James was freed from the Hospital Wing on Sunday night, giving him enough time to do homework and not miss any classes. He wasn't nearly as excited about that as Ms. Pomfrey expected him to be.
Homework wasn't the only thing causing James to wish he was still in the Hospital Wing. All of Gryffindor house seemed angry with him and the Slytherins kept thanking him and slapping him on the back. A few of the thank yous were actually genuine as Cassie's friends wanted him to know they appreciated him keeping her safe.
However worse was the teasing. James' teammates had somehow managed to enchant a beater's bat in each knight in the castles hand that they'd bang their head with when James walked past. He already had headache from the banging as he finally made it to potions class.
Since the last potions class, where Cassie had stolen Alfie's seat, every potions class after she'd sit beside James and Alfie would sit with Hannah. James was growing accustomed to it and decided it wasn't so bad after all. Professor Boot loved Cassie and she was excellent at potions, so sitting beside her gave James an advantage to the rest of the class.
Alfie was smart, he was brilliant and had gotten an O in potions last year, but Cassie was equally, if not better at potions. It seemed to come naturally to her and she retained all the tips and information that Professor Boot said, easily. She was also more able to help James with his potions than Alfie had been. Alfie enjoyed ignoring James and pretending he didn't exist during potions class, Cassie gave him full attention. James loved attention.
Cassie even answered the notes James would pass her. Something that thrilled him, because Alfie had always refused to even read the passed notes until after class had ended. Then Alfie would just respond face to face. What good was a passed note if it's not answered in note form too?
Malfoy, I'm bored.
Potter we are in class.
Hence why I'm bored.
Then put a dungbomb in Flint's cauldron.
That's brilliant!
And that's how James earned his second detention because of Cassie, the first had been when he'd been searching for her after she'd stolen the map. He pouted after that and sent another note her way.
Now I have detention!
Serves you right, you put a dungbomb in Flint's cauldron!
James grinned at the notes as he reread them in detention later. Cassie was beginning to grow on him. As much as he hated all things Slytherin, James couldn't bring himself to hate Cassie. Even if she'd cost him a quidditch game, earned him two detentions and caused most of Gryffindor house to be angry with him. For some reason he wanted to spend more time with her instead of avoid her like he should.
Any new prank ideas?
He sent the note to both Fred and Cassie. Cassie's response was instant and Fred's came a few minutes after.
Makeup on boys?
Put guys in dresses, it'll mess with their egos.
James grinned at the similar ideas, his own blooming in his head. Perhaps a combination of the two…
"Mister Potter. Are you cleaning?" Professor Boot's voice cut through James thoughts.
"Of course Professor." He responded cheekily and returned to scraping guts off the potions tables. It was pranking time, after all Halloween was only two weeks away.
Mindie Burke was walking to meet up with her latest fling. A boy named something Perry or maybe it was Peanie? Either way, he was cute and had abs and that's all that really mattered to her. She turned the corner and there he stood.
To her absolute horror he didn't look nearly as attractive as he should. His face was painted like the muggle clowns that she'd seen in muggle circus advertisement posters. His nose red, eyes covered in too much blue eye shadow, his lips a horrendous hot pink, skin pasty and cheeks bright fuscia. She let out a horrified shriek.
He was staring at her equally shocked and disgusted.
"What happened to your face?" She squealed in horror. He spoke at the same time as her.
"What are you wearing?"
Mindie glanced down at her school robes, only to see they weren't her school robes. She was dressed in a puce colored potato sack. Another scream filled the hallway.
"What's all the racke-" Cassie had come around the corner and had to stifle her laughter. "Oh." She squeaked.
"What am I wearing?" Mindie wailed in dismay.
"Looks to be a potato sack." Cassie answered smartly. Mindie wailed again and took off down the hall in terror.
Perry or Peanie ran after her calling behind her.
"Does this mean we aren't going to snog?"
Mindie had no clue what happened to her or Perry/Peanie, but she knew she didn't want anyone to see her like this. It was beyond embarrassing and she had a reputation to uphold.
Cassie grinned after Mindie and the random guy she'd been with. She knew exactly what had happened to them, it had been cracking her up all day. Halloween was on Friday, two days away and she, Fred, and James had decided it was the perfect day for a prank. They'd cast a spell only three hours before on the exits to the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw common rooms. Any person to leave the Hufflepuff dorms would exit with a face of clown makeup and any person to exit the Ravenclaw dorm would exit with a horrid outfit, like Mindie's potato sack.
