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“How do you even know how to get in here?” I whispered to Amber.

We were in the Ravenclaw Common Room. It was large, circular and… blue. In the early hours of the morning with the weak sunlight, it looked so miserable I almost wanted to cry. Between the doors to what I assumed were the boys’ and girls’ dormitories stood of statue of a woman; Rowena Ravenclaw.

Yeah, it was beautiful, but I was starting to get the creeps.

“You’re honestly asking me that?” Amber whispered back. She had a point. The girl had been stalking Tate for Merlin knows how long.

“Why?” I asked suddenly, coming to a halt and turning to face her. She had pulled her long black hair back into a braid and her pale skin seemed to faintly glow in the pale light. She was smart; I was sure of that by now. And she was beautiful. What I was asking was why she was doing this when she could probably have anyone she wanted.

She understood what I was asking.

“Because I love him.” Her answer was so uncomplicated that it threw me off balance. I didn’t know what to say so I settled for another question.

“And why are you doing this for me?”

“I love him,” she repeated. “And he deserves better than Anna Gordon.”

“And you think I’m better?”

I took her shrug as a yes.

“Then why did you tell me about… whatever it is that’s going on with them?”

“You’re smart, Katie. I know you’ll work it out.”

She had more confidence in me than I did. Honestly, I wasn’t sure that I could. From the time we saw them together, up until now I’d only got angrier at Tate. I wasn’t concerned with the truth anymore; in my head it was all certain and I wanted nothing more than to yell at him and then retire to a depressing life spent wallowing in my own self-pity.

I didn’t answer her and we continued on our way to his dorm. It was just past five, making it the day of the Ravenclaw/Gryffindor match. We’d waited until the Ravenclaw team, half of whom were probably sleepwalking, had left the Common Room.

Of course, it had been Amber who’d known that Tate had scheduled practice for this unholy hour.

On the day of the match.

I’m beginning to wonder if something might be wrong with that boy.

“He’s nervous they’re going to lose,” she had whispered.

“How do you know that?” I had whispered back. The look she gave me had shut me up. I guess I should be used to Amber knowing everything there is to know by now.

Does the fact that I’m using her information to spy on him make me a bad person?

Bad person?- Yes.

Bad girlfriend?

Most definitely.

Of course, all that didn’t strike me as we were sneaking across the Ravenclaw Common Room.

There was enough light streaming through the windows to see where I was going, but I guess all the blue was a little overwhelming, or maybe it was just the pounding in my ears, because my foot got caught on a rug near the couch and I fell.

And the person who screamed, “AARGH!” at the sudden noise was not Amber.

Before I could stop myself, my wand was out and pointing at black silhouette of the person who had sprung up from the couch.

And I Stupify-ed him.

“Katie!” I heard Amber whisper-shout.

But it was too late. The deed had been done.

I had hexed a first year.

A first year.

Oh, Merlin. What have I become?!

I sat back heavily on the floor and for the first time, I fully realized what we were doing.

“We can’t do this,” I told Amber. She didn’t say anything, but it didn’t matter to me. This wasn’t me. I never was. As much as I hated that I had never been like Nikki or Rose or Pippa, never confident in myself, never fun and outgoing, I didn’t want to be this.

Because doing what I was about to do made me no better than Anna Gordon.

“So, what? You’re just going to let them keep doing whatever it is that they’re doing?” Amber asked, crossing her arms and looking down at me.

“I’ll talk to him,” even my own voice sounded uncertain. Amber rolled her eyes.

“And say what? That you were following him and you saw him with her? That won’t end well. I should know,” she said dryly.

“There isn’t another choice,” I said firmly, getting up and turning towards the exit.

“Oh, stop being such a sissy,” Amber said, grabbing my hand and yanking me to towards the door on right of the statue.

“Amber, stop-“

She wasn’t listening. She pulled the door open like she did this every day (which she probably did) and pulled me through.

“Stop! I said I don’t want to-“

That’s when we heard a door swing open. Amber pulled me against the wall, into the shadows and I held my breath. For a moment, everything was still. That moment was long enough to make me believe that maybe the carpentry here sucked and that it was just the wind.

 But then, we heard rustling and someone tiptoed out of the door that was right next to us.

The shadow snuck quietly past us and I heard Amber breathe a sigh of relief when the main door opened. In the soft morning light that filtered in, I saw a flash of short, black hair before the door was softly shut.

My breath caught in my throat.

Pippa.

