Dark AIAOY 5

Chapter 19

"Bloody hell, Ron!"  Rebecca held her stomach as they left the Great Hall days after the summoning by Dumbledore.  "How do you eat that much every damn meal?"

"We really didn't even eat that much!"  Ron laughed.

Rebecca climbed the steps slowly, weighed down by the additional dishes she'd let Ron convince her to eat.  "Not eat that much?  I've got food up to here!"  She held her hand to her neck.  Harry and Hermione laughed at both of their antics, especially as Ron threatened to go get more desserts for them.  Rebecca looked at Hermione with narrowed eyes.  "You laugh now, but I'll explode if I eat one more thing."

"I said you'd be sick if you ate another piece of tart!"  Hermione argued, laughing still.  "You didn't listen!"

"It would have been lonely!  There was only the one left, all alone!"  Rebecca didn't think there was anything wrong with this argument.

Draco looked up from where he had been pausing his return to the common room to look out the window.  The castle was like an entirely new place with the changed energy, this one filled with joy and laughter just like the Gryffindor group passing him.  Draco scolded himself, but allowed himself one more look at them all.  "Just a Mudblood and blood traitors an-and no one worth looking at anyway."  Draco turned away from the window and trudged back on his way until a boy who hadn't been paying attention to where he was going either bumped into him.

"Sorry!"  Louis stepped to the side with a smile.  "Didn't see you there."

Draco stopped and glared at how Louis continued his skipping happily.  "What's got you in such a bloody good mood?"

Louis paused and gave the older boy a happy little shrug.  "What's not to be?  Nearly time to go home, exams are done, things are pretty good!"

Draco put his back to the Hufflepuff and continued his sulk.  "Almost time to leave."  He echoed in a bitter mutter.

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"Let's go!"  Rebecca called into the bathroom where Hermione and Ginny seemed to be getting ready in slow-motion.

"Merlin's beard!  If she hurries me one more time I swear I'll-"  Ginny's threat met Hermione's defensiveness.

"You know she's just looking forward to the day."  At a concerning thump from their room, Hermione pursed her lips.  "Though she is a little, erm..."

Ginny gave Hermione a knowing look.  "Rebecca-like?"

"Yes, exactly."  Hermione shuddered.  "Let's just get to Hogsmeade before she tests something again."

Rebecca had taken the opportunity of lessened school work to focus near-entirely on the prototypes Fred and George were trying to get the kinks out of before they officially opened.  Ginny scowled as she remembered the toothpaste from a few days before.  "Who the hell even thinks up 'Two-Headed Toothpaste?'  Really, what kind of a loon just comes up with that?"

Rebecca poked her head in the bathroom, her jumper over an arm and a devious look on her face.  "I happen to be that loon and--I'll have you both know--you happened to look great with a second head."  Rebecca raised a hand, a little black shape between her fingers.  "I'm heading down for breakfast, are you two ready yet?"

Ginny glanced at the fuzz and met Rebecca's eyes.  "I don't know what that is and I better not find out."  Ginny's voice was terrifyingly calm, just as Molly's was when Rebecca, Fred, and George were about to push her over the edge.  Ginny was making it clear Rebecca's life was on the line if the prank was released.