Ok. Here it is. Just like I promised. I'm going to try to get another one up soon too. We'll see. Hope you like it! Please review!
"He's so STUPID," muttered AJ as she rushed out of the common room. She fled around turns and down long hallways. She didn't know where she was going, or why she was going there, but she knew she needed to get away from Sirius. She had no idea how long she had been running, how many doors she had passed by, how many flights of stairs she had gone up and down, and definitely had no idea how to get back.
Now that over an hour had passed, she had calmed down significantly. She looked around warily trying to find some marker of where she was. "I need a map for this place…" Quickly she ran to one end of the corridor she had arrived at and peered carefully around the corner. Nothing stuck out as unusual to her, and nothing looked remotely familiar. "This is ridiculous. Lost on my first day here." She ran back the way she had come, right past a huge tapestry, and looked both ways on that end. Still nothing. "Honestly, whoever thought making castles this confusing was bonkers. They should have made maps that showed everything. Or at least showed how to make one." Hoping against hope that she would find something new, she ran back one more time.
And a door appeared in the middle of the corridor. Cautiously she approached the door. As a member of a very ancient, sometimes maniacal, magical family, she knew very well that things that appear by magic, are not always pleasant. Slowly she opened the door, and then gasped in surprise. The room was completely filled with maps. Maps of Hogwarts, maps of the Forbidden Forest, maps of everything. To the walls were pinned huge maps of different places, and underneath on large wooden tables were neatly folded copies of maps. There were tins full of different colored pins and tins full of dark quills to mark up the maps. In the middle of the room was a large three dimensional map of Hogwarts atop of what appeared to be a miniature hill growing from the floor. AJ walked around this model in awe.
With a slightly unsure hand, she reached forward and touched one of the towers, jumping back as the model completely changed. It appeared to zoom in on the area she had touched. Instead of a hill growing from the floor, it was the tower itself growing from the floor. Intrigued, she looked through a little window in the model. There were even tiny desks and chairs inside. Carefully, she reached in and touched one of the small desks. Again she leapt back as the model changed. This time it was a perfect imitation of the inside of the room she had probed. She was so amazed, she spent almost half an hour playing with the model, discovering that she was quickly learning her way around the castle using this little model, and also that she could see things moving in some rooms, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find any people or animals. Finally she realized that apparently this couldn't show living creatures, but it was still the most amazing thing she had ever seen.
"I would fancy one of these for myself. I wish I knew how to make one. It'd be brilliant."
A really heavy book appeared right on her lap.
"The Complete Magical Map and Model Making Guide: 314th Edition. Perfect! Only…where am I?"
The model spun wildly for a moment before slowing to a stop with a view of the large tapestry outside of the room she was currently residing in.
"Can you tell me the fastest way to get to the Gryffindor Common Room?"
The model again spun wildly, but instead of slowing, it continued to spin faster and faster until it exploded into a cloud of teal smoke that lightly settled over her body. Suddenly she felt a distinct draw pulling her toward the door of the room. Tucking the book underneath her arm, she decided to follow the tug. Hardly paying attention as she walked, she thought back to the reason she had fled in the first place.
Sirius. If he were planning something – and she was positive he was – then she had to be prepared. He wasn't supposed to get one up on her ever. If he were planning something, she would find out. She would turn it on him. Even if she had to get Robyn and Lily to help her, she would beat him, and anyone who thought to help him.
The next morning Robyn awoke feeling a little nervous. It was the first day of classes, and who knew what was going to happen. Rolling over, she smiled slightly when she saw that AJ had made it into her bed sometime during the night. She hadn't been there when she and Lily had made it up to their own four-poster beds at around midnight. She had actually been worried about AJ. Something in her incredibly random declarations of fierce loyalty, one of which had been directed towards her, made AJ very endearing. Robyn really liked her.
Quietly Robyn got out of bed and got dressed, donning her new robes with the Gryffindor crest with a slight touch of pride, and made her way downstairs. She had heard that breakfast was served even for the early risers like her, although it appeared no one else in her house was up yet, so maybe she was too early. Pushing aside that thought, she left through the portrait hole and made her way toward the Great Hall. She of course had made sure to memorize all of the twists and turns that led between the two last night on their walk to the common room.
She was almost to the Great Hall when someone called her name. She spun to face the person and was stunned to see Carran Avery approaching her.
"Carran?" she said a bit warily.
He laughed. "Don't look so nervous. I don't bite."
"Sorry, I'm just a little confused."
"And why is that?"
"Because in our Common Room last night I heard that Slytherins don't get along with Gryffindors," Robyn stated with a nod toward Carran's own house crest on his robe.
He walked up beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Well normally that is true, but there's something about you that I like little Gryffindor. Now anyways, where was it that you were headed so early in the morning?"
Robyn had stiffened the moment he'd come closer – something about him just felt slightly off – but she tried to answer normally. "I decided to go grab a bite to eat in the Great Hall."
Carran laughed lightly. "The Great Hall isn't open quite yet. It will open in a touch under an hour though. I was about to go for a walk around the grounds. Care to join me?"
