From the Devil's side

Chapter Eighteen- Damned duties

"Riddle are you even listening to me?"
"Hmm," I replied as I looked up from the book I had been reading. 
"Merlin," He grumbled, I raised my eyebrow at him. 
"We have to go anyway, the prefect meeting will be starting soon." He added. I sighed, great another pointless meeting. 
We walked side by side from the library in silence until Wiglaf broke it, 
"Tom." I frowned, rarely did he ever use my first name. 
"What?" I asked, admittedly a little curious. "You came to watch Grisha at the trails." 
"She told you she saw me then. Yes." I replied simply. I had no idea what problem Wiglaf could have with this, he wanted us to support her. 
"Hmmm. Slytherin had an unfortunate accident didn't they." He said, his voice laced his usual sceptical tone. 
"I suppose so. Grisha won seeker on her own merit regardless." I interjected, unsure of why I was defending her. Probably just to distract the attention from myself I supposed. 
"Without question... I just thought it was odd that she almost got a 'helping hand' if you will from Slyhtherin..."
"What are you saying Wiglaf?" I countered, we had just arrived outside of the meeting room.
"Oh nothing, just conversation that's all." Wiglaf replied with a smile. That was certainly not all, I knew what he was insinuating.
I pushed open the door, inside the rest of the prefects, head boy and girl and heads of house sat around the large wooden table. 
"I nodded to them as I took my seat." Celia the pretty blonde in my own house winked as she made eye contact with me. I smiled politely before ignoring her obvious invitation to sit next to her. I could not be bothered with her this evening. She was easy on the eye but hard on the brain. 
"Welcome Heads, prefects." Dumbledore smiled at us. I forced myself to look passive and not let the frown that I felt inside creep onto my face. I couldn't abide the man.
"We are here to discuss the plans that are being but into motion our Halloween celebrations." His eyes sparkled as he looked over all of us. Some of the prefects clapped their hands together in anticipation... Unless it was some kind of sacrificial ceremony I couldn't care less. Making a magical traditions such as All Hallows Eve into some kind of childish party irritated me. 
"We was thinking a ball would be the best way to go." Chimed in Slughorn. I had to force myself not to sigh. 
"Indeed Horace, a masquerade ball to be exact." Dumbledore continued, he withdrew a pile of purple leaflets and passed them around the circle. Oh wonderful not only was it a ball it was practically fancy dress. I took the leaflet and looked down at it, trying to hide my disgust.
"Our head boy and girl here obviously worked very hard on these." He smiled, there was some excited chatter around the room.
I glanced at Wiglaf, who mirrored my feelings. He raised his eyebrow at me. 
"Of course this will take all of us to organise it." Slughorn interjected. Me and Wiglaf exchanged another look of horror. Not only would I as a prefect be forced to attend but I would also have to help organise it. I was starting to think the cons greatly outweighed the pros to being a prefect. 
"What is the point of this," Wiglaf hissed as he sat next to me during the following group discussion. 
"Fun," I hissed sarcastically. 
"Oh tons of it." Wiglaf rolled his eyes. "I can't think of anything I would rather do less! This is going to be a complete waste of our time and energy."
"Agreed," I sighed, but at the same time my reputation was at stake. Slughorn was clearly annoyingly enthusiastic about it. 

"I can almost guarantee you Lazarus and Grisha wont share our opinion on this," I drawled as I learned upon the armchair in the room of requirement. Wiglaf had thought it of upmost importance to tell Lazarus and Grisha of our common burden. The large double doors opened to reveal Grisha and Lazarus, they entered the room looking confused if not a little curious. 
Wiglaf straightened himself up to talk as the took a seat on the leather sofa. 

