Pyrrhic Victory

fourty three.

Year Three
fourty three. Night in The Great Hall

Magnolia, Daphne, and Pansy groggily walked into the Great Hall. They saw that all the other houses were there just as confused, except some of the Gryffindors.

Magnolia immediately walked over to Lucille who was holding her sleeping bag, and other necessities. Lucille looked just as tired as Magnolia did. Magnolia saw Fred in the corner with George and Lee. He tried to give her a subtle wave, but she ignored it.

All the students watched as Dumbledore walked to the front of the group of students. They all turned to face him with their blankets and sleeping bags.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle, and I'm afraid for your own safety you will have to spend the night in here." He told everyone. Lucille and Magnolia looked at each other weirdly wondering what was going on and why they needed to search the castle.

"I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrance to the hall, and I am leaving Head Boy and Girl in charge.  Any disturbance will be reported to me immediately. Sleep well." He tells the group of children as he removed the tables that were once in there. Magnolia noticed that Percy Weasley was standing tall and proud. If she was going to get in trouble by anyone it would be him.

"I'm going to talk to Fred." Magnolia whispers to Lucille, but just as she was about to head over Percy Weasley interrupts.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags! Lights out in ten!" Magnolia groans, but then she watches as Fred waves them over and points to two empty sleeping bags next to them. Magnolia looks at Lucille who just shrugs before they walked over to the boys.

"What is going on?!" Magnolia mouthed to Fred as she started to set up her stuff on the sleeping bag next to his. His eyes diverted to Percy who was scolding some second year Ravenclaws, and he cames to Magnolia's side.

It had immediately reminded her of this morning when he had kissed her. The kiss she had been longing for forever.

"Apparently Sirius Black had ripped the Fat Lady out of her painting. I saw it." He told her, and Magnolia's eyes widen. That meant Sirius Black, the murderer, was in the castle right now. She shivered, and Fred nodded before he walked back to his brother and best friend.

"What did he say?!" Lucille questioned as she got down on the hard floor of the Great Hall to get into her sleeping bag.

"Sirius Black ripped the Fat Lady out of her painting!" Magnolia whispered, and Lucille had the same reaction as Magnolia. Eyes widened and shivers.

"Bed! Now!" Percy yelled, and the girls nodded as they slipped into their sleeping bags. Now knowing what had happened they were in no mood to sleep. Sirius Black could be anywhere. Hogwarts was known as the safest place, yet they are searching for a mass murderer right now.

Maybe some of the students were able to sleep, but most of them weren't. Magnolia would check over towards Fred every so often, and see him, George, and Lee acting like fools. They kept casting jinx's with their wands when Percy wasn't looking. Lucille couldn't sleep either, she just stared at the ceiling. Right now Lucille was wishing she was at home in her bed away from a murderer.

Every five minutes you could hear Percy shushing some students. They didn't know how Dumbledore could imagine them sleeping on the cold hard ground. It was uncomfortable, and not to mention they walk on it every day.

"Hopefully they clear the castle." Fred whispered the Magnolia since she was right next to him. His hair was a little messy which made him a lot more appealing to Magnolia.
"I mean I also don't mind sleeping next to you."

He winked at her which made her blush a deep red, but luckily he couldn't see because of the darkness. The only light was the moonlight illuminating from the glass windows, and the oil lamps from the entrance hall.

Lucille mind wandered off to the kiss Draco had gave her a couple of days ago. She felt awful at the feeling. She was with Blaise, and it felt so wrong. She wanted to throw up. She never imagine cheating. It wasn't cheating though? He forced himself onto her. She sighed as she turned to face Magnolia, but realised she was cuddled up with Fred now. Both of them were sound asleep. She laughed quietly as she saw Lee and George trying to take picture without them waking up.

George noticed Lucille was watching, so he brought a finger up to his lip. She nodded knowing that it would be funny in the morning, and they could use a laugh right now.

The search ended around one or two am in the morning. They wouldn't let the children go back to their common rooms until the early lights of the morning.

Magnolia was awaken by Lucille, and luckily not a lot of people saw her cuddled up to Fred. She slipped out of his arm, and stood up. She saw Lucille who was holding her neck which was in excoriating pain.

"Let's just say the Great Hall floor doesn't have good next support." She laughed a bit, so did Magnolia. Magnolia turned when she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Lee Jordan.

"I think you might want this." He whispered as he handed Magnolia a Polaroid. She looked at him confusingly before she actually took a good look at picture. It was her and Fred cuddling last night.
She then remember how she ended up in his arms last night.

{Last Night}

"I don't know how Dumbledore expects us to sleep on these cold, stiff grounds." Magnolia complained to Fred who was now extremely close to her, so he could hear her talk.

"My offer still stands." He told her which made her eye brows raise. She was wondering what 'offer' he was talking about.

"What offer?" She asked him. She felt stupid asking him since he probably recently mentioned it, but she wasn't paying attention. He didn't seem to mind too much though.

"Of you sleeping with me." He replied to her, she thought that was a joke, but obviously it wasn't to him.
"Come on Mags, I know your cold, we'll forget about it in the morning if you like?"

She gave it some thought. Cuddling up to Fred would definitely be nice. She looked around the room, and she saw that where Draco, Blaise, and Theodore were. They were far away that they wouldn't be caught. She looked at him, and without telling him 'yes' she cuddled up to him.

His scent was warming. He smelled like a warm lodge, and cinnamon. Very different from what she was used to smelling in her home.

Soon she had must've fallen asleep, and she was guessing he did as well.

{End}

"Did anyone else see?!" She quickly asked Lee who laughed. She glared at him which caused him to stop knowing it wasn't a joke.

"No, only George and I, oh and your friend." Lee pointed to Lucille who gave Magnolia a sympathetic smile. Magnolia rolled her eyes, and she took the Polaroid. She saw as George woke up Fred, and handed him another Polaroid.

"Did they take a lot?" Magnolia questioned Lucille who was still awake at the time.

"Not too much, before Percy came over and scolded the two." Lucille told her, and Magnolia nodded. The both of them headed over the Ophidians who were confused on where they were.

"Where were you Luc?" Blaise engulfed Lucille into a hug once they got over.
"I found another spot, we were talking to someone." Magnolia nods confirming where they were.

Classes weren't exactly cancelled for the day, but instead would start after lunch. Instead of talking Lucille and Magnolia went straight to their dorms to go straight to sleep.

Authors Note-

Happy Boxing Day and Kwanza! I hope you are enjoying the story, and I know Year Three is taking forever it's just I go off the books more than the movies and it makes the chapters double.

- Em