YEAR 5:
TWENTY-TWO
The weather seemed to the deteriorate as the Winter months came by. The pounding rain and strong winds gave Adrian and I the perfect excuse to stay in the common room today. Most of the Slytherins took advantage as all of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were at the Quidditch match, by walking around the castle or using up the Great Hall for study time without anyone pestering them. With the common room mostly empty and Terence and Jaz studying in the Great Hall, it was the first time in a long time that Adrian and I had some time together.
"It's been so long since it's just been the two of us." Adrian smiled to me, "It's nice to have some alone time for a change."
"Yeah." I sighed.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, I don't really want to talk about it." I breathed.
"You know that's what I'm here for." Adrian said, trying to make eye contact with me, "You're supposed to tell me all of your problems and I'm supposed to understand, help you and move on."
I rolled my eyes, shook my head and folded my arms, "No." I snapped, "You don't understand."
"What don't I understand?" Adrian said defensively, "You've been acting weird lately, I'm here to help you."
I rolled my eyes once more, "Some things in my life, Adrian, are meant for me only. If I don't want to tell you everything going on in my life, I'm not going to."
"So I'm just supposed to be left in the dark? That's not how relationships work, Pandora."
I bit on my tongue at the sound of that name. I began getting to my feet, "Then how are they suppose to work, Adrian?" I asked, losing my patience.
Adrian shrugged. I tutted, gathered my things and began to walk away, "Where are you going?" He called after me.
"Somewhere away from you."
I made my way out of the dungeons and decided to try and clear my head. I don't blame Adrian, I know he was only trying to help. But it's hard keeping all of these secrets and trying to hide your emotions because of them. I began walking through the third floor corridor when a group of Gryffindor's exited the Hospital Wing. All wearing the red and gold colors of Gryffindor, also soaking wet. I looked to see who was among the group and noticed it consisting of Neville, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Sheamus. "Hey, Pandora." Fred smiled, disbanding from the group along with George, "What are you doing up around here?" I noticed that they were still in their Quidditch robes and soaking wet from the heavy rain which had slightly eased by now.
I inhaled deeply, "Just on a walk. Typical me." I giggled, trying to laugh everything off. "What are you guys doing here? Who got hurt?"
"Harry." George sighed, "Dementors invaded the Quidditch pitch and attacked him again. He's alright though."
I was confused, "I thought they weren't allowed inside the grounds? That's so strange."
There was a pause for a moment, "Why are you really on a walk?" Fred asked me.
I shrugged, "Can I not go for a walk?"
"Yeah, but usually something is bothering you when you do." George added in.
I sighed, "Fine. You cracked the code. Adrian and I had a little fight."
"About what?"
"He just thinks I've been acting weird and thinks I'm keeping him in the dark." I sighed again, "Ever since Sirius Black got out of Azkaban and has even been in the school, I can't help but feel anxious."
"We completely get it." Fred said, "Tell you what, we're going to get changed out of these soggy robes and we'll meet you in the Great Hall and we can have a chat."
"That sounds good." I smiled as the twins left my company and made their way to the Gryffindor common room.
The next few weeks consisted of that. Adrian and I didn't speak and Fred, George and I have spent a lot of time together. It was good to be finally friends with them again, almost like old times. As the winter months rolled in, snow began to cover the grounds. The snow made me happy. After lunch, on a Saturday afternoon, I noticed the large group of students head toward Hogsmeade for the weekend trip before Christmas break. I decided not to go with Adrian, Terence and Jaz as I didn't really want to be in Adrian's company at the moment. We haven't broken up, just haven't spoke.
As the group of students made their way out of the courtyard, I noticed Fred and George building a snowman in the corner of the courtyard, throwing snowballs at the passing students. I approached them with a giggle, the crunching of the snow beneath my feet giving me tingles. "There she is." Fred chuckled throwing a snowball at me. I ducked with a giggle as the ball of snow flew over my head,
"Aw, missed." Fred tutted.
"What are you guys doing?" I asked finally approaching them looking at their snowman up and down.
"Making a snowman." George said to me as if I was stupid, "Duh."
"He's looking pretty well." I smiled at their attempt, "A bit patchy at the bottom though." I sighed.
"Well then fix it, Miss snowman building know-it-all." Fred laughed. I crouched down and began patting the base of the snowman down, trying to flatten it as much as I could. "Hey," Fred said quietly getting both mine and George's attention. He nodded his head over to an empty space in the courtyard.
