XXXVII. ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS

      Sirene Black was currently struggling to hold in her laughter as her and her friends pretended to be rummaging through their stuff looking for something, a scream rang through the dormitory making Sirene smile cynically, Marlene and Lily high five each other and Alice winced.

      Neveah Ross quickly put on her clothes in a hurry closing the door frantically behind her, her eyes were widened with horror as she stared at the girls speechless on how to explain what just happened.

      "Neveah, are you ok?" Marlene said with fake concern as Neveah was still speechless, "You look like you saw a ghost"

Sirene had to cover up the chuckle that almost escaped her mouth with a cough, hoping Neveah wouldn't find it suspicious.

"Your mirror-" She started looking around, "When I was taking a shower, the mirror fogged up and then there was a writing in the middle of it um, it said 'I'm watching you, beware tonight' and I just ran out"

"No one has been here except us, Neveah" Sirene said grabbing a pair or sneaker and putting them on instead of the heeled boots, "You must have imagined it"

"She's right" Lily said in a comforting voice, "It happens sometimes, especially since it's Halloween, maybe you were thinking of a scary story or something"

"No, no, I swear to Merlin!" Neveah said in a frantic voice, "Come on I'll show you!"

"Ok, fine" Sirene said following Neveah into that bathroom, and there it was - the words written clearly, she'd done it herself, use soap to write and then dab it with tissue paper so it didn't seem so visible but still showed up if someone took a shower, but she pretended not to see anything, "Look, there's nothing there, like I said maybe you've had one too many drinks"

"What do you mean?!" Neveah exclaimed, "It's right there, look!"

"Sirene's right" Marlene said furrowing her brows and pretending to look hard for the writing, "Nothing is there"

"Maybe you should go rest, Neveah" Lily said putting her hand on Neveah's shoulder and offering her a small smile, "You're clearly tired"

Alice was just sitting through it all not participating in the prank because she thought it was mean, but of course her friends never listen to her. Just as Neveah left the bathroom Sirene quickly muttered a small spell to clean up the fogged mirror.

Neveah frowned looking around and then stuttering as she stared at them in disbelief, "But it's right there"

"This has been...eventful?" Sirene said in an unsure voice giving Neveah a look, "But I've got someone waiting for me in the common room, so, yeah, see you later Neveah" she passed her a sympathetic look, "Take care and get some rest"

Sirene walked out of the dormitory with a victorious smile on her face, she spotted Andrew talking to Remus who had his arm around Lauren and was leaning his head on hers as she talked animatedly, joining the conversation with a smile.

"Sorry, it took me so long" Sirene said with an apologetic look, "I couldn't find my shoes"

"Oh, it's alright" Andrew said passing her a grin. Sirene found herself smiling back. Remus and Lauren gave both of them a knowing look. "We can go now, if you want"

"Sure" Sirene said with a small smile, "We can go to the kitchen and get something to eat?"

"I'd like that" Andrew said with a smile. He was sweet. "Shall we go now?"

"Um, yes, of course" Sirene said putting her hands in her pockets and following his steps before turning back once to see Remus wink at her, she pulled her middle finger at him.

🥀

"This is much better than the party!" Andrew said taking a bite of the chocolate pudding, "And I don't have to share it with anyone"

"You're a weird person" Sirene said bluntly but she was smiling as he took another spoonful of pudding in his mouth and gave her an offended look.

"And you're not?" Andrew retorted with a snigger, "You ran into a pillar today!"

"Hey!" Sirene protested, "That doesn't count, I'm usually not that clumsy"

"Sure you aren't" Andrew said sarcastically.

      "Am not!" Sirene said with furrowed eyebrows, "I've never even broken a dish in my life....on purpose, yes but not as a mistake"

      "Then why'd u run into a pillar?" Andrew asked turning to look at her with a small laugh, "You just went right onto it"

      "It happens!" Sirene said frustratedly making Andrew laugh even harder, "I don't appreciate you making fun of me"

      "Ok, ok" He said holding in his laughter, "I won't anymore"

       "Ugh, we have to get going" Sirene said hopping off the counter they were sitting on and then motioning for Andrew to do so too, "I have to get back to the party"

       "Ok, fine" Andrew said putting down the bowl and then walking away with her.

