Chapter 5
"Hogsmeade day!" An excited yell rang out through the room. Olivia moaned into her pillow, the morning had come too quickly.
She peeked out of her hangings and saw Hannah studying herself in the full length mirror in the corner. She was a short, plump girl who had large, doe eyes. There was an innocence about her, Hannah was always smiling and talking excitedly as if the world itself were there to please her. Olivia wasn't sure if she liked her or not, she was way too perky. Especially in the mornings.
"It's snowing outside Hannah, how could you possibly be excited about going to Hogsmeade? It's going to be freezing." This was Mary; she was the more practical of the two. Long, olive-skinned with mournful dark eyes, it seemed the only thing that excited her was talking about Sirius.
"Cheer up Mary," Hannah said wistfully. "Maybe we'll see Sirius in the Three Broomsticks." Olivia rolled her eyes and let out an audible sound of disgust.
Mary sighed dreamily. "Maybe it will be so warm in there he'll take off his-"
"Ok that's where I'm stopping you." Lily said with a disgusted look. "If you two continue to prattle on about Black I might hurl."
Olivia rolled out of bed. "I'm going to have to agree with Lily on this."
Mary stuck out her tongue at the two girls. "Just because you're the only two in the entire school incapable of seeing how incredibly sexy he is does not mean you can go on crushing the hopes of others." She said indignantly.
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Pardon us for being the only two girls in the school with common sense."
She heard Hannah and Mary retreat to a corner to whisper to one another, presumably about Olivia and Lily being insane. Olivia shrugged it off and put on her warmest clothes to bring on the day.
"Have you ever been to Hogsmeade?" Lily asked curiously as they went down to breakfast.
Olivia shook her head. "I've heard of it. My mum used to tell me the story of the Shrieking Shack but I haven't actually been there."
"It's beautiful up there," Lily said with a smile. "Especially when it's covered in snow."
"I bet it would be wicked to see at night." Olivia said with a grin. "What do you say Evans? Care to explore with me?"
Lily stopped. "Olivia that's not a good idea."
Olivia frowned. "Well why not? We can't let the boys have all the fun."
Lily fiddled with a piece of string on her shirt and looked around the corridor they were in to see if anyone could overhear her. "Olivia, it would be breaking the rules to stay out past curfew and well, it's dangerous."
"Oh please, it's a full moon tonight. How dangerous could it be?" Olivia said, waving her hand as she walked away.
Lily sighed. "Extremely dangerous." She whispered after her.
Sirius was about to fall asleep into his porridge when Olivia sat down across from him. He groaned.
"You look awful." She pointed out as she helped herself to some juice.
"I didn't sleep well." He said with a yawn.
She looked over and noticed Peter and James looked equally as tired.
"Where's Remus?" She asked curiously.
The boys exchanged glances.
"He's ill." James said casually.
Olivia raised her eyebrows. "Right." She dropped it and moved on to something that had been on her mind. "How do you sneak out of the school?" She asked bluntly.
Peter choked on his juice and spluttered. "Wh-why would we know that?"
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Really, I didn't peg you lot for liars. Come on, just tell me."
"Why?" Sirius asked, trying to stay on his game. "Late night rendezvous?"
Olivia sighed. "If you must know I'm just curious. I want to see the Shrieking Shack at night. I hear it's haunted."
"NO." Sirius said loudly, his eyes wide.
James shot him a look. "That's not a very good idea Olivia." He said calmly.
Olivia frowned. "This is not the first time I've heard that this morning, what is with all of you? It can't possibly be haunted. Besides, I thought you were all for adventure? Here I'm suggesting the very thing you lot live by and now it's a bad idea? What's this really about?"
"You're not going." Sirius said darkly. "Not tonight."
Olivia rolled her eyes and stood up, ignoring the rest of her breakfast. "I'll see you in Hogsmeade."
As she began to walk away James was the one who quickly followed behind her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side.
"Now you're accosting me?" She asked sarcastically.
James frowned. "We're serious Olivia, it's not safe to be near the Shrieking Shack at night."
"I haven't even seen it in the daylight," Olivia said, placing her hands on her hips. "I just thought you'd all be up for it, it's not like I've never seen you sneaking out. I know that you all know a way out of the school."
James paled. "And?"
Olivia smiled. "And I want you to take me with."
"Some other time, but not tonight." James urged.
"Why not? What's so important about tonight?" Olivia asked with a curious tilt of her head.
"Just leave it alone." James sighed and walked away.
Olivia crossed her arms with a glare. There was definitely something going on, and Olivia wanted know exactly what it was all about.
"Is that it?" Olivia asked, clearly disappointed.
Lily pointed to the house. "It's called a shack for a reason Olivia. What did you expect?"