I furrowed my brows confused but then quickly noticed the forming footprints in the snow, but no one there. Fred nodded forward toward the footsteps. Clearly they knew who it was as they had no problem approaching the footprints. Fred and George held their arms out and managed to grab whatever was there and drag them or it inside the clock tower to the staircase. I ran after them as they pushed whatever it was on the last few steps. I ran into the room to see Potter suddenly appear. "Potter?" I asked in shock, "You have an invisibility cloak?"
"What are you doing?" Potter said in anger toward the twins. They both shushed him. They handed him a folded up piece of parchment. I recognized it too well. "What's this rubbish?" Potter asked looking down at it with disgust.
Fred chuckled, "What's this rubbish he says. That there is the secret to our success."
"You're not seriously giving it up are yous?" I asked noticing it to be the Marauders Map. The map that Fred and George and I had so much fun with during our first one or two years, but then Fred and George tucked it away with suspicions of teachers. But would bring it out every so often.
"It's decided, your needs are greater than ours." Fred said. I sighed knowing it was the truth and Harry was getting one of the things I cherished with Fred and George. "Pandora, if you will." Fred smiled to me.
I sighed, took out my wand and rested it on the parchment, "I solemnly swear that I am up to now good." The blank parchment soon transformed into the Marauders Map.
"Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauders Map." Potter read from the cover of the map.
"We owe them so much." George said.
Harry opened the parchment, examining it further, "Hang on," He said looking at the details more closely, "This is Hogwarts. Is that -? No. Is that really -"
"Dumbledore." Fred said.
"Pacing."
"In his study." Fred added.
"He does that a lot." I sighed.
"So," Potter said getting slightly confused and flustered, "This map shows -"
"Everyone." I answered.
"Everyone?"
"Where they are." Fred said.
"What they're doing."
"Of every minute."
"Of every day." George finished the rally the twins had going on.
"Brilliant! Where did you get it?"
"Knicked it from Filch's office of course." Fred answered folding his arms, "First year."
I giggled to myself thinking back to the time they ran over to me after a Transfiguration lesson to show me their new discovery. I still don't know whether Filch knows it's missing four years later. "There are seven secret passageways out of the castle." George said, "We'd recommend this one." Fred joined in at the end as they both pointed to a spot on the map.
I leaned in slightly to see where they were pointing. "The one-eye witch passageway? It leads you straight to Honeydukes' cellar." I said.
"Hurry," Fred said looking at the map, "Best hurry, Filch is heading this way."
"Oh." George gasped, "And don't forget when you're done, just give it a tap and say -"
"'Mischief Managed', otherwise anyone can read it." The three of us spoke in unity. It made me giggle slightly as it hasn't happened in so long and it always makes be happy when it happens. The writing on the map soon faded and suddenly turned blank once again. Potter put his cloak back on him, thanked us and began making his way to the third floor where the passage is located.
Fred, George and I resumed to fixing the snowman in the courtyard. "There." I got to my feet, "That should be it." I patted my hands together getting rid of the excess snow on my hands and brushed down the legs of my trousers from kneeling in the snow.
"He's perfect." George smiled, "All he needs is a name. What about Gred?"
"Gred?" I questioned, "As in George and Fred? Thanks for the credit."
"Fine," George pouted, "Gredora."
"Gredora?" Fred questioned, "I feel sorry for your kids with the names they'll have." The three of us began walking back toward the castle as it began to snow quite heavily once again. "Hey, Pandora. Can I talk to you for a moment?"
I looked to him with a questioning look as George continued on walking, "Sure." I smiled anyways and followed Fred to where we gave Potter the map. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Uhm, just about how you are and stuff." Fred said shyly.
I furrowed my brows and folded my arms, "What do you mean?"
"Just how are you? I just think it's a bit funny how you haven't spoken to Adrian in a few weeks. I was just wondering if you were alright."
"Yeah." I nodded, "I'm fine. It's just a bit strange. But I'm happy right now, with you and George I mean. I'm having fun." I smiled, "It's been a while. Are you okay, Fred?" I asked noticing he was a bit out of it.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm good." He nodded his head.
We paused for a moment, "I might break it off with Adrian."
"What?" Fred snapped his head toward mine, "Why? I thought you love him."
I shrugged my shoulders, "I think I like someone else." I sighed.
I glanced up and spotted something forming above Fred and I. I looked behind Fred and noticed George running off with his wand in his hand. Fred seemed to notice it also, "Is that a -"
"- Mistletoe." I smiled going slightly pink.
"But, but you're with Adrian."
"And as I said," Stepping closer to Fred, "I like someone else."
Fred didn't hesitate. He leaned forward and pressed his lips on mine. I put my arms around him as he did the same. I thought it would feel weird kissing one of your close friends, but with Fred, it felt right. It just felt the way a kiss should feel.