Rainy Days [James Potter]

Chapter 3

Robin had always used her head over her gut, over her own instincts. Her head made good decisions, and she knew that she couldn't trust herself enough to be impulsive. It always worked, and she had not yet gotten herself into any trouble that couldn't be fixed. In fact, she found that whatever trouble she got into could always be solved with a little Slytherin charm. She had learned that much at a young age. But using her head meant that it was always crowded with thoughts, engulfing her like a prison and weighing her down. And it seemed a more crushing burden then than ever before.

She was distracted, and it led to what she would consider a disaster.

She sat down at the Slytherin table, piling up different kinds of food from the buffet in front of her. But, before she could even put one bite of heavenly bacon in her mouth, bright, crimson red and glittering gold paint fell from the ceiling (she couldn't have seen it coming, she tells herself) and covered her from head to toe, seeping through her clothes and burning her eyes almost as much as her current hatred for Sirius Black burned through her veins. She stood up, half in shock, half mortified. The culprits (quite obviously the self-proclaimed Marauders) howled with laughter over by the Gryffindor table and took a bow, pointing and grinning along with everyone else. Even most of the Slytherins were holding back their sniggers, and some were openly laughing.

And there he was, in the centre of things; her newfound ally. Potter. She couldn't say she'd trusted him, or even just didn't dislike him. After all, she'd only agreed out of petty spite, and out of self preservation. But still, weren't Gryffindors meant to be loyal.

Not all Gryffindors are good.

This can't be happening. This can't be happening, I can't let myself get humiliated like this-- I shouldn't have forgotten to check on those gits. I think I'm going to vomit.

She wanted to scream, to run out of the room without a second thought. Most of all, she wanted to not care what others thought of her. Then there wouldn't be the tears of embarrassment streaming down her face and she would be able to laugh along with the Marauders, no matter how mean spirited their prank actually was.

But she restrained herself. That was her; restraint in the form of a human being, with no patience, but a lot of willpower. She needed to calm herself down. She took a deep breath, the foulf smell of paint burning her nostrils, and she started walking.

Not towards the door, no, that would be too easy. She didn't want easy. She wanted cunning. Her lips curled into a grin, the red liquid looking like blood. For a split second, she almost looked insane. She looked like she was going to hurt someone. The look in her eyes, the bloodlust and that mad grin were terrifying, but in a split second, they were gone.

Instead, her grin was mischievous. Her eyes twinkled playfully. The Marauders barely had the time to blink before she grabbed Sirius Black. She took his face between her hands and kissed him, smothering him in paint, leaving him stunned and mildly embarrassed, then walking out of the Great Hall before anyone could see the tears streaming from her eyes, partially because of the paint, partially the humiliation.

She rushed into the shower in the girls dormitories without a second thought, desperate to get the thick liquid off of her. To her, it wasn't just paint, it was failure. Red, liquid, failure. She had neglected to go after the Marauders, and the universe had gotten back at her for it.

She had to spend an hour scrubbing it out of her hair and other uncomfortable places, then changing into a new pair of clothes. She left the dungeons before anyone came back from dinner, trying to free herself from any prying eyes, and grabbed her invisibility cloak as she headed directly for Gryffindor Tower.

She and James were going to have a little chat.