𝐄den rolled two strands of hair into horns and added pearls before looking at herself in the mirror. She turned to look at her back and smiled, pleased with the result. She looked like a real demon and added blood red lipstick to complete the look. The redhead wore a very short red sequined dress, red eye shadow and added small diamonds and a devil's tail belt. All in all, Eden was a devil and wanted to make the most of Halloween.
She put on a red cape with a black lining and left her dormitory for the hall. The students who had stayed for the holidays ran out of the castle dressed as all sorts of creatures. Eden paused at the door and looked out into the dark night. The stars were bright and filled the sky, a sign of the cold of the night, and she shivered. Her costume didn't cover much.
"Marks, my goodness, you've just made me come in my trousers," an amused voice said.
Eden turned back to Theodore and watched him. Dressed in a Dracula costume, he was having a bit of trouble speaking with his fake fangs and he pulled them out before putting them in his pocket.
"Seriously, you're hot." He ran his eyes down her body and she noticed Lorenzo and Blaise behind him.
"What about Riddle?" asked Eden. None of the three boys had to answer. Mattheo came in, zipped up his rock star costume and let go of the girl on his arm who had gone to join her friends. "Seriously? Couldn't you wait until the end of the night to fuck?" Eden dropped.
Mattheo winked at her and led the way. Lorenzo and Blaise rushed after him. Eden didn't bother to walk fast, they'd just have to wait for her. She could hear them laughing and arguing. The students split up, some going to the Muggle side, others to the village, and Eden took the path to the haunted house.
"As much as I love the view, you're going to catch a cold," Theodore said. He took off his jacket and handed it to her.
"I won't thank you by sleeping with you," Eden replied. She took the jacket and pulled it on. It was warm and too big, but it made Eden feel much better.
"I know," Theodore said. "As much as I want to win the bet, I know how to be nice too, Marks." Eden turned her head towards him and Theodore smiled. A real smile she wasn't used to seeing.
"Instead of flirting, walk faster you losers," Blaise shouted. Eden sighed and walked faster. Mattheo watched her and made no comment, but he had noticed the jacket she was wearing.
"Twenty galleon that Lorenzo is going to piss himself", Theodore said. He looked defiant and they began to argue. Mattheo lit a cigarette and Eden walked beside him. Their hands brushed together, sending a shiver down his spine.
"You're wearing Theo's jacket," he finally said.
"I see you have good eyes," Eden joked. "I was cold." She almost slipped on a stone and Mattheo grabbed her arm to stop her.
"You could have asked for my jacket," he said. "Look where you're going."
Eden looked up at him.
"What difference does it make? It's still a jacket." The redhead crossed an old creaking bridge and looked around. "Are you sure it's this way? We're in the middle of nowhere." Eden shivered again, the silence was heavy and there were no houses in sight.
"Wouldn't it be funny if the haunted house was in the middle of other houses, Marks", blurted out Lorenzo. An animal howled somewhere and Eden walked a little faster.
"Ah, there it is." Blaise pointed to the only house in sight for miles. It was dilapidated and sent a shiver down her spine. Planks camouflaged the windows, though some were hanging down, revealing broken panes. It looked like a monster, its mouth open to eat people.
"Shit, too good!" exclaimed Theodore. Lorenzo opened the door and bats flew out, making them bend down, then they entered. It was so cold that Eden could see the steam on their breath.
"We're going to piss off the ghosts a bit," Blaise laughed.
Eden shivered as a breeze blew old dead leaves across the ground. The smell was horrible and she winced.
"From what I've read, a couple bought the house even after the estate agent told them there had been a real butchery. They ended up the same way. They were found one day with their intestines in the air." Lorenzo smiled as he seemed to enjoy telling this story. Something rolled across the ground and they froze. Eden wasn't easily frightened, but had to admit the place was creepy.
"Shit, this is weird," Blaise blurted out. He walked into the living room. A piano with missing keys stood in the middle of the room. The wind was blowing, making the torn curtains dance in silence. Suddenly there was a sound, as if someone had just pressed a key on the piano, and Lorenzo screamed. "You idiot!" he shouted, punching Theodore.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Theodore sneered. Eden walked away, leaving the boys to play silly buggers.
She went through a kitchen and then upstairs. There was a ball on the floor at the top of the stairs. She picked it up and looked at it. Was this what had rolled over when they came in? Probably, with the broken windows, the wind was blowing and must have moved the ball. The redhead made her way down the dark corridor and entered the first room, a master bedroom. The wardrobe had a hanging door, the floor was grated and the mattress had suspicious stains on it.
"Disgusting," she breathed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement and turned towards the slamming door.
"You idiots!" Eden reached over and pulled the handle, but the door was locked. "Very funny, you really are children!" Eden shook the handle and pulled so hard that it broke and she fell backwards. She grunted, got to her feet and banged on the door. "Damn it, open the door!" She wanted to kill them, especially since they were silent. Mattheo looked up at the ceiling as Blaise laughed.