"We have just been to our first official Prefect meeting." Wiglaf began gravely, Grisha and Lazarus merely exchanged nervous looks before fixing their gaze back upon Wiglaf,
"They were talking about Halloween," he continued bitterly. 
"Halloween?" said Lazarus curiously, "What's so bad about Halloween?"
"Oh no not bad, pointless! Utterly pointless, some of us have OWL's coming up this year and some of our elders have their NEWTS. There is no time, it is completely unnecessary." Wiglaf had started off now, his temples were pulsating under the stress. Rarely did anything get Wiglaf so railed up. 
"Sorry I'm not following," Grisha added, "Halloween's pointless?" She looked at us both as if we both had four heads between us. 
I sighed heavily could we just get to the point. I walked forward throwing a piece of parchment onto Grisha's lap.
She picked it up in her small hands hesitantly and held it between herself and Lazarus so that they could both read it,
Grisha scoffed and Lazarus's eyes went wide,
"A Halloween masquerade ball,"Grisha stated raising an eyebrow,
"You two are unbelievable, acting like someone has died over a party," Lazarus breathed,
"You're missing the point, me and Tom are Prefects now and so have been lumbered with the job of helping to organise it!" Wigalaf retorted angrily. 
"I did not agree to becoming a Prefect with the expectation of party planning," I added. The whole thing was utterly ridiculous. It was okay for them both, they didn't have to involved. I had never thought I would ever be jealous of Lazarus however...
"Here, here," Wiglaf mumbled,
"No you both signed up just to look down on the little folk and confiscate Fanged Frisbee's," Lazarus smirked, Wiglaf fixed him with a trying look. I smirked at him. He wasn't wrong I supposed, well it was at least a bonus.
"Oh why you have mentioned it, I much prefer to confiscate spell correcting quills, hand it over, Laz," I grinned.
Lazarus's face went blank, his mouth hanging slightly open, quivering as if he was on the cusp of an excuse, I however held out my hand expectantly. Lazarus reluctantly delved into his school bag and retrieved a long white quill, he stuffed it into my outstretched hand. Wonderful I had a few contacts in the dorm that would pay me a decent pouch for one of these.
"How did you find out?" Lazarus grumbled sulkily,
"I have my ways," I relied, continuing to smirk. That way being that I had seen Lazarus' writing on multiple occasions before this week and it was atrocious. I made the quill disappear to a safe place for later. Lazarus looked at the spot on my hand were it had been with a forlorn look.
"Anyway Lazarus's rule breaking aside, back to your other Prefect duties, what are your plans then for this grand ball?" Grisha grinned. Brought back to the sobering reality of the previous conversation I glared at Grisha.
"I don't have any. I am far too busy for this nonsense," Wiglaf scoffed,
"Have you ever thought that it could be fun? A small break from studying?" Grisha asked
"Fun," I ground the word out, "Let me see, a whole great hall filled with rowdy hormonal teenagers, crowded dance floors, spilled drinks and petty arguments, sounds wonderful," I continued causing Grisha to laugh. It was anything but funny, I was completely serious. This whole idea was nothing short of torturous.
"When you put it like that," Grisha grinned, "How about a night to spend together not planning world peace or studying, a night of dressing up, listening to music and dancing, eating good food and letting off some steam all to celebrate Halloween," She reworded.
"Exactly!" Lazarus added hastily,
"I'm sorry had you meant to improve its appeal?" I asked an eyebrow raised, sometimes I wondered how it was we ever had any good rapport with one another other at all if that was appealing to her.
"I give up. Look it's happening, the Professors and head girl and boy have decided it and you as Prefects have the duty of organisation," She concluded, who was she to take control of this conversation and say what was and wasn't happening.
"And the duty to attend," Lazarus added looking smug, "So that means that neither of you will be wheedling your way out of this one and that me and Grisha will see you there. You never know Tom event planning could be your calling," Lazarus laughed,
"You're right Laz, if it is I will make sure the next spectacular event I plan will be your funeral," I replied, I was joking of course like I would care to organise him a funeral when I had already gone to the trouble of organising his death. 
"Oooo," he replied. 

Weeks. Weeks of this tedious ball. It had taken up so much of my free time that I had, had very little time to focus on my other pursuits. It was hard to keep tabs on the knights when I was hardly ever in the dorm or common room. Such a waste of my time. I was rethinking the whole idea of perfect. I had thought it beneficial. It gave me privileges to explore the castle after hours but due to the extensive duties I had very little time to use them privileges. 
But finally the evening of the ball had arrived and then it would be over and normal duties would resume. 
    I pointed my wand lazily up at the ceiling as nets and streamers hung them self elegantly from one column to the other. 
"So I imagine we will be expected to bring dates," Wiglaf sighed. 
"Absolutely not. I thought we agree'd we was not bringing dates." I replied, this ball was going to be painful enough... I wondered for a split moment if Grisha and Lazarus would have changed their minds about bringing dates... or would they come together. I must have said it out loud as Wiglaf was smirking, 
"Why? Would you be jealous?" Wiglaf raised an eyebrow at me.
"Of course not." I snapped. As if I would ever be jealous, If I wanted to go with Grisha I would have asked her. She was at perfect liberty to go with who she liked. 
"I can see your already working on poor Clearwater," I snarled back at him. 
"I..." Wiglaf uncharactistically stumbled on his words. He had been flirting with her poorly for the last few weeks. 
"Oh its okay Wiglaf. You definitely haven't managed it." I added with a smirk. 
"Oh because you are an expert in flirting." Wiglaf hissed. 
"Well yes actually if I want to." That was true. I knew that I could have most girls within the castle if I wanted to. It was not arrogant it was just factual. 
"Git." Wiglaf muttered as he took off to put up more decorations before I could mock him further. At least I had managed to reverse my slip up and redirect the conversation. I was definitely not jealous of Grisha going with anyone else. What an absurd concept. The only people I would be jealous of tonight was anyone not attending.