      Sirene felt her hand touch his while they were walking together, causing her to flinch and then jump away, fuck!!!!! She thought to herself and then started playing with her rings.

      Andrew's eyes danced around, looking at everything but her and she seemed to do the same. On their way they heard some noise in the broom closet, both of them scrunched their noses simultaneously and looked at each other.

      An idea popped into Sirene's head making her smile mischievously, Andrew looked at him with his eyes widened, "No- we are not going to prank them while they're you know what!"

      "But it'll be so fun!" Sirene said with a pout, "Come on, when else are you going to do this? Live a little!"

       "I am living!" Andrew scoffed at the girl who rolled her eyes at him, "I just want to let others live too"

       "Whatever" Sirene said before shoving her hands into her pocket, "I'm gonna do it anyway"

      "Sirene- no!" Andrew tried to hold her back but he wasn't fast enough as Sirene started making loud footstep noises, stopping right outside the broom closet and shaking the door knob a bit before knocking, "Oh, Rowena! I swear to Merlin, this girl!" He shook his head pinching the bridge of his nose.

       They heard hurried noises from the other sound, and just to mess with them more Sirene made a convincing 'meow' sound to make them think it was Filch who was on the other side.

       "Ok, we can go now" Sirene said smiling with satisfaction at the hushed voices that came from inside the broom closet.

       "You are evil, Sirene Black" Andrew said looking at Sirene with an unimpressed expression, "Pure evil"

      "Thank you" Sirene bowed dramatically, "I try"

      "You don't have to" Andrew scoffed.

      "You know, for a long time Lily used to call me demon spawn" Sirene said with a small chuckle, "And then she got used to it"

     "Are you insinuating that I should get used to it?" said Andrew.

     "Maybe..."

      Just as she reached the corridor that brought them to the Gryffindor tower she found Lauren, Neveah, Lyra and the rest of the friend group right outside the portrait of the Fat Lady just talking to each other, Lily passed her a discreet thumbs up when Andrew wasn't looking.

      "Hey, what are you guys doing outside?" Sirene asked playing along with what they planned, "Is the party over already?"

      "Yeah, it is" Lauren said with a smile, "Some kids got into a fight, it was a mess"

      "Shame" Sirius said following the script, "Why don't you all stay for a sleepover?"

      "Sleepover?" Andrew asked with his brows furrowed, "Why?"

       "Well, to spend time together, of course!" Sirene said with a chuckle, "I was hoping we would all get to talk a lot in the party, but that's not going to happen, so..why not?"

       "I'm down!" Marlene said excitedly turning to look at Lyra and giving her 'Marlene's famous puppy dog eyes' as she calls them, "Please? Please? Please?"

Lyra looked unsure for a moment looking at her house-mate - Andrew - who just shrugged as to say 'why not?' she looked back at Marlene who continued to give her that face and gave up, "Ok, I'll stay"

"Oh my god!" Lauren exclaimed happily, "I've never had a sleepover before! Can we braid each other's hair and then have pillow fights like they do in muggle movies?!"

"Sure, love" Remus said chuckling at Lauren's excitement, "We'll do whatever you want"

"I'm gonna go set up the beds in the common room" Alice said with a guilty smile, "Common room is fine right? Or it could be the boy's dormitory"

"No!" The collective voice of Lily, Marlene and Sirene said together.

"I don't want to sleep around boy odor" Marlene said scrunching her nose, "I bet they don't even wash their sheets"

"Alright then" Alice said and then went inside followed by Lauren, Lyra and Andrew.

"Woah, I've never felt this guilty before" Remus said watching Lauren walk away with a small grimace, "She's genuinely excited"

"Guilt is for losers, Remmy" Sirene said her eyes shining with excitement and caper, "I can't wait!"

🥀

"Ew, do you even wash your hair?" Sirene said as she dealt with Sirius's thick locks her fingers getting stuck between the strands.

"Yes, I do" Sirius said with an offended tone, "I just have knotty hair!"

"Sure" Sirene rolled her eyes as she was finally done with it and put it in a small low ponytail, "There, my turn now" she sat on the ground and then Sirius sat on the chair dealing with her hair with expertise.

"So, you guys actually meant the perfect sleepover, huh?" Andrew said looking around and watching the girls braid each other's hair as the boys just dealt with the beds.

"Of course" Sirene said in an obvious tone, "What did you expect?"