Though Robyn couldn't shake the feeling that something about this boy was off, he was quickly causing her to feel at ease. And what else did she have to do until the Great Hall opened? She nodded her consent and together, the two went outside with Carran's arm still around her shoulders.
Remus and Lily happened to come down to the Common Room at about the same time. There were slight stirrings of movement in many of the rooms in Gryffindor Tower now. After only a quick question as to the whereabouts of Robyn, they made their way in companionable silence toward the Great Hall. They arrived to see about twelve other students sitting spaced around all four of the tables. They noted that Robyn wasn't here either, and then found a seat at Gryffindor's table.
"I wonder where Robyn is." Lily finally spoke up as she grabbed a piece of toast and a bowl of jam. She could see the worry in Remus's eyes, and almost regretted speaking aloud.
"I have no idea. I can't imagine her wandering on only the first day of classes. I hope she's alright." He reached forward to grab a bowl of fruit, and then stopped and folded his hands in his lap.
"Are you alright Remus?"
"I'm just suddenly not hungry anymore."
"Please eat something. I'm sure she's alright."
A few minutes later, the doors to the Great Hall creaked open. They twisted to see who was entering, and were shocked. In strolled Robyn with some unknown Slytherin. Even more shocking, was the fact that they were talking and laughing together. And the most shocking to Lily and Remus was the fact that the Slytherin's arm was around her shoulders and Robyn's arm was around his waist. They walked in a few more steps and then he said something to her and they quickly hugged and then separated. Robyn approached the Gryffindor table smiling.
Remus stood up when she got near them. "Who was that?"
"Oh a friend of mine, Carran. I met him over the summer. We went for a walk over the grounds."
"But he's a Slytherin! That's as good as saying 'evil Pureblood!' Are you crazy?" Remus cried.
Robyn's happy expression faded. "Remus. He was very nice to me."
"He could have hurt you! No one would have known where you were!"
Suddenly her pride kicked in. "I can take care of myself."
"No you can't," Remus said bluntly.
Robyn was starting to get angry. "And you can do better?"
"Of course I can."
Robyn grabbed an apple from the table and stormed out of the Great Hall.
Slowly Lily stood as well. "Remus, that was not fair at all," she said and followed the path Robyn had taken.
Remus stared after both of them with a sinking feeling that maybe he had made a big mistake.
Sirius and James groaned and rolled out of their beds. They had been up late into the night finalizing their plan to retaliate against AJ. But everything was in place.
"James! It's today!"
"It's always today Sirius," mumbled James as he walked around, pulling on his clothes.
"But it's breakfast. We need to get down there!"
"Oh blimey. You're right." He quickly pulled on his clothes and ran his hands through his hair a few times as Sirius got dressed. They were running out the door in minutes and they rushed to the Great Hall. As they crashed through the door into the now packed Great Hall, they scanned Gryffindor's table. AJ wasn't there yet, and neither were her two "best friends" who she had just met, but the new boy who was in their dormitory was sitting by himself toward one end of the table. They made their way toward him and sat down beside him.
"Remus, right?" said James as they began piling their plates with food.
AJ had woken up early. Robyn and Lily had already been gone, but she had stayed in bed reading her new book. It was perfect. It told her how to draw maps and how to enchant them. It had some really interesting spells she longed to try. She finally shut it and was startled to see how late it was. She set the book reverently on her bedside table and quickly ran off to the Great Hall.
On her way, she happened to run into Robyn and Lily sitting quietly on the ledge of a window. After a few minutes of persuasion, she convinced them to accompany her to breakfast. They made their way the last few corridors and entered, making their way to three seats at the opposite end of the table from James, Sirius, and Remus. They had been there less than five minutes, and had received their schedules, when a lone owl swooped in and landed in front of AJ. Curious, she reached forward and grabbed the package that the owl held between its claws. It immediately took off and flew away. AJ rapidly tore off the packing paper and opened the box.
And it exploded.
A cloud of pink dust blew over the three girls, settling over their skin, hair and clothes. Gasping in shock, they attempted to wipe off the dust, and soon found that though the dust fell from their robes harmlessly, the color stayed in place on their skin and hair. They jumped to their feet and were met by the laughing and stares of the entire Great Hall. Three faces stuck out though. Two smirking and triumphant boys, and the pale, shocked boy sitting in between them.
With as much dignity as the bright pink girls could muster, they strode from the hall and to the nearest bathroom. After a bit of scrubbing, the pink faded from their skin, but nothing they could do would remove it from their hair.
"It was them!" cried AJ. "I know it was! I can't believe this!"
Lily ran her fingers through her hair in shock. "Why would they do this?"
"I can't believe Remus would have sided with them," muttered Robyn.
They stared at their reflections for a few minutes before turning to each other angrily.
"We have to get them back!" said AJ.
"I'm in. Sirius and James especially have to pay," agreed Lily.
"Let's not leave Remus out. He deserves it too," Robyn added.
Lily then brought up a good question. "But where will we meet?"
"I know the perfect place! When I was lost I found this room that listens to what you want, and gives you it. We can go there!"
Quickly AJ gave them directions, they agreed on a time, and they left to their first class, pink hair flowing behind them.