"I knew she'd be afraid," Blaise said. Mattheo shook his head and opened his mouth, but Theodore spoke first.
"Those aren't screams of fear, you idiot." He moved away and went upstairs, opening the door before being slapped in the face. "Hey, what's wrong with you?" he shouted.
"You locked me in! I broke the bloody handle," Eden replied. Theodore frowned and laughed.
"Great joke, the door was open, Marks," he said.
"No, it was closed!" Eden clenched her jaw as Theodore shook his head. She had her doubts, but he looked serious. A shiver ran through her and she walked past him, back downstairs.
"So, Marks, I thought you weren't afraid of anything?" laughed Lorenzo. Eden raised her middle finger and noticed the candles they had lit.
"What the hell are you doing?" she asked.
"That, Marks, is for talking to ghosts. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to talk to your dear little daddy," Blaise teased. Eden's face closed and she felt her eyes burning.
"Fuck off," Mattheo said. Eden felt Theodore's hand in hers and squeezed it. A lump had formed in her throat and she shook her head.
"I'm not playing this bullshit," the redhead blurted out.
"It's bullshit, nothing's going to happen," Lorenzo sighed. He sat down on the floor and Blaise joined him.
"We don't have to do this, Marks," Theodore said. Eden shook her head, she wasn't going to let these idiots think she was afraid. Once they were seated, Lorenzo chaired the meeting. Eden didn't really listen to him call the dead and just stared at the flickering flame of one of the candles. There was silence and they waited several long minutes.
"Nothing's happening, really, it's terrible," Blaise said. He stretched out his long legs and Eden played with her wand.
"Right, let's go to the party, I need to get drunk," Lorenzo said.
Suddenly the wind picked up. The candles toppled over, extinguished, and a terrible scream, mingled with the wind. The piano began to play, the leaves began to turn, and it was Mattheo who cried out first.
"I'm too good to be caught! Take Theo!" he shouted. Theodore shouted back and took a swing at his best friend.
"Why me? I'm innocent! Take Mattheo!" It was chaos, and Blaise probably shouted the loudest.
"Because you're... stupid! You're the one who deserves to be possessed," Mattheo replied.
The screaming resumed and the boys shouted louder. They got up and ran outside. Everything went back to normal and Eden came out laughing.
"Boys, if you can see your faces," she said. She was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her stomach hurt and she caught her breath. "It's so easy to scare the shit out of you, no one will believe me when I tell how some guys who think they're gods got the shit scared out of them." Eden wiped her eyes and walked down the steps to join them.
"Fucking bitch," Lorenzo blurted out before laughing. "It was you!" He had his hand over his heart and Eden smiled as Mattheo looked at her.
"You're demonic, I want to fuck you right now," he said.
"Yeah, I admit, hearing you scream in fear took all the charm out of you," Eden replied with a laugh.
"Well done Marks," Theodore said. The boys started walking again and Eden looked back at the house one last time. Her heart skipped a beat. In the attic window, a figure seemed to be watching them. It disappeared as soon as their eyes met and Eden shivered.
She hurried back to the boys and tried to tell herself she was dreaming. But there were ghosts at Hogwarts, so why not here? Her hand met Theodore's as he took it from her and he was silent for a moment.
"Would you like to be my date for the party?" he finally said. Eden glanced at Mattheo, who was walking behind them, looking dark and smoking again.
"Sure, but I'm warning you, I'm not finishing the evening in your bed," Eden replied.
"Fine with me, as long as you show me your dancing skills." Theodore squeezed her hand a little tighter and Mattheo walked past them.
Eden could tell from his shoulders that he was tense. The redhead crossed the old bridge, which creaked, and she felt her foot sink into the old wood.
"Shit!" She winced, her ankle aching. Mattheo turned, fear flashing through his eyes. Quicker than Theodore, he bent down and removed the wood, squeezing Eden's calf before pulling her foot out.
"You must have twisted your ankle," he said. Eden gave a small cry as he lifted her up, causing her to let go of Theodore's hand.
"Mattheo! What are you doing? Put me down." Eden grunted but he held her tight.
"Stop moving, you need to rest your ankle if you want to dance with Theo."
"Hey, don't touch my butt." Eden sighed as he put his hands on her bottom so he could hold her properly. He sighed and set her down again before walking past her and bending down slightly.
"Get on my back", said Mattheo. She sighed and rolled her eyes before climbing onto his back.
"Matt, go faster so I can get a good look at her ass," Theodore said. Eden managed to lift her arm behind her and raised her middle finger before wrapping it around Mattheo's neck.
"I'm really starting to think you have a heart," she whispered in his ear.
"To have a heart, you'd have to have a soul," Mattheo replied in a deep, serious voice.