Do you Believe in Magic

Chapter 31

"Remember the rules: no hiding in the Forbidden Forest, and you have to leave clues to help the seeker," Carissa said as she and the others got ready to play 'hide-and-seek'.

It was a cold Saturday, the last Saturday in November, and most students from third-year and older were gone on a Hogsmeade trip. The remaining students - mainly first and second years - were inside, enjoying the warmth of the fires in the common rooms or the library.

The only ones that weren't were Carissa, Teddy, Jessica, Maggie, and Jeremiah.

"I think we should keep this inside," Jessica suggested yet again. "It's cold outside. I don't want to go out there to seek. Besides, the castle is big enough to hide in; what's the point in going outside?"

"It adds to the fun!" Carissa said, skipping ahead of the others as they made their way out to their weeping willow tree by the lake.

Just as Jessica said, it was cold outside and looked like it was going to snow. Carissa led the group, then Teddy, Jessica, and Maggie followed (Teddy and Jessica were holding hands), and Jeremiah stayed a few paces behind them.

Jeremiah watched, scowling, as Teddy put his arm around Jessica to keep her warm. Through the months, he had gotten more and more irritated by how much they acted like a couple. All the "goodnight" kisses, the "goodbye" hugs, and the constant hand-holding: it was beginning to make him mad. After all, Jessica was his date to the ball, not Teddy's.

Maybe he'd have to talk about it with him. Just because he was a little shy didn't mean he couldn't talk confidently toward Teddy about this. He would just think it out in his head and, once he got ready, the words would just flow out as planned.

Once all five of them were under the tree, Carissa hopped up and stood in the fork of the trunk boldly.

"Okay," she began, "this tree is base. If you touch the leaves before the seeker gets to you, then you're safe. Now who is going to be the seeker?" There was a pause where no one spoke up. "Okay, no volunteers....Not it!"

"Not it!" Jessica, Teddy, and Jeremiah hurried to echo.

They all looked at Maggie. Her mouth was open to speak, but it was too late. "Dang it, I'm it," she said quietly, and they all laughed.

"Mggie is the seeker this round," Carissa confirmed. "Next round, the seeker will either be the person she tags first or the person who gets to base last. Understood?" The others nodded. She turned to Maggie. "Count to two minutes, then come looking for clues."

Maggie nodded and turned to hide her face in the tree trunk. "One, two, three, four...."

The others scrambled away from her, running to find a suitable hiding place.

Teddy grabbed Jessica's arm before she could go inside behind Carissa and Jeremiah.

"What are you doing? We don't have much time," she urged.

"Are you forgetting what we are?" he asked, a smile forming on his lips.

She looked at him oddly, not understanding. He rolled his eyes and scrunched up his face.

A second later, he looked like a boy from his dorm room.

"Oh!" Jessica said, smiling maliciously. She scrunched up her face too and transformed into a girl from her own dormitory.

"Good, now come on," he said, taking her hand and pulling her along.

The sat with their backs against the castle wall for a few moments, watching the weeping willow tree and waiting for Maggie to finish counting.