They stood outside, shivering in the wind, straining their ears for any sign of a daylight haunt. Olivia frowned. "I thought it would at least look like a grown up put it together. I mean really, what's holding it together? Glue and sunshine?"
Lily smiled thoughtfully. "More like hope and wishful thinking."
Olivia wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck and sat herself down on a dry looking log facing the beat up house, rubbing her hands together for warmth.
"So tell me again why it's so dangerous here?" She asked, looking around.
Lily sighed and turned to her. "It just is. There have been reports of-" She bit her lip trying to find the best words. "Wild animals."
Olivia tried not to laugh. "Has there been an outbreak of killer bunnies?"
Lily rolled her eyes. "Will you ever let it go? Surely you've been told about the Forbidden Forest, I bet you don't go asking everyone to go exploring there."
Olivia snorted. "Well of course not, it's dangerous."
Lily stared at her with raised eyebrows.
Olivia sighed. "Oh fine, you have me there." She fiddled with the edge of her scarf distractedly.
"I'm cold, do you want to go back now?" Lily asked.
Olivia shook her head. "No, I think I'll stay for a bit but you go on ahead. I'll meet you back at Hogwarts."
Lily narrowed her eyes. "You'll be back before the sun goes down wont you?"
Olivia smiled. "You've talked me out of it Lily, you can rest assured I'll abide by your rules for the evening."
Lily walked off leaving Olivia staring up at the house.
She desperately wanted to know why this was such an issue. Being out after dark was always something Olivia knew she shouldn't do, but that was the appeal.
A twig snapped and Olivia jumped. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked around frantically. Maybe there was something up here after all!
She could have laughed at herself when she saw a scruffy looking black dog waddle out of the trees, its tongue lolling out of his mouth, tail wagging happily behind him.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes." She said fondly as it came up to her. Olivia held out her hand for the beast to sniff her. To her surprise it sat down at her feet and plopped his head in her lap.
"Surely you belong to someone if you're this friendly." She smiled at the dog. It whined at her and Olivia lovingly scratched behind his ears. "You know something friend, you remind me of someone I used to know." Olivia held his chin and looked into the dog's eyes. They were strikingly gray. Her eyes narrowed and she looked curiously at the dog.
"I must be going batty." She laughed as she shook her head. The dog backed away and playfully rolled in the snow, clearly enjoying himself.
Olivia stood up and stretched. "Well, while you have a big furry coat on to keep you warm, I unfortunately have nothing but a few layers of clothing." She bent down once more to pet the dog. "Go home boy, somewhere warm."
She began to walk off when the dog began to follow. She turned around and frowned. "You can't come home with me." She said, putting her hands on her hips.
The dog whined sadly and sat down in the snow.
Olivia looked at him and pressed her lips together thoughtfully.
"Now I have a reason to come back out," She thought to herself reasonably. "I'll say I found a stray and I want to bring him something to eat. Maybe even a blanket. I'll be here and back at the castle in no time, it won't even be that dark…."
Olivia patted the dog one last time on the head and walked off. She felt the dog's eyes watch her as she went over the hill.
He sat there for a long time after she was out of view, finally slinking back into the shadows of the Shrieking Shack when the sun began to pass over the highest point in the sky.
Olivia walked back to the castle with Lily silently as another fresh wave of snow began to fall on them. It had been drifting slowly down on and off throughout their visit to Hogsmeade.
"Are you alright?" Lily finally asked. Since she had met back up with her friend, Lily had noticed a significant change. Olivia had become withdrawn, and extremely quiet.
She shrugged. "Just thinking."
Lily's eyes narrowed. "Thinking about sneaking out again?"
Olivia sighed. "Yes and no. I found a stray dog. I'm just worried about him."
Lily looked at her skeptically. "A stray?"
Olivia nodded. "He looked pretty awful, but he's extremely friendly. I'm thinking I might have to come out anyways, maybe bring him some food."
Lily groaned. "You need to stop finding excuses to justify breaking curfew. Do you KNOW how many points you'd be deducted? You do realize I'm a head girl right? I can literally stop you from doing this."
Olivia frowned. "You would deduct house points from your own house because I care about the well being of an unfortunate animal?" Olivia's eyes widened and she puffed her bottom lip out into a pout.
"Don't you dare give me that look!" Lily yelled.
Olivia stuck her lip out more.
Lily shook her head. "It's not going to work!"
"He looked so cold though!" Olivia protested. "I just want to bring him a few leftovers, that's all."
Lily pursed her lips together and sighed. "Fine. After dinner, we'll go and feed him and then come right back." She said resolutely.
"We?" Olivia's eyes sparkled.
"Well I can't let you go alone! You shouldn't go at all!" Lily snapped.
Olivia straightened and smiled triumphantly. "Excellent."