Moonlight

Chapter Two

September 1st 1975

The Ravenclaw common room was as wonderful as Lilith remembered. The high ceiling, the bookshelves, and the view of the stars she loved so dearly. This year, they only got three new students for their house. Lilith noticed that not everyone came back this year. Nathaniel Burke, Milena Anderson.

She made her way up the stairs to the dorms. Pandora already unpacked her things. They shared their dorm with two other girls. A redhead, who's always been very nice but shy. Alicia Goldhorn was her name. The other girl was black-haired and rather distant. She didn't like the Slytherins because of a prank -that's what they called it- on her in their second year. Lilith didn't know what had happened but she knew it involved Severus Snape, a Slytherin a year above them. The girl didn't like him either and she suspected, he and his group of friends had bullied her.

Lilith went past the girls and to her bed on the left. She unpacked her things. Books, a quill, and her clothes.

"Have you decided what to wear for tonight?" Pandora asked sitting down on Lilith's bed. Lilith stopped suddenly, History of Magic still in her hand.

"No. I forgot I have to change," the blonde answered bluntly. "What about you?"

"I want to wear my new dress. I bought it during the summer. It's gorgeous!" Pandora described it to Lilith in every detail. The girl didn't mind. She knew Pandora saved money for experimenting, but once in a while, she bought something she wanted outside of that. Pandora was in the middle of describing the fabric when Alicia asked them about the party tonight.

"Oh, actually we're going to the Slytherins," Pandora told her shyly. Alicia raised her eyebrows but didn't say a word.

"It's getting late Dora. We should change and go," Lilith broke the silence. Pandora agreed. Lilith decided to go for a dark skirt and a white short blouse. They went down the stairs, greeted a few more people at the already ongoing party, and left for the dungeons.

Evan and Dorcas were already waiting for them. Even though they had been there before, the Ravenclaw girls forgot where the entry to the Slytherin common room was located. The group walked along the hall, deeper into the dungeons until they reached a plain stone wall.

It didn't look different from the other walls but after Evan spoke the password, a giant snake of stone slid along the wall leaving a rectangular hole in the wall leading to the Slytherin common room.

They could already hear the sounds of laughter and people talking. Music playing in the background. The common room extended partly under the Black Lake, giving it a greenish light.

They decorated the room with lots of low-backed black and dark green button-tufted leather sofas and greenish lamps and chairs. In the back of the room were dark wooden cupboards and desks.

Students spread over the whole open space until up the stairs. They were either engaged in conversations or dancing. No one minded their intrusion. Together, they crossed the room with the sofas and went over to a smaller room with a glass ceiling under the lake. There was a big crowd dancing to the now louder music. Dorcas led them up the stairs on the right and through a bunch of sixth years.

Lilith grabbed Pandora's hand in fear of losing her. They slipped in between a smaller group of Slytherins and there, next to the window, they could see their friends talking to the other Quidditch players. Barty spotted them and waved them over. Pandora let go of Lilith's hand as she went to greet Regulus and Barty. Lilith tried to follow her but stumbled into a tall guy who stopped and turned around to face her.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," she said to him. He looked her up and down, stopping at her face, a question in his mind. "Aren't you a Hufflepuff? Or was it Ravenclaw?"

"I'm a Ravenclaw, that's right. But I have friends here." Lilith was ready to go over to them to prove the truth of her words. He sensed that and turned around to have a look. He chuckled slightly.

"I don't know how you came in here, but I won't send a pretty girl like you away." He gave her a smile. "But remember, not all of us are okay with this." His face darkened for a moment. Lilith's face turned pink, and the guy stepped aside for her.

"I believe we can crush the Gryffindors this year," Lucinda Talkalot announced.

"I don't know. Last year, the Potters were undefeatable," Emma Vanity, the team captain, reminded them.

"They even made him captain this year," Regulus threw in. Lilith wasn't very interested in Quidditch. The topic was quite difficult for her because of alliances. Of course, as a Ravenclaw, she would hope for them to win the cup. But as a Friend of Slytherin's seeker, beater, and kind of with their chaser, she supported them.

The conversation carried on until Evan, Pandora, and Lilith decided to get something to drink. They went down the stairs and across the two rooms they came from at the beginning. On the other side of the large common room was a small area with a long, dark wooden table. They made their way toward it. On the table were different snacks and drinks. Evan went for a butterbeer and while Pandora and Lilith were still deciding, the rest of the group appeared behind them.

"We're sorry you had to endure this long conversation," Dorcas began.

"Is there something you'd like to do?" Barty asked. Pandora and Lilith exchanged a look.

"Now we're doomed," Regulus muttered. Lilith smiled wickedly and grabbed Pandora's hand, who grabbed Dorcas'. They went over to Regulus and led him to the room on the right, where the music was loudest. He knew what was coming. At every party, they would dance wildly and when he was to give a comment about it, they expected him to dance with them. He didn't, of course. The girls move around him. They swung his arms, and he endured it.

Evan and Barty quickly caught on to their intent and followed. They didn't dance at first. Dorcas and Pandora caught them snickering and dragged them onto the dancefloor as well. The girls were moving their hips, raising their arms to try to touch the ceiling of the glass. They threw their heads back and spun around. Their eyes were shimmering with fun and ease. The guys were watching them, smiling to themselves. They let the girls drag them deeper into the crowd, spun them around, and laughed at attempts to get them to do certain dance moves. Pandora's dress flew as she spun around and around. The group's fun flooded the entire room, encouraging others to dance with them or to clap their hands to the tact of the music.

The room was getting hotter, and Lilith's legs were getting weaker. Regulus and Evan sensed their way to escape, and the group got off the dancefloor. They sat down on the leather sofas to catch a breath.

"That was fun!" declared Pandora breathlessly. Dorcas and Lilith nodded strongly.

"I don't get why you don't like this, Reggie. You're an excellent dancer. The way you spun me around...," Lilith complimented. Regulus tried to hide it but she could detect his smile. She returned it and messed with his hair before she got up to get some water.

For what felt like the millionth time this night, Lilith crossed the rooms to get to the long table. When she finally arrived, she realized that somebody had followed her. It was Barty, a cup of butterbeer in his right hand.

"You should put down a book more often, you know. It seemed to me like you were having fun twirling around," he spoke with a serene smile.

Lilith turned to look at him with furrowed eyebrows. "You clearly don't know me after all this time we've been forced friends," the girl emphasized the word friends in a way that listeners could think it was a strange term to her.

"Maybe, it is because we haven't shared much time together." Barty raised his eyebrows as if to dare Lilith to tell him wrong. His smile showed her a challenge to set this 'problem' right.

"I don't mind it this way. And yes, I had fun tonight," was all she said before she turned on her heal and went back to their friends.

Barty shook his head. Annoyed but also a bit amused.

They spent the rest of their night on a sofa, talking, drinking, and laughing. It was already past three in the morning, and Pandora and Lilith decided to leave. They snuck through the castle and upstairs to the Ravenclaw common room.

Lilith plunged into her bed with a satisfied smile she didn't have for weeks.