Dark, Twisted and Time Turned

Chapter 26: A Day Around the Castle

(*Warning: Language, brief sexual content, transphobia)

To her absolute pleasure, breakfast was one of the best ones she'd ever had the joy of not attending. Slightly before eight, shrieking filled the great hall as the candles began to drip hot wax in a fairly steady rain. It took a few charms, as well as removing a few, but by the time they were finished, it was a beautiful scene to witness. Up by the ceiling, above the candles, Hermione and Peeves were overlooking the disaster and simply rolling with laughter.

"Oh, the little firsties!" Peeves cackled, pointing to the youngest students hiding under the tables. The tables were steadily beginning to be covered with wax, and thanks to a remarkably strong shield charm from Hermione, none of the Professors were having any luck resolving the issue.

"I highly doubt they'll forget this," She replies, pleased to find that thanks to her Fae abilities, she was not at all magically tired from holding up the charm. "I thought I saw a few students off to morning detention to clean the trophy room," she comments off handedly. "It would be a shame if they destroyed your artwork." He gasps dramatically.

"You are absolutely right! It was wonderful to cause mischief with you, temporary- ghost, but I must be off." He tips his hat to her before disappearing, leaving Hermione to watch her mess with glee. She does a backflip through the air before turning invisible, lowering herself down to the Slytherin table- missing not only Tom, but also melted candle wax. She grins to herself when she finds Abraxas.

"Where's Riddle?" She murmurs in his ear, and the table surges upward as his knees jump in surprise. Perseus pounds him on the back to dislodge whatever he was choking on, and Avery quickly throws a napkin over the spilling cup of tea, though the rest unfortunately dripped into his lap.

"Merlin, what the fuck was that?" Cyriss exclaims, vanishing the tea. Abraxas gives him a look and a shortly muttered 'language, Mulciber'.

"I was startled. Sorry, Caroline." He mutters to the Parkinson girl, who was attempting to wipe coffee off her blouse. She seemingly doesn't hear him as she took off in near hysterics. Hermione giggles lowly and shifts behind him, watching as he glanced around. She turns downwards to float upside down in front of Abraxas, her invisible face next to his ear.

"Where's all the wax? That's not fair, you ruined all my fun." He jumps again, though not nearly as violently this time.

"Shield charms, because of your wax. Tom's in the room still," He mutters in response. "You shouldn't be out right now, aren't you due to change back soon?"

"I'll be fine for a little while yet," she comments, while Abraxas is given several confused looks.

"Got a tramp under the table, Malfoy? Who in Salazar are you talking to?" A boy says- Carnell. Chaylee scolds him.

"Go fuck yourself, Rosier. Let me talk to myself." There's a collective round of snickers. "Go- I'll find you. You won't want to be here when you change back." He shoots a glare at anyone who gives him a funny look, and she takes off in the direction of Slytherin dorms. There was no telling what evil things Tom may be up to, and she fully intended to find out what. The door is locked permanently when she tries to open it- suspicious. When she prods with her magic, she finds several scores of spells. A silencing spell.

She focuses until she's intangible and slips through the wall. She looks around the room, confused. Abraxas's bed was surprisingly a mess; he was usually so neat and tidy, his clothes folded and bed made every morning. The piles of dark texts that usually sat on Tom's chair were strewn across the floor, a Slytherin tie was hanging haphazardly from a light fixture, and Tom- her eyes finally land on him and it takes several seconds for her to fully realize what was happening.

Oh, shit.

She immediately reverts her eyes and tries to back out, forgetting to turn intangible and slamming into the wall with a thud. A face glances up from beneath his sheets, and Tom tugs him back down into an embrace, snogging each other passionately. Hermione covers her eyes with her hand and tries to focus, face burning.

"Tommy- someone's outside-" She hears the gasped words, as well as several other sounds before she manages to slip out again.

"There's no one here, Virgil," She hears the sigh, choking as Tom opens the door only dressed in a sheet. "It was likely a first year passing by."

"Then come back to bed." As the door closes, Hermione can't help but to remark something about Tom's sexual exploits- she was unaware he had ever had one. Well then, you do learn something new every day.

She takes a moment to collect herself before tumbling through the air again, whistling to herself. The morning detention was in shambles, and she watched the first years at the windows hammering away with Peeves inside wrecking havoc. She grins and gives a little wave as ink splatters across the back of one of their heads. She'd never got to have this much fun in her other time. No time for pranks or mischief, what with keeping Ron and Harry alive. Responsibilities kill all the fun. But these other friends of hers, actually possessing the common sense to be at least somewhat responsible, gave her plenty of time to fool around when she wants to. Not all bad guys are in Slytherin.

She quickly silences her whistling at the sight of a familiar redhead, and she shoots up towards the ceiling and turns invisible. Dumbledore had a firm grip on the elbows of Mary and Dorea Black, who were seemingly angry enough their hair was red. She watches, fascinated, as features on their faces morph back and forth. She follows all the way to Slughorn's office.

"Professor Slughorn, I've caught Mr and Miss Black attempting to break into the Gryffindor commons again. I do suggest much more sever punishment this time; as their head of house, you ought to have a good grip on those in your house." Dumbledore says sharply, shoving the two girls forwards. Mary slouches down.

"Thank you Professor Dumbledore. I'll deal with this issue," Slughorn waits until Dumbledore leaves, before sighing and laying his head on his hand. "Marius, please, I'm going to have to ask you to stop imitating your sister. It's really rather confusing. Thank you, Mr. Black," he addresses, and Mary scrunches her face up. The long blonde curls retract into her head and turn black, her face growing more angular until she was unrecognizable as a boy. Hermione had no doubt the two were Metamorphmagi. Tonks had been one, but since there were so few it was never known if it was a genetic trait. Evidently it was.

"Professor, you know she prefers Mary-" Dorea starts.

"Miss Black, you know your poor mother can't handle all this confusing nonsense. Leave your brother alone," Slughorn pauses to glance at something in his book. "Pollux and Casseopia were never this troublesome. You know Professor Dumbledore doesn't care for your antics with the Gryffindors. Another toe out of line and I'll have no choice but to assign you detention. Off you go now, go put your own uniforms on."