“Isn’t that…” Amber trail off in slight wonder. I didn’t answer her. Instead, I stepped around her so I could see the plaque on the door from which Pippa had snuck out. It read ‘7th Year’.

That was Tate’s room.

 What was Pippa doing sneaking out of Tate’s room?

I reached for the knob and pushed the door open noiselessly, poking my head in. It was empty.

What the hell??

I stepped quietly inside and I heard Amber behind me.

The room had four beds, each just as messy as the next. All of them were empty. I turned around to give Amber a quizzical look.

She just shrugged.

Without a word, she walked towards the bed on the right and began opening the draws. I figured that was Tate’s bed. I stood rooted to my spot in the middle of the room. This is why we’d come after all; to invade Tate’s privacy.

But I couldn’t. This wasn’t right. None of this was. I realized that it was a little late to be having epiphanies, but better late than never right?

I turned to say something to Amber when I realized she had stopped her rummaging.

I watched as she looked around suspiciously. I was about to say something, but she put her finger to her lips. Then I heard it too.

Someone was in the shower. My eyes widened and I dived under the nearest bed.

It was just in time too, because the door opened and we saw bare feet walk out of the bathroom. I turned to look at Amber, who was lying under the bed next to mine and she looked as freaked out as I felt.  

I held my breath as I watched Tate’s roommate walk closer to us. He crossed the first bed, walked past Amber’s bed…

And came to a halt right next to my face.

That’s right, I was staring right as his pinky toe.

And a towel dropped to the floor.

Holy, sweet Merlin. I have no right to beg for mercy, not after what I’d just intended to do, but please get me out of here.

I didn’t want to be there.

Lying on my back.

Under a bed.

Next to Tate’s naked roommate.

I watched as he, whatever his name was, picked up a pair of red and black striped boxers that were lying on the ground and put them on.

However the fact that he wasn’t as naked as he was five seconds ago didn’t help stop the pounding in my ears.

I shot Amber a look of panic.

It’s ok, she mouthed.

I sent her the nastiest glare I could muster.

Tate’s roommate was now wearing pants, which I was more than grateful for. He seemed to have fished out a pair of socks from the sea of clothes that littered the floor. However, to wear the sock he sat down hard on his bed.

The bed I was currently lying under.

I pushed my body hard against the floor. Something was stabbing my in the back. As quietly as I could, I reached for whatever it was and pulled out the object.

It was a bone.

A bone.

And I could only hope it was from an animal.

I flung it as far away from me as possible, pressing my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming.

Boys are such pigs.

Maybe it was the dust, or maybe it was the situation that I was in, but whatever it was, my head was starting to feel light.

I heard the door shut and realized the Amber and I were alone in the room. Still, I didn’t dare to move.

“Katie, come on!”Amber was already on her feet and pulling at my sweater sleeve. I rolled out and watched as she walked back to Tate’s bed and resumed her search of his belongings. This time, I didn’t bother saying anything to her.

I just turned and left.

“Katie!” I heard her call. I didn’t stop. I just kept walking. I had reached the corridor by the time she caught up with me.

“What are you doing?” she demanded. She seemed angry.

“Going to talk to Tate,” I said simply, continuing on my way to the Great Hall.

“Why?” she wanted to know.

“Because I’m not you, Amber,” I snapped. She looked taken aback and immediately, I felt horrible. She was only trying to help after all, and this was the only way she knew how.

“Fine,” she said quietly, turning around.

“Amber!”

Of course, she ignored me.

I stood in the same spot, deliberating.

Why should I go after her? She’s crazy. Everyone knows that. If I was smart, I would’ve just turned around and continued around towards the Great Hall, told Tate everything and groveled for forgiveness.

Of course, I wasn’t nearly as smart as I thought I was.

 Cursing myself, I turned and followed Amber.

Tate could wait. He didn’t know anything anyway.

Such was my logic at the time.

“Amber, I’m sorry!” I called after her.

And that’s all it took.

“Great!” she said brightly.

I blinked idiotically at her as she skipped back towards me.

She knew I’d feel bad.

She knew I’d apologize.

Manipulative bint.

“So I’ll see you at breakfast and we can find Anna then,” she said.

“Huh?” I said stupidly.

“If you don’t want to spy on him, she’s the only other viable option.”

Viable option. Like it was a science project.

“Amber, I don’t think that’s a good-“

“See you!” she said loudly, taking the staircase to what I hoped was the Hufflepuff Common Room.

However, it was probably the staircase to her secret lair where she kept her Tate shrine.

