Some Badgers like Snakes

Elle

"Morning sunshine." I heard a soft voice whisper, I could feel his hands running through my hair.
"Shut up, I'm sleeping." I grumbled, swatting at the air above my head.
I heard someone, probably Lav, snicker.
"Shut up." He scowled back, I could practically hear his head whip around to growl at her.
His tone went back to his perfect boyfriend sugary sweet.
"Elle, you need to wake up. Elle, honey it's morning, you need to get up."
"Just give up, it's not going to happen." Lavender sang mockingly.
I could feel Jake glare at her and suppressed a sleepy chuckle.
I sat up with a yawn, stretching my arms up to the sky and trying to rub the tired out of my eyes.
Jacob choked.
"What?" I asked in confusion.
He covered his mouth, pretending it was a cough instead of a laugh he was holding in.
"Nothing, nothing, you're beautiful." He bit his lip.
"Go to hell." I flopped back down face first into my pillow.
"Good going genius." Lav mumbled.
"Elle I was only kidding. Elle! Elle, come on."
I turned my face out to flash him my puppy dog frown.
"You're mean." I pouted.
He sighed, taking my chin in his hand and looking into my eyes. Sweeping a light kiss across my cheek.
"You're late." He whispered.
"Gosh darn it!" I sprang out of bed and scrambled across the floor.
"She looks like a dog when someone's at the door!" Lav burst into laughter.
"Gosh darn it?" Jacob questioned in disbelief.
I pushed my head through the top of my teeshirt and stuck my head around the frame of the bedroom door.
"I hate you both." I glared.
"You love us." they both sang in unison.
I rolled my eyes.
If I wasn't so pissed off I'd be glad they were getting along so well.
"Let's go let's go let's go!" I called as I bolted through the common room.
"Chill, you still have time." Lav tried to calm me down as I ran around frantically.
"No, I was supposed to meet her in the library five minutes ago." I stressed.
"Lavender is right, you need to calm down. I'm sure your partner will understand, being a little late to work on a project isn't a big deal." Jacob
"But it is! I don't like being late, it's rude!"
"Okay okay." He rolled his eyes.
"Here I got you some breakfast." He smiled, handing me an egg sandwich.
"Thanks sweetie." I sighed mockingly and tried to smile gratefully.
"You're way to stressed, just relax." He chuckled.
I rolled my eyes. "See you later."
"Bye." They both waved as I scrambled out the door.
"Sorry Sorry Sorry Sorry! I'm late I know, I'm sorry." I slid into my seat, blowing a strand of hair out of my eyes frantically.
"It's like five minutes, its fine." She smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah but I'm still sorry."
"So we need to work on developing a charm that will improve the daily lives of wizards."
"Uh huh." I nodded.
"So I was thinking if we tried to follow Gropogas' third law to get the balance to... are you listening?" She asked.
"Huh yeah. Yeah balance, uh Gropogas, and uh laws. I'm sorry...again." I sighed.
"Are you okay? You seem distracted." She asked.
"Yeah it's not a big deal just...boyfriend troubles I guess." I lowered my gaze.
"Is everything okay? I mean if you honestly can't work with this on your mind you better clear it." She smirked  before her voice became serious again.
I rubbed my temple and took a deep breath.
"Everything's fine with us, amazing actually." I sighed.
Her face dropped unamused.
I swallowed, back on track.
"I'm just a little worried about him I guess. He got locked out of his house by some...jerks, the other night and came to mine after curfew. It was a whole mess. I'm just really upset about it all I guess."
"Are you kidding me?! How did that even happen? That's awful." Her eyes widened in shock.
She shook her head "I'm so sorry Elle."
"I know. Luckily our head boy let him stay the night. I just feel terrible. I mean I know it's not...but a part of it feels like, like it's my fault. I mean I know I shouldn't but I'm not a pureblood and I feel like he gets judged for that." I lowered my gaze to my feet, afraid to make et contact.
I peeked up. Clarisse's face was perfectly still.
"Ok." She said softly.
"What?" I asked slowly.
"Ok, let's go. We're going." She pushed herself up from her seat.
She pulled out my chair for me, I stumbled up and followed her as she marched down the hall. I followed silently, watching the determination in her step. She stopped at the bottom of a winding staircase leading up to one of the school's towers.
She turned, "I don't know if I'm technically allowed to do this but I guess we'll be breaking some rules anyways." She sighed.
I stood frozen as she started walking up the stairs. "Well, are you coming?" She asked.
"Oh yeah." I hurried after her.
Eventually we reached the top at what I estimated to be the fifth floor. At the top was a wooden door with a shining bronze knocker resembling a eagle.
"Wait there's no doorknob, or even a key hole. How are you supposed to get in?" I asked curiously.
She chuckled "Just wait."
"I am the beginning of every end," a dramatic voice rang out.
"the end of every place. I am the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. What am I?"
