Mischief Managed | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 31

The four girls made their way out of the castle, carrying their backpacks over their shoulders as they talked and laughed. Although Marlene had forgotten to zip up her bag, which caused all her books to fall out of it in the middle of their way.

    "Ugh..." Groaning to herself, Marlene made a move to bend down in order to get her books, although Jenna stopped her.

    "No, wait. I've got this!" said Jenna, and then with a smug grin, she took out her wand from inside her robe and pointed it at the books on the floor, before saying loudly and clearly, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

     On cue, the books started to rise off the floor and float through the air, making their way over Marlene's backpack, which was still hung loosely over her shoulders.

     "Show off," Marlene mumbled under her breath jokingly.

     Hearing those words, Jenna accidentally on purpose moved her wand a bit to the left, causing one of the heavy books to hit Marlene in the head.

    "Ouch!" Marlene cried out in pain as she rubbed her head, glaring at Jenna's direction. "You did that on purpose!"

     "I don't know what you're talking about," Jenna shrugged innocently, meanwhile Lily and Alice both giggled.

    "Here, let me help you with that," Lily said after all the book were finally in Marlene's bag again, and then she moved forward to zip up her bag.

    "Thanks." Marlene gave them a half smile, and so the four girls walked on, until they finally reached the edge of the Black Lake.

    The morning sun was beaming her golden rays upon the seemingly still water, creating what looked like pearls glimmering on the lake's surface. The weather was simply perfect, as though they were in the middle of summer.

     "Ah, yes... I can just fall asleep here for hours!" Marlene sighed happily as she dropped her bag down and then laid on the green grass.

     Alice chuckled while Lily only shook her head at the blonde girl with a smile. Lily, Alice, and Jenna followed Marlene's leas and sat down on the grass, taking out their books, quills, and ink. They soon started on with their essays, though Jenna had to work the hardest, because she had left all her homework for the weekend.

     Lily had to sit beside Marlene under the tree's shadow, helping her with their potions' assignment. Alice was busy doing her Transfigurations homework like Jenna, though she kept dazing off and staring dreamily at the Black Lake.

     "Hey, Jen?" Alice started, moving her gaze on the girl with blue hair.

     "Yeah?" Jenna hummed, looking up from her book.

     "What else can you do with your Metamorphic abilities?" Alice mused.

     "Um... not much, to be honest." Jenna shrugged. "But I guess I can change small features in my body, like changing my nose into a beak, or turning my hand into a lobster claw or something."

     "Cool!" Marlene exclaimed, grinning excitedly. "Could you do it now?"

     "Yeah, sure." Jenna smirked proudly, before focusing and turning her nose into a pig snout.

     The three girls burst out into laughter at her sight, although their stomachs started hurting from laughing so much after Jenna started snorting.

***

James, Sirius, and Peter made their way to the Great Hall after getting ready in a rush, so they wouldn't miss the breakfast. They were all enjoying their meal, all being extremely hungry. James and Peter had both filled up their plates with bacons and egg, meanwhile Sirius was eating pancakes with melted chocolate on top.

     Sirius then poured himself a glass of fresh pumpkin juice, although as he took the first sip, he nearly spat it out when his eyes fell upon the entrance to the Great Hall.

    "Look! It's Remus!" Sirius exclaimed, putting down his glass.

    Peter and James turned their heads around sharply, watching as the boy with sandy brown hair walked into the Great Hall.

    Although the moment Remus caught the three boys staring at him from the Gryffindor table, he went pale.

    "Uh oh..." Remus muttered under his breath, before turning around and trying to casually walk out of the Great Hall, acting as though he hadn't even seen his friends.

    "Oh, no you don't," James mumbled under his breath before getting up to his feet briskly, saying to Sirius and Peter, "Come on, guys."

    Sirius got up without hesitation and followed James away, while Peter stared down at his plate longingly. But then sighing, the chubby boy got up in a hurry and tried to catch up with the other two.

    "Remus! Wait!" Sirius called out loudly as the three boys ran after him, but Remus kept on walking, pretending as though he couldn't hear them.

    But the moment he stepped into the entrance hall, James and Sirius finally caught up with him and ran forward, blocking his way. Peter then reached them as well after a few moments, slightly panting.

    "Oh, hello. I didn't see you there," said Remus, offering them a little smile.

     Although James and Sirius weren't having it as they raised their brows at him suspiciously.

    "Where were you in the last two days?" James questioned, the curiosity almost bursting out of him.

    "Er..." Remus started awkwardly, but he couldn't put two words together.

    "We searched everywhere for you!" Sirius went on when Remus failed to answer them. "We even searched the hospital wing, but you weren't there either. We got really worried and thought you were hurt or something."

    "Um... what time exactly did you go to the hospital wing?" Remus questioned, confusing James and Sirius even more, because they had no idea why he would even ask this.

    So Peter took it upon himself to answer and say, "I don't know the exact time, but it was already night. Madam Pomfrey said that even she hadn't seen you, so we gave up and left."

    "Oh, yeah," Remus blinked quickly, suddenly nodding firmly, "I was actually — er — out of the castle. It was — it was my mother — she had fallen sick. So I had gone to visit her."

     "Oh..." Sirius said as their faces fell at those words in guilt. "We're... we're really sorry to hear that."

    "It's all right," Remus muttered.

     "But are you okay?" James mused, looking back at him. "Your face... it's covered in fresh wounds."

     "These? These are nothing." Remus laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was playing Quidditch in our backyard, but then I fell off my broom and hurt myself a little."

    James and Sirius shared a look, but all three of them then turned to look at Remus with sympathetic smiles.

    "Well, I hope your mother gets better soon, Remus," said James softly, and the other two nodded along.

    "Thanks," Remus said quietly, secretly relieved that they had bought it. But he didn't know for how long he could keep on lying.