Chapter 17 | Guilt

                                    

                                          
The Gryffindor Common Room was packed full of cheering students and the Quidditch team (including Harry) had just come back freshly clean from the showers. El and Jada loved parties, no matter what the occasion was. If the spirits were high, then that's all that mattered. Ron, Harry, El, Jada, Ginny, Seamus, Dean and the Weasley twins were all scattered amongst the fireplace drinking Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice, talking about whatever came to mind at that moment. They had avoided talking about what they had discovered within the forest and all agreed that they would get through the rest of the week first until a Hogsmeade trip was in order on the weekend. 
                          
"Does anyone know where Hermione is? She's not in our dormitory or the showers." El asked, feeling a sense of worry since deep down she knew that Hermione had most likely snitched on them all. Harry and Ron looked at each before shaking their heads. "No idea. Dumbledore most likely." Ron muttered, taking a swig of his Butterbeer. Seamus spoke up, "Oh whatta' you done now?" He asked, in his very Irish accent, looking between the two boys. "Don't look at me!" Ron insisted, glancing at El, "Look at her!" El shot Ron a dirty look, "Cheers Ron. But you'll be disappointed to know that I haven't done anything out of the ordinary. You know what Hermione's like. Goody two shoes and all." El told a rather curious looking Seamus. Dean turned away from the fireplace and offered his help, "I saw Hermione in Remus' classroom when I was walking back from my detention. She's probably gone to get extra lessons or something." Dean smiled up at El, thinking he'd saved the day, but El was signing her death certificate as they spoke. "Just great." El muttered, sinking her body into the comfort of the sofa and began to think of a million ways she could riddle herself out of Remus' endless fatherly lecture and possible (no, a certain) detention she was about to be given. "I'm going to kill her, Jada." El whispered, staring up at the great flames that had formed within the fire. They weren't as big as she had done to them before but they were noticeably a lot bigger. "No, you're not. I'm going to kill her." Jada joked, turning her attention towards El. Seamus laughed slightly after hearing the conversation, causing everyone's heads to turn their way. "Has she ratted you both out or something?" He laughed again, from his position on the floor looking between everyone for some sort of confirmation. El raised her hand and with her index finger and thumb, leaving a slight space between them, indicated that she had gotten them into trouble just slightly. El had thankfully hidden the necklace in her jacket pocket, so if anyone searched her room for it, they wouldn't be able to find it without going through her first. 
                          
A few more minutes had passed before the party had come to a sudden awkward halt as Professor McGonagall swiftly walked through the portrait hole and scanned the room. El and Jada sank into their chairs so they couldn't be seen, (if one was found, the other was always close by) and shushed everyone that was sat around them. They both knew that she had come to retrieve one of them, most likely El, and tried their best to hide. Where was the invisibility cloak when you needed it? 
                          
McGonagall's loud voice echoed throughout the room, over the booming music, just as El had expected it to. "Has anyone seen Miss Elektra Black." El felt her insides twist and she internally rolled her eyes, bracing herself for the storm that was about to rattle through her. The music turned off, everyone fell completely silent. A few moments had passed. "Anyone?" She asked hurriedly again. El remained quiet. She looked at Harry who was avoiding the sofa that they were sat on. Her footsteps moved across the room quickly and abruptly stopped at what sounded like where they-
                          
"If you two blithering idiots believe you can avoid me by hiding behind a sofa, then you both need to sort your heads out!" El and Jada slowly peered up from their positions at a very cross Professor, who had her hands on her waist above them. Think on your feet, Black, think on your feet! El thought to herself, trying to come up with a good comeback and as quick as a flash said, "Minerva! Didn't see you there! So how did you find the match?" El cheekily asked, saying the first thing that had come to mind. McGonagall's eyes had turned to a piercing stare and chose to ignore her, "You have been requested. Follow me." She turned around as El let out a defeated and heavy sigh, seeing nowhere to hide, she followed. "It was me as well." Harry jumped up, stopping McGonagall from walking any further away. They both turned around, "I'm sure it was, as it always is, Potter. But Miss Black has been asked for. Not yourself this time." She turned back around, El giving a small smile to Harry to say thanks, before heading out of the portrait hole.