"Wait was that... was that the bird?" I asked confused, peering down at the little brass knocker.
"How rude." It ruffled its' copper feathers.
I jumped back. "Oh, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean..."
"The letter E."  Clarisse answered lazily.
"What?" I asked.
The knocker closed its' eyes and the door swung open.
"The riddle. That's the answer." She smiled over her shoulder.
"Okay, come on in."
I followed her inside. The common room was bright and airy. Large arched windows draped with silks in bronze and blue, high book shelves, comfy chairs, and a rug resembling the night sky filled the room. I did a double take.
"Wait here for a second, I'll be right back." Clarisse mumbled pointing to a seat in the corner as she headed towards what I presumed to be the dorms. By those doors, standing in front of a high bookcase was a breathtaking statue of a stoic woman with a thoughtful expression. I ran my fingers along the smooth marble utterly mesmerized by the intricate carvings.
"Is this Rowena, Ravenclaw I mean?" I asked  Clarisse as she came back keeping my eyes fastened on the unreadable expression on the statue's face.
"Yeah, thats her. Fun fact, the statue was actually carved by former Ravenclaw student, Silivara Lapointe because she believed that the task was too tedious to be undertaken by an elf or man." Clarisse grinned.
A girl behind her rolled her eyes.
"Nothing about that fact was fun." She groaned.
Clarisse tucked a piece of dark hair behind her ear and tried to hide her blush.
"So why's she here exactly?" The girl looked me up and down.
"We're going to get some revenge."
Clarisse explained the whole story to the group of kids around us.
I watched all their faces stay the same hard expression as Clarisse's had.
A small girl with round glasses and freckles marched up to me. I held my breath. She swished her black pigtails around, "Hold my sweater vest."
Ten minutes later I had a group of angry Ravenclaws following me down the hall.
"So um what's the...what's the plan here?" I asked nervously.
"Just keep quiet for a couple seconds okay?" Clarisse rolled her eyes.
"Alright." I mumbled.
She smirked.
I swear the more I got to know her the more she reminded me of pieces of my friends.
"You can't come in here." A deep voice bellowed.
It came from a woman in a painting on the wall. She had a bunch of grapes resting in her mass of wild, curly, black hair and dramatic features
"Let me in." Clarisse grumbled.
"What's the password?" The painting asked again.
"I need to speak with someone in your house." She planted her hands on her hips.
"Well then you'll have to wait for them to come out. Now take a seat, I'm practicing. Just hear the strength in my voice." She crooned.
I hate to be rude but the sound that followed resembled that of a beached whale being violently poked by a stick. In summary not pleasant.
"Thats some strength." Clarisse whispered.
I choked on a laugh.
The lady in the painting shot us a dirty look. I gulped.
We waited for a minute.
"Oh screw this!" Clarisse shot up from her seat impatiently.
"Okay is the password, Gryffindor?"
"No." the portrait responded coldly.
I looked at her unbelievably.
She shrugged "Hey, it's always worth a shot."
"Okay, Trinkets?
"No."
"Vendetta?"
"No."
"Uh... Fortitudo?"
"Yeah!"
"Really?"
"No"
Clarisse took a frustrated breath.
The Ravenclaws around us all started grumbling and crying out suggestions.
"What about lemon sherbet?"
"Try owl droppings!"
"I've got it!" Clarisse snapped. "Leo Magna Auri!"
The fat lady's face went blank.
"Uh...uh yeah actually. That's it. I-I have to let you in." She swept her arm out in defeat, swung her picture backward to reveal a portrait hole. She pinched the bridge of her nose, "Just go in already. Stop rubbing it in."
Clarisse smirked in satisfaction.
"You guys wait here. Elle you come with me."
I scurried after her through the doorway.
"What are you doing here?" A Gryffindor student asked.
"Have you seen Gabi?" Clarisse piped up.
I swear I've never heard this girl say so much in all my life.
"Yeah she's probably up in her room. Why?"
"We need to talk to her."
The girl ran up the stairs to look for Gabi.
"So how's this Gabi girl going to help us exactly? Wait a second what is she helping us with? What are we doing?"
"Hey, Gabi!" Clarisse called at a girl coming down to meet us.
"Yeah sure just don't answer any of my questions, that's cool, whatever."
"Calm down crazy. What's up?"
Clarisse went through the whole speech again.
Gabi cracked her knuckles.
"Alright let's go."
Clarisse had the smallest curl of a smile
creep up her face.
"Okay I'm lost. What in God's name is happening right now?!"
"Revenge." Clarisse smirked.
"Okay.... still not on the same page."

"Wait...what?!?" Jacob asked.
"Revenge." Gabi repeated.
"Yeah, still not clear on what that entails exactly."
I chuckled, look at us both being confused by random peoples' secret plans for revenge.
I looked back at the cluster of strangers assembled before us. Every house was present, well if you included Jacob as the honorary representative of Slytherin.
Gabi smirked wickedly, I hadn't known this girl for very long but I knew that was not a good look.
"Those snakes are gonna pay." She narrowed her eyes.