Aaaaaaaah! Eliza shot up in her bed, sweat beading down her face as she panted irregularly trying to regain her normal breathing pattern. Angelina and Alicia were by her side quickly as they tried to comfort her. Staring forward, horror etched onto her face, she muttered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry El, don't be sorry." Angelina told her as she rubbed her arm, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, fine."
"What happened?"
"It was just a nightmare, just a nightmare." Eliza told her two closest friends, "Nothing to worry about."
"What was it about?" Alicia asked.
Shaking her head, Eliza replied, "It was nothing. I'm going to go and have a shower." She exited the bedroom leaving the two girls to stare at each other in worry.
Eliza stood underneath the warm water of the shower, her thoughts of nothing, her mind blank. When she got out she went straight back to her bed and looked up at the ceiling as she tried to fall back asleep.
Hearing whispers Eliza glanced over to see Angelina and Alicia walking out of the room, letting out a sigh she got up and began to get changed - into a pair of black jeans and a white jumper - and she brushed her long, straight hair. Once she was done she went and sat down in the common room, nearly everyone had gone down for breakfast so it was empty.
Oliver walked over to Eliza as he entered the room, "Why weren't you at breakfast?"
"I wasn't hungry." Eliza replied.
"You need to get all your energy" Oliver said to her before noticing her expression, "What's wrong Eliza?"
With a shake of her head, she looked away, "I'm fine."
"No you're not." Oliver told her.
Before she could reply the twins ran into the room and over to their best friend, "Come on El, we've got big plans today!" They grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room, "See you later Oliver."
Hiding behind a humpbacked witch the twins watched carefully, "What are we doing?"
"Shush." Fred told her, "He's coming!"
"Psst, Harry!"
"What are you doing?" Harry asked the, "How come you're not going to Hogsmeade?"
"We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go."Fred said as he winked. "Come in here." The four went into an empty classroom and George closed the door quietly before turning to Harry.
"Early Christmas present for you, Harry."
Fred pulled out the map from inside his cloak and laid into onto of the desks. "What's that supposed to be?"
"This, Harry, is the secret of our success."George said as he patted the map fondly.
"It's a wrench, giving it to you," Fred said to him. "But we decided last night, your need's greater than ours."
"Anyway, we know it by heart. We bequeath it to you. We don't really need it anymore."
"And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?"
"A bit of old parchment!" Fred said as though he just said the worst thing ever. "Explain, George."
"Well, when we were in our first year, Harry - young, carefree, and innocent -" Harry snorted causing Eliza to chuckle, the three of them had never been innocent. "Well, more innocent than we are now - we got into a spot of bother with Filch."
"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason."
"So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual, detention disembowelment, and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous.
"Don't tell me." Harry grinned at them.
"Well, what would you've done?" Fred asked him. "George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, Eliza went and started to talk to him and I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed this."
"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know. We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."
"And you know how to work it?"
"Oh yes," Fred smirked. "This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school."
"You're winding me up," Harry stared at the map.
"Oh, are we?" George said, "Eliza..."
Eliza got out her wand and pressed it lightly against the paper, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." And then ink began to spread from out of her wand and covered the entire parchment before large words began to appear, Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present THE MARAUDER'S MAP. It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds, dots with names beside them so you could see where everyone was.
"Right into Hogsmeade," said Fred as he traced one of the secret passages "There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four" he pointed at the different ones on the map, "But we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in, completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump."
"Moony, Wormtaill Padfoot, and Prongs," George patted the map. "We owe them so much."
"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers."
"Right," George told him.
"Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it or anyone can read it," Fred warned him.
"Just tap it again and say, 'Mischief managed!' And it'll go blank."
"So, young Harry," Fred said and it was almost as though Percy was there, "Mind you behave yourself."
"See you in Honeydukes." George told him as they left the room. "Shall we go to Hogsmeade then?"
The three walked quickly towards Hogsmeade, the twins were talking happily while Eliza half listened while half stared forward. "Are you alright Za?" Fred asked his best friend. "You're not saying much!"
"I didn't sleep that well."
"Ang told us, said she was really worried about you." George wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "What's going on Elz?"
"Nothing." She said but they both knew she was lying. "I just feel as though everything I once liked is slowly changing. I don't even recognise the person I am becoming."
"Is everything okay with Cedric?" Fred asked her.
"Yes, no, maybe, I don't know." Eliza sighed, "All he does is talk about Quidditch and I feel as though everything's changed."
"You're growing up El, of course everything is changing." George tried to comfort her.
"Do you miss Oliver hanging out with us?" She changed the subject.
The two shrugged, "Yeah, he could be really annoying but he's our friend."
"I miss him." Eliza admitted, "He was one of my closest friends and then he just stopped talking to me."
"You told him to." Fred said.
Staring at him confusedly, she replied, "No, I did not! I think I would remember telling my friend to stop talking to me! I would never do that."
"You did El, you just haven't realised it yet. Or maybe you have and you don't want to believe it."
"I don't know what you mean!" Eliza sighed as she tried to think back to telling Oliver not to talk to her but she couldn't think of anything. "When did I?"
"We'll let you work that one out for yourself."
"Why?"
"Who do you look for when you walk into a crowded room?"
"Usually you two."
The twins chuckled as they grinned happily at her, "You're in love with us."
"Well I am stuck with you!"