Silhouette | J.Potter

chapter 8

It was a cold night before winter break, and I didn’t know if I’d sleep well, if at all. I’d gotten results from Mcgonnagals tests and apparently there was no need for me to even go to Hogwarts, except for the homely experience and protection the school would give me until I’m eighteen, which didn't seem like a bad idea with a war brewing.

I packed my belongings quickly with magic, the girls all copying my spell so we could get it over with and spend our last night together doing something fun. 

“If I can balance a third bertie botts bean on my nose each of you take a shot of fire whiskey and if I can’t balance them I will take all three shots of fire whiskey,” I used a spell to keep them up, and it wasn’t exactly against the rules not to use magic. Everyone did a shot, Marlene looked like she was drinking water, that girl could take a drink.

The conversation soon turned to a game Lily called truth or dare. I had never come across the game but the simple principles were you got to choose between answering any question asked truthfully or do any action short of death requested of you. It seemed like a very dangerous game.

“Truth or dare, Iris,”

“Truth, I suppose. I don’t want to put my health in danger from a dare,” Lily thought my words were funny.

“Are you still a virgin?” Marlene asked me, 

“Marlene you can’t ask her that,” Lily said rubbing her temple, like a mother

“Yes, Marlene.” I replied, rubbing my eyes.

“Seeee, Lilyyyy. It’s fiiine, it's just a question,” Marlene said laughing. Dorcas rolled her eyes, we all did as we decided to cut Marlene off from alcohol and put her to bed.

Dorcas went to bed soon after, it was just lily and I now. We put away the bottle of nearly empty fire whiskey, one of which Marlene always kept in her trunk for emergencies. We sat on my bed in the corner of the room so we were less likely to wake up Marlene or Dorcas as my bed’s more secluded.

Lily was telling me how she was happy that James had slowly been stopping his advances, since about mid-October. I thought it was odd considering he was head over heels for her when I first met him in diagon alley, all those months ago.

“I can’t believe the first thing you learned about me was that James Potter liked me,” Lily said covering her face with her hands as I started laughing. It was true, to be honest her introduction to me was much better than the multiple introductions I’ve had since I found out about my new family. I cringed externally, as I remembered meeting Sirius and Regulus.

I told Lily, a part of the story excluding my fathers prejudiced speech on blood purity. She looked at me like I was a horror show, she wasn’t wrong, but I shrugged ignoring the look as Lily yawned, soon I was the final girl standing.

I lay back in bed and prepared for sleep. I flipped my pillow over to the colder side as if a hot pillow was the reason I was not asleep, I twisted around, I even tried braiding and unbraiding my hair to see if my head resting differently against the pillow differently would help. I had little patience for sleep, knowing what I would have to do when I woke up.

I washed my face again, and changed into a pair of pyjamas that covered more than the previous pair as I walked down to the common room. It was completely empty, which did make sense as it was about 2am. The fire crackled so beautifully, a vibrant crimson flame not the normal red and orange colour a fire usually shines, I assumed the red colour represented the house.

I heard heavy footsteps (I assumed it was a boy from the loud sound of the walking) behind me as my ears perked up, I didn’t turn around at the noise. I rarely cared about the little noises when I was at Hogwarts, I trusted nobody to kill or attack me from behind.