd one was yellowish with a thin coat of powdered sugar outside. I shrugged, took it and inserted the entire thing in my mouth.

Not bad.

Creamy.

Yum and -Poof!-

I was suddenly hovering above my chair and eveything seemed really bigger like I was a tiny… BIRD! I turned my little head to the right and found those stupid lads I called friends doubling over in laughter. I opened my mouth to curse but all that came out was a chirp. I flapped my wings vigorously and looked at George, knowing it was he who switched the cream puff and gave me one of those stupid canary creams they invented last year. Well, I should be turning back any second now. The first year they tried it with was only a bird for like two seconds. I'd give those gits a good beating when I transfigure back.

Waiting…

I'm still a bird.

Chirpy Chirp Chirp

Yep, still flying…

Fuck it!

Growing more impatient, I attacked George with full force, pecking the side of his face with my little beak, taking in much satisfaction as he yelped in pain. Fred and Lee were guffawing their lungs out, but they wouldn't be laughing for long, I decided. Once I'm done with George, I'll give them a few bruises too. Just a couple more bites for ickle Georgykins…

-Poof!-

I landed on George's lap with force that made him go 'oomph!' and discovered that my beak err… lips were still on his cheek. Fantastic! I pulled away quickly, staring at him shellshocked as he retuned the stare and smiled like he was suppressing a good laugh. Even more fantastic was the fact that my girl friends arrived just in time too see me kissing, well not really kissing, but in theory, I was kissing George. Well, sort of. GAH!

"No way!" Alicia's voice rang from behind us.

"Oh my god!" Angelina, whose hair was all fresh and combed now unlike the humongous mess it was earlier, beamed gleefully as she took her spot beside Fred.

Fred nudged Lee on the elbow and both nodded their heads approvingly.

"What's all this kerfuffle?" Our heads turned towards the familiar voice of our Head of House, the stern, the uptight, the anal-retentive, Prof. McGonagall.

We all exchanged nervous glances, a similar question in our heads: What the bloody hell is kerfuffle?

"That's enough horseplay for the morning," Professor McGonagall said sternly, giving each of us a patronizing look. But her eyes lingered on me. "Miss Bell, if you would kindly extract yourself from Mr. Weasley. You're not setting a good example to the younger students."

"I'm sorry, professor," I said, blushing even more profusely than before as I took my previous spot on the bench. When Prof. McGonagall stalked back to the head table, I punched George in the arm and the incident was never brought up once more that morning.

Well, despite the utter humiliation I went through, at least Angie and Alicia forgot about the other incident that involved me waking them up prematurely. I suppose that kiss counted for at least something.

A/N: So… what do you think?