Slythendor

Vanessa knocked at the office belonging to Professor Lupin, and there was still no answer. She then remembered that it had been a full moon the night before – Remus would be in no condition to help her now.

She was beginning to lose it entirely. She needed either someone to console her and understand, but no one came. Defeated, she made her way back to the Common room.

Listening to her iPod in a corner of the Slytherin common room, Vanessa began to question who she was, and who Gerard was and why they could not be together. It was rather confusing as she kept back-tracking and altering what she had said to herself.

After a while, Vanessa gave up and screwed her eyes shut, concentrating solely on the music. Again, this simply made Slytherins nearby give her odd looks, so she ambled up the stairs to her dormitory.

She decided to refresh herself of the lyrics for one of the band’s more controversial songs which was to be played the next night, called ‘Slytherin Pride’. Vanessa smiled to herself, remembering the fact that she had quizzed Draco Malfoy for the meaning of being a Slytherin and why it’s so great for several lines to the song, and how she was going to introduce it.

She was a bit touchy that Lewis and Claire had entirely refused to play on that song, and Gen had taken some convincing. Surprisingly, Blaise Zabini played guitar and had decided to play for Vanessa when asked (earning himself a hug and a chocolate frog), and Morag McDougall had agreed to play bass. They were both fellow Slytherins and loved the song’s lyrics.

“Yo, Ness, you ready for tomorrow night?” Gen asked, appearing at the doorway. Vanessa laughed and replied,

“Hell no, that’s what’ll make it so fun!” the two girls shared a laugh as Gen sat on her bed next to Vanessa’s and put her drumsticks in her trunk under her bed.

“I bumped in to Gerard on the way here… he said what happened between you two. You wanna talk about it?”

“Nah, there’s nothing much to talk about. It’s just… awkward, you know? Like when your parents argue and then it’s silent at dinner. It’s that kind of awkwardness where you’ve kinda got over what they did but you two haven’t made up and it’s just… awkward.” Vanessa explained, giggling slightly at the lack of clarity of what she had just said.

“Riiight.” Gen said sarcastically. “Just as long as you can handle opening for his band.”

“How the fuck did you know…?”

“He told me, and the rest of our band, a few weeks ago. He said you knew too.”

“Yeah, I heard him singing in the Owlery the night before our first date and he explained…”

“Do you want to make up with him?” Gen asked suddenly.

“I- I think I might. I still like him like that, I never stopped, even after the things he said but I- I don’t want him being in his band to influence my decision. I really want to get together with him but I- I- I heard he was going out with someone in his year and I saw him with this girl, and they seemed to be… intimate. So it doesn’t matter what I want, he’s with someone else.”

“Well…” Gen grinned, “What you have to do is dazzle all the boys at the Ball tomorrow! Then he’ll ditch her for you or you’ll find someone else! Either way, and even if nothing happens, you’ll still go away from it having had a brilliant time. And it being our first gig and all…”

With that last sentence the girls shared a grin and began to refine exactly what they were wearing on- and offstage. There was lots of ‘this or that’ between them and they laughed lots, which was exactly what Vanessa needed.

As they were both in a giggly, girly mood, the next thing Gen asked Vanessa was,

“So, besides Dark, who do you have a crush on?” Vanessa smiled and replied,

“Two Gryffindors.” Gen faked a gasp and said,

“The scandal! Who are they?”

“Well,” Vanessa began, blushing slightly, “There’s that Irish lad in our year, Seamus Finnigan, you know, he’s in our Magical Creatures class, he’s really funny and nice and thoughtful and his accent is so cool!”

“And?”

“And- well, err… Neville Longbottom.” Vanessa was now blushing crimson.

“Longbottom?!” Gen cried incredulously.

“What about Longbottom?” Pansy Parkinson asked, appearing at the door. She also was in their dormitory. Despite her snobbish air, she was good friends with Gen and Vanessa, but they kept their Gryffindor friends secret as anything un-Slytherin-like would turn Pansy and the entire house against them.

“We were trying to decide who would make the best couple with Loony Lovegood.” Vanessa lied convincingly.

“Oh, well in that case, I have to say that for once Longbottom is perfect for the job.” Pansy sniggered. “But it would never happen. Longbottom is so obviously gay; he’d make a better couple with Crabbe or Goyle, two dunces together!”

“Oh my God, threesome!” Gen laughed.

“One: you are sick, Gen, very very sick, and two: are you serious, Longbottom’s gay?” Vanessa inquired.

“Well can’t you tell? It’s so obvious from the way he looks at Potter he fancies him!” Pansy giggled.

“Aw, no, he should go out with Granger, she could give her excess brains to him so he’d have some!” Gen snorted.

“But then Granger and Weasley couldn’t happen and they are so meant to be!” Vanessa chortled.

“What are you doing?”

“Discussing Gryffindor psychology.” Vanessa remarked casually, not noticing who had spoken.

“How did you get up here, Draco?!” Pansy shrieked.