CUPID➝ J. POTTER

THREE .

Their sock-covered feet padded silently through the halls, somehow their shoes must've slipped off in the fall. Gwen peeked around corners for the caretaker Filch, doubting he'd believe them when they said they were excused from classes. The two of them walked out to a courtyard, sitting on a stone bench.

Gwen looked in the direction of the Quidditch wondering who really did win.

"So," James said, sounding less angry than he did before, "What do you suppose happened to our broomsticks?"

"Hijacked," Gwen said, turning around to face him, "Cursed or something of that sort."

The bespectacled boy nodded, and Gwen stared studied him. He glanced up, looking at her curiously, "What?"

"Your glasses are cracked," she answered, causing James to take them off.

"Oh," he said in response, laughing lightly, "No wonder I couldn't really see anything in the infirmary."

Gwen cracked a grin, "As much as I would love to help you there, Potter, I don't have my wand."

James nodded, tucking the broken glasses into his pocket, "I suppose you'll just have to guide me then."

Gwen stood up, heading back towards the castle, "Alright then."

Walking cautiously, James began to follow her lead, "Where are we heading?"

"Kitchens of course, I'm starving," Gwen replied, pulling her hair out of the hairband.

"Wait," James commanded suddenly, squinting at the wall, "Is that a painting of an old guy with an eye-patch?"

Gwen looked over to the wall, seeing the painting he was describing, "Uh, yes, it is."

James walked slowly to the wall, gripping the frame of a painting and pulling hard. He toppled over, falling flat on the ground.

Gwen laughed loudly at him, shaking her head, "Wrong painting, Potter." 

He got up quickly, dusting himself off, "You're a horrible guide, Tatum," he huffed in annoyance.

Gwen grinned and walking up the painting of the old man with an eye-patch, pulling on the frame as James had done, and sure enough it swung open. A dark passage way looked ahead of her.

"What is it?" she inquired, glancing at the passageway curiously.

"A shortcut to the kitchens, of course," James answered, as if were the most obvious thing in the world, and skirted around her to the entrance.

Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder, "Perhaps I should go first?" she said.

James scowled, "Perhaps so," he said in a high-pitched voice, mocking her.

Gwen began to crawl into the tunnel, saying over her shoulder, "I do not talk like that, Potter!"

He merely grunted in response, and they crawled in silence. The passageway was dark, but Gwen warned James when a dip or slope was coming up. At last they reached the end, and Gwen stopped short. James ran right into her, causing her to crane her neck around in annoyance.

"Oi!" she remarked.

"Well warn me when you're stopping then," he muttered.

Gwen scoffed and pushed open the exit, the portrait swinging open. She clambered out and nearly stepped on something furry. She yelped, causing James to say in confusion, "What? What is it?"

Gwen watched the cat scamper off and realized with a start what cat in particular it was.

"Um..." she said quietly, "I may have just stepped on Mrs. Norris."

"You what?" James demanded, "Oh wow, nice going Tatum. Do you want to be landed in detention?"

Gwen began to walk towards the entrance of the kitchens, purposely not holding the door open for James, "I wasn't trying to step on her!" she retorted.

The door whacked James in the head and he cried out, startling a few house elves. He rubbed his forehead, grumbling. The two of them ate the food the house elves offered in silence, glaring at one another.

"This whole situation is your fault anyway," Gwen chided, "You knocked me off my broom."

James groaned, "How is this my fault? You hit a bludger right at my crotch!"

Gwen chucked a roll at his head, yelling in frustration, "THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

The house elves scurried away from the two of them, not enjoying all the yelling.

Gwen got up suddenly, "Well, thank you very getting me a day off of classes, but if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my common room."

"Same here!" James snapped, beating her to the door.

"Yeah?" Gwen taunted, "Good luck getting back to the Gryffindor tower with broken glasses, then!"

James frowned, but said nothing else. Gwen began to walk off and found herself face to face with Mrs. Norris, again.

"Shit," she muttered, and began to jog in the opposite direction.

Gwen stopped short as she heard yelling ahead.

"Caught you, Potter! Skipping classes, eh? Nice try!" a raspy voice said gleefully, that Gwen recognized as Filch.

"Actually," James was saying, "I'm excused from classes."

"Hmph! We'll see about that, Potter! Where's the rest of your evil little friends?"

"Just me today," James said, not mentioning Gwen.

Gwen stayed hidden in the dim corridor as their voices began to grow fainter. Mrs. Norris passed her, staring at her with her lamp-like eyes, but Filch didn't return. Gwen let out a sigh of relief, heading back to her common room, a bit surprised that James didn't rat her out.