"I honestly don't know"

On cue, right after Andrew said that the sound of a voice resembling a mermaid rang throughout the common room making the kids flinch.

"Wha-what was that?" Neveah asked looking around with her eyes widened, "You guys heard that didn't you?"

"Really wish I didn't" Lauren gulped.

"Me too" Lyra added looking around in fright.

"It was probably a student messing with us" Andrew said laying down on the makeshift bed they'd made, "Don't worry about it"

"Or, it could be Silent Selena" James said with fake hesitation in his voice, "I've heard stories..."

"Wh-what do you me-mean?" Neveah said as a cold shiver ran past her spine, she gave a helpless look to Sirius who was just about done with Sirene's hair.

"You guys haven't heard the story?" Peter said emerging with a flashlight in his hand, conveniently right then the lights went out.

"Dear Helga, I'm gonna die, aren't I?" Lauren said her voice wavering, "What story are you talking about? And will you turn the flashlight on already, Peter?"

"Sorry" Peter said with a sheepish voice and then everyone used their wand and the 'lumos maxima' spell.

"I've heard stories too" Sirius said using that opportunity to put his arm around Neveah who seemed to be shaken up, poor girl, she's already been on the receiving end of one prank today, but oh well, "That this girl - Selena Boulewag died locked up in the dorm room because of a prank gone wrong, everyone left her there for the entirety of holidays, and because she broke her wand, she couldn't get out so she just sang the whole holiday break hoping someone heard her, but they didn't because of the muffliato charm"

"Aw, poor girl" Andrew said with a frown before tucking himself in the bed and then muttering a small, "Ok, good night everyone"

"How can he possibly sleep after hearing that!" Lyra exclaimed looking at him disbelief, "What the fuck, Andrew?"

"Well, she's dead, isn't she?" Andrew said rolling his eyes, "Why should I waste my night worrying about a dead person?"

"Oh no" Sirene said as the singing got louder, "I think you upset her!"

"Andrew, apologize now!" Marlene said to the boy who just shrugged.

"Sorry, singing lady" he said and then closed his eyes to sleep again.

"Fucking psychopath" Sirene said rolling her eyes at him and then turning to face a very frightened group of kids.

Lily gave Sirene a knowing look and then tilted her head to the side knowing what Lily meant, Sirene and Lily immediately put out the lights using the wandless magic they'd be practicing for months.

Andrew groaned, Lauren released a gasp, Neveah shrieked, Lyra released a small sorry as Sirene heard something fall, she assumed that Lyra had hit something in panic.

The singing got louder, this time having much more echo to it, the sound was absolutely sugary, it was like you could fall asleep to it, if only you weren't using it to terrify teenagers.

A dress came floating towards them, it was a golden dress with red lace here and there, it was absolutely hideous but Sirene thought it added to the whole ghost thing.

Everyone including the Marauders and the girls screeched at that, the marauders and girls more because they had to act surprised to make the story more believable.

Neveah was practically clinging to Sirius, which Sirene thought was disgusting, Lyra and Marlene were huddled together and Lauren had her head buried in Remus's shoulder.

Just then someone burst into laughter, probably Lily, Sirene, Sirius, James, Peter and Marlene joined shortly after as the lights finally turned back on and the teenagers held on to their stomachs with tears streaming down their face because of how scared the others looked.

"Oh my fucking god!" Neveah said getting up angrily, "What the fuck!"

"You guys did this?!" Lauren exclaimed getting up, there was some odd mixture of anger and being impressed expression on her face "Seriously?"

"Wow, I'm so surprised" Andrew said sarcastically, "I can't believe that the story I didn't hear once in the six years I've lived at Hogwarts isn't true"

"I can't believe you guys!" Lyra said getting up, "I'm leaving!"

"Wait, L!" Marlene said heaving as she held on to her stomach not being able to talk because of how much she's talking, she felt a pillow hit her face as Lyra walked out.

"I would go too" Lauren said looking at Remus who tried to hold in his laughter but failed, "But I do actually want a proper sleepover"

"Then it's a proper sleepover you shall get"

Lol, messy chapter, I know. But now the seventh year is going to start so I wanted to just end it with a ba-bam ya know? Eh knee wayyyyyy I hope u had fun! Have a great day/night! 6K????? AHHHHH??????