Chapter Nine

"WATTIE, WHY IS IT SO noisy?" I asked, cockin' my head to listen better. There was excited chatter echoin' in the halls an' the sound of footsteps both runnin' an' walkin'. I was both curious an' jealous.

"It is Hogsmeade day, Misses Evelyn," Wattie replied, as if it were nothin' new or noteworthy.

"Hogsmeade? What the heck is that?"

"It is a town next to Hogwarts that students go to."

"So…that means it's full of magical folk?"

"Yes. And no, Misses Evelyn may not go."

"Aww…you're startin' ta think like me!" I grinned over at him, then lit up with an idea. Why should I stay bored when I had plenty of things to do 'round here? "Hey Wattie? Ya wanna play a game?"

"Game?" he asked, like the concept was new to him.

"Yeah! S'called 'UNO', an' it's really fun an' super easy!"

"Uno?" Wattie repeated, tastin' the foreign word.

"C'mon an' I'll show ya how to play." I lept up an' set the cards out on the table, pullin' a chair out for him. "Ya want somethin' ta drink?"

"Wattie has never been asked nor served before. It is not right," he said, only his ears showin' 'bove the table.

"Well this'll be a first, so live it up!" I tossed a couple of pillows to him. "Put these on the chair an' sit on 'em; you'll be able ta reach the an' see I'm not cheatin' ya."

"Misses Evelyn would cheat Wattie?" His big eyes grew rounder, if at all possible.

"No Wattie. Misses Evelyn doesn't cheat friends," I said as I started squeezin' lemons into a container of water.

"F-friend?" Wattie whispered, as if he didn't dare let himself believe it. "Wattie is someone's…friend?"

"Of course, silly! Ya can't seriously think that we'd spend all this time together an' not be friends." I shook my head as I stirred in some sugar. When I turned back 'round, Wattie seemed to be sittin' straighter, prouder. I don't know why, but that made me smile as I handed him his glass of lemonade. Now, I know, I know, bein' southern you're supposed to love an' live for sweet tea, but I never took a likin' to it, makin' me even more different.

"Thank you," he said cautiously, sniffin' it.

"Don't worry; I left my recipe for homemade poison with a friend."

"Poison? Misses Evelyn—"

"I'm kiddin' ," I said as I took a drink. "See?" Hesitantly, he took a sip. He looked surprised, then took a big gulp.

"We have never made lemonade like this before!"

"Yeah, well, I've learned all kinds a tricks ov'r the years." I shuffled the cards an' dealt out seven, then continued on to explain the game to him.

It wasn't long before he got it an' was shoutin' "UNO!" almost as much as me. I did notice, however, with each sip, no, each glass of lemonade, Wattie seemed to be getting' more…loopy. Hyper. Somethin'. It kinda almost reminded me of someone bein' drunk. Which made me think…

I sat up straight an' stiff. "Light bulb! Brilliant idea."

"What is a light bulb?" Wattie asked, his voice squeakier soundin'.

I waved him off. "Eh, don't worry 'bout it. But Wattie…how 'bout we play a different game?"

"What game?"

"Game of Fools," I said, thinkin' up a name real quick.

"How do you play this game?" He looked interested as he swayed in his seat and took another drink.

"Well, we dress up like outsiders, like me, for instance. Then we wander 'round town to see who's the bigger fools; us or the people watchin'."

He seemed to think 'bout it, then said, "Tell Wattie how Misses Evelyn wants us to look, and Wattie shall—"

"Nah, 'cause here's the thing, Wattie. We've gotta do this the muggle way."

"Wattie does not know—"

"Ah, but I do. Observe." I lept up an' went to the box that was labeled Evelyn's Clothes an' tore it open, diggin' 'round til I found what I needed.

I tossed Wattie a gray an' black striped button-up shirt. "Put this on an' I'll be right back." I grabbed my clothes an' ran to my room, thinkin' how much fun this was gonna be.

Minutes later, Wattie an' I were standin' in front of the mirror, me lookin' satisfied an' him lookin' amazed.

Wattie had put on the grey an' black striped button-up shirt I'd given him, which looked like a new an' improved toga/dress-type thing on him, an' he'd used magic to shrink one of my black cowboy hats. I had to wonder if there were house-elves back in the States in the South if they'd look like Wattie did now

I was wearin' a blue-camo bandanda tied 'round my head an', just 'cause I wanted to look extra weird, I'd put a black stripe underneath each of my eyes, like you would do before a sports game. I had on a bright green an' white plaid button-up shirt that I had tied so my belly showed, includin' my blue belly-button ring. I also wore jean cutoffs and a belt that Allen had gotten me for Christmas; it was a deep brown with Ev carved in fancy letterin' on the back an' swirlin' designs covered the rest of the belt. An' to top it all off, I had on my favorite black cowboy boots that had what seemed like fern designs stitched into the leather.

"Ooo Wattie we look good!" I said, whistlin'. "An' ya look so cute, Wattie!" I couldn't help but think the lil' guy looked so much better.

"Alright let's go," I said, skippin' to the door.

"Wait!" I froze an' my smile faltered when I wondered if the sugar-buzz was wearin' off an' he was comin' to his "sense". He ran over to me. "Misses Evelyn must have money to buy her first wizarding objects."

"My money won't cut it over here, so I'll be fine just lookin' 'round."

"No, Wattie can give Misses Evelyn some money, but this is the only time Wattie can do so without Professor Dumbledore knowing."

"Are ya sure?" He nodded vigorously. "'Cause I don't wanna get ya in trouble."

"Misses Evelyn will not."

"Okay, hold on." I ran to my box an' pulled out my teal Nike duffle bag that Allen an' I had colored, drawn, and written on in various colors of Sharpie. I didn't bother to empty whatever was in it, so I slung it over my shoulder as we walked out the door.

"Whoa. Secret passageways?" I looked 'round in amazement as we walked down a dark, earthen passageway. "I only thought they existed in books! So cool!"

"They are everywhere in Hogwarts," Wattie said, takin' a swig of lemonade he'd insisted he bring. Despite lookin', well, elfish, he sorta looked like a toddler.

"I'm gonna have to do some explorin'."

"No…Misses Evelyn would be seen."

"What if I took you?"

"Misses Evelyn would have to ask Professor Dumbledore."

"I'll get right at that. But we don't have ta tell Dumblydore 'bout our lil' game, do we?"

"No," he said slowly, "because this is just a game, so Wattie does not think Misses Evelyn has to." Good, I thought, 'cause I don't think he'd like this lil' adventure very much.

"Here we are, Misses Evelyn," Wattie said, stoppin' at a trap door that had light shinin' along the cracks an' edges.

Grinnin', I grabbed a wrung an' looked down at Wattie. "Let the game begin, my friend."

A/N: So, here's your other chapter! Hope you love it as much as I do, and can't wait to see what happens next.

So, before I end this Author's Note, I've gotta question for you guys. Would you guys mind if, in random spots in this story where I see it's fit, I switched to Sirius's POV? Or would you rather I just keep this story in Evelyn's POV? Once I get some answers, the next chapter will be up, because I need an answer before I can write it.

Alrighty, so, please R&R!

Nike