We Are Golden (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

The Closing Ceremony

Waking up the next morning had me wondering if it had all been a dream. The only proof I had that it was real was the remaining dampness at the roots of my hair, a by-product of not allowing it to dry before laying down. On Kat's bedside table, I had placed the plaque, where it glimmered in the light of the sunrise.

I yawned, stretching my arms above my head. "Good morning" Lily chirped, her voice mischievous. "Get in late last night?"

I eyed the curtains around the beds around us. "Good morning" I avoided her question, running my fingers through my hair in an attempt to work out the damp knots. Lily huffed, pushing herself out of her bed and crossing over to mine, then flopped down gracelessly across my comforter. She turned her head, breathing deeply as she leaned in closer to me.

"I know that smell" she sniffed again. "That's the soap from the Prefects bathroom."

I shrugged, struggling with a particularly large knot at the back of my head. "Elle, what the hell were you doing in there..." she didn't need to finish her sentence for me to know what she was getting at.

Clearing my throat, I gave up on the tangle. "We hit a snag in completing the December challenge, and had to hide from the groundskeeper."

She pinched hair face, reaching forward and touching my hair. "Did you hide in the tub?" her voice was dripping with doubt as she felt the damp tendrils of my hair.

"Who hid in a tub?" Mary's voice came from across the room.

"What tub?" Sasha responded, pulling the curtain back from around her bed.

"Tub?" Kat sat up, rubbing her eyes groggily.

"Thanks Lily" I hissed, and she rolled her eyes at me. "Well I'm not going to repeat myself, so I'm only going to tell this story once." All four girls were suddenly wide awake, perched at the end of their beds and ready to listen intently. Something about the look on Kat's face told me that she knew, maybe not everything, but definitely enough. Lily shifted, pushing me forward and taking control of my hair situation.

"So, me and Sirius broke into the professors lounge last night-"

"Already?!" Sasha yelled, only to be quickly shushed by Mary and Lily.

"Oh, so this is from you guys then?" Kat picked up the plaque and I nodded.

"Yup. Anyways, well on our way out we were almost caught by the groundskeeper, so we had to make a mad dash out of there. Somehow, we ended up by the Prefects Bathroom, and it was really the only place to hide."

"Oh my" Mary pulled her comforter around her tighter. "That must have been so scary for you, Elle. I can't even imagine stepping foot in there after everything that happened."

"That's the thing. I didn't even know that's where we were. Sirius made me close my eyes and wouldn't tell me why. I think we hid in a shower stall but I legitimately had my eyes closed for at least ten minutes."

A round of awes came from the girls around me. "Sirius Black has a heart of gold" Sasha cooed, pressing her hands to her chest. "That's so sweet."

I shrugged, and Lily pulled at the difficult knot once more. "He's definitely very thoughtful" I said diplomatically. "Anyways, when he was making sure the coast was clear to leave, I kinda figured it out. So I opened my eyes and-"

"That's not the full story" Kat interjected, and I shot her a quick look. "Oh come on, Elle, just tell us."

"You know, your all-knowingness is really irritating sometimes."

"It's apart of my charm. Not stop deflecting. Tell them."

"Tell us what?" Lily said from behind me.