"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER!"

"Shut up, Lin!" He clapped a hand over my mouth and swung me over his shoulder.

BOOM!

I yelped again, but Hugo soon covered my mouth. I glared at him and squirmed against James, who had effectively pinned my arms to my sides magically. Hugo looked apologetic, at least. "Sorry, Lin, but you'll give us away!"

They rushed down the hallway and around a corner, with me bouncing helplessly, Hugo's hand seemingly glued to my mouth. I considered biting him. Soon, we were covered by a tapestry, and James muttered a few words I couldn't quite catch. The wall slid open and they raced down a secret corridor that ended in a small antechamber.

Finally James set me down and released the magical bonds that had effectively tied me together. I tested each limb to make sure it was free before turning to both James and Hugo, who were both eyeing me apprehensively. I smiled and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. And then I banged their heads together.

"You idiots! I can't believe you! You kidnap me, tell me to hold something, drag me into a boy's bathroom, and then proceed to blow it up!" I paced up and down the room in frustration. "Actually, scratch that. I can believe you. This is exactly the shit that's going to get me expelled!"

James and Hugo, however, had long been ignoring me. They were now having an intense discussion.

"- How could you not get it, Hugh?" James was demanding. "I gave you one job!"

"I was too busy making sure Lin didn't alert Filch!" Hugo defended himself.

James, however was deep in thought. "Well, we need it, or else Uncle George will never believe us, and neither you nor I can go back there. There's probably a crowd gathering, and McGonagall already suspects us for tampering with the Prefect's baths last week…"

"So that was you," I interjected. "Of course it was you. Georgie was pink for a week!"

James turned to face me. His eyes lit up as he regarded me. "However," he continued as if I hadn't spoken, "Lin here has never given McGonagall reason to suspect her of anything –"

Hugo's eyes widened. "Oh. Perfect."

I glanced at them both suspiciously. "What?"

"Lin, please, please, please will you go back to the bathroom and grab something for us?" Hugo clasped his hands together.

"No."

"Please."

"No!"

"Lin," James joined Hugo, "please! We'll do anything!"

I perked up at the idea. "Anything?"

James looked wary. "Well…"

"You guys either owe me anything, or I won't go and get whatever needs to be gotten," I stated.

James rolled his eyes. "Fine."

I grinned. "Now, what did you two want, anyways?"

Hugo brightened up. "A toilet seat!"

I slapped my forehead. "You know what? I'm not even going to ask. I'll meet you in the common room."

They thanked me profusely and raced off. I sighed and made my way to the bathroom. When I got there, there was a crowd gathered around the entrance. Scorpius Malfoy was talking to Filch, the ancient caretaker of Hogwarts.

"I'll have you strung up by your thumbs, boy!" Filch was shouting at Scorpius.

He rolled his eyes and looked like he was having a hard time keeping calm. "I already told you, Mr. Filch, that I didn't do it! If I had, why would I have already called for the Headmistress?"

"To cover your tracks you filthy –"

"Mr. Filch!" McGonagall's voice cut off the caretaker's next words. "This is no time for insults. Mr. Malfoy," she turned to the Slytherin prefect, "did you see what happened?"

"No, Headmistress. I was on my way to the Charms classroom when I heard a large explosion. I rushed towards the sound, but when I got here I saw no one. I'm afraid the corridor was deserted," he said earnestly. "I didn't do it, I swear."

McGonagall waved him off. "I believe you, Mr. Malfoy."

She silently picked through the rubble, trying to find a clue. I had located a largely intact toilet seat, but was still trying to figure out how to get it without making everyone suspicious. The students around me shifted and suddenly Albus was by my side.

"Need a toilet seat?" he muttered into my ear.

I raised an eyebrow at him and nodded. "How do you know this?"

He rolled his eyes. "My uncle George has been getting us into trouble ever since James's first year" He sighed. "I'll distract them."

And with that he darted next to Scorpius. "Professor! Is that something over there?" He pointed to the opposite corner of the room. McGonagall's head snapped to attention, and I took the opportunity to silently shrink the toilet seat.

Filch turned around at the sound it made. "What's that?"

I stepped up to the bowl and quietly picked up the seat and slipped it into my pocket, all the while pointing to the space behind it. "Are those scorch marks, Professor?"

She rushed over to examine it. She frowned. "No, I'm afraid they are not." She turned to me, still frowning. "Ms. Benedetto, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, I think it is better for you to return to your dormitory. In fact, all of you had better return while Mr. Filch and I sort this out." The crowd slowly dispersed.

I bit the inside of my cheek to hide a smile. Albus joined me and we made our way down the hallway.

"Just a minute, Mr. Potter!" McGonagall called after us. We turned to face her. "Would you by any chance know where your brother and Mr. Weasley are?"

"Professor, they're in the dorms, playing Exploding Snap," I jumped in before Albus could speak.

She looked at me with her eyebrows raised. "Then, Ms. Benedetto, what exactly are you doing down here?"

It was Albus's turn to save me. "She was looking for me, Professor. I had forgotten that I had promised to join them for a game or two."

She looked sharply at us, but we held our poker faces. She finally sighed. "Alright, you may leave."

As soon as she was out of sight we broke into a sprint and reached the portrait of the Fat Lady in no time. "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," I gasped, out of breath.

James and Hugo ran up to us. "Well?" James demanded. "Did you get it?"

I placed the seat in his hand. "I hope it was worth it." I grimaced and pointed my wand at my now empty hand. "Scourgify."

He grinned. "You're perfect."

I looked at him sharply. "You still owe me one."

He just laughed and raced up to his dorm room, prize in hand.

I exhaled slowly and, after thanking Albus, made my way to my own bed. None of my roommates where inside, so I slipped into the bathroom and into the tub as quickly as I could, hoping to have some peace and quiet for what seemed the first time in weeks.

Actually, it probably has been weeks, I thought to myself. James and I had been friends for exactly a month, and in that month I had broken more school rules than I had in the previous months combined. I shook my head and slipped deeper into the water. How has it come to this?

I had started to like James, but now that he had gotten to know me better, he had stopped trying to get me to like him. We still bickered, but he laughed it off more easily, and hadn't done anything to make me believe that we would ever be anything more than friends.

I groaned. I was so stupid sometimes.