I was in cahoots with a psycho.

And I just said cahoots.

I turned slowly and my feet moved, as if on their own accord, towards the Gryffindor Common Room. I don’t know how long it took me to get there, but by the time I reached the portrait of the fat lady I had cooked up eight different scenarios where Tate found out what I’d done; one of which ended with me in Azkaban.

So there I was, indulging the masochistic part of my brain, wondering how much stabbing myself with a quill would hurt, when I walked into the Common Room to find the sofas in front of the fire crammed with my fellow sixth years.

Rose, Scorpius and Alec were seated on the largest sofa. Al was leaning against the back of the single-seater Pippa was occupying.

My eyes landed on her and I stopped.

She looked… well, she looked completely normal.

Like she hasn’t been sneaking out of a Ravenclaw dorm just about an hour ago.

It made me wonder how long she’d been up to this.

Maybe I should ask.

I was just opening my mouth to say just that when-

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!”

I screamed in terror at that, I am ashamed to admit.

First off, let me say that that was completely uncalled for.

Next, please remind me never to piss off Albus Potter again.

His hair was more disheveled than usual and his eyes were dark as he glared at me. I stared at him openmouthed for a moment.

Then I did the stupidest things I could have possibly done in that situation.

I laughed.

Laughed.

Not because I didn’t know what else to do.

No, I laughed because I thought he was joking.

The look he gave me after that was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen.

And… Holy Merlin, he was advancing on me with the most livid expression on his face. He was going to murder me. I wasn’t entirely sure why but that didn’t cross my mind. I was going to die.

I would never see Nikki or my parents again.

I would never graduate.

I would have to die knowing that the last cupcake I ate was strawberry and ham flavored.

But, hey, at least my Azkaban theory wasn’t going to come true!

“Al,” Scorpius said warningly, standing up from next to Rose and blocking Al’s path towards me.

Bless him! Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was a savior! It was nature’s way of setting the Malfoy family’s name straight. He had saved me. He had saved my life! I would be forever in debt-

“Save that for Dorsett,” Scorpius said.

Wait. What??

“What?” I said out loud.

That all stared at me.

I was offended. I mean, I wasn’t crazy. No need to stare.

“What do you mean what?” Alec asked, standing up as well. I think he did it to block Al’s view of me. For that I was grateful.

“What did Tate do?”

Geez. Again with the staring. 

“Katie, where have you been?” Rose asked slowly.

I frowned at them. What did they mean…

Then it hit me.

They thought I’d spent the night with Tate.

As much as I like the boy, no. Just no.

“You guys thought I was with Tate,” I said with slight indignation.

“And you weren’t?” Al challenged. He had somehow managed to step around Scorpius while I was having a metaphorical bulb light up in my head.

“No,” I shot back at him.

“Right,” he snorted.

What the hell? I had just spent all night sneaking around the castle with a girl who had in the recent past tried to bash my brains in. That had clearly been a traumatic experience because I had hexed a first year and almost raided my boyfriend’s underwear drawer. Also, I might possibly have rabies or something from that bone. But all of those things were my decisions (except the deadly disease part of course). I regret them, sure, but I did not need Albus Severus Potter giving me crap. Especially when he thought I’d done something I hadn’t.

“Whatever,” I sighed.

“So I’m right then?”

No one said anything which meant they all wanted to know. I looked at Al. He was closer to me than I had thought. He looked so thoroughly pissed I was afraid he might punch something (read: me). His hands were balled into fists and his jaw was clenched. Maybe I was seeing things but I think his eye might have been twitching.

“No!” I said heatedly.”And I can’t believe you guys think that I did!”

“Then where were you?” Al demanded.

Suddenly, I wanted to piss him off.

“Why would I tell you?” I smirked.

Merlin, where is this coming from?

I think I was delirious from lack of sleep.

However, it did kind of feel good, I have to admit.

“BECAUSE I’M BLOODY ASKING, DAMMIT!”

Screw that. Now I’m just scared.

“Ok, that’s enough.”

Gee. Thanks Rose. About time.

“Come on, Katie,” Pippa said quietly. Why wasn’t anyone getting on her case?

“You know what, I’m just going to go to breakfast,” I said with finality.

And I walked out of the Common Room.



 A/N: Please leave a review *Puppy dog eyes*. But seriously, sorry! For the long wait I mean. I have no excuses. I completely understand if I were to be murdered in my sleep for the long wait. I promise I won't haunt you guys if thats what you decide to do :P