It was only around 7 in the morning, Cassie suspected Mindie had been about to snog the Hufflepuff boy with the face of makeup, which is why she'd been awake so early. Cassie had awoken at four to set the charms up with the boys and returned to sleep for only two hours before she found herself wide awake again. She'd decided to head down to the breakfast table, hoping other early morning risers would be there too.
Much to her great pleasure, a few extremely ridiculous Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were at their tables. The few early rising Gryffindors and Slytherins were sniggering to themselves. Cassie skipped over to the Gryffindor table where James already sat.
"Hello." She said much too cheerily for 7:06 on a Wednesday morning. James grinned back just as awake and happy as she was.
"Good morning." He winked at her. She took the seat across from him and poured herself some pumpkin juice.
"How's your morning?"
"Oh, it's alright." James grin suggested that his morning was a fair bit more than just 'alright.' Cassie sipped her juice before responding.
"Yeah, mines about the same I'd say." Her stifled giggles revealed her mood to be precisely like James'.
The two early risers sat, sipped juice, chatted and watched each new Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff enter the hall, their attire calling new found hilarity. The best reactions were when the victim hadn't noticed the problem with themselves until after they'd shrieked at a housemates appearances.
Alfie came down around 8 o'clock and instantly had to stifle his laughter, Fred didn't even pretend to attempt at hiding his loud guffaws when he entered the mostly filled Great Hall at 8:30.
The rest of the day seemed to go by quickly. Herbology with the Ravenclaws was a class of hilarity. The Biting Buttercups appeared to hate the Ravenclaw's horrid attire so much that they bit more and some even wilted. Even better was Double Charms with the Hufflepuffs. Any double period was usually dreaded, but from the moment Cassie walked into the classroom she knew it couldn't be too bad.
Cassie and her friends arrived early to class and seated themselves at the perfect vantage point. Professor Greening had missed breakfast that morning, as he normally did, taking in an extra hour of sleep and sneaking snacks through his first class. When the first painted face of a Hufflepuff entered his classroom he quite literally fell from his chair. He quickly jumped back up and gaped. Once the rest of the Hufflepuffs had gotten to class Professor Greening was much too stunned to pay full attention to the lesson.
There were many flying objects, whizzing every which way that class. Professor Greening hardly noticed as he tried to keep his eyes averted from the colorful faces so as not to laugh, the best way he could do this was by leaving the room or putting his head down on the desk. Altogether double charms was a breeze.
Lunch came next and the pranks were still just as funny as they had been all day. Cassie, Fred and James high-fived whenever they saw people snickering at others appearances. A few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had somehow figured out how to escape the fate of their housemates. Dominique Weasley was one of them.
"Really? You couldn't have warned me first?" Dominique was a willowy copy of her mother, light french accent included.
"Sorry Dom, all are at risk of pranking." Fred claimed cheekily.
"Oh, Gryffindors too zen, huh?" She inquired angrily.
"Well…" James and Fred glanced hesitantly at each other.
"Of course! I helped prank Slytherin so we'll do Gryffindor next. It's only fair." Cassie informed Dominique much to James and Fred's chargin.
"What?" Both boys yelped. Cassie gave them a stern gaze. James gave in immediately.
"Alright, alright." He raised his hands in surrender. Fred pouted and didn't agree. Of course he didn't disagree either. Dominique left the table satisfied, she tripped over the flat ground and cursed in French.
"She may be 1/8th veela, but I think she's the most klutzy thing ever." James mused. Cassie giggled before smacking him lightly on the arm.
"Oi, be nice."
Transfiguration wasn't nearly as fun as the previous classes, being only Slytherins and filled with a long lecture and note taking. Cassie's hand was cramped by the time she got to a double period of History of Magic. That was even worse than Transfiguration, even with the Ravenclaws.
When class ended Cassie didn't get the satisfaction of returning to her dorm with her mates, or going to meet James, Fred and Alfie in the library. Instead her and Hannah made their way down to the Quidditch Pitch for practice. They chatted awhile.
"How's it going with you and Alfie?" Cassie watched Hannah's grin come to her face.
"I think I'm getting somewhere. I was able to make him blush four times last potions class." Cassie giggled and opened the door to the changing rooms, ushering Hannah in.
"Quidditch time!" Cassie cheered. Hannah let out a loud groan.
"I hate Wednesday practices." She moaned again. Cassie scowled at her playfully.
"Watch it, I might kick you off the team."
"Or blow me up?" Hannah suggested helpfully.
"Or that." Cassie winked as the two girls grabbed their clothes to change in to.