CHAPTER SEVEN
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     IF SOMEONE HAD ASKED Winnie what had happened, she would swear up and down that it was anything but her fault. It was something that she had wanted to avoid, but of course the ignorant past her was not thinking of this as she walked down the corridor. Minding her own business, of course.

     Boredom had struck her and she thought about heading to the library or trying to find Louise — wherever she might have been. But neither of those things ended up happening, all of the possible plans in her mind ending the minute she heard loud shouts from a distance behind her.

     She turned her head slightly and saw Sirius running toward her frantically. He was shouting utter nonsense at her and she furrowed her brows confusedly.

     "Come on! Hurry!" he urged, grabbing her sleeve lightly and tugging her along with him. Eventually, they were both running, earning each of them stares from their fellow students as they did so. Winnie did not pay as much attention to the fact that she wasn't sure of what they were doing considering the fact that she was having fun as they ran.

     Finally, they reached a more abandoned corridor and she became more confused as to why they were there in the first place. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she didn't have a second to speak before the cold droplets of water started to pelt against her skin.

     She heard Sirius murmur something before the bombardment of water began, and frowned, trying to repress a smile at his smirking face and raised wand. At first, she was utterly puzzled because they were indoors, but once she got a look at him she knew exactly what was happening.

     Looking up, part of the ceiling was filled with dark clouds pouring rain that he had conjured. She was about to open her mouth and give him an earful, but Professor McGonagall was much faster than she was.

     "Mr. Black! Miss Atkinson!" she snapped sharply as she marched over to them, careful not to get too near on account of the rain. Winnie has always been partial to the professor and knew that even if one was on her wrong side, she still had an agreeable attitude. "What is this?"

     Unlike the first time, where she had willingly taken the blame for Louise because of what she had done, words came easily. This time they did not. Winnie was utterly speechless as the rain cloud continued to soak the both of them wet.

     "Ah, come on, Minnie, just some good-natured fun!" Sirius teased with a grin, McGonagall looking anything but pleased with his words.

     "Professor, we're —" Winnie tried to explain what was happening, hoping that it could somehow get her, at the very least, out of it. But Sirius was quick to interrupt her.

     "Having a great time!" he blurted. She shot him a hot glare, but he only smiled at her. McGonagall pulled out her wand and conjured away the cloud with a small flick.

     "Detention for the both of you, Saturday," she announced before turning around and walking the opposite way. Winnie didn't bother glancing at Sirius as she carefully made her way away from the puddle that they had both been standing in.

     "Hey, Winnie! Come on!" he called out after her. She did nothing but ignore him. Her shoes squelched and water seeped out with each step that she took. The robes she wore hung off her body heavily, her clothing sticking to her skin tightly. She left a trail of water where she walked, and she was very glad that classes for the day were over and she would have time to get herself sorted. "It's just fun!"

     "Detention isn't fun! And I'm going to spend another weekend there because of you," she snapped, trying extremely hard to be mad at him. It was oddly challenging for her too, though, and she didn't know why.

     "See you later, Atkinson!" She huffed at his goodbye and turned the corner swiftly. The sooner she could get back to the common room, the better.

     A few minutes passed as she walked, not very quickly on account of the weight the water had placed on her clothes, she recognized a few faces walking in the opposite direction as her.

     "Hey, Winnie," Marlene greeted, Dorcas standing next to her while the both of them looked at her with curiosity. "Why're you all wet? It's not raining."

     "Indeed it isn't. This is Sirius' fault, actually," she responded with the shake of her head. "It's a...strange story." It really wasn't all that strange or complicated, but she was eager to leave and get a change of clothes and really did not feel like explaining herself.

     At her words, Marlene broke into a huge grin and cast a look at Dorcas, and the two started laughing. Quite frankly, Winnie didn't understand what was so comical about it.

     "What's so funny? Is there something that you know that I don't...?" she questioned with a polite smile, trying not to anger at the two who had calmed down, but were still grinning.

     "No, no. Don't you worry about it," Dorcas dismissed quickly. Winnie furrowed her eyebrows and nodded slowly. "We'll see you for study in the library tomorrow."

     She agreed and bade them goodbye and started to head back down the corridor again. When she finally arrived back in the common room, it seemed fairly empty. The only other people there were a few first years who sniggered at her as she passed on her way to the dormitory.

     When she entered the room, she received a scoff from a very bitter Connie, who was sitting on her bed casually. Donna still hadn't returned from the hospital on account of her exploding boils that Connie had cursed her with in their fight.

     Winnie ignored her and proceeded to find dry clothing, even though she could feel the girl's scathing eyes burning into her back. Connie had definitely become more hostile since the accusations were brought against her that day, but as always, Winnie stayed out of it.

     It was times like these in which she wished that she had completely different dormitory roommates.