Gwen Bennett Song didn't surround herself with many people. She didn't go out of her way to make new friends or to be seen by others. She actually preferred to remain in the shadows and unnoticed. She was fine with what she already had; a small grou...
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Gwen sighed as she paced the length of the common room, by now Olivia should have been here. Curfew was in effect and while they could still be out of their beds for another half an hour, by now the halls were empty of all students. Well, at least those who followed the rules. And Olivia was one of those students. So Gwen couldn't help but wonder why in the world she wasn't back yet.
The older Hufflepuff had already checked Liv's dorm room, having found out from her roommates that they hadn't seen Olivia for a couple of hours now. Last they heard she went down to Hagrid's with Ron, Hermione and Harry to comfort the man as today was the day of Buckbeak's execution.
At first, Gwen had hoped they'd all just lost track of time and would be back any minute. It's been twenty minutes since then. While everyone knew Hagrid could be a bit forgetful at times, by now he'd have forced them to go back to the castle. Had something possibly happened along the way? The thought almost made Gwen decide to go down to the gamekeeper's hut to check.
However, instead, she thought of one more possibility. Perhaps Liv had decided not to risk getting caught and so she was simply in the Gryffindor tower. It wouldn't be the first time something like it happened, most often because she and Hermione had lost track of time when studying, so the Hufflepuff merely had a sleepover with the Gryffindors.
Unlike all those other nights, on this night, Gwen had to be sure. She feared what may happen if they were still out there. Not because she feared they might cause trouble, but because trouble might find them. With a glance out the window, Gwen took in the shine of the full moon, its rays spreading over the common room forcing her to make her decision. And so she headed for the door.
She didn't plan on going out of the castle to search of them. While knowing that Uncle Remus had Professor Snape brewing him the Wolfsbane Potion for each month, allowing him to keep his mind during the full moons, Gwen still didn't think it to be wise trapesing around in the middle of the night.
Instead, she decided to head to Gryffindor tower, to check whether the younger girl was there. She wasn't on patrol duty that night, making Gwen's movements through the hall be as silent as possible. She could hear her heart race, knowing she was technically breaking the rules. Although she already knew what she'd say if someone caught her. Something along the lines of covering for another Prefect who wasn't feeling well, or mixing up the schedule would surely pass.
"Gwen? What in Merlin's name are you doing?" The whispered call made Gwen freeze in her steps as she hadn't noticed someone patrolling the hallway adjacent to the one she'd tried to run through. Quickly turning on her heel, Gwen looked like a deer in headlights as she came face to face with her fellow prefect.
"I'm, uh, on patrol?" Gwen should have thought better about the possibility of getting caught. Yes, she had her story straight, what she did not have was lying skills.
"Gwen, you're not on duty tonight." Cedric pointed out with an arched eyebrow, trying to figure out what in the world had gotten into his friend.
"I'm not? I could have sworn I saw my name on the list." Gwen grumbled, even going as far as scratching her head as if she were confused. She didn't need a mirror to know she was a horrific liar. And Cedric, who'd known her for bloody five years, knew that best of all.
